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This is a top to bottom page : for the latest news click ~ Latest News Bulletin ....or scan from the beginning. |
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Royal Engineers give Operation Zest the green light
to carry out urgent Calshot Harbour Repairs
Report and Photographs
from Tristan Administrator David Morley
27th January 2008
The Royal Engineers recce party arrived aboard MV Kelso on Thursday 24th January after a rather bumpy voyage from Cape Town.
They comprised : Major Michael Forster, Captain Russell Liddington, Major Peter Wallace, Captain Simon Conrad, WO1 Simon 'Geordie' Heslop, WO2 Simon Goldby and Lieutenant Commander Claire Hayes.
In the short time available the team focussed on three areas. The first was the design and planning aspects of the project. The second was the physical reality of the harbour and its surroundings. The third was the contingency plan requirements of the main project. Very quickly the team was able to declare themselves satisfied with what they found, and the green light for Operation Zest was given.
Given the excellent weather during the visit, some of the team were able to take part in a climb up the volcano base and others to enjoy a bit of fishing. The visitors were able to meet all island Councillors and Heads of Department at an informal reception at the Residency on Friday evening where they were able to brief guests on the project, answer islanders' questions as well as ask some of their own.
The team left on the chartered MV Kelso, at 1000 on Sunday 27 January. Two of the party, Mike Forster and Geordie Heslop, will be returning with the main party. RFA Lyme Bay is currently completing loading at Portland and is due to depart for Tristan by the end of the month. On board will be 62 army personnel (40 engineers, a 12-strong medical team plus 10 others to operate the ship-shore service). The size of the RFA's company is unknown, but could number up to 130. The Lyme Bay is due at Tristan before the end of February.
Photographs show the team at the harbour prior to departure on 27th January, during a welcome dinner at The Residency on 24th January and departing in the launch on 27th January. Perhaps it is the final photograph that puts Tristan's harbour problem in its real context. Here, on a fine summer Sunday morning, with a gentle swell, the launch is nevertheless dwarfed by waves magnified by an offshore reef immediately north of the harbour entrance.
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Military Operation as Lyme Bay sets sail
Any doubt about the scale and intent of Operation Zest to repair Tristan da Cunha's damaged harbour
will be dispelled by the pictures below showing a range of equipment, vessels and vehicles being loaded
on to the 16,000 tonne RFA Lyme Bay prior to her departure on 1st February 2008. |
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A particular feature of this modern bay class ship is the floodable stern dock,
which can accept a single mark 10 Landing Craft Unit or two Mk 5 Landing Craft Vehicles.
The three images above show this stern dock in operation ~ with scenes more applicable to a James Bond movie perhaps ~
but which will provide the flexibility to transfer heavy equipment and vehicles ashore to Calshot Harbour in a few weeks time. |
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16,000 tonne RFA Lyme Bay on its way for its Tristan Harbour refurbishment mission
Photos left and right show the vessel (which entered service in November 2007) alongside her home port berth in Portland Harbour, Dorset.
See also Shipping News for more details of the ship and its voyage
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Extracts from a 31st January article on the Ministry of Defence Website : |
The RFA Lyme Bay is accompanied by a team of 40 Royal Engineers plus a detachment from the Royal Logistic Corps and a medical support team from the Royal Navy, will transport materials that can be used to carry out urgent repairs to the main harbour. The operation is a joint Government response involving the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development (who are funding the work) and MOD.
Work will begin immediately and will hopefully complete before the onset of the Austral winter on 31 March 2008 , when it is increasingly likely that access and the ability to conduct repairs will become unviable due to the sea conditions.
RFA Lyme Bay Commanding Officer Captain Peter Farmer said:
"This short-notice task indicates perfectly the utility, versatility and facilities of this class of ship. I recall saying at the handing over ceremony in Portland Port last year that these ships offer not just a very capable amphibious platform, but that utility transfers easily to other arenas including humanitarian effort.
" Lyme Bay will operate off the harbour for about a month in probably difficult sea conditions to offload the necessary equipment stores and provide a base for the medical and engineering teams involved. The isolation of the community brings its own challenges and the ship's company are thoroughly looking forward to the task and hopefully a successful outcome for the islanders."
