BOUVET STORY – part 1
DXpeditions to remote frozen islands like Bouvet 3Y0J are extremely dangerous. Bouvet happens to be the most remote island on the planet. More people have flown to outer space than set foot on Bouvet.
On January 31, 2023 myself and three others landed on the island. Our mission was to secure our route up the glacier to our camp site and install a buoy and rope system to get gear ashore. Each of us only carried a small bag to the island with extra gloves, socks, and a few personal items. No big deal at the time because the next zodiac run would bring us our essential supplies. Suddenly the seas became very violent and rough. There was no way to get any more gear on the island. Several attempts were made, but the conditions were life threatening for the zodiac team and the resupply mission was aborted.
TERRAIN, LADDERS, BOUVET
Now we were faced with the fact we had to spend the night on Bouvet island without any shelter, extra cold weather gear, or sleeping bags. The rest of the team was safely aboard the Marama but worried for our safety. We sheltered at the bottom of a narrow ravine which provided some shelter from the wind. We used our waders and rope from our climbing gear to provide some insulation from the cold wet ground. We stacked up the climbing gear bags and our small personal bags across the ravine to provide some protection from the wind. Lastly we deployed our two emergency blankets to lay on. Then we hunkered down for the long cold night. It was bone shaking cold and uncomfortable but we survived the night as probably the only people to sleep under the stars at Bouvet. Actually none of us got much sleep, we would doze off only to be awakened by the cold.
BOUVET STORY – part 2
Day two finally came and it was nice to see patches of blue sky amongst all the clouds. We were all exhausted and cold, but the toughest day of my life still lay ahead. While the rest of the team aboard the Marama was busy preparing our zodiac which entailed quite a lot of work, we had time to explore Cape Fie. This tiny sliver of land next to the enormous glacier which covered approximately 95% of the island was very rugged terrain. There was a small penguin colony near the edge of the cliff with Chinstrap, Gentoo, and Emperor species living together. They were fun to watch and photograph. We surveyed the area and found a semi flat location to erect the tent, and choose some places where we hoped to install antennas. We also found a good location to install the winch system to bring equipment from the beach up to the camp area. While we waited, the sun appeared and we found ourselves catching a most needed nap.
WD5COV-PETER-LA7GIA
Once the zodiac was ready, the team on Marama would communicate with us on the vhf radio and we would coordinate the plan. This was a risky operation trying to land the zodiac, but we needed the basic essentials like food, water, our bags with cold weather gear, sleeping bags, and the tent to survive. The sea was again rough with large swells. This was going to be a fight.
The Marama crew did an incredible job getting a line to us on the beach. Charles was a skilled and brave zodiac driver. We were wearing our waders in an attempt to stay dry, but the swell was high with waves rushing up the beach all the way to the glacier.
The team on Marama loaded the zodiac and tied down all the gear. Next, the Marama crew would use one of the boats zodiacs to tow our zodiac out to the bouy and attach it to the line so we could pull it to shore. With the huge surf and high swell, this was going to test our ability to the limit and beyond.
The fight began. The four of us on the beach went over the procedure we planned. We were to pull in the zodiac and anchor the lines. Then unload the gear and secure it at the glaciers edge. As the zodiac neared the beach, we were fighting the swell and the weight of the zodiac loaded with all the gear. This was incredibly difficult and dangerous. We had to time it just right, but Bouvet had different plans. Once we landed the zodiac on the beach, we had to hold it while at the same time un-tie the straps and ropes securing the gear. The waves kept coming and there was little time to do this. As we battled the next wave would hit and drag the zodiac back out to sea. We would pull it back to the beach and secure the anchors only to have the next wave pull the anchors and zodiac back to sea. This became an ongoing war and during the fight we were all pulled under the sea multiple times. Finally we managed to use a knife to cut loose the gear and stow it next to the glacier. Then the next wave came pounding in. We see our bags of cold weather gear and sleeping bags being washed back to sea. No choice, let go of the zodiac and try to grab our bags near the next breaker. We got lucky and saved them. We found a ledge on the glacier to secure them so the tide could not grab them and wash them back to sea. The fight intensified. The next wave came blasting in and now the zodiac filled with water. The next wave pulled the zodiac back over the anchor and we heard the rupture. We all dug deep and fought hard. This was one fight we were determined to win. We set the anchors many times securing them with huge rocks. The swell was intense. We used the bag of stakes which weighed 100 pounds and huge rocks together with us pulling the line, but the sea just launched and pulled the anchors and zodiac away. The fight seemed to take hours and hours . Finally with most of the gear secured on the glaciers ledge, we focused on securing the zodiac. By now we were exhausted, cold, and wet. Still fighting the waves we finally managed to drag the zodiac to the glaciers edge. Then a huge wave rolled in and the four of us held the zodiac with all our might. In the mayhem we could only watch as the sea claimed our tent and bag of stakes washed out in the bink of an eye. They were gone forever. From our climbing gear we used three large stakes driven deep into the beach and secured the zodiac into place. Then we finally secured the loop line anchors. Now it was time to haul our gear to the ravine where we slept the night before. We changed into some dry clothes and had a bite to eat.
