Gough Restoration Team arrives at the island
Gough Restoration Programme Undwerway as
Expedition Yacht Evohe arrives from Cape Town
Report and photos from the RSPB Gough Restoration Project Team
The Gough Island Restoration Programme got properly underway when the yacht Evohe departed from Cape Town on Tuesday 18th February 2020. The vessel carried the first tranche of the main Gough Restoration Project Team to join the three RSPB Field Biologists Michelle Risi, Christopher Jones and Alexis Osborne who were already on the island.
The yacht had a few rough days at sea crossing the South Atlantic but it was quicker than expected and they arrived ahead of schedule at dawn on Friday 28th February 2020. The project team landed safely and were greeted with island-baked muffins. The sailing vessel was unloaded by lunch time.
The arrival - welcoming, unloading, settling everyone in - was a team effort including all the current RSPB and SANAP staff on Gough Island.
Chris Jones' photo shows the Evohe approaching Gough Island
and at anchor on Friday 28th February 2020.
Chris Jones' second photo of the Evohe approaching Gough Island.
The Evohe
The sailing yacht Evohe is a New Zealand registered 25m passenger vessel specialising in research and natural history filming expeditions. The vessel is built of steel, accommodates 12 passengers + 7 crew and is well suited to transporting & supporting expeditions to remote locations around the world.
Evohe carries a comprehensive list of equipment including two aluminium RIB tenders & a two-man flying dinghy. She is a veteran of many successful expeditions including a transit of the Arctic from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean via the Northwest Passage. All vital onboard systems are duplicated including main engines.
In recent years Evohe has been engaged in projects around the South Pacific, South Atlantic and Southern Ocean with expeditions to South Georgia, the Antarctic Peninsula and New Zealand's Subantarctic islands, Campbell Island, the Auckland Islands and Snares Islands, Antipodes Islands and Bounty Islands.
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Find out more about this interesting vessel |
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It's name is intriguing which has been translated to 'An archaic exclamation of Bacchic frenzy'! |
Chris Jones' third photo shows the Evohe at anchor off Gough Island,
with the white Gough Base buildings visible on the plateau above the sea cliffs.
Michelle Risi's photos above and below show team members
bringing ashore some of the equipment and stores brought aboard the Evohe
Further Gough Restoration Programme Logistics
The yacht Evohe will return to Cape Town with the second tranche of Gough Restoration Project Team members who should arrive by the end of March. SA Agulhas II will depart from Cape Town for Gough Island in May with further team members, additional equipment, stores and the helicopters.