Starlink Maritime has been deployed on the world’s most Instagrammed superyacht, Motor Yacht Loon. Loon has an Instagram following of almost 62,000 followers at the time of this article. I spoke with Loon’s captain, Paul Clarke and he shared his experience with Starlink Maritime with Teslarati.
In March, Loon started accepting charter fees in bitcoin which coincided with the yacht’s first visit to Europe. After reading a recent article on Teslarati, Paul reached out to give us his thoughts on Starlink Maritime.
During our phone call, Paul told me a little bit about the cost of Loon, upgrading to Starlink, and how much better the internet speeds are compared with Viasat.
“We have one superyacht, a $30 million, 180-foot superyacht. We upgraded to Starlink the day it became available for the maritime setup,” he told me.
The speeds, he said, are consistently in the 150-200 Mbps and he only pays $5,000 per month which is a lot less expensive than his previous internet service provider.
“Previously we had Viasat which we considered good with speeds of around 40-80Mbs for $10,000 per month and about $50,000 in equipment.”
Ever since switching to Starlink, Paul has saved a lot of money and getting more speed than he was getting before.
“Starlink is still in its infancy and it’s only going to get better.”
Loon was one of the first vessels to deploy Starlink Maritime that he knew of, Paul told me. The yacht had the service for at least six weeks and crossing the Atlantic Ocean put Starlink to the test.
“With the boat crossing the Atlantic it was a good test to see if it was going to work and it doesn’t. But I contacted Starlink support and they said that probably by November, they plan on turning it on in Q4.”
Loon spent the summer in the Mediterranean and plans to spend the winter in the Caribbean. Paul plans to test Starlink over the Atlantic when Loon goes back to the Mediterranean.
“We’re on the way to Florida now and plan to spend the next four to six weeks in Florida just making sure the annual maintenance of the boat. And then we’ll head down to the Caribbean. It will be a good test for that area as well before shooting back over to the Mediterranean in probably May of next year.”
I asked Paul if he had any feedback he would like to share and he told me that he thinks Starlink Maritime is great.
“I think it’s great. Honestly, we are very happy with it in the early days and I think it’s a total game changer. The fact that we can stream multiple streams in high definition whereas before we’d struggle with one maybe two streams going. Every TV on the boat can be turned on to stream Netflix and live sports without issues. It’s definitely highly recommended.”
In July, SpaceX announced Starlink Maritime which is for oceangoing vessels while at sea. Ships, boats, merchant vessels, yachts, and even oil rigs can benefit from the latest Starlink product. Royal Caribbean recently announced that it was deploying Starlink, however, we don’t have to wait for Royal Caribbean to give us a review of Starlink Maritime.
Your feedback is important. If you have any comments, or concerns, or see a typo, you can email me at johnna@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter at @JohnnaCrider1
Lifestyle
Tesla Cybertruck takes a bump from epic failing Dodge Charger
The Cybertruck seemed unharmed by the charging Charger.
There comes a time in a driver’s life when one is faced with one’s limitations. For the driver of a Dodge Charger, this time came when he lost control and crashed into a Tesla Cybertruck–an absolute epic fail.
A video of the rather unfortunate incident was shared on the r/TeslaLounge subreddit.
Charging Charger Fails
As could be seen in the video, which was posted on the subreddit by Model Y owner u/Hammer_of_something, a group of teens in a Dodge Charger decided to do some burnouts at a Tesla Supercharger. Unfortunately, the driver of the Charger failed in his burnout or donut attempt, resulting in the mopar sedan going over a curb and bumping a charging Cybertruck.
Ironically, the Dodge Charger seemed to have been parked at a Supercharger stall before its driver decided to perform the failed stunt. This suggests that the vehicle was likely ICE-ing a charging stall before it had its epic fail moment. Amusingly enough, the subreddit member noted that the Cybertruck did not seem like it took any damage at all despite its bump. The Charger, however, seemed like it ran into some trouble after crashing into the truck.
Alleged Aftermath
As per the the r/TeslaLounge subreddit member, the Cybertruck owner came rushing out to his vehicle after the Dodge Charger crashed into it. The Model Y owner then sent over the full video of the incident, which clearly showed the Charger attempting a burnout, failing, and bumping into the Cybertruck. The Cybertruck owner likely appreciated the video, in part because it showed the driver of the Dodge Charger absolutely freaking out after the incident.