When I packed my gear for this DXpedition, I included a small two man tent in my duffle bag. Not Bouvet rated, but good enough to keep us out of the wind and rain. We carved out the area at the bottom of the ravine and set up the tent. With our air mattresses and sleeping bags three of us climbed in and enjoyed a warm nights sleep. Ken, also resourceful packed a tarp and erected a nice shelter which kept him dry and warm. This experience told us how hard it would actually be to activate Bouvet.
BOUVET PART 3
The wildlife on Bouvet consists of seals, penguins, and other bird species. The beach at Cape Fie was occupied by a number of fur seals. They are quite territorial and if you get to close they would show there tusks and teeth as a warning to stay away. If you got to close, they would chase you and try to bite you.
As day one reached dusk and the resupply attempt was aborted due to rough seas, we were walking down the beach toward the ladder to make the short climb up to the glacier. There wasn’t much light and I had my parka hood up. Mike AB5EB was a few steps ahead of me and looking back, he yelled “Dave”. I knew instantly to run towards him as a fur seal was about to have part of me for dinner! I lunged forward taking three steps falling down on the last, but avoided the beast. We all laughed.
On day two after our fight with the swell and big waves securing the zodiac and setting the loop line, we were happy to have our gear and a chance to rest. Later in the afternoon, the team on Marama prepared two barrels with additional supplies and a container of water. One barrel held four survival suits and the air pump for the zodiac. The other barrel contained trail mix, protein bars, sandwiches, a few oranges, thermoses of hot tea, four cokes, hard boiled eggs, and other miscellaneous items. The Marama crew brought them out to the bouy and attached them to the line. The barrels were air tight and floated well. We pulled them on shore and immediately took them off the beach and up onto the glacier. We were all exhausted and hungry. We ate the sandwiches and eggs washing it all down with the cans of coke followed by the oranges.
We stowed the barrels and brought the water, protein bars, and trail mix to the ravine where we set up camp. It was time to calculate how many calories we had and how long the supplies would last. We were set for a few days. The rest of the day we rinsed our wet clothes in the glacier stream to get the salt water out and set them on the rocks to dry.
On day three, we all woke up early. We wanted to check the swell and see if the zodiac was still on the beach. Fortunately the zodiac was still there, but the anchors holding the loop lines had washed out to sea. We could see the rope floating in the water.
We had a patch kit and air pump to repair the hole in the zodiac. There was a tear some four inches long. We formed a plan so we could do the repair safely while keeping dry. We would each wear our survival suits while on the beach. The beach was clear, there were no seals to contend with. Once we dried the area around the tear, we installed the patch and inflated the zodiac. The repair was a success.
There would not be any attempt today at trying to land more equipment. Conditions would not allow it. We spent the remainder of the day drying out more clothes and exploring Cape Fie. Trail mix, protien bars, and water we on the menu. Would we be able to get off the island and form a new strategy? This was what we were thinking about and discussing among each other.
