RMS Visit extended by one day to allow passengers to come ashore

RMS St Helena departs Tristan for the last time

Reports and photos from Sean Burns and Dawn Repetto
on Saturday 6th January 2018 as Tristan says farewell to the RMS St Helena

The RMS St Helena's final visit to Tristan da Cunha was extended by one day to enable passengers, who had been unable to come ashore since the ship's arrival on Thursday 4th January, to spend the day ashore. Joining passengers, including HE Governor Lisa Phillips, for the onward trip to St Helena were islanders Grant Green, Carlene Glass-Green, Justin Green and vet Joe Hollins, who is taking up a post on St Helena, having worked on Tristan since April 2017.

RIB returning passengers to RMS St Helena

RIB returning passengers to RMS St Helena

Final pass by the Tristan settlement at 19.23

Final pass by the Tristan settlement at 19.23

RMS St Helena heads for St Helena at 19.24

RMS St Helena heads for St Helena at 19.24

RMS St Helena Tristan Voyages

The original RMS St Helena made annual Tristan da Cunha voyages from 1985 until 1989. The present RMS took over from the old ship in 1990, continuing to make an annual scheduled trip to Tristan until 2004. The loss of the annual RMS trip was a blow to the Tristan economy, with the opportunity to import goods direct by ship from the UK and revenue from visitors.

Since then the RMS St Helena has made five further special voyages to Tristan da Cunha in February 2006, January 2011, November 2013, what was then described as the last RMS voyage in April 2016, and the 'final' final voyage in January 2018. With the ship's departure thirty three years of Tristan's association with the RMS St Helena draws to a close.