June 05, 2005 - 1830hrs UTC │Falmouth

1830hrs 05 Jun 2005 UTC Falmouth

 Seems ridiculous – pete and me sitting in an internet caff at 0900 on wet sunday morning in Fmth on our way down to Berri and we’re really much less in touch and flexible than we were in Berri when the HFHigh Frequency – usually refers to HF radio which is long range digital radio that Berrimilla used to send all but a few of the logs on both circumnavigations. The radio was connected via a Pactor 3 digital modem to Alex’s laptop and used the Sailmail software application called Airmail to send emails and pull in emails, weather and GRIB files. Airmail also supports Iridium satellite telephone messaging and Alex used this as backup when the HF radio died approaching England. was working. SailmailSailmail is the system that Berrimilla uses for email communication. It is a non-profit association of yacht owners operating a network of private coast stations in the maritime Mobile Radio Service. is great! I now have the mighty laptop configured for a Virgin account but we cant get access to a phone line. Local calls are timed, the place we are staying at has a walk around phone which is permanently on so the laptop cant get a dial tone so don’t even know if the connection works. 

Frustrating but we’ll get it sorted. The best option seems to be to get the radio fixed…

Going to do a big sort out on the boat today – trying to get things in more or less conforming heaps so we can start unloading – wich we have to do using the RCYCRoyal Cornwall Yacht Club, Falmouth, UK launch  at high water over the seawall into Jeremy’s shed. Nothing’s as easy as in Oz.

Tomorrow we contact riggers and electronics persons and get started on the fixes. Have discovered that this caff can actually accept downloads from the gigastik so will try and send some photos and the to-do list perhaps tomorrow.

Simon – I will copy the whole SOBSoftware on Board, from Digitboat – navigation software used by Alex for both circumnavigations. folder on to a cd and send it to you – also airmail and easymailSoftware application for use with SatCom C devices. for Mal in case we lose the record. SOBSoftware on Board, from Digitboat – navigation software used by Alex for both circumnavigations. has been a bit quirky of late- you might like to have a look at the tracks and see if there’s anything obvious – it’s been working pretty hard!

BJM – the Chain LockerWaterside pub in Falmouth, UK is, as you thought, full of pokies and jukeboxes but still has a bit of the old atmosphere.  Not somewhere really conducive to a quiet ale tho.

I have been slowly reading all the catch up emails and Gust bookThe Guest Book on the Berri site, so named to prevent spammers finding it to offer, or request unusual services and medications. The Gust book is here. entries – feeling as if all y’all are writing about someone else – hardly seems real but thanks in spades – it’s been a humbling experience and hard to describe how I feel at the moment but there’s still a deal of the driven soul around here sweating out the details of the next few weeks to make sure the next two stages work as well as the last ones

And it’s been an amazing ride and I’m glad you all got a kick out of it too.