Hello dear friends:
Just came back from Breton Island NA 89.
I and my wife Adele and the captain Ryan with his very fast 32 feet boat that 
had two 250 HP each out board engine, with GPS  and etc., left Venice, 
Louisiana Thursday, April, 25 at 3. 30 PM local time. I was concerning about 
the weather, a big storm was arriving in Louisiana, and the marine radio 
weather advise was giving for Buras and the area were we were going in the 
gulf of Mexico, wind of 35 mile, gusting over 40 with sea wave between 5 and 
7 feet.
After we left the marina club in Venice, we passed across in the other side 
of the Mississippi River and we went through the bayou Colette for about ten 
miles at a speed of about 36 miles per hour; So far was good, we were 
navigating inside the bayou, but when we went out side in the gulf of Mexico, 
the sea was very rough, with 4 to 6 feet wave; My wife was scare, the captain 
reduced the boat speed to 15/18 miles per hour , at that point Breton Island 
was at about 11 miles.
We arrived in Breton Island around 4.35 PM local time after about one hour.
I and my wife stayed over night in the captain house boat. The wind was 
strong, coming from SE at 35/40 miles.
The house boat was ancor in piling in the midle of a small bay in Breton 
Island, was like a small motel with 18 rooms for people that like to to go 
fishing. The service was nice, there was a nice dining room and a well 
equipped kitchen and a satellite TV.
The next morning the wind was blowing at about 30/35 miles and the pressure 
was rising.
I suppose to go in the beach to operate early at 6.30 AM local time and with 
hope that wind was going donwn in strenght, after two hours delay, I decided 
to go anyway and I asked to the captain to give to me and my wife a pass with 
his boat to the beach.
We left the house boat around 9.45 AM going to the beach, a short travel of 
about 150 yards.
The boat stopped at  about 60 feet from the beach, because at that point 
there was only two feet of water. 
We jumped in the water that was in some way cold and we walked to the beach, 
going back and for several time, transporting the generator, the radio, the 
antennas, cables, table chairs, a beach umbrella that we could not use cause
the strong wind, and after about one hour and 15 minutes KB5GL/5 NA 89 was on 
the air.
Friday, April, 25, 2003 I stopped the operation after about seven hours, with 
the A index of 20 and the K 4.
I had in the log about 460 qso, 80% of those with EU. In the Island I left 
only the antenna with a couple of chairs, bringing back al  the other boxes 
(radio, generator,cables etc.).
We went back to the house boat were we stay over night.
Next day we left the house boat at 6.15 AM local time going back to the 
beach. Around 7.00 AM I was back on the air, the A index was 25 and the K 4, 
I was thinking today will be bad, because the propagation, but with my 
surprise I was able to work after 15 minutes in 14.MHz about 12 JA stations, 
one DU1, and a VK8 station.
In 21 Mhz I worked a lot Europeans, with a big pileup, EA9 and also central 
and South America and  USA.
I stopped at 1.00 PM local time because the wind went down to 5 miles per 
hour and the nats arrived in millions and started to bite me and my wife, I 
had nets all over in my ears in my nose, in my arms, my legs, I mean all 
over.
I decided to stop and in record time we packed every things I called the 
captain with my cellular phone and we went back
to the house boat and after one hour we left going back home.
I had in my log over 800 qsos with six continents.

Click here to see the photos of NA 89 Dxpeditions.