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Loading Equipment
and materials
RFA Lyme Bay will transport 150 pallets of cement, a number of construction machines such as bulldozers, stone crushers and cement mixers, and landing craft to move the stores and people ashore.
The Tristan da Cunha Government is very grateful to Graham Backhouse (representing Power Equipment Exports Ltd of Goole East Yorkshire DN14 8LD) for the four images alongside and also for the generous donation of a cement mixer to the island.
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Preparatory work for Operation Zest
Administrator David Morley reports on 6th February 2008
As we await the arrival of the Lyme Bay , the community has been tasked with a substantial amount of work in preparation for the beginning of Operation Zest. A task force led by Joseph Green (Head, PWD Mechanical/Gas) has been busy working on the following list of jobs detailed below.
Left : View along east beach towards the 1961 lava flow and Big Point showing the existing concrete batching equipment being removed
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We need to clear the quayside to enable unhindered access to the beaches both left and right of Calshot Harbour . This entails the removal of all debris, plant, working and derelict boats plus anything else that can be moved.
The broken harbour slipway originally constructed from loose slabs is being replaced with a concrete ramp.
During previous harbour construction a track and ramp down to the west beach was constructed. This has virtually disappeared due to the action of the sea and must be reinstated to enable access to the sand.
Left : Looking west along east beach towards the harbour which will be the site for new concrete production equipment.
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The east beach will be used for concrete production so two lifeboats (hulks) have to be removed, along with the existing concrete batching equipment, crushing plant, and ship to shore water line. Dolos unit production equipment must also be removed to a safe area. The entire beach area must then be leveled along its full length.
In order to facilitate sand collection at Hottentot Point a track must be pushed out along the head of the beach for some 200m. This will be done once the fishing boats have been moved up to the Settlement.
Photos left and below show : Views of the broken slipway on the east arm of Calshot Harbour which will be replaced by a new ramp. Note the build-up of kelp fronting the damaged slipway.
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Thanks to a combination of good weather and hard work, these jobs are all ahead of schedule. The beach is now almost clear, and the two hulks at the east end will shortly be burnt prior to their removal. The new slipway is almost complete and, if the harbour water level falls sufficiently at low tide, should be finished by the weekend. Once the harbour is closed (from 14 February) the fishing boats will be moved up and the new track to Hottentot Point pushed out.
It’s worth pointing out that while this work goes ahead, Ricky Swain (Assistant Head, PWD (Transport) and colleagues are working equally hard to complete an intensive road repair project. Already Queens Road has swallowed up 2 tons of cement, and if the weather holds Ricky hopes to get to grips with the road out to the Patches next week.
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Photos left and right show :
Fishing boats and other vessels
will be removed from the western apron
of the harbour to provide access for a new roadway to gain access to west beach
and to collect sand from the beach
at Hottentot Point.
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Operation Zest Update 14th February 2008
Following the disastrous fire which gutted Tristan's fish processing factory on 13th February and destroyed the island's main electric generators, it has been confirmed today that Operation Zest will be self-sufficient for power and will go ahead as planned. So work by Royal Engineers to re-build Calshot Harbour will not be affected by the loss of the normal supply from the now defunct factory generators. Indeed a fully operational harbour will be essential as materials are brought in to re-build the factory in due course. |
RFA Lyme Bay due to arrive soon
RFA Lyme Bay left Cape Town on Sunday 24th February en route for Tristan to begin Operation Zest. |
Operation Zest Day 1 : Arrival on Thursday 28th February 2008 |
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RFA Lyme Bay arrives on
Thursday 28th February 2008
Photograph left
from Robin Repetto
shows the ship approaching
the anchorage
and right from David Morley
showing the advance party
arriving at the harbour
about to disembark
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Left : The Tristan Liaison Team
heads out to meet RFA Lyme Bay
Right : Photo of the Lyme Bay
from Desi Repetto
(unacknowledged photos in this section from David Morley) |
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Administrator David Morley welcomes
Left :
Royal Navy Captain Paddy McAlpine
who is in charge of Operation Zest
Right :
RFA Lyme Bay Captain Peter Farmer
Major Mike Forster (Officer in Charge of the Royal Engineers)
and Captain Paddy Mc Alpine
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Left : Factory Employees watch the arrivals standing at the cliff top (until fire destroyed the fishing factory on 13th February the lower part of Goat Ridge, behind would be obscured by the factory building which awaits re-building)
Right : Medical Officer Dr Carel Van der Merwe returns from his leave to take charge of Camogli Hospital |
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Left : RFA Lyme Bay at anchor
with the 800 metre high sheer Pigbite Cliffs as a backdrop nd the mountain base above.
