Planning Your Cruising Route with Work in Mind: Tips for Remote Professionals

When you live and work from a boat, route planning isn’t just about tides and fuel—it’s about Zoom calls, deadlines, and finding a signal strong enough to upload files. Whether you’re managing client work or dialing into a team meeting, smart planning makes all the difference.

We’ve been remote working aboard for over two years, and here’s how we approach it:

⚓ 1. Work Commitments Come First

Before we move the boat, we review upcoming deadlines, meetings, and the type of internet we’ll need. If it’s a call-heavy day, we either stay put, move early and anchor down well before the call, or make sure one adult can manage the boat while the other works.

🛟 2. Avoid Moving During Lock or Bridge-Heavy Days

Locks and timed bridges can be unpredictable. We try not to schedule work meetings on days when we’re cruising through lock-heavy sections like the Erie Canal or Trent-Severn. If we can’t avoid it, we block off our calendars to stay flexible.

☀️ 3. Use Lay Days Strategically

We build in “lay days” (non-travel days) in places with solid connectivity so we can catch up on projects or take meetings without stress. These are also great for days when weather would make cruising uncomfortable anyway.

📍 4. Research Anchorages and Marinas Ahead of Time

We use Aqua Map, ActiveCaptain, and Facebook cruising groups to figure out which anchorages have decent cell coverage (especially Verizon and T-Mobile). We keep a running list of “good work spots” with strong internet for future planning.

🧭 5. Backups Are Essential

Even the best plan can go sideways. We carry a cellular hotspot, have Starlink on standby (when power allows), and sometimes even scout out a library or coffeeshop in towns we visit.

🧑‍💻 6. Give Yourself Margin

Internet might go down. A meeting might get moved. Wind might kick up. Giving yourself buffer time between work commitments and boat moves makes the experience more enjoyable and much less stressful.

🌊 Bonus Tip:

If you’re trying to figure out how to work from a boat at all, I wrote an entire guidebook called Remote Work Afloat that walks through gear, time zones, troubleshooting, and how to make it work for families and solo cruisers alike. It’s available now in digital, paperback, and hardcover formats.