Reports of vessels visiting Tristan da Cunha, and voyages to and from the island during July to December 2014.

Lone Dutch Yachtsman seeks Tristan help

Lone Dutch sailor Willem van Rij arrived at Tristan on Friday 19th December in his homemade yacht 'Way to Brisbane' for a five day stay during which his yacht was repaired and he received typical generous hospitality

- see the 2014-15 Yacht News page for more

Final 2014 Departure
Shipping Update from Cynthia Green
MV Edinburgh arrived back at Tristan at noon, loaded passengers at 17.00 on Thursday 11th December and departed for Cape Town before 18.00. Outgoing passengers were: Islanders Sasha Green, Steve Swain, Eugene, Kirsty & Aiden Repetto; Water Contractor Victor Cinamon & Helen Cinamon, Factory Manager Erik Mackenzie and his Ovenstone colleague Toncho Dimitrov.
With the final scheduled departure from Tristan, the population in the village over Christmas and New Year drops to 265 as there are now 22 Resident Islanders overseas and 20 expatriates on the island. Tristan House is full and some Islanders have had to seek accommodation elsewhere.
The island community will be focusing on Christmas and New Year activities and catching up with essential farming jobs after Break-Up Day on 19th December. Check out events on the 2014-15 Christmas and New Year Holiday Page.
The next ship scheduled to arrive is MV Edinburgh which is due to depart Cape Town on 13th January 2015 and arrive a week later. Securing berths will be a difficult matter as there are essential workers who will need transit and far more Islanders seeking transport than the 12 passenger places available, so some will have to wait for the next boat in March.

Shipping Update
From Cynthia Green on 9th December
MV Edinburgh arrived from Gough on Sunday 7th December to offload fish for export to MV Baltic Trader. The Baltic Trader then prepared for its return journey with passengers boarding at 17.00 and departure for Cape Town at 21.00 the same evening.

Passenger List: Islanders - Duncan & Jackie Lavarello, Margaret & Beverley Repetto, Martin & Iris Green, also Laura Benyhoai,
Alex Bond & Anna Hicks, Joseph Steyn & Craig Bergh.

MV Edinburgh then proceeded to Nightingale / Inaccessible to continue fishing and the ship is expected on Thursday 11th to load for departure to Cape Town.

Baltic Trader arrives with Christmas Mail and Stores
Report from Cynthia Green and photos from Tina Glass

MV Baltic Trader departed Cape Town
at 4pm on Sunday 16th November
and eventually arrived at Tristan 07.00
on Tuesday 25th after nine nights at sea.

Photos show scenes of cargo coming ashore
on Friday 28th November.

Incoming passengers who came ashore around 09.00 were:
Islanders Agnes Lavarello & Glynis Swain, PWD Director Drew Campbell with his wife Michelle and children Siana & Alexia,
FCO Desk Officer Laura Benyohai, Geologist Anna Hicks, and Ovenstone Technicians Joseph Steyn & Craig Bergh.
Baltic Trader brings the final mail before Christmas and deliveries of fresh foods such as fruit so important to families. Unfortunately further offloading was not possible on 25th November so it was not until Wednesday 26th at 07.00 that sea conditions allowed unloading of cargo to be started. Offloading of cargo was eventually complete 16.30 on Monday 1st December.

The next arrival of mail and stores will not be for nearly two months as MV Edinburgh is due to arrive on 20th January,
so for fresh fruit and other foodstuffs not grown on the island, that's it until then!


1st 2014-2015 Summer Yacht Visit

The Yacht Tranquilo arrived
on Wednesday 12th November
and its crew came ashore on the following two days.

See report and more photos from tina Glass on the
2014-15 Summer Season Yacht Visits Page

 

MV Edinburgh's last 2014 trip - Baltic Trader due to depart with Christmas supplies and post on 13th November
Report from Cynthia Green
MV Edinburgh left Cape Town on Saturday 1st November at approximately midday local time and arrived at 19.30 Tristan on Friday 7th November.
Passengers came ashore soon afterwards. On board were: Islanders- Dereck & Hilary Rogers, Benny, Sylvia & Janice Green, Rita Repetto, Anita Repetto, Nicky Swain & Andre Repetto; Chris Standing (Finance Officer) and Rosie Gordon (visiting her partner Charles Kilgour).
MV Edinburgh's offloading was complete by 13.30 on Saturday 8th November and then the vessel proceeded to the outer island fishing grounds. The vessel will be the last shipping departure from Tristan of 2014, scheduled to leave on 12th December.
Meanwhile MV Baltic Trader will carry the last incoming 2014 mail, cargo and passengers when it leaves Cape Town later this month. The ship is scheduled to leave Cape Town on 13th November so friends of the island may still be able to catch the last boat to Tristan for their Christmas mail if they hurry (international post and Cape Town Post Office permitting) despite the fact that it is now well past the last official posting date from UK.

