Tristan da Cunha Inshore Shipping News
News of the boats based onshore at Calshot Harbour that service visiting vessels, and also provide transport around the main group of islands.
Featuring news of Tristan da Cunha's inshore shipping
which are based onshore at Calshot Harbour and provide transport from the world's most remote settlement
to service visiting vessels, and also around Tristan da Cunha, Nightingale and Inaccessible Islands.

Spectacular Prize for naming RIB Arctic Tern
Photos and Report from Tina Glass

A new Tristan Conservation Department RIB
had been without a name,
so school children were entered a competition to choose one.

Callum Green won the competition with his choice of 'Arctic Tern'.

His prize was the treat of a trip
to Nightingale Island on the RIB.
It was Callum's first visit to Nightingale Island as, like many of the younger generation he had never been to Nightingale.

Photos show Callum aboard Arctic Tern
off Nightingale Island.

 

 

Director of Fisheries James Glass
took this photo of the Tristan Fisheries Department RIB
trip to Nightingale Island waters to
carry out surveys on 19th September 2014.
See other images of this trip on the
2014-15 Fishing Season News Page

RIBS launched on 15th January 2014 as a precaution as Calf Marking Party failed to return at usual time-
See 2014 Farming News for details

Mysterious Pictures ~

What is going on?

Boat Building Tristan Factory Style
Maria Repetto's pictures and her report show gunnels being applied to a new fishing power boat on 18th September 2012

Top Left: The fire heating the pipe to make the water inside hot ~ this will warm the wood inside to make it pliable.
Top Right: Once hot the boiling water comes out of the pipe, the wood is ready.

Above and below: Using gloves and moving quickly the wood is removed and placed onto the side of the fibreglass boat, bending it to fit the shape and clamping it whilst still hot.

Below Right: First set of gunnels on

So now you know!

Joseph Green's Last Project
Report and Pictures from PWD Head of Department Dave Hendrikse

Joe Green has been in charge of Tristan's PWD's Mechanical and Gas section for many years and his last big project was the refurbishment of the island barge 'Atlantic Wave'. Joe has been regarded as Tristan's 'Mr Fix-It' for many years and the local expert on a range of vehicles ranging from Land-Rovers to all the island's inshore vessels.

These images show the 'Atlantic Wave' being taken from a PWD shed to Calshot Harbour for its test run on 31st May 2012 ready for the arrival of MV Edinburgh in early June.

Joseph is 65 on 8th June and this was his last day of work before retiring from Government service, but is unlikely not to be under a bonnet for long!

The Refurbished Atlantic Wave barge in the workshop

Moving out of the workshop

On the road

Hoisted by crane from Puma Road
to the quayside

On the quay with Joe (left)
and Douglas Swain

Joe ready with a bottle to Christen the launch
Lost at sea! The bottle slips out of Joe's hand!
Atlantic Wave placed in Calshot Harbour
Test run with coxswain Douglas Swain and engineer Joseph
Joe on completion of his last day at work before retiring
Test run

Early boat training for Tristan youngsters

Tina Glass has sent these brilliant pictures showing her son Tristan Glass (in the black cap) with friend Rhyan Swain (red cap) apparently at the helm of one of the new RIBS brought to the island during the MS Oliva crisis in April 2011.
We knew the island was stretched for labour during the penguin rehabilitation / offshore conservation and clean-up work but perhaps this responsibility is taking the use of volunteers too far! Well done lads! (or is someone else in charge?)

2nd October Atlantic Dawn Trip

Photograph by David Morley of the Atlantic Dawn en route to Nightingale Island in an attempt to move Peter Ryan and his team to Inaccessible Island.  On arrival the swell was too high to allow landings and the group came back empty handed. 

The crew are left to right: Rodney Green, Leon Glass, Warren Glass, Conrad Glass (cox) and Neil Swain.

