Visit of MS Bremen on 24th December |
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After heavy rain on 23rd December, the cruise ship MS Bremen arrived in good weather on Christmas Eve and landed passengers for a morning visit to Tristan. For more photographs go to the 2013/14 Cruise Ship Visits Page. |
MS Bremen was built in 1990, is 111 metres long and is 6752 gross tonnes. The vessel is operated by the German company Hapag-Lloyd and carries up to 155 passengers. The visit to Tristan is part of a Cape to Cape cruise which continues to South Georgia (29th-31st December) and on to Ushuaia in Argentina where it is scheduled to arrive on 9th January. |
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Christmas Convoy to Cape Town more like a procession
Report from information supplied by Cynthia Green
Both Ovenstone ships loaded passengers within 24 hours before setting off for Cape Town.
MV Edinburgh passengers went on board at 5.30pm on Tuesday 10th December and the ship
departed for Cape Town at approximately 7.15pm later in the evening.
Passengers aboard are:
Islanders John & Vanessa Lavarello, Duncan & Jackie Lavarello, Sasha
Green and Steve Swain.
Factory manager Erik Mackenzie, Electrical Contractors
Wynand de Bruyn & Gideon Brand, Conservation worker
Jan Bradley ( who went to Gough island on the Agulhas) and visitors
Andre Brugiroux & Miguel Marchi.
The following passengers went on board the Baltic Trader at about 11.30am Wednesday 11th December.
Islanders Jody & Shirley Squibb & Asturias (Tordy) Repetto
Dr. Roy D'Silva, Dental Trainer
Hazel Forrest, Electrical Contractor
Patrick West, Conservation workers Antje Steinfurth & Rukaya Johaardien (whose work was on Nightingale Island where they were taken by SA Agulhas II), Visitors Sandra Tymms and
Eskild Arnfred (who arrived on the RMS St. Helena).
The ship left Tristan at about 21.00, so the convoy is now a procession, especially as Edinburgh usually completes the journey more quickly.
So Tristan is now quiet as preparations are made for Christmas. The cruise ship MS Bremen is due on Christmas Eve and who knows which other yachts or vessels may decide to visit the island in the last three weeks of 2013?
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Final 2013 Scheduled Ship Arrival
Report from Cynthia Green
The Baltic Trader arrived at Tristan at 15.00 on Wednesday 27th November and
passengers came ashore soon afterwards.
On board were Islanders Sarah
Glass, Rodney Green, Connor Glass-Green, Beverley and Rhyanna Swain,
Natasha and
Chloe Glass, also Dr. Mohammed Sulaiman,
Patrick West
(Electrical Contractor), and visitors Andre Brugiroux,
Miguel Marchi
and Sandra Tymms.
This last arrival of 2013 brings crucial Christmas Mail and stocks for the Island Store.
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Offloading began as soon as passengers were ashore, was continuing on Friday 29th and hopefully will be completed ready for the vessel's scheduled departure on 4th December. MV Edinburgh continues with outer-island fishing and is due to depart Tristan on 12th December. The next scheduled ship arrival will be when MV Edinburgh returns on or about 18th January 2014 in just over seven weeks time. Nevertheless the cruise ship MS Bremen is booked to visit Tristan on Christmas Eve 24th December 2013. Cruise ships would not normally carry mail, freight or incoming passengers to stay on the island as landings are only possible in good sea conditions. |
Archive photos of the MV Baltic Trader
from other website pages
where credits can be checked. |
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MV Edinburgh's November - December Fishing Voyage
MV Edinburgh departed Cape Town as planned for the ship's final extended fishing trip of 2013 and arrived on schedule at Tristan 09.00 on Saturday 9th November.
Incoming passengers were
islanders Benny & Sylvia Green, Barbara Glass, Kimberley Green and Andre
Repetto, Wynand Arnoldus de Bruyn & Gideon Jacobus Brand (Electrical
Contractors).
MV Edinburgh will then proceed to the outer islands )Gough, Inaccessible and Nightingale) for fishing until a planned departure on 12th December with the final outgoing mail of 2013 from Tristan. See also Fishing Update from Factory manager Erik MacKenzie.
Post Early for Christmas
The final incoming mail will be aboard MV Baltic Trader due to depart Cape Town on 18th November so there are only a few days left to get those all-important Christmas cards in the post to catch what is probably the first last post for Christmas in the world!
