Hmmm, I'm guessing this lawsuit ain't gonna be a Slam Dunk... Hell, they may not even have to enter Charlotte's blog post a few days into the trip - "This is the stupidest thing we have ever done..." into evidence... (grin)

Seems like they knew satphones were unreliable well before setting out on their voyage:

As a guy who uses a satellite phone and has a ham/ssb onboard:

- I have the satellite phone for business because I need to make voice calls. If I didn't have that need, I doubt I'd have the phone.

- Satellite phones are flukey. I've had two times where mine has been de-activated by the billing company. When this happens it becomes a paperweight, and both times it was a paperwork error on their part. It's easy for paperwork problems to happen when traveling international by boat.

- When they work, satellite phones are the (long term) most expensive and easiest way to do email, voice, and weather.

- I'd say maybe 1/3 of the offshore boats I know have ham licenses. Those who don't have it generally have plans to get it.

- All of the popular nets I've participated in have been SSB. When you want to have a lot of people in a net, you do it with SSB. No real way around that.

If I didn't need my satellite phone for my job I'd have an SSB with a modem, and eventually study for the ham exam because why not?

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/ham-radio-vs-marine-ssb-121982-6.html#post1493195

I have an Iridum 9555 that I bought from a retail outlet of satellitephonestore.com in San Diego. The sales guy was straight forward, but my relationship with the billing department has been rocky to say the least. I use a lot of airtime and data as it's for my job.

- Twice I've had them disconnect my SIM card from their network for no apparent reason. It only took a phone call (via a cellular number) to clear it up, but still, disconcerting for long passages.

- I've had them change my billing plan without my authorization.

- I've had them charge me for overage minutes in addition to my prepaid plan amount, even though the minutes weren't overage at all and were completely within my plan limits.

- Just recently it seems they've broken my data minutes out from my voice minutes. So my "200 minutes a month" is really "200 voice minutes + data billed at $1.01/minute".

- I use uuplus as well and have had great results with them.

Is the breakout of data and voice normal in the ~$200/month prepaid range? This is several months in a row now of getting my invoice and finding things that are either wrong or questionable.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/iridium-service-plans-114895.html#post1384452

So, they still KNOWINGLY set out on a Pacific crossing relying on a product/service which they had already deemed unreliable?

And that is STILL the satphone provider's responsibility HOW? Is there a fancy Latin Legal term for "Fool me once, shame on you... Fool me twice..." (grin)