Right: The 'Maxi' Landing Craft transporting heavy vehicles ashore in perfect (and rare) sea conditions on 28th February.
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More views of the Maxi Landing Craft :
Left : with the Settlement and East Beach cliffs as a backdrop
Right : with the Pigbite Plain and the base of Pigbite cliffs as a backdrop.
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Desi Repetto's pictures of :
Left : Hilary Rogers with her grandson and nephew watching the excitement unfolding in the harbour below as the RFA's array of landing craft bring vehicles and equipment ashore for Operation Zest to re-furbish Calshot Harbour.
Right : Another load comes ashore
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More of Desi's 28th February views
as vehicles are unloaded on the harbour's eastern arm.
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Robin Repetto took these photographs showing a digger being brought ashore on one of Lyme Bay's landing crafts and then starting to work.
Those with knowledge of Tristan da Cunha will marvel at the miracle that Thursday 28th February 2008 offered perfect, flat-calm sea conditions rare in these parts. Hopefully Operation Zest will continue with this military precision as the Royal Engineers embark on their race against time to shore up the damaged Calshot Harbour before the winter gales which will threaten to break up the damaged walls.
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Operation Zest Day 3
Saturday 1st March 2008
Photographs from David Morley
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Preparing the concrete batch |
Feeding the crusher |
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Operation Zest Day 5
Monday 3rd March 2008
Showing Above :
David Morley ready for action with the shovel (nice pose Dave !) and inspecting the c concrete foundations to the Wave Wall being constructed
Left : The crest concrete slab being laid
Right : looking east to the concrete mixer and 1961 lava flow.
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Left :
David Morley looking more relaxed after his stint with the shovel ~ but will in hard hat and working kit!
Right :
Royal Engineers preparing wood
on the sunny cliff top ~
Chippies looking forward
to chips perhaps?
Photographs from David Morley |
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Operation Zest Day 8
Thursday 6th March
Left : Drawing sand on Hottentot Beach with the promontory of Crawford Point rear and the hull of the yacht Aku-Aku wrecked in 1988
Right : RE Arnie measures steel for
Reinforced harbour wall construction
Below : views of harbour wall re-construction
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Left :
David Morley about to depart to Board the RFA Lyme Bay bearing gifts of Tristan crawfish and potatoes on 5th March
Right :
Karen Varnham (RSPB) is pictured with Lt Commander Anthony Richards RN, Captain Paddy McAlpine RN and Troop Commander Tristan Wootten RE of Operation Zest.
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Environmental Protection Measures
While joining the ship in Cape Town Karen was able to provide valuable support and advice in ensuring the Lyme Bay left Cape Town free of invasive and alien species which might have been inadvertently landed here thus posed a threat to Tristan's native flora and fauna. Karen's principal mission is concerned with the rodent eradication project - see Conservation News Page. |
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Replenishment At Sea (RAS) refueling maneouvre
Thursday 6th March
saw an exciting maneouvre
off Tristan as RFA Gold Rover re-fueled RFA Lyme Bay offshore.
Photos from David Morley show clockwise :
David on the Lyme Bay bridge with Gold Rover in view;
the ships coming alongside;
we have connection;
almost there
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Operation Zest Day 11
Sunday 9th March
Left :
View of nib framework being installed
Right :
Concrete mix prepared
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Operation Zest Day 12
Monday 10th March
Left :
Below :
Concrete poured into the crest slab
Above :
The crest slab being finished off
Right :
Above :
Nib Frame being prepared
Below :
Quay beams installed
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Steel frame on quayside |
Welding the frame |
Another exhausted sapper
seeks more more zest before continuing the hard work |
Day 11 - 13 pictures from David Morley |
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