Day 59: RSV 421 Successfully Unloads Last Batch of Cargo

The unloading of materials from the Bulgarian Navy research/survey vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421), destined for the St Kliment Ohridski Bulgarian Antarctic Base on Livingston Island, finished successfully on Thursday. 

A cargo container could not reach the shore by the pontoon raft on Wednesday as the effort had to be put off as too risky because of strong wind gusts and rough sea but was completed on Thursday, said for BTA Dragomir Mateev, science and logistics coordinator at the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute.

The unloading was delayed after wind gusts in South Bay had reached 20-25 m/s on Tuesday morning, making fieldwork impossible. On Wednesday floating icebergs calving from the glacier made the situation even more complicated. The icebergs turned South Bay, where the Bulgarian base is located, into "ice soup".

BTA's Daily News editor Konstantin Karagyozov is the only member of the media who is travelling on board the ship to Livingston Island and back and covering the Bulgarian expedition throughout its stay in Antarctica. All media outlets can use the Bulgaria-Antarctica BTA's Log for free.