On the way to Antarctica: The Bulgarian research ship crossed the Dardanelles

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23:00, 29.12.2022

The Bulgarian military research vessel “Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii” on December 29 entered the Dardanelles, on its way to Antarctica. This afternoon, “Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii” passed into the waters of the Aegean Sea.

In the next 40 days, it has to sail through the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean to reach our base on Livingstone Island in the South Shetlands.

Because of the traffic through the strait, the Bulgarian ship had to wait.

Traffic through the Dardanelles is always restricted for safety reasons when there is a lot of tanker traffic.

The world's longest suspension bridge spans 4.6 kilometres across the Dardanelles strait.. The bridge was officially opened in March this year. It links Europe and Asia.

The refuelling of the ship was completed this morning at 3.00 am on the Bosphorus. A Turkish barge loaded the vessel with 560 tonnes of fuel, which should be enough for the voyage to Argentina.

The ship's first historic voyage to Livingston Island is expected to take 40 days. It will support the research of the 31st Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition.

The first Bulgarian military research/survey vessel (RSV) Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii set off on its first scientific mission to the world ocean and the coast of Antarctica.

The vessel set sail for the South Pole from Bulgaria’s Black Sea Port of Varna at 14.00 on December 27.

The final destination of the country’s first research vessel is the Bulgarian base on Livingstone Island. The Bulgarian Antarctic team will stay there for about a month as part of the 31st Bulgarian Antarctic expedition. The leader of the expedition is prof. Hristo Pimpirev (on picture below).

Captain of the ship is Captain second rank Nikolay Danailov.

It is actually a floating laboratory, on which the Bulgarian scientists will explore the waters around the island of Livingstone. In addition, the Bulgarian polar explorers will for the first time reach the Bulgarian base with their own transport. It also carries important cargo and equipment for the base and for the re-equipment of the Bulgarian local laboratory. The ship is operated by military personnel who have undergone special training to navigate in extreme conditions.

The ship is taking on one of the most complex sea routes.

From the Bulgarian port of Varna, through the Dardanelles, Gibraltar and the Atlantic, it will reach the icy waters of Antarctica. However, the crew will also have to cross the Drake Passage. This is the biggest challenge for any sailor because of the extreme conditions.

The ship's crew consists of 26 people, including three cadets from the Higher Naval School in Varna. They have been preparing for the voyage for a year. The ship itself is suitable for such conditions. It was built in 1984 by Norwegian shipbuilders.

The vessel will support the research of the 31st Bulgarian Antarctic expedition. The ship is expected to reach its final destination, Livingstone Island, in mid-February next year. During the expedition, the Bulgarian scientists will explore the ocean waters. They will track whether pollution from other continents has reached the cleanest waters on the planet.

Built in 1984 in Norway, the vessel was prepared to operate in the harsh conditions of the Norwegian Sea. Made of high quality steel, for its 37 years, the ship is in surprisingly youthful condition.

The ship was first operated by Norwegian shipowners, and 10 years ago it was bought by Russians to turn it into a research vessel for South Stream. But due to the suspension of the project, it stayed in the port of Varna for years. So the Naval School, the Antarctic Institute and Sofia University managed to buy it for the price of a million and 200 thousand BGN.

The footage was taken by BNT special envoy, Maria Cherneva, who is on board of the ship.