Log: March 27, 2003—Skipper Rich Wilson

What an agonizing day, with computer problems, Iridium (satellite phone) problems, no wind, Sea Witch sailing away, hot as blazes, and forecasts for more of the same. Frustration does not begin to do the situation justice. We are now 150 nm from the Sunda Strait, at our average from NY–Melbourne of 9.4 knots, about 15 hours away, but at our current 1.5 knots, four days away. In five crossings of the Equator under sail, I have never seen anything like this prolonged period of 2-5 knots of wind. It is achingly painful. Iridium is down, I swapped out computers, yesterday, re-installed software, all to no avail; then at 3:45 a.m. a breakthrough. Using our lowest technology, we got through to connect to our communications systems for weather forecasts, maps, school communications, etc. I am a firm believer in high-tech, but I am also a firm believer in back-up low-tech, because I have seen so often the high-tech be appallingly unreliable.