From their website: February 3, 2018, 2000 UTC: During the last 72 hours, we continued to experience the high winds, low clouds, fog and rough seas that have prevented helicopter operations since our arrival at Bouvet. No improvement was predicted in the weather forecast for the next four days. Then, last night, an issue developed in one of the ship’s engines. This morning, the captain of the vessel declared it unsafe to continue with our project and aborted the DXpedition. We are now on our long voyage back to Punta Arenas. As you might imagine, the team is deeply disappointed, but safe. There is already talk about rescheduling the DXpedition, Bob, K4UEE Ralph, KØIR Erling, LA6VM Shame.....
It is indeed a shame but human life and safety come first. Safe travels back to Punta Arenas and we'll hope it works out another time. Thanks for the effort - we all know your team would not have cancelled this lightly. 73 for now Dave W7UUU
I wondered why A DXpedition would go into such inhospitable weather after several years of planning. What I could find seems to indicate that there is never any "good" weather on Bouvet, but historically they had picked the best window they could have hoped for. Perhaps last year would have been fine, or perhaps next year. 2018 was just an unlucky time for their plan to come together. But what really surprises me is the engine trouble. Certainly these are Diesels. Diesels have long service lives when maintained properly. Certainly some routine preventative maintenance should have been done before, during, and after the voyage. Is the real problem that they chartered a badly maintained old bucket on the cheap? And I don't suppose you can buy trip insurance to cover that.
Don't assume the ship was an old bucket and was chartered on the cheap. Even new engines break down. You cannot second guess what happened and it is unreasonable to try. Just take it as it comes. Who knows, maybe it was an act of GOD that saved them from some far worse fate. They are safe and that is all that matters. There will be other opportunities. I salute them for a valiant try. The engine trouble wasn't the real problem, the weather was.