Day four the swell was manageable. We called Marama and requested they try a beach landing with the zodiac to bring us back to Marama one at a time. I was first to go. I wore the waders in an attempt to keep dry. When the zodiac beached, we had to turn it around and wait for the best time to go. Of course I got knocked down by the breaking swell and sea water entered my waders getting my clothes wet. Seems like you could never catch a break. I arrived back to Marama with team members offering any assistance. They knew we had been through hell and it was a good feeling that my teammates and the Marama crew where there for us. The remaining three were all returned to Marama but in survival suits after seeing how I got drenched. We still intended to activate Bouvet, we weren’t giving up.
After being stranded 4 days on Bouvet – we decided the DXped had to be downscaled. We needed to adapt to the WX at Bouvet and go onshore when Bouvet allowed us during the short wx windows that occured. 2 days later we went onshore with a minimal amount of equipment: 2 radios, 2 PSU, 2 computers, one tent, 5 antennas, 60m coax, no amplifiers + essential supplies to survive.
WD5COV-AB5EB
This 3Y0J fiasco would not have even got off the ground if the ARRL DXCC committee had not given it DXCC credit and pre-approval with their LOTW certification well beforehand.
In which case, the ARRL has to be seen as being at least partially responsible (and possibly liable) if the whole thing had indeed turned into the pear-shaped disaster that it very nearly did become.
So how come we’re not hearing anything about 3Y0J from the DXCC Desk? Or is the ARRL just going to keep quiet about Bouvet and hope the problem will go away if they don’t say anything about it?
C’mon ARRL – Safety of life & limb on DX-peditions is just as much YOUR responsibility as it is the DX-pedition’s itself, so grow some balls and like Rob Bonami below says: Take a stand for a change and show you have a conscience!
With all due respect to the 3Y0J team, what I just read was a story about repeatedly extremely poor judgment in terms of safety precautions in an attempt to salvage some artificial DXCC achievement set by the ARRL for the enormous amount of money spent. Using survival suits in the normal course of operations is an extremely risky choice. Choosing to rely on waders in an attempt to avoid water cold enough to induce shock is an extremely risky choice. This team experienced the type of extreme blind luck that lets people win multimillion dollar jackpots, except in this case the jackpot was that everyone survived.
The ARRL either needs to remove Bouvet from DXCC recognition or hire recognized experts to pre-qualify these types of DXpeditions and ensure that rules are enforced during operations. When people die, it will rain down negative PR on this hobby and the ARRL. Nobody would’ve proved they’re a better op making a contact with Bouvet than making contact with the Falkland Islands or Antarctica.
Let the ARRL prove that they have a conscience.
DL SWL Norbert Maibaum :
Norbert, thanks for your interesting commentary which we can continue off-post if you wish at: [email protected]
73, Alan
Alan, I think that your Macquarie Millenium activity (in your spare time) was probably the most successful one ever from this island, also in regards to the ATNOs to total QSOs ratio, thanks to your strategy.
10-12 years later the situation was already different. The DX Cluster net was fully established, and every rare station became more or less inescapably spotted, either by human beings or by skimming robots, and easily presented to the wordwide audience now more watching the monitors than searching the bands by themselves, so that DXing seemed to resemble modern whaling with highly efficient hunting facilities. The bands had turned to a kind of happy hunting ground for an increasing amount of competitive DXers with a growing and hardly satisfiable demand for Band per Mode points for each DXCC entity. Immediate access to searchable online logs was provided, which not only allows checking my own QSOs, but also the QSOs of my fellow competitors at any time. On top of this, the Leaderboard was invented, a kind of dashboard showing the ranking of stations in regards of their score of band per mode QSOs, fully transparent and available by everybody at any time. Some DXpeditions made use of this Leaderboard score system and even encouraged DXers to work them on as many bands and modes as possible, because in the meantime even DXpedition teams tried to spur themselves in surpassing former DXpeditions by higher QSO numbers. And received general applause for their efforts — if they made it. Competition is a medal with 2 sides.
