'Final' Final RMS St Helena voyage to Tristan announced

See also:

RMS St Helena to visit Tristan again in January 2018

Report using posts from St Helena Government and RMS St Helena Websites

The St Helena Government has announced that the RMS St Helena Voyage 267 (the pentultimate voyage of the RMS St Helena prior to the ship's de-commissioning the following month), has been re-scheduled to include a final visit to Tristan da Cunha. This follows news from St Helena that scheduled passenger flights to St Helena will commence from 14th October 2017.

So there is now an opportunity for Tristan da Cunha and RMS St Helena enthusiasts to join the 'final' final RMS St Helena voyage to the island. We publish below posts from the St Helena Government and RMS St Helena Website published on 5th October 2017.

Sarah Cash's photo above shows the RMS St Helena at Tristan during the 2013 yoyage

Voyage 267, 29 December 17 to 22 January 18 as published on the RMS St Helena Website:

Destination Arrive Depart Type
Cape Town START 29-12-17 Departure
Tristan da Cunha 03-01-18 05-01-18 Stop Over
St Helena 10-01-18 12-01-18 Stop Over
Ascension Island 14-01-18 14-01-18 Call
St Helena 16-01-18 17-01-18 Stop Over
Cape Town 22-01-18 END

For more information or to book berths see: http://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/

St Helena Government Website posts published on 5th October 2017

RMS to continue until February 2018

Later this month, St Helena will begin an exciting new chapter with the start of the weekly air service from South Africa. This will make it cheaper, quicker and easier to travel to and from St Helena, and will help ensure the Island's long term prosperity.

The new air service will allow the decommissioning of the Royal Mail Ship St Helena, in February 2018, after many years of service.

Passengers travelling to Ascension Island on RMS Voyage 267 (29 December 17 to 22 January 18) should note that the previously published shuttle to Ascension on 7 January has been cancelled to accommodate a final voyage to Tristan da Cunha. However the 14 January shuttle to Ascension planned for the same voyage remains, and passengers can re-book onto that service at no additional cost, subject to ticket availability. Re-booking requests can be made by contacting your booking agent.

Alternatively, passengers may wish to cancel their RMS booking (at no cost) in order to travel to Ascension on the 13 January Ascension Air Service, subject to ticket availability. RMS cancellation requests can be made by contacting your booking agent. Booking enquiries for the Ascension Air Service can be made by contacting flight.bookings@ascension.gov.ac or tel: +247 66500. Bookings can also be made online on the Ascension Island Government website: http://www.ascension-island.gov.ac/ under the 'Visiting the Island' tab.

Please note that as this is a Christmas service, high ticket demand is expected and confirmation of bookings will not be made until at least eight weeks prior to the flight.

Passengers should also note that a four day extension has been added to the final Voyage (v268) of the RMS. Passengers can also change or cancel at no additional cost.

St Helena Line to withdraw RMS St Helena from service and seeks buyer for vessel

St Helena Line has announced today, Thursday 5 October 2017, that it is to withdraw the Passenger Cargo Royal Mail Ship St Helena from service in February 2018 and has appointed London ship broker CW Kellock & Co Ltd to handle her sale.

Operated by St Helena Line Ltd (SHL) on behalf of the St Helena Government (SHG), the RMS has been part of the Island's history for over quarter of a century and provided the sole regular means of access to the Island, a remote UK Overseas Territory located 1200 miles off the West coast of Africa in the South Atlantic.

She was built in the UK in 1990 specifically for the St Helena route. At 6,767 gross tonnes, she can accommodate 156 passengers in 56 cabins, together with a cargo capacity of 3750 cbm bale, and 92 teu (of which 17 reefer). She is staffed by 56 officers and crew.

The RMS St Helena is one of only four ships left in the world which has the right to carry the Royal Mail Ship (RMS) prefix.

The RMS currently operates out of Cape Town calling at both St Helena and Ascension Island on a regular schedule.

With the start of scheduled passenger flights to St Helena on 14 October 2017 providing the main passenger access to the Island, the RMS St Helena will be withdrawn from service.

The RMS St Helena is now embarked on her final programmed voyages and in the coming weeks will make a farewell call to Tristan da Cunha and then a final voyage to both St Helena and Ascension Island. She is expected to finish her last voyage in Cape Town on 15 February 2018.

SHL has appointed the highly experienced London ship brokers CW Kellock & Co Ltd (Part of the Eggar Forrester Group), to handle the sale and it is hoped that a buyer can be found to continue to trade the vessel elsewhere in the world.

Commenting on the sale process and her withdrawal from service, SHL's Chairman, Matt Young, said:

"The RMS St Helena has played a vital role in sustaining St Helena's population and, for the past 27 years has been the sole means of regular access to the Island.

"Her combined passenger accommodation and cargo design makes her well suited to a number of different trading options and we are confident that she can continue to play an important role elsewhere in the world."