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Visit of HMS Richmond
on 31st October and 1st November
Images from Tina Glass
show the ship's arrival on 31st October
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HMS Richmond arrived on Thursday 31st October but the sea conditions were not
safe enough to offload the crew. On Friday 1st November Administrator Alex Mitham and Head of the Tristan Police Conrad Glass were able to get
onboard to meet the Commander Robert Pedre, but unfortunately due to
the sea swell the majority of the crew were still unable to get to the
island.
Conrad and Alex had a tour of the ship as well as lunch with the
Commander, who was able to come ashore (via their naval
helicopter) with some of his crew to attend a reception at the residency in the afternoon. Alex took
Commander Pedre on a quick tour of the island which included a visit to the Potato Patches and 1961 volcano - where he picked up several
souvenirs for his crew.
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Photos from HMS Richmond's photographer show Administrator Alex Mitham with Commander Robert Pedre
on their tour of Tristan - Left at the 1961 Volcano, Right at the Potato Patches
and Centre Commander Pedre selecting rock samples to take with him from the 1961 lava flow. |
Alex Mitham commented: 'The island obviously has a strong relationship with the military, from the founding of the community, through the World Wars, to the present day. We have a special bond though with the Navy. Not least from all the
support they have given the island to the upkeep of the harbour - our lifeline to the outside world, as well as monitoring illegal fishing, and just knowing they are there if we ever need their assistance is greatly appreciated, and gives immense comfort to a community who live on the remotest inhabited island in the world.' |
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Photos from Tina Glass taken on 1st November show left, the Government Barge and centre a RIB from HMS Richmond ferrying HMS crew members ashore with right a close up of the RIB in Calshot Harbour. |
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A HMS Richmond photographer captured this classic view of Tristan da Cunha
as the vessel left island waters at about 19.00 on 1st November |
About HMS Richmond - From the Royal Navy's Website:
HMS Richmond visited Tristan da Cunha as part of 'Operation Atlantic Patrol South'. The South Atlantic Patrol is the Navy's standing commitment to UK overseas territories, Commonwealth countries and other friendly nations in the South Atlantic in order to reassure and maintain a sovereign presence around the South Atlantic.
The ship is the seventh, and current, HMS Richmond (F239), and is the 10th of 16 Type 23 Duke
Class Frigates to join the Royal Navy.
She was built at Swan Hunter Shipbuilders
on the Tyne, laid down on 16 February 1992, launched 6 April 1993,
and
commissioned into the Royal Navy on 22 June 1995.
The vessel has a displacement of 4,000 tonnes,
has a compliment of 185 personnel,
is 133 metres long, a top speed of 28 knots and a range of 7,800 miles.
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Shipping Update
MV Baltic Trader departed Tristan for Cape Town early afternoon on 16th October. Departing passengers were Islanders Natasha and Chloe Glass, Beverley and Rhyanna Swain, Japanese TV Team of Ms. Akiko Komori, Ms. Chiaki Shinotsuka & Mr. Hiroki Sakamoto and Anton Dimitrov.
MV Edinburgh also left Tristan on the same day bound for Gough Island and then back to Cape Town at the end of an extended August-October fishing trip. |
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Photos from Tina Glass show the scenes on 16th October as passengers leave Calshot Harbour, some of them in 'The Box'
to embark on MV Baltic Trader for the trip to Cape Town. |
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MV Edinburgh is scheduled to leave Cape Town again on 2nd November, ETA Tristan 9th November with MV Baltic Trader making the last scheduled 2013 trip with important Christmas Mail ETD Cape Town 19th November ETA Tristan 26th November. So any Christmas Mail should be posted in time to be processed in Cape Town well before 19th November.
November also sees the welcome return on the RMS St Helena in between these two sailings, departing Cape Town on 14th November and scheduled to arrive Tristan on Tuesday 19th November. We intend to publish a new page featuring the 2013 RMS St Helena trip which brings Governor Mark Capes to Tristan for the first time since taking up his post two years ago.
Left: The Government Barge Atlantic Wave heads out to the Baltic Trader with MV Edinburgh also at anchor to the right. |
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Baltic Trader's October Arrival
Report from Cynthia Green and Tina Glass (who also sent the photos)
Baltic Trader's delayed departure may have been a blessing as the ship enjoyed a good passage and landed passengers safely within a week after arriving at 11.00 on Thursday 10th October. Incoming passengers were: Islander Norman Glass, Dental Trainer
Hazel Forest, New PWD Director Andrew Campbell with his wife Michelle and children Siana & Alicia, Japanese TV Team of
Ms. Akiko Komori, Ms. Chiaki Shinotsuka & Mr. Hiroki Sakamoto,
Ovenstone employee Toncho Dimitrov and his son Anton.