So, when Kevin, VK0KEV, and Trevor, VK0TH, became active from Macquarie Island, they entered a kind of well prepared “battlefield”. Kevin was not an experienced DXer and had difficulties with the pile-ups, but was at least clever enough to fob off the undisciplined by giving a decent 0 by 0 report. Trevor who was a more versed operator tried to comply with the high QSO demand, but followed a different approach than providing VK0M to as many for an ATNO as possible. In particular, he experimented with different digital modes (RTTY, PSK31, PSK63, HELL) and also made a few QSOs in SSTV, and in addition graciously allowed stations to make as many QSOs with him as they wanted. With 24 DX stations he made 20 to 30 QSOs each. With the 100 “top scorers” of the Leaderboard he made 1,485 QSOs in total, which are exactly 10% of the total amount of 14,850 QSOs. As Trevor sometimes ran 200 QSOs per day, I performed the following hypothetical calculation: Provided that 10,000 DXers were interested in working VK0M, and each one of them were interested in making 20 QSOs (on different bands combined with different modes), then Trevor had to have made 200,000 QSOs during almost 3 years of daily operation, and all this in his spare time. A huge demand. And with the next operator the game will begin all over again.
So, to come back to the topic while considering the described development, it is no wonder that some very keen DXers only sneered at the unexpected “modest” outcome of the recent 3Y0J DXpedition. It is, as if the DX world has suddenly collapsed for them.
DL SWL Norbert Maibaum: Ha ha ha !! Yes, I remember “Kevin the Giant Penguinator” all right :O) , or “Il Pinguinnatore” as the main offenders, the Italians used to call him. He certainly got all the pile-up and band-cop riff-raff sorted out for me pretty quickly.
As a result, VKØMM gave out over 25,000 CW & SSB ATNOs in my (somewhat limited) spare time during that 14 month stint on Macquarie Island.
Also, the QSLing process raised around US$25,000 for a ‘kids with cancer’ charity in Australia, so all those ‘green stamps’ went to a good cause – I didn’t make anything out of it.
Macquarie Island Radio (VJM)’s three x 150m long unterminated Vee beams also helped a fair bit in putting out a decent signal towards EU & NA and being the ANARE Base Comms Engineer, I only needed my own permission to use them on the amateur bands.
Georg and others:
DX-World in no way is a platform for people to air their dirty views, but I will try to be level with people and NOT shut down conversation. It’s still a democratic world where we live and people are entitled to their views, like you are, even if they don’t put a callsign to their name. Have a look about social media, not just DX-World: 3Y0J is a very hot topic both in good and bad measures. Please don’t single out DX-World only. I am not held accountable to what people think or write, particularly on social media.
Thanks / 73
Col @: DX-World
PS: There’s many comments deleted which you’ll never see but are just too bad or sad to be published, so please take that into account too.
It´s always the same story: for those who made a QSO, the world is in order. For some of those who failed, it seems the end of all times. Especially for those who had hoped for their deserved QSO with 3Y0J on 160 SSTV or 6 m FT8.
DX World shouldn´t be the playground and the stage for nutcases! Period!
Political correctness may be a nice idea, in theory. But the extreme level of ignorance and silliness of some folks has really reached a new dimension. Most of which are also very much responsible for the never seen chaos during the operation on air.
YOU have destroyed other´s chances for a QSO and in the end YOU have taken away your own chances. YOU have deserved to fail! People with a proper education would never act like this and misbehave, neither in whatever forums and comments nor on air. With your shameful behavior and stupid comments which do only reflect you personality, you have not only harmed yourselves, but the whole of amateur radio. You have turned away from the community and disqualified yourselves.
There is a gorgeous video existing. If you know which one I am talking about, please watch it till the very end. There is the answer!
3Y0J: thanks a thousand for this adventure. We were allowed to share it and to be part of it. Ignore these couch-potatoes who have not at all contributed positively to ham radio, not now but never.
Ham radio is still the very best hobby in the world! We must not accept to get this damaged!
And you: if you´re not happy with your life or whatever type of thing, stand up, take all your money, start to travel and learn the world! Show the world that you can do it better with your limited view on the globe!
Correction: Defiant anonymous jamming was NOT so extremly in vogue in those days.
Alan, now I remember that you were the one working as VK0MM from Macquarie Island in 2000. Propagation conditions were great on all bands then, but you clearly insisted on the ATNO principle and allowed contacts on only 2 different bands, and also requested the second band on a different mode. I remember that you were really fighting for that, and you did not hesitate to put some undisciplined people on what you called “Kevin’s Hit List” for being terminally “penguinated”. I very well remember the situation, and I think that you prevailed in the end by all these efforts. Whether this would work nowadays, I am not so sure. Defiant anonymous jamming was so extremly in vogue in those days. After 20 years, thank you very much for accepting my SWL report by replying with your wonderful Rockhopper Penguin QSL card.
