Friday, June 16, 2023 Vermilion Starlink

Anne and the grandkids brought us to Vermilion late Friday afternoon. We had been very busy all day working through our departure checklists. We had a small opportunity to relax when our tasks were done while waiting for Annie. We made the most of that time.

The kids helped us unload the car and took time to pose for a picture prior to a delicious hamburger and wing dinner at Rudy's. We were fortunate to find a table for 6 at that busy time. 

Once we returned from dinner, Kerry crashed and went to bed. I had a glass of wine then watched fireworks with Jim and Jola. It was a nice display. It was in recognition of the big Fish Festival Weekend. 

The biggest news of the day is that Peter and I decided to accept son in law Nate's offer to let us take his Starlink on our trip. Starlink is Elon Musk's satellite internet program. Peter and I have been discussing the pros and cons of purchasing the hardware and subscription for Starlink for well over a year. Having this would give us internet anywhere we will be this summer. 

On Tuesday, when we were having margaritas to celebrate the upcoming Father's Day weekend, Nate mentioned that he had a Starlink we could take with us. I was blown away when I saw it in the trunk of his Tesla. I reluctantly declined his offer because it is just too big to fit on Annie. We are packed above and below decks. Even the engine room has 2 chairs, kayak parts, an air fryer and an ice maker stowed in it. On the way home I called Peter and shared this information with him. 

Peter called the next day and said I should have taken the offer and run. Again, I explained the space issue. He said what if he took the equipment and kept it on his boat and we shared all the expenses. I said I would be in for that. We believed the wifi signal would be strong enough to reach from his boat to Annie. His challenge was to convince Marianna that this was a good idea. 

Well, it took 2 days, but this morning he called and said the deal was on if Nate was still willing. Marianna raised some good issues about storage space, power consumption, possible damage to the equipment, etc. but Peter had decided that we would take it. We agreed to split all expenses and any repairs/replacement that might be necessary for damage. Anne brought the 2 boxes of equipment over when she picked us up. It's now sitting in Annie's cabin waiting for transfer to Voyager. Peter has space to keep it and an excellent fry bridge where we can install it, complete with the needed electric power outlets and protection for the equipment. Peter and I are both very excited about the possibilities.