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The arrival of passengers on the otherwise routine Baltic Trader October trip may interest website visitors as the passenger lift. known locally as 'the box' was used. This specially constructed box can be used by passengers who are seated within and winched from a vessel onto a barge alongside, then winched by the harbour crane onto the quay side. The six photos above and below show the final stage of this operation on 10th October as the Government Barge Atlantic Wave brought passengers (four of them in the box) into harbour and then the box is lifted ashore to allow an easy arrival to Tristan. The alternative it to use a rope ladder from ship to barge and clamber from the barge up a set of steps within Calshot Harbour, although occasionally in very calm conditions more solid ship ladders or stairways can be used (see Gaschem Hamburg photo below). |
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Gaschem Hamburg tanker emergency proves routine for Tristan
Report from Andy Repetto and Alex Mitham |
Tristan Radio was contacted at 21.30 on Monday 7th October by the Hamburg based shipping company Gaschem to report a medical emergency onboard the 22,977 LPG tanker Gaschem Hamburg, en route from Richards Bay, South Africa to Bahia Blanca, Argentina. Soon the Administrator Alex Mitham, Doctor Roy D'Silva and Head of Search and Rescue Conrad Glass were informed and contingency arrangements made. Next day at 08.30 the vessel was 50 miles away and made VHF contact via the new VHF Repeater Station at The Ponds, reporting an ETA of 11.00. |
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Photos from Dawn Repetto
show above the vessel off Tristan, a RIB approaching, offloading the casualty,
returning to Calshot Harbour, coming ashore and the Tristan Ambulance on Puma Road ready to transport the patient to Camogli Hospital.
Of course the ideal sea conditions made the whole operation much easier.
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The casualty was subsequently brought ashore, treated in Camogli Hospital and at about 14.20 the crew member was returned to the ship and they were able to set sail for Argentina. Administrator Alex Mitham was most impressed with the efficiency of his first maritime emergency adding 'this was an excellent example of how well organised the Tristanians are in dealing with such incidents.'
In fact all in a day's work for a community that has cared for seafarers for nearly 200 years. |
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Yacht Visit Update
Andy Repetto reports that the yacht (shown in a photo below and detail left from Carl Lander) is British, named 'Zuli', with the call sign MLLJ6 and being sailed single handed by Lawrence Taylor.
The yacht is undergoing a voyage from Brazil to Saldanha Bay, had been at anchor at Inaccessible Island since the 29th September, only making contact with Tristan Radio on 3rd October when the Agulhas arrived at Inaccessible. This photo was taken on 3rd October as Zuli arrived at Tristan and she left Tristan the following day. |
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Baltic Trader Voyage Update
Alex Mitham reports on 7th October that MV Baltic Trader's progress has exceeded expectations and is now expected to arrive on Thursday 10th October after a weeks' sailing in good weather. |
Shipping Update 4th October- SA Agulhas II departs and Baltic Trader on its way |
SA Agulhas II returned to Tristan on 2nd October and on Friday 4th October six helicopter flights completed the loading of passengers, the first contained outgoing Administrator Sean Burns and his wife Marina, the last Chief Islander Ian Lavarello and his partner Dilys who will also join the ship en route to Cape Town. All were aboard at 15.30 when the ship turned and prepared to depart at 16.00 GMT. So the Tristan village will return to a quieter mode after the flurry of social activity always associated with the influx of Agulhas visitors.
Baltic Trader left Cape Town on Thursday 3rd October on its delayed trip to Tristan with ETA 13th October as the ship may take nine days to complete the passage. Administrator Alex Mitham and his wife Hasene will anxiously await the ship's arrival hoping their luggage is on board. They were able to move into the Residency as Sean and Marina departed on 4th October but it will seem empty until most of their baggage arrives later in the month. |
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The Fleet's In
Photos from Carl Lander taken on 3rd October from St Mary's School show left
SA Agulhas, MV Edinburgh and a visiting yacht, and right a closer view of Edinburgh, the yacht Zuli and a flurry of inshore vessels plying the calm waters between Calshot Harbour and the three vessels.
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Photos from
Sean Burns
taken on
2nd October
as he and Marina
prepare to leave
The Residency |
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Tuesday 1st October Shipping Update
SA Agulhas II is leaving Gough today and should arrive at Tristan tomorrow 2nd October, planning to complete loading of any freight and mail ready for passengers to be flown aboard by helicopter for a departure early evening on Friday 4th October and arrival back in Cape Town at 08.00 on 10th October.