MV Edinburgh Departure
MV Edinburgh loaded passengers at 10.00 GMT on Wednesday 15th October. The ship then proceeded to Nightingale Island to complete fishing operations and departed for Cape Town at 18.00 GMT.

Outgoing passengers were: Islanders Ken & Judy Green, Glynis Swain, Dilys Green, Andrew, Sonia, Natasha & Mia Williams (returning to their home in the UK), Kobus Potgieter and Rosemary Jordan.

MV Edinburgh is scheduled to sail from Cape Town on 1st November for another extended fishing trip, followed by MV Baltic Trader which is the last sailing for Tristan da Cunha of 2014, due to depart on 13th November with crucial Christmas supplies and mail, the last for two months until MV Edinburgh makes its first 2015 trip two months later.

Shipping Update
SA Agulhas II departed for Cape Town on Friday 3rd October
- see photos and report below.
MV Baltic Trader resumed offloading on Sunday 5th and Monday 6th October. Back loading took place on Wednesday 8th October and departed for Cape Town at 15.30 GMT. Very unusually the ship carried no passengers.

Dawn Repetto's photo right shows SA Agulhas II and MV Baltic Trader off Tristan on 3rd October
when sea conditions prevented boats being used.

Agulhas Departure

Flights by SA Agulhas II's helicopter commenced during the morning of Friday 3rd October, taking passengers and their luggage aboard the vessel ready for departure for Cape Town at 14.45 GMT.

Conditions were very poor with driving rain and sea conditions that closed Calshot Harbour and would have prevented loading by sea. Therefore the Agulhas' helicopter showed its value in assuring the vessel left in time to maintain its schedule.

Photos of the dramatic flights and scenes around the landing pad
on the American Fence field in front of St Mary's School
from Shirley Squibb

See also Agulhas 2014 Page for further images.

Departing passengers were:

Islanders Mr. Ian Lavarello,Anne-Marie Collins, Rita Repetto, Sylvia and Benny Green, Janice Green, Agnes Lavarello, Anthony, Caroline and Daniel Rogers, Nicholas Swain and Anita Repetto.

Jim and Sue Kerr, Andrew, Michelle, Siana and Alexia Campbell, Iain & Pamela Levack,Lorna Lavarello-Smith, Drew & Abbie Smith, Debbie and Megan Elsmore, Julian Swain, Fred Sumner, Pat& Susan Patterson, Sharon & Brigettte Stoffberg, Penny and Elika Granger, Per Jonas Nockhammar, Hielke Klooster, Catharina Trauernicht, Gerd Behrens, Paul Johnson, Nigel Cawthorne, Joel Poulain, Stanley Riley, Reuben Rakgalakane, Linda Potgieter, and Anthea Rodgers.

After the Agulhas departure the village seemed very quiet with the expanded early October resident population of 320 (including no less than 56 expat workers and their families and visitors) reduced to 276 (now 24 expat workers and their families and visitors). See the population update on the Family Page for current details.

30th September Postal Conundrum in an Uncertain World : A Note from The Editor

The newly privatised UK Royal Mail has announced last week that Monday 29th September was the last recommended date for customers to ensure that cards and parcels sent to Tristan da Cunha arrive in good time for Christmas. The 29th September deadline is also a general one for all International Economy mail (formerly known as 'Surface Mail') posted to Africa (except South Africa), Asia, Australia, Caribbean, Central & South America, New Zealand. According to the UK Royal Mail website Tuesday 14th October is the last date for mail to arrive in Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa, USA in time for Christmas.

Of course mail arriving in South Africa in time for mainland Christmas delivery will not be in time for the last post which is scheduled to leave Cape Town on board the MV Baltic Trader on 13th November. It is doubtful if the Royal Mail's announcements have ever properly taken shipping arrangements into account and many instead rely on the Tristan shipping schedule and make their own decisions on when to post. So if you've missed yesterday's post don't despair.

The situation is complicated by the long-running South African postal strike which prevented mail bags being unloaded onto the Baltic Trader for departure on 19th September. Other postal anomalies have occurred recently. For example copies of the Tristan da Cunha Newsletter, sent in two separate boxes at the same time, were separated in Cape Town. One box arrived aboard SA Edinburgh on 29th August and the second aboard SA Agulhas II on 10th September.

