The MV Glory loaded pre-fabricated modules in Malmö and plant at Poole, and sailed for Tristan on the 12th October 2016.

MV Glory update

The new Camogli Healthcare Centre’s contractors Galliford Try, have organised construction of the modular building in Sweden and the hospital components were loaded in Malmo Port in Sweden onto the MV Glory, which then sailed to Poole UK. The cargo ship MV Glory then loaded Galiiford Try’s plant, equipment and modular accommodation in Poole Harbour Dorset, and the ship departed for Tristan from Poole on 12th October.

MV Glory as it completed loading in Poole Harbour, Dorset, UK on 12th October 2016, before sailing for Tristan later in the day. Photo: Kevin Mitchell

MV Glory is a general cargo ship built in 2006 and currently sailing under the flag of Antigua & Barbuda. MV Glory is 111m long, has a beam of 18m, gross tonnage of 6393 tons and a cruising speed of between 9.7 - 11 knots. The ship was only 10km off the coast of Senegal near Dakar on Saturday 22nd October at 08.30 local time after earlier passing the Canary Islands on 19th October seven days after its departure from Dorset.

The ship is expected to arrive at Tristan on 2nd November 2016 to begin off-loading and prepare for construction of the new Healthcare Centre.

Offloading

A first priority after 2nd November will be to offload the 2500 cubic metres of materials from MV Glory of construction materials, plant and equipment for the new medical facility. See below for photos of the construction and packing of prefabricated sections in Sweden.

Offloading the 2500 cubic metres from the MV Glory to the new hospital construction site will involve most island departments and a lot of congestion and traffic movement around the island can be expected, as containers and crates will stored at various staging points around the island. The Tristan workforce is used to flexible tasking and often 'all hands' are employed offloading vessels to bring crucial supplies ashore quickly as Camogli Harbour is often closed due to poor sea conditions. The island will be praying for good weather so that the huge Healthcare Centre load can be safely and quickly brought ashore for construction.

After unloading MV Glory is expected to depart on 25th November.