Celebrating almost 10 years of their service provision, satellite service provider Livewire Connections takes the opportunity to talk with Captain of sailing yacht Vivid, Timothy Forderer. The Captain runs the 27m Jongert superyacht Vivid with an owner who has a passion for cruising in extreme as well as remote areas.
27m Jongert superyacht Vivid cruising remote areas - Image credit to Captain Timothy Forderer
Luxury yacht Vivid is equipped with the Access Controller FB-10, with FleetBroadband 500, Iridium Open Port, Inmarsat Fleet F77 GSM data, and shore WiFi system. Vivid averages 13,000 sailing miles a year, in amazing scenic areas, yet these are areas with high risks including icebergs and pirates. For this very reason, Vivid is monitored closely through Fleetview Online an Inmarsat C based Tracking Service.
The relationship between Livewire Connections and Vivid yacht started shortly after Captain Timothy Forderer joined the yacht approximately 8 years ago. There was an existing airtime provider in place which Vivid remained with until they reached crisis point with their billing.
Aboard luxury sailing yacht Vivid - Image credit to Captain Timothy Forderer
“I reached out to David Walker at Livewire Connections as they provided the Access Controller on board,” explains Captain Timothy Forderer. “My aim was to reconfigure the hardware limits to try to get control of our communication costs. I was unaware of the full service Livewire Connections offered at the time. David Walker was very welcoming with a non-sales, consultation and supportive approach. He took time to understand our problem, find a solution, and we have subsequently reduced our monthly sat com bills by up to 70%!”
In the past 15 months Vivid superyacht has sailed near both poles, to Svalbard Norway and beyond 80.5°North to the edge of the Artic Polar Ice Cap, Antarctica, Chile and Patagonia. These passage plans have been closely monitored by Itay Singer at Sea Alliance Group, who plays an active and productive role within Vivid’s unique cruising program. Vivid can cruise comfortably and Itay is able to manage this vessel remotely knowing that they are always accessible with full access to satellite communications and the knowledgeable and experienced in-house team at Livewire Connections.
“Our primary role is to work with our customers to make sure they are on the right airtime package for their usage requirements. Where Vivid is chartering in remote areas, it is important their guests can share their amazing experiences with friends and family back home without breaking the bank to do it. We simply make this happen in an affordable way,” explains David Walker Sales Director at Livewire Connections.
