DJU IV

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aukepalmhof
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DJU IV

Post by aukepalmhof » Fri Apr 23, 2021 11:08 pm

This was the third experiment of the program. Julia and Doncho had an 8 months old daughter Yana. The experiment of crossing the Atlantic from Gibraltar to Cuba was very risky given the type of sailboat and the vessel’s navigational capacity. The used tender boat was 8 meters long with a small deck - 40 cm high which covers half of the lifeboat. The mast was a 5.2 meters high aluminum pole. The rigs used were mainsail and jib. The navigation equipment was classical with no electronic devices. The boat was equipped with a battery radio with a manual generator. The nutrient supplies for the second expedition covered 40% of the necessary minimum of calories and 50% of freshwater per person. The rest of the calories were derived from zooplankton. The most serious challenge in the first days of the expedition came after Gibraltar. It was an 8-day long storm which resulted in a total lack of rest and sleeps added to an almost constant effort to manually scoop out the incoming water. Luckily for them (as they later found out) they managed to escape a hurricane moving in their direction. This was in fact the first big trip of а conventional shipping lifeboat with sails.
http://www.geology.bas.bg/plancton/planct3_en.html

DJU IV": ... In this boat the Bulgarian couple Julia and Dontscho Papasov crossed the Atlantic on behalf of the "Commission for Oceanography" of UNESCO. During the crossing, the scientists essentially lived on plankton. In doing so, they provided evidence that the plankton present in all oceans of the world can serve to feed shipwrecked people.

The Plankton III Expedition - Across the Atlantic
63 days: May 8 - July 16, 1974.
This was the first truly daring expedition that Papazov and his wife undertook. On an 8-meter keel-less lifeboat (dubbed Dju IV), they set out to cross the Atlantic from Gibraltar to Cuba. The journey was a grueling test of endurance. The two-person crew had to keep 4-hour steering shifts around the clock to ensure the boat didn't flip over in the turbulent Atlantic. Unlike most yachts, Dju IV was originally a ship's lifeboat, made of two sheets of plastic bolted together. It was designed to withstand a few days at sea at most and lacked a weighted keel, which made it prone to flipping and guaranteed that such a flip would be irreversible. The Plankton III voyage marked the first long-haul trip of such a lifeboat The journey ended successfully in Santiago de Cuba.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doncho_Pa ... edition_-_

Across the Atlantic
This was the fourth experiment under the program with the participation of Julia and Doncho Papazovi. The experience acquired during the previous expedition came very handily in the preparation for this one since it was much more complex and professional. The vessel used was shipping lifeboat long 8.5 m. with deck and a possibility for water drainageе. The deck was much more convenient and functional. The mast was higher, 7.5 m., the rigs were gaff and again with mainsail and jib. This time the boat was equipped with a short-wave frequency radio. The battery of the radio was charged by the engine. They also had permanent compass light, тор light, and AC current for the radio. A serious ordeal was the permanent watchkeeping at night since there were no automatic navigation tools. Julia and Doncho conducted scientific research and filled out tests. The nutrient intake was similar to that in the third expedition and was slightly improved to add liofizated fruit. Unfortunately, just like during the third expedition, they had problems with canned freshwater. The cans containing freshwater corroded and the taste changed. It is great luck not to encounter any serious difficulties during a cruise of 14800 kilometers in the Pacific in a shipping lifeboat wading only 30 centimeters and with a first stop after Caliao at the Marquise Islands at a distance of about 8700 kilometers. Unfortunately, the worst of all possible things happened to Dju and Doncho. Initially, the radio antenna broke and it was impossible to fix it at sea. Thus they had no connection with the world and could not send a help signal. Later the rudder plate broke, and 1000 miles from Caliao during a storm the mast broke as well. It is difficult to believe but Dju and Doncho managed to cope with both problems. They made a new rudder plate using the remains of the old one, hoisted a new mast, and adjust the sails to the renovated shorten mast. It is not necessary to go into details, but few people in their situation would handle such problems so successfully. It is a miracle that with such rig and diminished capabilities they managed to “hit upon” the Marquise Islands. But Dju and Doncho succeeded in that and successfully reached Hive Oa on the Marquise Islands on the 10th of May 1976. It was only when they reached Tahiti that they were able to fix and replace the mast. The maneuvers around Samoa and Apia were made especially difficult by the strong drift and the lack of wind.

http://www.geology.bas.bg/plancton/planct4_en.html
Bulgaria 1975 13s sg 2410, scott?
Attachments
dju IV 3.jpg
1975 Map-of-the-Atlantic-Lifeboat-DJU-IV-Emblem.jpg

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