So those friends and relations of the Tristan community may still choose to post Christmas Cards and parcels with guarded optimism knowing that: Firstly, what was called 'surface mail' now always travels by plane; Secondly air mail may well get from a UK post box safely to South Africa well before 13th November if posted throughout October; Thirdly that the South African postal dispute (which particularly effects the Western Cape) may be settled soon. Then Islanders may enjoy a Happy Christmas with their precious mail that may have missed the official deadline which passed yesterday.

Busy Tristan Anchorage

SA Agulhas II arrived back to Tristan from Gough Island
on Monday 29th September and is seen alongside
MV Baltic Trader in Shirley Squibb's photo left.

Returning conservation personnel returning from Gough were unloaded by raft on 29th September but no cargo offloading from Baltic Trader or Agulhas started until Tuesday 30th September.

SA Agulhas is scheduled to leave Tristan for Cape Town on Saturday 4th October, two days after the planned departure date for MV Baltic Trader. We will confirm actual departure dates later this week.

Baltic Trader 's Arrival from Cape Town
Photos of the Baltic Trader arriving at Tristan on Sunday 28th September from Shirley Squibb

Baltic Trader arriving without post
After a typically sedate passage of just four hours under nine days from Cape Town MV Baltic Trader arrived at the Tristan anchorage at 14.30 on Sunday 28th September. Passengers and their luggage were brought ashore soon afterwards. A strike by South African postal workers meant that no mail was loaded onto the vessel on 19th September. This will be a bitter disappointment to the Tristan community and Administrator Alex Mitham described the mail absence as ' a big blow as we will not have anything until mid-November.' No further offloading was possible on Sunday or Monday 29th as sea conditions were not good.

Further photos from Shirley Swain show the motorised raft
laden with passengers and their luggage making its way
from the Baltic Trader to Calshot Harbour on 28th September.
Incoming passengers were: New Education Adviser David Clarke with his wife Ferne, returning Water Contractor Victor Cinamon with his wife Helen, Dr. Anja Smit. Marine Biologist Rob Mrowicki, and Dr Rosemary Jordan, who served as Tristan's Medical Officer from Sept 1991 - Jan 1992 and is returning again as a visitor.

MV Baltic Trader left Cape Town at 20.55 local time on Friday 19th September, a day later than scheduled. MV Baltic Trader is scheduled to complete two return cargo and passenger trips to and from Tristan during the 2014-2015 season.

The shipping schedule for the first six months of 2015 is published and can be read on the Shipping Schedules & Fares page.
SA Agulhas II 2014 Voyage Update on 11th September
Reports from Cynthia Green and Tina Glass who also provided the photos taken on 10th September

SA Agulhas II departed Cape Town as scheduled at 2pm on Thursday 4th September for its annual trip to Tristan da Cunha and on to Gough Island for the transfer of the teams spending a year on the island.

The Agulhas is the most popular ship to offer a passage to Tristan da Cunha and this year a record 42 passengers are aboard bound for the island. The Ovenstone vessels MV Edinburgh and Baltic Trader can carry only 12 passengers, so a maximum of 96 people reach Tristan on their 8 voyages.

SA Agulhas II arrived at 06.00 GMT on Wednesday 10th September. Passengers were unloaded during 5 helicopter flights starting at 08.00.

Incoming passengers were:
9 Returning Resident Islanders: Chief Islander Ian Lavarello, Dilys Green, Jason Green, Piers and Evelyn Hagan, Cheseldon and Jeanette Lavarello, Norman Glass and Neil Swain.
11 Expatriate Workers and partners: Administrator Alex and Hasene Mitham, Dental Technician Stanley Riley, Crane Technician Reuben Rakgalakane, Charles Kilgour (RSPB Fisheries Project), Gregory McClelland, (RSPB Albatross Project), CTBTO Manager. Marc Escudier with CTBTO colleagues, Per Jonas Nockhammar and Hielke Klooster, Sue Kerr (joining Education Adviser Jim Kerr, Linda Potgieter (joining Chief Executive Officer Kobus Potgieter).

Visitors:
 9 Returning Islanders and their families now living abroad: Lorna, Drew and Abbie Lavarello-Smith, Deborah and Megan Elsmore, Julian Swain, Pat and Susan Patterson and Sonia Swain.
13 Other Visitors: Anthea Rodgers, Fred Sumner, Sharon and Brigette Stoffberg, Catherine Searle, Andy, Natasha and Mia Williams, Catharina Trauernicht, Gerd Behrens, Paul Johnson, Nigel Cawthorne, Joel Poulain.

Also aboard, bound for Gough Island, is a conservation team. We report on this work separately on our Wildlife News Page.

Cargo was also unloaded on Wednesday 10th September but on Thursday 11th SA Agulhas II set sail for Gough via Inaccessible and Nightingale Islands to drop off conservation personnel.