Having read the whole story, I have developed mixed feelings. On one end I am gratefull that you guys activated this remote nr2 most wanted spot on air.
But reading the dangers that you went through, I must say it could have easely cost the life of one or more team-members. And that price is of course way too high!…
It is therefore understandable and wise that you have downsized the Expedition. Inevitably this resulted in a very weak signal and I am very happy I managed to work you on 30m. My only effort was that I used the straight key instead of a computer 😉
So thanks for that, but please consider not to take such high risks again next time…
Have a safe trip back home!
73, Dick PA2DW
In response to DL SWL Norbert Maibaum’s post: Yes, this is indeed correct. The 2016 Cordell DXpedition to Heard Island did operate a remotely controlled station using the callsign VKØLD for a couple of hours or so as a ‘proof of concept’ exercise and credit goes entirely to VKØEK Heard Island Team Leader, Dr. Bob Schmieder (KK6EK) for coming up with this really fantastic idea.
There was 24/7 Internet access via two BGAN terminals on loan from INMARSAT so the results were very encouraging indeed. This remote station operation complied fully with the Australian Amateur Licence Terms & Conditions in force at the time which required the licensee to be physically present, since I was a member of the VKØEK Heard Island Team and am also the VKØLD licensee.
There were claims at the time that VKØLD was a pirate, ‘not valid for DXCC’ or whatever, but this is absolute nonsense because I was there !
Better to drop a robot station on these islands by experienced professionals (won’t be cheap) and then provide a remote self-service to the “deserving”, as the “future mode of operation”? Here we go:
“VK0EK logistics team member Mike Coffey, KJ4Z, operated as VK0LD from California, remotely controlling one of the VK0EK Elecraft K3S operating positions. He used a K3/0-Mini and the free RemoteHams.com RCForb client and remote server software to work 41 stations on 20 meters.
‘More than a year before the Braveheart set sail, I knew I wanted to try to operate a remote ham radio station from Heard Island during the VK0EK DXpedition.’ […] On April 4, VK0LD transmitted its first CQ from Heard Island on 20 meter CW, with Coffey at the helm from his home in Palo Alto. ‘Over the course of the next 50 minutes, VK0LD logged 41 QSOs across Asia and then Europe as the band began to open up,’ he recounted. Alan Cheshire, VK6CQ, is the licensee of VK0LD.
On DX Summit, one Australian station declared VK0LD to be a pirate. “NOT a pirate!” [NM: xyz] posted in response. [NM: Who stated that some 3Y0J operators cheated themselves into their own log?]
‘[…] But for 50 minutes, I was having the amazing, incredible experience of working a pileup from a Top 10 DXCC entity on the other side of the world.” Coffey said the K3/0 setup made it ‘almost like being there.’ [NM: !!!]
‘I was sorry to stop,’ he said. ‘I would have happily worked the pileup for hours.’”
Excerpts literally quoted from the following source: https://www.arrl.org/news/the-other-heard-island-dxpedition-vk0ld (04/14/2016)
Lots of congratulations, adulation and general hero worshipping on 3Y0J Facebook pages, but very short on detached and objective criticism.
3Y0J needs to be exposed and called to account for what it actually is: A group of rich, privileged and naive middle-aged wannabe ‘DX Heroes’, way out of their depth in the unforgiving environment of the South Atlantic.
How did they even convince Norway to grant them a landing permit? Surely some approval panel in Norwegian Government reviewed their plans and pointed out that the vessel they were proposing was not a suitable match on several counts to their stated objectives. Or was it all just a rubber-stamp exercise in over there in Oslo?
Not far off having to call for assistance & ice breaker + helicopters have to come down and rescue people marooned on an Antarctic island with no shelter and little food. Very fortunate indeed that nobody was seriously injured or killed.
Should be denied DXCC accreditation on the grounds of irresponsibility, recklessness, abject stupidity or all three.
