JULY, 7th 2010
Dear colleagues,
Sorry for the long absence of news from our team.
After returning from DXpedition all participants are very busy at their jobs. Now we upload 5W0OX and ZK3X logs. Please check your QSO's on http://www.uz1hz.com/logs.html
In the nearest future we will add new photos in the photo section. We would like also to inform that we carry on the negotiations with the owner of other vessel for the next DXpedition to Kanton Island.
JUNE, 5th 2010
Dear colleagues,
Our team has safely returned to Apia, Samoa. Now we are active on the air as 5W0OX.
We would like to describe in brief what happened during last week. After the engine of “Southern Cross” fell out, being 120 nm from the Kanton island, at the meeting of passengers and captain it was decided to go back to Apia under sails. On the way to Apia we approached to Nukunonu Island, Tokelau. Local inhabitants on motor boats towed off us to the lagoon where we anchored. Having settled in the house of the local inhabitant we made radio station and started the activity as ZK3X. Fortunately, on Monday 31st of May big vessel “Lady Naomi” arrived to island. It transports people, products and all possible cargoes between Apia and Tokelau once a month. We returned to Apia on the 2nd of June by this ship. And as the saying goes – “we hit the nail on the head”. On the 1st and 2nd of June Samoa celebrates Independence Day. So the team had the possibility to share this holiday.
The 3rd of June, it is high time to analyze everything, which happened to us and create new plans. We are Ukrainians, persistent people, so we are not going to refuse from the expedition to the Kanton island. As you know, fortune favours the brave. Owing to the Administration of Port Apia we have found a new vessel, by which on September, 8th, 2010 we are going again to the expedition to Kanton.
With best regards,
Pacific Odyssey DXpedition Team
JUNE, 1th 2010
Ukrainian DXpeditioners left Tokelau island. The cargo ship with working engine saved us.
Now we are on the way to Apia, Samoa. On coming to Apia we are going to search for the new vessel in order to renew our expedition.
MAY, 28th 2010
This information is received from the team by the means of the satellite phone:
Dear colleagues,
today the 28th of May at 7:26 local time we are at the open ocean and the distance to Apia, Samoa makes 450 nm.
200 liters of fresh water left. The distilling plant doesn`t freshen the water, because it works only with the working engine. We eat the products, which were bought for expedition. The conditioner, the fridge and half of other equipment at the vessel are out of order.
We would like to give some explanations about the events on arrival of the team to Apia on the 18th of May 2010. We went to the vessel just from the Apia`s airport. The first problem: it was found out that there were no generators, bought 3 months ago for the expedition. Due to this reason, we went out for 2 days later from the port, though we had all the necessary sanctions. The distance between Apia and Kanton is 670 nm.
The next event: on coming to the Kiribati`s waters (170 nm to Kanton left), the captain of our vessel “Southern Cross” Paul Green switched on his satellite phone, which was off all previous way. He informed us that there was a message from Graham Wragg, the owner of the Pacific Expedition company, which provided the vessel for our expedition. The captain called him and after that told us that we are not able to enter the Kiribati`s port, because there is a problem with the PIPA sanction, given to our vessel. The captain Paul Green turned the vessel and said that from the next day we would be waiting in the neutral waters till the clearing up of this situation. We called to the head of PIPA from our satellite phone. He picked up, but when he heard that it was Ukrainian team, he switched off the phone. Not getting any comments, we called from our phone to the Vice-Minister of communications, tourism and transport of Kiribati. We were asked to call back after 2 hours. While next call, it was found out that there weren`t any problems with our movement. It was said that all the sanctions are registered in the system and valid.
We called to Graham Wragg and asked if there was an official exclusion by fax, post or email. He said that it was a call from the head of PIPA, who didn`t answer our calls. It convinced us once more that there were no problems with the sanction.
So we gave him the number of Ministry and asked to call and confirm the absence of the problems. After half an hour he called to the captain and spoke with him for a long time. The captain said that everything was ok and we entered full speed to the Kiribati`s waters. All the following way the captain and his assistant were doing something with the engine of our vessel. The distance to Kanton was 120 nm. Approximately at 10 p.m. the captain informed us that the engine of “Southern Cross” fell out. After the meeting of the team and crew, it was decided to go to Apia, Samoa under sails. This was the only one variant to come back safe. We couldn`t pass the reefs on entering the Kanton`s cove without engine.
Our main task now is to reach Apia, Samoa. On coming, we are going to analyze the line of these events. We don`t refuse of the expedition to the Kanton island and we are going to search for the new vessel for this expedition.
MAY, 27th 2010
We apologize to the world radioamateur community – for the reasons independent of us, we are not able to carry out the expedition.
On the 25th of May at 10 p.m. local time the engine of our ship
“Southern Cross” fell out, when we were in 120 nm from Kanton island.
The captain Paul Green decided to turn the ship and go back to the port of Apia, Samoa under sails.
Such decision was determined by the fact that the entry to the Kanton`s cove without engines would be impossible and the repair of engine in the ocean is
impossible too.
The way to Apia, Samoa will take approximately 8-10 days with favorable wind under sails. The food and water must suffice.
Our main task at the moment is to come back safe to Apia.
MAY, 23th 2010
Ukrainian DXpeditioners left Samoa. They are late because there are some technical problems. Now they have located in Pacific Ocean for sailing during
two days and two days more left. Wait in air in two days (call T31X-T31UR).
MAY, 19th 2010
Expedition has started!
Team has installed antenna to 20m and they are working on 14Mhz.
MAY, 17th 2010
Ukrainian DXpeditioners have successfully arrived to Fiji (see the Picture ¹1). All the equipment, having flown the half of the world, was delivered to Nadi, Fiji.
Pacific DXpedition team have visited Kiribati High Commission Office in Suva, Fiji today.
We were got visas for entering to Kiribati Republic (see the Picture ¹ 2 and 3)
Tomorrow May, 18th 2010 we fly to Apia, Samoa from where our Pacific voyage starts.
We`ll try our best to inform the news for our web-site through our Pilot Station. But due to the slow speed of sending information through the satellite phone we are not sure that we will be able to upload new photos and DXpedition logs.
Picture ¹1. UDXT members on the "First Landing Point". May, 16 th 2010 Nadi, Fiji. |
Picture ¹2. UDXT members receive Kiribati visas at Kiribati High Commission Office. May, 17 th 2010 Suva, Fiji. |
Picture ¹3. UDXT members receive Kiribati visas at Kiribati High Commission Office. May, 17 th 2010 Suva, Fiji. |
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