The voyage allows visitors a possible 25 nights ashore and SA Agulhas II is scheduled to depart on Saturday 4th October and arrive back in Cape Town on 9th October. The ship usually sticks to its schedule but there are no certainties in the South Atlantic!

See the separate Agulhas 2014 Page for more photos and news of SA Agulhas II's passengers time ashore.

MV Edinburgh's Delayed Arrival
MV Edinburgh's trip from Cape Town was delayed by poor sea conditions which slowed the vessel's progress. The ship departed Cape Town on 20th August 19.30 local time and arrived in Tristan waters early on Friday 29th August but there was a swell which prevented passengers being unloaded so the ship sought the lee at Trypot. The passengers spent a tenth night on board but were finally brought ashore in sea conditions which remained quite swelly at 3pm on Saturday 30th August.

Incoming passengers were: Islanders Ronald Rogers, Simon, Natasha & Owen Glass, Dentist Penny Granger and daughter Elika, Factory Manager Erik Mackenzie, Ovenstone Employee Toncho Dimitrov, and Marine Biologist Alex Bond.
MV Edinburgh's voyage is the first of the 2014-15 fishing season during which the vessel will fish the fishing grounds of the outer islands of Gough, Inaccessible and Nightingale.

MV Edinburgh is scheduled to return from Tristan to Cape Town on 16th October. During the vessel's two extended fishing trips MV Baltic Trader will provide three cargo and passenger trips from Cape Town to Tristan. See the Shipping Page for the full schedule.

Photos from Jim Kerr and Tina Glass
show scenes in Calshot Harbour
as the community waits anxiously
for passengers to be safely brought ashore
in very marginal sea conditions
on Saturday 30th August

 

 

 

Six dogs also arrived including a Golden Retriever
(being passed ashore above) - and five Border Collies
including one for Tristan Glass (right) which made him very happy. The Border Collies are the most common dogs on Tristan as families (all of whom are farmers) use them to control sheep.
 
Perhaps the most precious arrival was baby Owen Glass. Jim describes his transfer from RIB to Harbour as 'heart-stopping' and his safe arrival was a cause of great celebration.

Hamburg Sud Container Ship Santa Ursula picks up Tristan Passengers
Report and photos from Tina Glass
On the second occasion in a few months a Hamburg Sud company container ship
en route from Brazil to South Africa called in at Tristan to load passengers.
On Tuesday 12th August the vessel Santa Ursula stopped on its journey from Santos to Durban
to pick up Tristan Islanders Dereck and Hilary Rogers.
With the next scheduled ship (MV Baltic Trader) not due to leave Tristan until early October
the community is very grateful to Hamburg Sud for again providing passage(s).

Photos show the Tristan RIB setting out from Calshot Harbour and the awaiting vessel Santa Ursula
heavily laden with containers ready to take Dereck and Hilary on board for transit to South Africa.
MV Edinburgh's Quick Turnaround
MV Edinburgh unloaded quickly and loaded passengers the day after arrival on Friday 4th July from 5pm and departed for Cape Town at about 7pm.
Passengers were: Islanders Dilys Green, Ian Lavarello, Piers & Evelyn Hagan, Ches & Jeanette Lavarello, Norman Glass, Linda Lavarello, Elaine Mawer (after visiting relatives), Dr. Anja Smit, Holly Latham (Marine Biologist) and Victor Cinamon (Water Contractor).
The prompt turnaround means MV Edinburgh is close to the original schedule after leaving Cape Town a week later than planned. The vessel's next trip is the first extended fishing trip of the 2014/15 season scheduled to leave Cape Town on 20th August and return on 22nd October. See the Shipping Page for the full schedule and fares.

MV Edinburgh's July Arrival
Report and photos from Dawn Repetto and Cynthia Green
MV Edinburgh arrived at Tristan at 10.00 on Thursday 3rd July and passengers came ashore soon afterwards.
Coming ashore from the ship were: Islanders John & Vanessa Lavarello, Gerry Repetto, George Swain, Conrad, Sharon & Leon Glass, James Glass, Kelly Burns & Savanna Burns Green, and Dr. Pamela Levack.

3rd July was a cold day on Tristan with snow visible lying on the higher cliffs above the Settlement as shown in these two photos. Nevertheless sea conditions were good for prompt unloading.

 

 

Two views of MV Edinburgh offloading

A busy Calshot harbour as passengers are welcomed ashore after their eight night voyage from Cape Town
Celebrations:
Left: Cynthia Green welcomes her grand-daughter Savanna
Above: One lucky lad received a Jack Russell puppy and no doubt hopes it proves a good ratter!