9A90P @ “Palagruža 2018” IOTA expedition

June 7, 2018 by 9A6AA 7 Comments

L to R: Rocks Volići, Vela Palagruža (lighthouse) isl., Mala Palagruža isl. and rock Kamik od Tramuntane.

“Palagruža 2018”:
Members of the Radio Club Croatian Flora Fauna and friends (8 persons) will be active from the island of Vela Palagruza (EU-090, CI-084, LH 0057, ARLHS-012, unfortunately there is no 9AFF reference yet) as 9A90P (9A ninety P) between June 16-23, 2018. Some of members will also try to operate under their HC from neighbouring islands: Mala Palagruza (EU-090, CI-461) and Galijula island (EU-090, CI-462, 3NM southeast of Palagruža).

Operators mentioned are: Emir (9A6AA), Radovan (9A2SC), Branko (9A3ST), Kiko (9A4WY), Marijan (9A1MB), Vito (9A5VS), Neven (9A5YY) and Zeljko (9A3DF). Their activity will be on CW/SSB/DIGI, near the IOTA frequencies on 80-10-6 meters and SAT. QSL 9A90P via 9A2MF.
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June 5, 2018: Food and equipments are completed (after our activity from Kosovo under Z68AA)
June 8, 2018: Thanks to DJ2MX and DF7DR for donation for this expedition!
June 9, 2018: Thanks to IU3EIF (Stefano and Suzana), 9A2GA (Boris), 9A3DF (Željko), Carlsberg Croatia d.o.o, for donation for this expedition!
June 15, 2018: Meeting point: Ferry port of Split (Dalmatia) at 1300Z. Ferry (at 1615Z) from Split to Vela Luka (Korčula island)
June 16, 2018: At about 0500Z, from Village Zavalatica (Korčula isl. to Palagruža isl. by boat of Plovput company (FYI: price is 1400 Euro!)
June 16, 2018: The first activity under 9A90P will be at about 1300Z.
June 23, 2018: Last day of activity

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Are you in 9A90P log?  You can check here.

A special t-shirt with 9A90P logo (incl. your call) will be awarded (free of charge) to the best three HAMs with the highest scores (slots) from the table of results available at Club Log.

Vela Palagruža island:  42°23’33.40″N  16°15’19.06″E
Mala Palagruža islet:  42°23’19.08″N  16°16’19.13″E
Galijula islet:  42°22’40.88″N  16°20’20.17″E
Volići rocks:  42°23’37.90″N 16°14’50.72″E

Vela Palagruža is some 1,400 metres (4,600 feet) long and 330 metres (1,080 feet) wide. The highest point of the archipelago, on Vela Palagruža (Italian: Pelagosa Grande), is about 90 metres (300 feet) above sea level, and on this elevation is a lighthouse. Palagruža is surrounded by dangerous waters, and landing can be difficult. It is uninhabited, except by lighthouse staff and by summer tourists who occupy two units of residential accommodation. The lighthouse is also the site of a meteorological station. Palagruža is some 123 km (76 mi) south of Split (Croatia), closer to Italy than to the Croatian mainland, being some 42 km (26 mi) from the peninsula of Gargano (Italy).

Leaving Palagruza 2013 (photo by 9A6AA)

Photo: 9A6AA

Photo: 9A6AA

Good to know:

Palagruža (pronounced [palǎɡruːʒa]; from Ancient Greek Pelagousae Πελαγούσαι from pèlagos, sea, Italian: Pelagosa) is a small, remote Croatian archipelago in the middle of the Adriatic Sea. It consists of one larger island, called Vela or Velika (‘Great’) Palagruža, and a smaller one, Mala (‘Little’) Palagruža, as well as a dozen nearby rocks and reefs composed of dolomite. All the main islets are in the form of steep ridges.

It is visible from land only from other remote islands of Italy and Croatia. Palagruža is further south than the mainland peninsula of Prevlaka, making it the southernmost point of the Republic of Croatia. It can be reached only by a chartered motor-boat, requiring a journey of two to three hours from the island of Korčula.

Vela Palagruža (lighthouse). Photo: 9A6AA

For some, Palagruža is associated with the Homeric hero Diomedes, king of Argos, who is reputed to be buried here, though it is hard to imagine where. Speculation is fuelled by the discovery of a painted 6th-century BC Greek potsherd with the name Diomed[es] on it (see image on Adriatica). A shrine of the cult of Diomedes here is perfectly thinkable. Authentic archaeological finds of the Neolithic, Greek, Roman, and early medieval periods have been recorded.

It is reliably recorded that the galley-fleet of Pope Alexander III landed here on 9 March 1177.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, there was a rise in fishing in the area, making the island the centre of a traditional fishing-ground of the community of Komiža, island of Vis, Croatia.

Before 1861, it belonged to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, and after 1861 therefore to Italy, but was unilaterally occupied by Austria-Hungary in 1873, without any declaration of war. The first action of the new authorities was to build the important lighthouse mentioned above, in 1875.

After Italy’s entry into World War I, the country’s armed forces occupied the island. The Italian Navy submarine Nereide was sunk there on the 5th of August 1915 by the Austro-Hungarian Navy’s submarine U-5.

It reverted to Italy between the two World Wars, as part of the Province of Zara (now Zadar, Croatia), and was ceded to Yugoslavia in 1947. Since the break-up of Yugoslavia, it has formed part of the sovereign country of Croatia.