Thursday 26th March 'Going nowhere fast'

Lowena
Michael & Amanda Dyer
Fri 27 Mar 2009 14:27
We were supposed to have been launched this morning at 0800. Nothing
happened. We are all paid up and can't wait to get afloat. Mike went to
see what was happening and basically the hydraullic lift system has
broken down and is being worked on.
Yesterday was one of those awful days when nothing worked for me.
It began well with two doves nesting on the bowsprit. All day we
discouraged them but they were persistent and very sweet.
I called Adam on skype and he suggested trying out the mailasail system
with the iridium phone to make sure we can send and receive emails and
more importantly weather gribs, whilst at sea.
First of all the toughbook wouldn't start up. I guessed it needed
charging but even with the power supply connected it wouldn't start.
I then began to look for the cable to charge the iridium with the 12v
charger and couldn't remember what it looked like and couldn't find it
in the iridium box or elsewhere.
I called Adam again on skype and he told me that as the toughbook had
closed down abruptly it needed the 'on' button held down. And amazingly
as with everything tech-wise and Adam it worked. Then I connected up
the iridium phone and tried to send a request for gribfiles to mailasail.
It wouldn't send. Then I found that in the commotion of speaking to
Adam re the laptop, the aerial for the iridium had done a flip!
So start again. It all seemed to be connecting and then failed again.
This time the iridium had shut down, no battery. I read the
instructions (too late) which said if left for more than a month
uncharged, charge for 4 hours to boot. So I left it on charge while we
went into Grande Anse to get last bits of shopping. After 4 hours the
phone only had 2 bars showing so I left it on. Then switched it off and
on again, and only one bar showing. I'm thinking maybe this battery has
had it? (It must be 5 yrs old). So I took battery out and put it back
and sent Adam a text suggesting he send out a new battery to Antigua.
We met John and Angelique in De Big Fish and had a few wines and beers.
When we returned to Lowena the battery said fully charged.
This morning I connected everything up again and it has sent an email to
mailasail. What a difference a day makes.
Now we are just sitting waiting to be launched........