We have procured, and are in the process of setting up satellite comms to and from the boat. And here’s the paradox: that any communication is possible is astonishing. Yet, despite the awesomeness of modern technology, the speed of this communication is, shall we say, SLOW. Top-rated sat links are 2400kbps, about a quarter of the speed of a fax machine. Fibre-optic this is not.

What this means is that despite the theoretical potential of two-way links, reality is that it will be almost exclusively one-way. Our phone number and email address are closely-guarded secrets. But we can and will be updating our followers via this blog, and by Twitter (@SophieB_SA3100).

We hope to have a shore-based person to monitor and assist with our comms. Watch this space, from space!