Following a very successful day of DXpedition work on picturesque Chevreuil Island (MA-114) for Day 1 of the D.I.F.M. Tour, we rendezvoused today full of hope and excitement for what the band would bring.

I’d planned to activate diminutive Petit Bey Island (MA-116) in the morning but the tricky tides didn’t allow me to access it. 

The tidal coefficient was small and therefore the sea hadn’t removed enough to get there, so we all headed to MA-115 to activate it under the FDX callsign.

Around 11:30 am I looked to access Brittany Coast’s Bey Grand Island (MA-040) and told the fellows we must go now as the tide was already coming in. 

But by the time we’d disassembled antennas and headed for the island, the passage was covered by about 50 cm of water. 

So, unfortunately, it wasn’t possible for us to go with the hardware and power. 

So MA-040 was postponed until another date.

But I wouldn’t settle on two failures in the same day, however, so we took some steps to ensure the fabulous dx adventure continued.

During my planning of a North-western France DIFM Tour concept I’d considered also activating other islands in the Brittany region. 

So we hit the road in order to try to activate another isle not on the list!

During previous reconnaissance efforts, I’d spotted another island this summer (See above), but didn’t know the name of it. 

So I saw a Breton local to ask if she was from the area and she replied, “Yes. 

So I asked her if she knew the name of this island and BINGO…it’s called Snake Island!

Straight away I called friend 14DX181 Marc by phone and asked him to look at the Islands Base Online (IBO) to check if there would be an island of the same name and if it was referenced in MA-xxx.

But no reference appeared so I decided to turn it into 14DA/SI Serpents Island — a new one for Island Hunters and us the DX Adventure Team.

So we went back to the car to take the station to the island and were soon calling CQ DX on the International call frequency…27.555 MHz USB and waiting for some callers.

After a QSY, our first contact is with 26DX047 Darran from the United Kingdom at 14:14 pm at 5/8.  

He’s followed by DA-RC HQ Member 3DA012 Roger in Brazil at 14:14 pm at 5/8 and 14AT143 Fabrice in France at 5/7. 

The band is open and the pile-ups flow like lava from a steaming hot volcano!

We finish the activation of this beautiful “new one” at 18:06 with 35RS002 Chris in Austria at 5/1 and 78 very happy Island Hunters in the log.

Thanks to all who made the log on Day 2 of our D.I.F.M. Tour from Serpent Island.

Results:

• Stations Logged: 78
• DXCC Logged: 19 [England (26), Brazil (3), France (14), United States of America (2), Thailand (153), Denmark (47), Austria (35), Germany (13), Poland (161), Corsica (104), Spain (30), Italy (1), Martinique (136), Argentina (4), Canada (9), Greece (18), Portugal (31) and The Netherlands (19)].
• DA-RC members ITL: 3DA012 Roger, 14DA911 Eric and 14DA007 Chris