Nearest Humans

An Iridium phone is the most insanely difficult gadget to manage in a boat like Berri – have to keep it dry, charged and with its antenna erect and then get it your ear when it rings. Each almost impossible, but all together requires ingenuity beyond anything I can muster. Finally got to talk to Jeanne in Nereida this morning – she's about 900 miles SW of us and going rather better. For us the equator seems to recede into the distance as we get headed and the current bites. Jeanne has a proper Iridium set up rather than Berri's cobbled together version – I'm going to drag out the bin that has the Iridium spares in it to see whether we have earphones and a remote mike for it which would make things a bit easier.