Tuesday 21 January 2020

Erratum: Our British mates are actually sort of mostly South African... my awareness of accents is, as previously divulged, paltry. One was born in London, the other in Cape Town. Now they live in Sydney when not sailing around the world on their Jeanneau 439.

To no one's surprise wind and wave were not as predicted - significantly higher. Nevertheless, as both were on starboard quarter, it was a wonderful sail and fast. Sunny forecast also went awry as we were periodically rained upon. No worries. Now anchored in Simpson Bay and sun has peeked out. Belying tropical setting, cool weather has prevailed since Grenada. Having never been in the Caribbean during winter, we're a wee bit surprised at how cool it can seem - snuggies at night.

Wednesday

Having eschewed mobile in St. Barth as Orange charged forty five euro for sim and one gig of data, purchased a Telcell card at the Chinese market in Sint Maarten with five and a half Gb for twenty three USD. Same amount top-up for ten dollars... maybe. Great.. except it didn't allow using phone as hotspot. Ever try to use five gig in a week on a wee 5s iPhone? So finally spent awhile on line with someone who had no clue what this was about, but asked someone who did and with a bit of additional prestidigitation and rebooting - we're in.

Thursday

And speaking of internet, rather than buy new sims and data in each country, thought Google Fi might be the ticket - 75 USD a month for unlimited data virtually everywhere immediately upon arrival. Unfortunately outside of US an iPhone, even one more modern than ancient unit someone, who shall remain nameless, has heretofore been too cheap to upgrade, will not operate as a hotspot. Thus gave rise to visions of acquiring a Pixel android phone, which will. But (there's often a big butt.. err but) Google will not sell to someone outside of US or ship to a mail forwarding address. No worries, just send it to best bud who can courier it to me!? No can do, Kemosabi - Google now thinks someone is fooling with my account and shut it down. After an hour and six minutes on chat plus twice verifying ID and payment information with copies of visa card and government photo ID, now waiting possibly forty eight hours to get sanctified. Since credit card and Paypal are both referenced to forwarding address have modest hopes that this will eventually work even if shipping address is righteous. How hard should it be to get Mr. Google to take my money? Of course when you have enough of the stuff that a few million doesn't even reach chump change level... well.

Now, five and a half gig of mobile data has somehow disappeared in last twenty four hours (no streaming), so devoid of internet until going ashore, in the rain, for dinner. It seems we are inexorably dependent on the grid and overwhelmed with angst without. Life sucks, then you die.

Jack & Jan