The Cybertruck is not an impregnable vehicle, but it can take bumps pretty well thanks to its thick stainless steel body. Based on this video, it appears that the Cybertruck can even take bumps from a charging Charger, all while chilling and charging at a Supercharger. As for the teens in the Dodge, they likely had to provide a long explanation to authorities after the incident, since the cops were called to the location.
Lifestyle
Anti-Elon Musk group crushes Tesla Model 3 with Sherman tank–with unexpected results
Ironically enough, the group’s video ended up highlighting something very positive for Tesla.
Anti-Elon Musk protesters and critics tend to show their disdain for the CEO in various ways, but a recent video from political action group Led By Donkeys definitely takes the cake when it comes to creativity.
Ironially enough, the group’s video also ended up highlighting something very positive for Tesla.
Tank vs. Tesla
In its video, Led By Donkeys featured Ken Turner, a 98-year-old veteran who served in the British army during World War II. The veteran stated that Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, is “using his immense power to support the far-right in Europe, and his money comes from Tesla cars.”
He also noted that he had a message for the Tesla CEO: “We’ve crushed fascism before and we’ll crush it again.” To emphasize his point, the veteran proceeded to drive a Sherman tank over a blue Tesla Model 3 sedan, which, of course, had a plate that read “Fascism.”
The heavy tank crushed the Model 3’s glass roof and windows, much to the delight of Led By Donkeys’ commenters on its official YouTube channel. But at the end of it all, the aftermath of the anti-Elon Musk demonstration ended up showcasing something positive for the electric vehicle maker.
Tesla Model 3 Tanks the Tank?
As could be seen from the wreckage of the Tesla Model 3 after its Sherman encounter, only the glass roof and windows of the all-electric sedan were crushed. Looking at the wreckage of the Model 3, it seemed like its doors could still be opened, and everything on its lower section looked intact.
Considering that a standard M4 Sherman weighs about 66,800 to 84,000 pounds, the Model 3 actually weathered the tank’s assault really well. Granted, the vehicle’s suspension height before the political action group’s demonstration suggests that the Model 3’s high voltage battery had been removed beforehand. But even if it hadn’t been taken off, it seemed like the vehicle’s battery would have survived the heavy ordeal without much incident.
This was highlighted in comments from users on social media platform X, many of whom noted that a person in the Model 3 could very well have survived the ordeal with the Sherman. And that, ultimately, just speaks to the safety of Tesla’s vehicles. There is a reason why Teslas consistently rank among the safest cars on the road, after all.
Lifestyle
Tesla Model 3 driver is using FSD to travel to Mt. Everest Base Camp
The ambitious, nearly 4,000-kilometer (2,485-mile) Tesla FSD journey is being livestreamed on Chinese social media.
Count on Tesla drivers in China to push Full Self Driving (FSD) as far as it could go. As could be seen in videos posted on Chinese social media, a brave Model 3 owner is currently going on an epic journey from Henan Province to the base camp of Mt. Everest on FSD.
Recent posts from the Model 3 driver suggest that the ambitious destination may be within reach.
Epic FSD Journey
As noted by Tesla owner-enthusiast Aaron Li, the journey from Henan Province to the base camp of Mt. Everest spans almost 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles). The journey itself is epic, with stunning vistas and roads that require some drivers to bring oxygen canisters with them. The fact that it is being done using FSD makes it extra impressive.
Based on the videos that have been recently shared, the Model 3 running FSD seems to be nearing the Everest Base Camp. There seems to be a good chance that the Tesla Model 3 may reach its destination this Friday.
Previous Everest Trips
This is not the first time that a Tesla has driven to Mt. Everest’s base camp. That would be a Model 3 that was driven in September 2020. That vehicle, which went on a long 5,500 km (3,400-mile) journey, was manually driven to its destination.
In April 2021, Tesla China announced that it has completed the buildout of 11 Supercharger stations in the picturesque route from Chengdu to Tingri. This route would allow drivers to reach the base camp of Mt. Everest. Sure enough, in July 2022, Tesla China shared a video of two Teslas—a Model X and Model Y—reaching the Everest base camp without any issues. Numerous other Tesla drivers have since taken on the long, picturesque journey.
Check out this Tesla Model Y’s journey to the Mt. Everest base camp in the video below.
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