This article presents the TRI-media Telematic Oceanographic Network (TRITON) project, which aims to develop a high-speed and low-cost maritime communication system. The article includes information pertaining to background studies, high-level architecture, network feasibility, maritime communication environment, technology developments, prototype implementations and link performance measurements. The motivation for this project stems from the fact that there is an increasing need for low-cost and high-speed maritime communication, with demands mainly coming from regulatory and crew welfare needs. The system described in this article is a wireless mesh network based on the IEEE 802.16. An analysis of the node connectivity based on real ship traffic data shows that the network is feasible in shipping lanes with a high density of ships. The system also considers the use of an intelligent middleware to allow communications to switch back to a satellite link in cases where neighboring ships are sparse or at locations far away from mesh base stations. Protocol enhancements to both the Medium Access Control (MAC) and networking layers and a hardware design that features multiple transceivers and the implementation of antenna switching to counter sea wave reflection and rocking problems are presented. Measurements of field trials show that the proposed wireless mesh network could be an effective solution for maritime communications.