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St Boniface Down SE-008

 

St Boniface Down, G/SE-008 - 240m ASL - SZ 568 785 - OS Explorer OL29 - 1 SOTA point          Map & summit information from SOTAwatch      Click to return to summit index

Friday 22nd November 2019

On the Thursday night, it was established that everyone else, including Jimmy M0HGY, did not want an early start on the Friday morning and would prefer to drive back to Cheshire in Marianne's car.  I couldn't resist the opportunity though to complete the G/SE region within the calendar year.  Just the two summits on the Isle of Wight remained - so I booked myself onto the 6am ferry from Southampton.

 

St Boniface Down     Tom M1EYP     Travelmast on St Boniface Down

 

It was another very early start, but once aboard the ferry I could relax with a full cooked breakfast and mug of coffee, and enjoy the crossing.  After docking on the island, it was about the 30 minute drive over to the south-east corner of the Isle of Wight for the first summit.  St Boniface Down is virtually a "drive-to-the-top" summit with only a few yards to walk from the top car park to t a suitable operating spot.

 

Footpath junction close to the summit of St Boniface Down        Super sea views

 

The sea views were spectacular, though it was rather chilly!  I set up the 30m GP, but just made a handful of European contacts on FT8 and CW.

 

St Boniface Down        A fellow enthusiast of trigpoints!

 

I decided it would be wise to be getting over to Brightstone Down G/SE-012 and then try to get the earliest possible return ferry, allowing the earliest possible eventual return home.

 

Time

Call

Band

Mode

08:17z

IZ2FDU

10MHz

FT8

08:25z

IK2LEY

10MHz

FT8

08:29z

EA7GV

10MHz

FT8

08:31z

YO6CFB

10MHz

FT8

08:42z

YO2BP

10MHz

CW

08:43z

SA4BLM

10MHz

CW

08:44z

SP9AMH

10MHz

CW

St Boniface Down 2003 St Boniface Down 2007