On the other hand, a dedicated cell phone on your boat can be a compact office tool, as well as an extra measure of safety for relatively little money. Make it a camera phone and you'll always be prepared for guests.

At the same time, cell service can be erratic, with dropped calls and weak signals in some areas and no reception at all in others. Unless you venture out to sea, the reception you receive on land is a reasonable predictor of the reception you will receive on the water. Talk to people in your marina about what they use and how it works.

For areas with poor signals, an amplifier and arch-mounted antenna (see links below) can help in some cases, but it will not completely eliminate dropped calls or a lack of service. A cell phone signal booster amplifies an existing signal. If there is no signal at all, there is nothing to amplify. On the other hand, an amplifier may be able to boost a weak signal to useable strength. At a cost of $300 to $500, it may be a solution for some boaters, but read product reviews carefully and, if you can, get a product demonstration before you buy. Better yet, talk to someone in a marina who has one.

Handheld satellite phones, while portable and more reliable than cell phones, are larger, heavier and cost a great deal more. Prices have fallen in recent years, but most models still cost from $650 to more than $1,400 – plus monthly usage charges. It's a significant purchase, worthy of research, comparison shopping and product testing.

Selecting the right satellite phone also means evaluating the unit as a piece of safety equipment, which is beyond the scope of this article. But if you're going to be spending time in areas where land and cell service are not options, a satellite phone is worth a good look.

Of course, you can't discuss phones without addressing Internet access. There are many options available while in port, including old-fashioned dial up access, DSL (digital subscriber line), cable and Wi-Fi. On the water, cellular and satellite service dominate. For a full discussion of each, see our story at the link below.

POWER ISSUES

Any discussion of a floating office would not be complete without addressing power consumption.

Computer batteries can only last so long without recharging, so you're going to need an additional power source if you're using a laptop. Alvarez regards the universal adapter, available at virtually any computer, office supply or electronics store for between $60 and $100, as the best solution. TargusTargus surge protectorYou can, however, opt for a small power inverter, which will power your laptop directly from your DC receptacle. In this case, he advises getting one with a continuous rating that is greater than that of your computer's adapter. Small inverters generally run between $40 and $70 at boating or electronics stores.

Computers, printers and other gear running on your boat's systems may not hog power like a microwave, but they do increase the drain. A typical laptop, for example, is rated at about 80 watts, with running usage averaging in the 40-watt range. An all-in-one printer may consume only 0.3 watts when it's off, but that figure jumps to around 10 in sleep mode and 30 when printing.

Of course, there is a lot that can be done to offset these requirements. Adjusting a laptop's screen brightness and configuring its power settings appropriately will help, as will turning it off when not in use.

Another option is a solar laptop charger, which comes in two configurations. Solid crystalline panels are composed of numerous dark, reflective cells that are soldered together. These rigid panels are mounted on pilothouse roofs, bimini tops, decks and other sun- soaked surfaces. There are also thin film panels, which feature silicone cells that are less efficient than the solid crystalline variety but better in low-light conditions and which provide flexible mounting options. Film panels are what you'll find installed on backpacks, folding solar chargers, solar rolls, laptop cases and laptop wraparounds.

Purchase a solid solar panel of sufficient wattage and you can power your laptop, as well as a bilge pump, television, coffee maker and other devices, at least for a few hours each week. You'll also pay a fairly hefty price. Panels can run from $600 to more than $1,000, and that does not count costs associated with mounts, electrical supplies and installation. The panels are fairly large too.

A film panel simply cannot produce the same amount of wattage. Even the large folding chargers and rolls do not pack enough punch to independently power your laptop, but they do provide sufficient wattage to recharge the battery or, if you connect when your laptop is running, to slow the drain. (Backpacks equipped with the thin panels provide significantly less power.)

Thin panels come in a space-saving package and at a lower price. Expect to pay between $250 and $500 for folding panels, and less for backpacks. One caveat: the thin panels are less durable than their crystalline cousins. Warranties typically last for two to five years, versus 20 years or more for solid panels.

SURGE PROTECTION

As with a home office, you need a surge protector to shield your computer and printer against fluctuations in electrical power. These multiple-outlet power strips can be damaged by power surges, so invest in one that has a light to indicate proper function. If your computer's Internet access is provided via phone lines, you will need a surge protector with a phone input jack; if it is provided via coaxial cable, you'll need a cable surge protector.KensingtonKensington 33197 power adapter

Quality and price vary considerably, from less than $10 to more than $150 for those with an uninterruptible power supply in the form of a backup battery. At a minimum, make sure that your unit has an Underwriters Laboratories (UL) rating. It is also a good idea to unplug your office equipment and the power strip when you leave the boat.

Those are the basics. You'll also need CDs or a portable drive for backups, a supply of printer paper and maybe a sealed plastic container to keep it in, plus the usual assortment of pens, stamps and desk gizmos. But we covered the big stuff.

Now it's up to you to see whether a great day on the water and a hard day at the office can actually be one and the same.