Meanwhile MV Baltic Trader is undergoing sea trials today and Administrator Alex Mitham reports that' if everything goes
well loading should start on Wednesday 2nd and the vessel set sail for Tristan on
Thursday 3rd October. |
September Baltic Trader voyage delayed
MV Baltic Trader was scheduled to leave Cape Town on 19th September but Ovenstones have confirmed departure will de delayed until 30th September at the earliest. MV Baltic Trader is usually used for two Cape - Tristan passenger and freight journeys whilst MV Edinburgh carries out extended fishing trips to the outer Tristan islands. With three arrivals (Edinburgh / Agulhas / Baltic Trader) scheduled within a month from 27 August - 26 September out of a total of nine annual voyages, at least this postponement will be less awkward for incoming mail and grocery. |
SA Agulhas II 2013 Voyage
The 2013 Tristan Gough SA Agulhas II voyage got underway as the ship left Cape Town on 5th September and arrived at Tristan a week later on Thursday 12th September.
Go to a separate page : SA Agulhas II 2013 Voyage for news and pictures of the voyage and events related to the time passengers have ashore whilst the vessel is at Gough Island. |
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Photo left from Robin Repetto shows SA Agulhas II alongside her Cape Town berth, and the photo right, from John Cooper, shows SA Agulhas II as she left Cape Town in 2012.
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Ovenstone Shipping Update
MV Edinburgh is engaged in outer island fishing off Gough, Inaccessible and Nightingale Islands and is due to return to Cape Town on 16th October. On 19th September MV Baltic Trader will make the first of two 2013 passenger and cargo return trips to Tristan while MV Edinburgh is carrying out extended fishing trips in order to complete the eight annual trips under the fishing concession contract.
See the Shipping Schedule Page for the full schedule and guide to prices of berths. |
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RFA Black Rover's August Visit |
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The Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel Black Rover returned to Tristan waters on Thursday 29th and Friday 30th August. Unfortunately sea conditions on both days prevented crew coming ashore. Nevertheless she was in Tristan waters
for over 30 hours and spent the time conducting a fisheries patrol
around the islands. Administrator Sean Burns is very grateful for the vessel's assistance to check for and deter any illegal fishing in Tristan waters. |
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Photo from Sean Burns of RFA Black Rover leaving Tristan on 30th August |
Photo by David Morley showing RFA Black Rover off Tristan during a visit in May 2010. |
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MV Edinburgh's August Arrival
News from Cynthia Green and Sean Burns
MV Edinburgh arrived from Cape Town
on Wednesday 28th August and passengers were immediately offloaded at 9.30pm. Aboard were islanders Mark, Paula, Natalie & Nathan Swain, Desmond,
Donna & Calvin Green, Warren Glass (from training in the Isle of Man), Dentist
Penny Granger with her daughter Elika and Factory Manager Erik Mackenzie. Copies of the August Tristan da Cunha Newsletter also arrived and are available to all island families. Offloading was not possible on Thursday 29th or Friday 30th August. |
MV Edinburgh's July Trip
Report from Cynthia Green
MV Edinburgh left Cape Town on Friday 12th July and arrived at Tristan on Friday 19th July. Sea conditions prevented passengers being landed until Sunday 21st July and off-loading of cargo commenced on Monday 22nd July.
Incoming passengers were:
Administrator Sean and his wife Marina Burns, Islanders Felicity, James & Kieran Glass, Neil Swain, Iris & Martin Green, Cedric Swain, Elizabeth Rogers, and visiting workers Kenian Gomas (Boat Builder), Mark Newling (Water Engineer), Craig Bergh
(Ovenstone Representative).
The Edinburgh offloaded cargo on Monday 22nd July, then the weather
was too rough to finish the offloading until Friday 26th July.
Passengers were taken on board on Friday at 1.30pm and she sailed for
Cape Town at approximately 2pm.
Passengers bound for Cape Town were:
Islanders Paul, Geraldine, Chantelle & Katie Repetto, Benny & Sylvia
Green, Robin & Jade Repetto, Norman Glass and Chief Executive Officer
Kobus Potgieter.
MV Edinburgh, despite the delayed unloading, left only one day later than scheduled so is likely to be able to leave Cape Town on the first extended fishing trip of the season scheduled to depart on 20th August, aiming to arrive on Tristan on 27th August. |
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Photos from Tina Glass
taken on Sunday 21st July
show RIBS going out from
and returning to
Calshot Harbour
to offload passengers
from MV Edinburgh
in what were
marginal sea conditions.