If it isn’t, then it is clear that ARRL is complicit in this shambolic and ill-prepared fiasco.
The ARRL board should resign for once again promoting the Bouvet Island Unicorn money trap. They are lucky no one yet has lost their life? but only by the grace of God for most team members never setting foot on this rock.
I hope the team updates point this out. Its becoming ever so clear, AGAIN, that this is not a place for humans to go and play radio.
de N0AH
Are about 8,000 unique QSO’s worth $1,000,000+ ?
I don’t think so.
Looking at all the facts, too few pictures of the expedition itself…horrible weather and the crew members on the sailboat in short shirts and the team on land walking around with the wind 150 km/h ????
I think that this is a group of people who want fame…I will not compare you with the famous Pole and his so-called DX group, you at least set foot on the soil of Bovet, although in vain.
Lack of preparation, disorganization, ignorance of work, etc. made the expedition shameful.
P.S. On the other side of the island, there is a permanent expedition for which HELICOPTER is used for transportation.
REALITY CHECK
Excerpt: “No big deal at the time because the next zodiac run would bring us our essential supplies”.
Antarctic Survival Basics 101: ALWAYS land ALL required survival gear/emergency tent/minimum 10 days rations & fuel on FIRST landing.
NO exceptions, NO matter what! – even if it’s blue skies, there’s no wind and sea is flat as a pancake.
If you can’t do this safely on first landing, then abort the attempt, return to vessel and try again later.
Why? Because this might happened:
Excerpt: “Suddenly the seas became very violent and rough. There was no way to get any more gear on the island. Several attempts were
made, but the conditions were life threatening for the zodiac team and the resupply mission was aborted” etc. etc. etc.
Four 3Y0J Team members then end up being marooned on the Island without adequate food or shelter for four days and three nights.
This is nothing to be proud of or brag about. Indeed, they are very fortunate that weather improved slightly when it did so were able to return to Marama, otherwise things would have turned really desperate and very nasty for them.
So it’s not bravery, courage and heroism you’re reading about here , folks – it’s actually bravado, recklessness, hypothermia and very possibly death.
Ask yourself: Is this the price you prepared to pay for a Bouvet Island QSO? Is a 3Y0J QSL card really worth someone’s life?
Judging from 3Y0J’s continued attempts to get on the air after this incident, it’s clear that some Team members already think it is!
Need I say more?
As someone appreciative of the wilderness and amateur radio your expedition has been a treat to follow and learn about. I am so thankful you are taking the time to write up your reports so those of us afar can learn a bit more what it was like to be at this remote location.
Their photos have shown Chinstrap, Gentoo, and Macaroni penguins so far. I cannot detect any “PR spin” nor such artificial heroism in Dave’s report on the unexpected and probably most dramatic moments of their DXpedition, the experience and consequences of which might have been the primary reason for the teams’ wise decision to cut down their initial plans. However, it looks as if they were not too badly prepared. I am looking forward to read part 3 of the story. Thanks, Dave!
Amazing story, so difficult & so dangerous, yet everyone prevailed to make it a success; even though I was unable to work u, I’m still so very impressed & truly hope that hams worldwide can appreciate what it took to make all this happen; for me personally, all I can say is “Thank you, thank you for everything!” de WA4ELW in TN 🇺🇸 dit dit 😃
“More people have flown to outer space than set foot on Bouvet” is untrue and little more than PR spin. Thousands of people have been to Bouvet Island over the years since its discovery in 1739, not least the many hundreds in the sealing gangs of the early 1800’s on the hunt for fur seal pelts, seal blubber and the like. Just not many Radio Amateurs have been there, is all.
There are no Emperor penguins on Bouvet – Emperor habitat is much further south on the various Antarctic ice shelves. King penguins are smaller and somewhat similar to the untrained eye, but they are not known to breed on Bouvet. Most likely it was a stray King you saw.
Lots of other comments on your obvious lack of polar and marine safety awareness, but I should maybe save those for now and let you get back home first.
You guys are very, very fortunate indeed to be alive (and I suspect that deep down, you know that already) so please don’t do the PR spin routine and play the DX hero here. Bouvet is not worth dying for.