Dramatic Stony Beach Expedition ends safely
On Wednesday 13th June a party of 23 men set out in a barge from Calshot harbour to kill some of the wild cattle herd at Stony Beach for beef. Earlier the same morning a separate group left for Sandy Point, and as they were killing cattle saw the Stony Beach party heading south. The Sandy Point party returned to the harbour by noon by which time it was raining. Andy Repetto (Tristan Radio operator) had earlier warned both vessels of deteriorating weather, but no-one predicted how rapidly it would worsen and by 14.30 the harbour became impossible to navigate.
The Stony Beach party completed their hunting (cattle are killed using rifles) and headed home in worsening weather conditions, with a north-north-east wind strengthening during the day. As they reached Jews Point it became obvious that they wouldn't make it back to the Settlement, and certainly not land in the harbour, so they returned to Stony Beach. Normally dinghies are used to transport men and stock / meat to and from the barge, but on this occasion the barge was beached and the dinghies pulled up the beach above the water line. The party spent an uncomfortable night in the huts, using a makeshift collection of dry clothes but managing to cook ample hot food and drinks. Their VHF radio was limited to eye contact range and so could not communicate with Tristan or the factory radio, so their families had no knowledge of the party's whereabouts or safety overnight.
All in the village were very worried overnight for the safety of the party. The next morning, Thursday 14th June, Chief Islander, Acting Administrator and Police Inspector Conrad Glass led a rescue attempt, setting off on the police rescue RIB Atlantic Dawn, with Joe Green at the helm of Wave Dancer. The start was delayed to wait for a higher state of tide to enable them to set out of the shallow harbour safely in the swelly conditions.
Atlantic Dawn reached Stony Beach by 08.30 am, with Wave Dancer arriving 20 minutes later. The party was found safe and well. The stranded men were loaded on the boats and the damaged barge (now covered in diesel) was towed off the beach. Progress back to the harbour was slow, as the damaged barge, known as The Sandy Point Express, stopped twice owing to fuel problems. The flotilla was met outside the harbour by the factory barge, onto which meat was unloaded and by which two of the dinghies were towed home.
A final drama occurred when the Sandy Point Express again foundered at the entrance to the harbour as the swell got worse. Luckily the vessel was near enough for a painter to be thrown to Lewis Glass so the boat could be assisted into the harbour and not left vulnerable to surf which could have easily engulfed her.

Conrad reports that Ken Green and Roger Glass (two of the most experience coxswains in the Stony Beach gang) said that Wednesday's weather was the worse they had experienced in a boat during their lifetime.

Edited version of a report from Acting Administrator & Chief Islander Conrad Glass
Photographs taken by Desiree Repetto on 14th June from above Calshot Harbour as relieved islanders saw the convoy returning the boats and men home.

Autumn Nightingale Expeditions

The MFV Edinburgh took the following nine people to Nightingale for the traditional fatting trip on 25th April:
Martin Green, Iris Green, Rachel Green, John Lavarello, Vanessa Lavarello, Barney Swain, Nicky Swain, Dereck Rogers and Kevin Glass
The Wave Dancer fisheries patrol boat took the following Darwin Team to Nightingale for conservation work on 13th April:
Trevor Glass, Warren Glass, Jeremy Green, Jason Green.
On 23rd May the launch Atlantic Spray, Police Rescue RIB Atlantic Dawn and Fisheries Patrol boat Wave Dancer brought both parties back. Good weather, with a WSW wind of about 10 knots, meant several private boats were out fishing for white fin fish. Andy Repetto was in constant contact with all boats via Tristan Radio, and the boats from Nightingale all arrived safely back at the harbour at 16.15hrs.

Information from Chief Islander and Police Inspector Conrad Glass

These shipping movements illustrate a big change as the traditional longboats (now using fibre glass rather than canvas) are being replaced by lifts from fishing vessels and the improved ocean-going Atlantic Spray, Atlantic Dawn and Wave Dancer. Nevertheless islanders are maintaining their (more limited) hunting of the mature Great Shearwater (Petrels) chicks for meat and cooking fat which has been part of the Tristan da Cunha culture for many years. (See Nightingale Page for details)