Day 3: Across the Sea of Marmara to the Dardanelles

Having stood at anchor for some 10 hours near the Bosphorus for refuelling, in the early hours of December 29, the Bulgarian military research/survey vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii is underway across the Sea of Marmara en route to the Bulgarian Antarctic Base on Livingston Island in the South Shetlands.

The refuelling procedure was completed around 0300 hrs local time, and half an hour later the ship was detached from the refuelling barge.

The 560 tonnes of fuel that were loaded into the tanks from a Turkish barge are supposed to last until the vessel reaches the coasts of Argentina and Mar del Plata.

The Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii is expected to enter the Dardanelles around 1600 hrs local time on December 29 and will then proceed to the Aegean and Greek territorial waters.

After the captain spoke with Turkish authorities, the crew learned that the entry will be postponed for two hours.

- At 1830 hrs we must be at […] Record in the logbook: "As per instructions from Gelibolu Traffic, we are ordered to enter at 1830 hrs".

Today for the first time a woman sat in the captain's chair - Gabriela Ironova, a third-year cadet at the Varna Naval Academy.

The ship's first historic voyage to Livingston Island will support the 31st Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition.

- A small ship with a large draught that has passed through the Drake Passage many times and always returned. A complete success. The idea is that in time, if a new [...] ship is built, this one will become like Las Palmas for the Spaniards - the pioneer. So, we will have a wonderful story from the polar [expedition].

BTA's Daily News editor Konstantin Karagyozov is the only reporter who will travel with the ship in both directions and will accompany the Bulgarian expedition throughout its stay in Antarctica.