site.btaBulgarian Naval Research Vessel RSV 421 Will Depart from Livingston Island on February 16 - Captain Muevski

The Commanding Officer of the Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421), Captain Radko Muevski, has briefed BTA on the vessel's upcoming crossing of the Drake Passage and the overall journey from Livingston Island to Comodoro Rivadavia, the first stop on the third stage of the expedition - RSV 421's return to Bulgaria. 

Muevski said that based on the expected hydro-meteorological conditions, February 16 seems to offer relatively favourable weather for the start of the Drake Passage crossing. He noted that they plan to depart from Emona Bay near the Bulgarian Antarctic base  St. Kliment Ohridski at 6 p.m. local time. The transportation of passengers to the vessel will begin at approximately 2 p.m. This will be followed by a briefing on the use of individual and collective life-saving equipment, and a brief drill.

After that, the vessel will weigh anchor, and the crossing toward the Drake Passage will begin. "As I mentioned, if we start our journey as planned, at 6 p.m., we should enter the Drake Passage by midnight or in the early hours of February 17, around 1 or 2 a.m. Then, after about two and a half days, in the late hours of Feb. 18 or the early hours of February 19, sailing at a speed of about 9-9.5 knots, we will reach the Lemaire Channel, marking the start of the Drake Passage. After that, we will enter the Argentine Sea, specifically Bahia Grande Bay, and head north toward Puerto Deseado. From there, we will proceed northwest toward Comodoro Rivadavia," Muevski said.

The RSV 421 Commanding Officer said that they expect to arrive in Comodoro Rivadavia in the early hours of February 22. "The forecast for the Drake Passage looks favorable, with a swell of around 5-6 degrees on the Douglas scale, wave heights of 3-3.5 metres, and steady winds of 10-12 knots, with gusts up to 15-16 knots in some areas," he said. The Captain added that slightly stronger winds are expected north of Tierra del Fuego Island, reaching gusts of 25-30 metres per second, though only briefly. "Naturally, this will generate some swell, which is why our current plan is to navigate as close as safely possible to the coast of Tierra del Fuego Island to avoid these adverse hydro-meteorological conditions," Muevski said.

The Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) departed from Varna on its third Antarctic expedition on November 7, 2024, and arrived at Livingston Island on December 28. The St Kliment Ohridski Bulgarian Antarctic Base on Livingston Island opened for the new polar season on November 23, 2024.

BTA has a national press club on the vessel and at the Bulgarian Antarctic base. This is the third year in a row that BTA has sent a correspondent to Antarctica. This year's correspondent is Milena Ostrovska, who arrived at the base on January 17. Her reports are available for free in English at the Bulgaria-Antarctica Log on BTA's website and can be used for free by all media with attribution to BTA.