Digital Detox at Sea – on Drifting into Offline Life

seafaring

19 Jun

Watching the signal drop as we left port is routine for any seafarer. But my first time back after the pandemic, it felt like more than just losing wifi.

Onboard life doesn’t offer constant connection. We’re not completely offline, but we’re far from always online. Most of us watch pre-downloaded Netflix in our cabins. When we catch a rare pocket of wifi, we quickly check messages, update family, maybe refresh an app or two.

This semi-offline environment began to feel like an unintentional digital detox – and surprisingly, I didn’t hate it. The always-on culture just... doesn’t apply out here. And that changes how you relate to the digital world.

Too Busy for Phone Addition

On ships, you don’t really have the luxury of mindless scrolling. We work long hours, with strict routines, and often with no phones allowed during duty. So even if I wanted to be constantly online, I couldn’t be. Staying connected 24/7 just isn’t an option out here.

That reality forced me to rethink my internet habits. Ship wifi is slow, limited, and expensive – not exactly ideal for endless screen time. I preferred using a local SIM or eSIM instead for when I went ashore. It was a one-time purchase that kept me reachable in case of emergencies, and let me navigate unfamiliar places safely.

Over time, the default disconnection reshaped how I used the internet. I wasn’t offline completely – just more deliberate about when and why I logged on.

Choosing Connection Without Constant Scrolling

There were itineraries where I didn’t feel like going ashore. Days where the ports felt repetitive or I was too tired to explore. That’s when I’d sometimes buy a bit of ship wifi.

But on the days I didn’t, I noticed the weird boredom that’s both uncomfortable and kind of calming.

There’s space to think on ships. Sometimes too much space. You start noticing things: the way the sea changes colour, how your thoughts loop at 1 am, the sound of someone’s music through a cabin wall.

I didn’t plan a digital detox. But in the absence of constant noise, presence crept in.

Recalibrating After the Pandemic

Before the pandemic, I craved signal in every port. Every shore leave turned into a wifi hunt – catching up on social media, downloading shows, calling home, syncing messages. It felt normal, like staying connected was a lifeline. And maybe it was, in some ways.

Every spare moment went into catching up on social media, downloading shows, calling home, syncing messages. It felt normal – like staying connected was a lifeline. And maybe it was, in some ways.

But after years of being hyper-connected and overstimulated, returning to sea felt like hitting reset.

I was also more careful with money. After months of uncertainty, I had to think differently about where my paycheck was going. Internet became one of the first things I let go – not out of deprivation, but out of clarity. I stopped seeing constant connection as necessary.

Let Go of the Need to Be Always Online

I wasn’t trying to be radical about it. I didn’t throw my phone overboard or delete my social media. I just let being unreachable become normal.

Being offline at sea reminded me that presence isn’t about showing up online. It’s about showing up here. Even a few days without notifications can reset your brain.

These days, I stay connected when it matters. I still reply messages, update people, check in when I can. But not always immediately.

People who know a seafarer in their lives get it. Sometimes it takes days just to have one conversation. A message goes out one day, a reply comes back three ports later. You get used to spacing things out. And so do they.

If you’re tired of being plugged in all the time, you don’t need to quit the internet. Just give yourself a little space, even temporarily.

You might be surprised by what you start noticing again.