"Santi Finding the Eagle" - another stage of the search completed

The first approach to the fifth SANTI Finding Eagle expedition took place in October this year. Unfortunately, due to very bad weather conditions and unrelenting winds the team stopped the search and returned to Poland. Already on the way back the idea of finishing the expedition in case of favourable conditions was born.

Since their return, the team has been following all the weather changes with bated breath, waiting for favourable conditions for the voyage. Surprisingly for this part of the year, high temperatures and not too strong winds were already present from the beginning of November, which gave a good chance for the expedition to be repeated. The team, in a slightly reduced composition, being on the so-called “stand by” since their return, managed to make a quick decision and set off to the North Sea between 13-19 November in order to verify the assumed wrecks. The team, consisting of Tomasz Stachura, Dr. Eng. Benedykt Hac, Piotr Michalik and Karol Jakob, left Gdynia and headed for the port of Thyborøn, Denmark, where a specialist sea vessel, named M/S “NEMO”, was already waiting for them.

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The weather, which originally seemed to be quite good, turned out to be only tolerable. Due to the strong northerly winds, the entire crew became seasick, which affected even the biggest sea wolves. “I thought I was well accustomed to all kinds of weather changes, but it was the first time I suffered like that, we put a lot of effort into functioning as normal as possible, we were still rocking long after we went ashore,” comments Piotr Michalik. Despite this, the members of the expedition managed to check 43 assumed positions, 16 of which turned out to be new, previously unidentified wrecks. Although they did not manage to discover ORP “Orzeł”, the team is satisfied with the completed expedition. Thanks to this year’s search, the team explored another area and sailed a distance of 1162km, which significantly narrowed the search area.

[blockquote style=”2″]”The conditions were difficult, I would say even harsh and we were a little bit not expecting it, but we had to finish the work we started in October. We checked everything there was to verify in the area. Moreover, we managed to involve Danish fishermen in the project, which I am very happy about. They promised us for the winter period to collect as much information about the North Sea wrecks as possible,” comments Tomasz Stachura, the expedition leader.[/blockquote]

Since its inception, the project’s partner has been the Maritime Institute in Gdansk, which has provided top-of-the-range hydrographic equipment, specialised exploration equipment such as a multibeam echosounder (MBES), which enables effective exploration of the seabed, in a bandwidth of up to 400 metres.

[blockquote style=”2″]”This is our fifth expedition together, we are getting better and better organised and have become so skilled that we were able to transport all the equipment in one car and then install it on the vessel in less than four hours. My hydrographic team did a great job,” adds Benedykt Hac, hydrographic team leader[/blockquote].

With the expedition now completed, the team is already preparing for the hard work ahead. They are not giving up and are preparing for the next expedition. They know that the Eagle is out there somewhere, waiting for them. They believe they will find him…eventually.

More about the project can be found on website and in social media

SANTI sp. z o.o. – main sponsor of the project

SANTI is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of diving clothing and equipment. In just a few years, the company from Gdynia has transformed from a local manufacturer of diving suits into a brand with an established position on the global diving equipment market.

The company is present on all continents, selling to nearly 40 countries worldwide, including: the USA, South Korea, Canada, Australia, Brazil and the main European markets. SANTI’s flagship products include dry diving suits and warmers. The company is the originator and the leading manufacturer of diving warming accessories, such as heated gloves or waistcoats.

For several years SANTI has been actively involved in the organisation and support of international research expeditions (e.g. Sedna, Under the Pole, Elysium) and shipwreck explorations around the world. This is how the project “SANTI – Finding the Eagle” was born, a project that aims to find the wreck and finally solve the mystery of the disappearance of the Polish ship.

Partners:

• Yellow Cargo Express sp. z o.o. – logistical support
• Maritime Institute Gdansk – hydrographic support

Patronage:

• Mayor of the City of Gdynia
• Naval Museum in Gdynia
• National Geographic

Source: Press Information

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