Archive for May, 2008
YN2KDJ – Nicaragua. July 3 to 14
May 22nd
QRV from the YN2N station in Granada. All bands, focus on 80/160m CW/RTTY.
Also QRV during IARU contest.
5R8UO – Madagascar
May 21st
Operation by DF8UO between May 22 – 28, 2008.
All bands, CW/SSB. Log periodic antenna.
Participation in CQ WPX CW contest.
QSL via DF8UO
Out of interest: Rockall EU189
May 19th
Taken directly from Charles Veley??s own website:
May 18, 2008: Charles is in Lochmaddy, North Uist, Outer Hebrides, having just returned from a successful expedition to Rockall. Six out of the eleven people aboard the Elinca (including Charles) landed on Rockall, but only under their own swimming power. Each of them had to leap individually into the frigid, swirling seas of the North Atlantic, and ride the 15-20 foot swells, to be bashed against the sheer rock sides of Rockall, in hopes of clinging to kelp strands, and eventually finding a crack upon which to stand. Because it was previously thought that landing would be possible directly from a zodiac (it was not), only one of the guests had brought a wetsuit, and that was a coincidence based on the fact that he is a surf instructor! So each person wishing to attempt this feat had to transfer into the same wetsuit sequentially. Three of the six who landed were able to scramble to the top of Rockall.
Both to and from Rockall, the expedition called at St. Kilda, where Charles and friends hiked over the entirety of the island, but were denied access to the pub and showers which Charles had enjoyed three years before. The local defense authorities claimed a water shortage, due to the excessive shower usage of a group of visiting schoolchildren earlier that week
Phew!!
Update – 19 May 2008
6 of the 11 people who were on the trip to Rockall spent between 1 and 20 minutes on the rock. Landing involved swimming onto it in up to 20 foot of swell. I was not one of those who were successful as my swimming ability is exceedingly limited. My purpose for commissioning the trip to Rockall was to spend the night on the rock; putting my life in potential danger for the sake of a landing was not an option.The 22nd June trip has being cancelled. The trip, departing 16th August, will be used to gather further information in preparation for a possible 2009 expedition, when the purpose will be to spend the night.
From my prospective this first trip to Rockall, with the exception of the information gathered, was a failure. But tomorrow is another day.
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Rockall pics and full story below:
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