**written several days ago**
In the theory of capitalism, profit is maximized and market forces cause product improvement. In a monopoly, there is no need to ever improve a product–there will be no increase in profit because customers have no alternative.
Iridium Go is a monopoly, because of this all of the associated software sucks. The underlying satellite technology is good because there are competitors in that space.
This is part two because I accidentally pressed send. I wouldn’t be upset ”sent” actually sent the message, but it merely queues the message. There is no way to remove the message from the queue and re-edit. It can only be deleted or sent.
Morgan Henry, who last year sailed from Japan to Dutch Harbor, told us just before we left Hanalei Bay they had starter battery problems and sailed all the way to the dock with out using engine.
I don’t know how they had power for their electronics, but no starter. Perhaps these newer battery technologies are incompatible.
Successful passage making is proving to be the result of strict attention to detail, lots and lots of details.
As an example, I replaced to multi-parts sheet hardware sets. These are basically block and tackle with a cam cleat on one end so that the lines can be fixed at a specific position. One was for the mainsheet, and the other for the boom vang — the same set up as the mainsheet but this limits how high the boom can rise vertically.
They are two new units from a reputable manufacturer. Each has a shackle at the top and bottom to attach the tackle.
Two days ago the boom vang detached from the deck. Going forward I found that the shackle is closed with a screw (not unusual) with a slotted head: Damned unusual. It means that the screw can not be moused.
Mousing is putting a piece of wire (or wire tie in today’s world) through the head of a screw so that it cannot turn. Reputable shackles that use screws in their shackles always allow this.
I put shackle back together. Forgetting that the mainsheet is the exact same hardware. The *NEXT* day the mainsheet let loose at the bottom. Exactly the same thing.
Each of these pieces of tackle also has a screw at the other end. Neither of those loosened. I replaced the mainsheet screw using Locktight. Before we leave this anchorage, I must do the other three screws that way and then replace all four shackles in Dutch Harbor.
Attention to detail.
It has been a fine passage. No major problems, though I am very hesitant to even write that. I find myself falling into superstition.
We’ll enter the Bering Sea in the next day or so.
Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.
Happy to see you are at an anchorage!