– I could easily hear the noise of roaring seas behind Dom’s voice – adds Stan SP8S, the 3YØI’s spokesman. – As for these oceanic conditions, the ship sails with an average speed of 6-7 knots/hour. Once the vessel crosses 40° South, it enters one of the worst zones for oceanic sailors: stormy weather, big waves non-stop hitting vessels as such as some are unable to sleep at all, not to mention the risk of getting seriously seasick – adds Stan SP8S.
– After 3 months spent in Cape Town, South Africa, on 3YØI preparations, I know this entire project is about being max patient, flexible and not taking things for granted. Imagine being seasick for 1 week and then being forced to proceed with landing and securing their camp to survive in such violent weather conditions. And once this all is done, you need to sit next to the radio and fight enormous exhausting pileups no one at home shack is able to imagine. The 3YØI DXpedition is planed almost like a military operation. The team is very determined, responsible and trained – says Stan.
Some of the readers noticed that GPS vessel tracking stopped while the ship was supposed to enter international waters. This is where trackers’ VHF range ends and Atlantic Tuna got out of their reach. Please rely on the 3YØI’s SPOT tracker available at: The location of the vessel will be updated at least once a day, giving a good picture of the current location of MV Atlantic Tuna.
ETA for MV Atlantic Tuna Bouvet Island is set for March 25/26 but that may slightly change +/- 1 day due to very changeable weather conditions.
The team will wait as long as necessary for a suitable “weather window” to proceed with landing on the island. So far, predictions are positive, especially for the end of March. See attached charts below, and see noticeable clearances around March 30 – that might be what’s the team would be looking into.
Another short update on the 3YØI’s journey to fierce Bouvet Island is coming soon. Don’t forget to check our social media feeds at Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/bouvetoya.org/
https://www.facebook.com/rebeldxgroup/
and Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bouvetoyaorg
for other shorter updates. Stay tuned. And remember: fingers crossed!
