Amateur Radio Activity from Rockall

57º37N 013º42W

Boat owner convicted over Amateur Radio Rockall DXpedition

At a hearing yesterday in Kirkwall, the owner skipper of a vessel was fined £5,000 for a breach of safety legislation.

On 14th June 2005, Ian Trumpess the owner skipper of the MV Invincible took a party of amateur radio enthusiasts from Stromness to Rockall, a distance of more than 200 miles out into the North Atlantic Ocean, despite having been told by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) that his boat was not suitable for the voyage.

The group booked the Invincible after finding a web site which advertised that Mr. Trumpess had undertaken a similar voyage in the past. They first met with Mr. Trumpess when they arrived in Stromness on the 11th June.

The group arrived at Rockall on the 16th where the amateur radio enthusiasts made a series of radio transmissions before returning to Stromness.

In Kirkwall Sheriff Court yesterday Mr Trumpess pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to operate the ship in a safe manner, under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.

He accepted that he had failed to take all reasonable steps to secure the safe operation of the vessel in that it sailed beyond the distance that it, the skipper, or the crew were qualified to go and without adequate means of communication.

In summing up Sheriff G Napier said:
"This was a reckless and foolhardy escapade, especially since you knew that you had been told not to proceed by the MCA. You took people to where there was a real danger and considerable doubt as to your ability to cope in an emergency."

After discount for an early plea the Sheriff fined Mr. Trumpess £5,000.

Tom Borland MCA Operations Manager for Scotland and Northern Ireland said:
"The vessel, its equipment and crew were not suitable to undertake this voyage. The punishment imposed by the court should send a strong message to the operators of this type of craft that such irresponsible behaviour will not be ignored by the MCA "

Source: Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Dxpedition to
ROCKALL
IOTA EU-189

16 to 28 June 2006
CANCELLED

Terje LA3OHA/JW3OHA reports that due to lack of financial support
it has been necessary to cancel this expedition

click here for more information

ROCKALL EXPEDIATION 2005

It is reported that the Team went on the Rock, took pictures and made 262 QSOs.

Look for a report and pictures at www.rockallisland.co.uk

Following information is reported as posted by Andre GM4VLB & forwarded by Yuki, JI6KVR IOTA-JA.

======quote=========

Seamus "Jim" MM0CWJ/MS0IRC/p phoned me directly about an hour or so ago, from Stromness in Orkney where he was having a well-deserved dram with some of the team members.

It appears that with severe weather approaching, the trawler skipper decided they had to return to Orkney. Jim said there was a flat calm when they arrived on Thursday morning, BUT there was a 4 METRE ATLANTIC SWELL!!! However, by timing it very carefully, they were able to "step onto" a ledge on the rock from a small rubber dinghy before the sea fell back rapidly. Both hams (Jim and David) got onto the rock, as well as 7 other expedition members. They flew the Scottish Saltire (white cross on blue background) as well as a Spanish regional flag (from a locality in Spain which is part-sponsoring one of the non-ham members - neither flag was intended to signify a territorial claim!!!

Indeed, the whole, operation was entirely non-political).

Radio expedition team leader David WOOD, MM0ALM made the first few contacts before handing over to Seamus. I guess we can't imagine what the pile-up was like. They made a total of 262 QSOs in enough countries/continents for the operation to meet IOTA qualification requirements. Unfortunately for those closer to Rockall (including Scotland and more northern parts of the U.K.), the skip was too long and sadly 40m was absolutely dead....not a squeak apparently. Everyone will be pleased to hear that Seamus is very determined to return, now that he knows the situation...as a resident of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides, he is the best placed to mount a dedicated radio expedition.

Many photographs were taken and eventually postage stamps/FDCs etc. will be produced for the amateur radio side of the expedition in collaboration with my son Niall GM6GMZ and Jeff G3LWM/GM0PNS, both of whom have considerable experience in such things. The money raised by the sale of these stamps will go to a charity chosen by Seamus.

All I can add, and I'm sure you will all join me, is to say W E L L D O NE !!! For anyone out there who thinks they could have "tried harder", remember, in those waters safety comes first....and the rock is there for anyone to "have a go"!!

Vy 73 de Andre GM3VLB

================================================

Dateline:- Wednesday 23 March 2005

It is reported that a visit for Amateur Radio activity from the island of Rockall is on for the month of June 2005.

The plan is for an expedition to leave the Orkney Islands (over 300 miles away) on 11th June 2005, arriving in the area of Rockall around 14th June and remaining there until 21st June.

It will include an amateur radio team led by Dave Wood MM0ALM assisted by well-known and experienced island activator Seamus "Jim" Cameron MM0CWJ from the Hebrides (and, as resident on South Uist, possibly the closest ham to Rockall 240 miles out in the Atlantic).

They will rely on a member of the SAS to get them onto the rock from an inflatable boat and hope to put up a small tent on a tiny ledge a few metres square.

Operation will be primarily SSB (all bands, as appropriate)...the callsign will be MS0IRC/p, the Hebridean island radio club call....the expedition QSL manager will be G0HXN.

Jim also hopes to operate 50MHz, including during the sea voyage, signing MM0CWJ/MM.

This will be a hazardous operation requiring extreme good fortune to succeed...few people have landed on this isolated rock which is beyond the range of normal rescue helicopters.

Even in perfect weather, the Atlantic swell can be intimidating" - in "moderate" seas, it will be surging up and over the top which is only about 20m above sea level - and as the rock's face varies from very steep to near-vertical, an attempted landing is not for the faint-hearted.

This is not a Caribbean cruise! It is a truly daring attempt to activate one of the most elusive IOTA islands, for the first time ever.

The original Islands on the Air (IOTA) number for Rockall was reaciviated due to unauthorised operation from the island. This operation will be fully authorised.

(above text based on words from Andri, GM3VLB)

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