Date: January 21, 2005
From:
Team co-leaders:
Ralph Fedor, KOIR and Bob Allphin, K4UEE
DXpedition new dates - mid-February, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Our last press release announced a delay in the 3YOX Dxpedition to Peter I.
We can now give you more specific information.
The vessel we have chartered could not meet the original sailing date. The
renovations and modifications taking place on the ship were not completed on
schedule. K4UEE and LA6VM just returned from a visit to Chile that included
an inspection of the team's chartered vessel, a meeting with the CEO of the
charter company and the shipyard project supervisor, and an inspection of
the team's equipment/supplies in our sea container stored in Punta Arenas.
We were disappointed to see that the ship is still not ready. Work is
progressing, however, and the charter company tells us they expect to be
ready to sail for Peter I on February 10. We are not entirely confident the
work can be completed on time, but the team is prepared to assemble in Punta
Arenas, Chile on February 8.
If all things go well, we will arrive at the island about 6-7 days after
departure, depending on the route, weather, and ice conditions. Our landing
operations will commence immediately once the weather allows for safe
helicopter operation.
We will first establish a safe, secure, and self-sufficient camp. Once this
is complete we will begin setting up stations and antennas. We will be on
the air as soon as possible, but this too is dependent on the conditions on
the island. Blizzards, high winds, and low visibility are very real
potential problems. We still plan to bring up nine stations with amplifiers
and a large array of antennas. Despite the schedule change, the team still
hopes to spend two full weeks on the island. And, very importantly, our
entire team remains intact. The state of preparation of the ship, the
location, complex logistics, weather, and sea ice are all challenges and
largely out of our control. We will do all that is within our power to
complete this DXpedition safely and within this new time frame. If all goes
well and we sail as planned on February 10, we will return to Punta Arenas
on March 10th. Check our web site, www.peterone.com, regularly for updates.
This is a huge undertaking and very, very expensive. The team members are
funding 74% of the total cost and need your help with the remaining
expenses. Your contribution will be very much appreciated. Send
contributions to either: K4UEE, F2JD, JA1ELY or ZL2AL (check the website for
an easy-to-use donation form).