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MV Edinburgh Returns
Report from Cynthia Green
MV Edinburgh left Tristan for Cape Town on 25th June.
Since the Edinburgh landed her passengers a week earlier and offloaded
some cargo, the weather conditions were not good enough to complete
the offloading until 25th June.
Passengers aboard are
Felicity and Kieran Glass, Neil Swain, Donna, Desmond and
Calvin Green, Trevor Glass, Elizabeth Rogers, Cedric Swain,
Kora Lavarello & David Day (returning to the UK after visiting relatives)
Dr. Lesley Cupitt and Ovenstone employee
Toncho Dimitrov. |
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MV Edinburgh's May-June Trip Latest
Following some mechanical problems, the Edinburgh returned to Cape Town on 30th May and arrived back on 6th June. MV Edinburgh left Cape Town for a second time on this voyage on Monday 10th June and arrived at Tristan on Monday 17th June but had to seek the lee overnight as sea conditions prevented using Calshot Harbour but at last passengers came ashore on Tuesday 18th June amidst great relief for all - further details, including many more photos taken on 18th June can be checked on a special page: Edinburgh Voyage May-June 2013. |
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Cap Ines June visit
Photos and Report from Tina Glass
The 47,877 gross tonne Hamburg Süd container ship Cap Ines called in to Tristan on 13th June
to pick up the two contractors Gideon (Dion)
Brand and Wynand de Bruyn who had been working
on the island's Electrical Project. |
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The vessel is 264 metres long and 32 m wide, so dwarfed the island RIB taking the men out - see photos right
The vessel diverted from a passage between Rio de Janeiro and Port Elizabeth.
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Brief sight of yacht
Report and photos from Tina Glass
The yacht Pelagic Australis arrived at Tristan
on the morning of Wednesday 12th June,
but sea conditions prevented a landing or RIB going out
so the vessel continued to Cape Town. |
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Faroese tug Thor Assister assists again |
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Tristan CEO and Acting Administrator Kobus Potgeiter reports that Maxime Le Maillot, from the CTBTO station on Tristan da Cunha, safely and successfully boarded the Thor Assister on Saturday, 8th June 2013 at 15:20, en route to Walvis Bay, Namibia. Their ETA is 14th June 2013, from where he'll get connection flights to France. |
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Photos above from Maxime show the RIB being launched in Calshot Harbour and the view from the RIB as it approached the Faroe Islands based tug. Our report of the vessel's February visit resulted in many visits from Faroese visitors to www.tristandc.com and we welcome them back as they may be interested in the vessel's help to Tristan da Cunha now. |
Reporting from aboard Thor Assister on Monday 10th June, Maxime comments:
'Here everything is amazing, I am the only passenger on board and I have then a lot of space for myself! The boat is great and there is a quite fast internet access.' |
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Left: Tina Glass' photo of the RIB approaching Thor Assister on 8th June.
Thor Assister called at Tristan on 7th February 2013 and then evacuated 21 year old crew member and former soldier Kyle Baker on the ship's outward trip from Walvis Bay to the Falkland Islands: see reports below. |
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Changes to Shipping Schedule
As a result of the mechanical problems and aborted May/June MV Edinburgh voyage, changes have been made to June / July sailings. The revised provisional time-table can be viewed on our Shipping Schedule and Fares Page. |
RRS James Clark Ross visits Tristan
Photos and Report from Tina Glass |
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The British Antarctic Survey Ship James Clark Ross arrived 13.00 on Tuesday 21st May. Many scientists and crew had time ashore on a lovely autumn afternoon and some hiked to The Base.
Marine Biologist Sue Scott reports from aboard RRS James Clark Ross that the ship's surveys around the Tristan Islands were complete on 26th May and included landings on Gough, Inaccessible and Tristan da Cunha. The focus of survey work was deep water life and has added some new records to the island's marine biota list. The vessel was making slow progress in
very heavy seas on Monday 27th May north of Tristan. The vessel is due at Ascension on June 7th and Sue and others will then fly to the UK, hopefully on the following day.
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About RRS James Clark Ross
The RRS James Clark Ross
is 5732 gross tonnes and 99.04 metres long. It has a maximum
cruising speed
of 12 knots
and a cruise endurance of 57 days.
She has a full compliment of 11 officers,
15 crew and up to 50 scientific personnel. Her home port is regarded as
the Falkland Islands capital Stanley. |
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