2006 RMS St Helena 500th Anniversary cruise to Tristan da Cunha
Report on the historic
500th Anniversary RMS St Helena Cruise to Tristan da Cunha February 2006 |
2006 500th Anniversary Cruise Celebrating the discovery of Tristan da Cunha by the Portuguese Admiral Tristao da Cunha in 1506, this historic cruise is described in outline below and there will be a full report with many photographs in the July Tristan da Cunha Newsletter. Make sure you are a member of the Tristan Association to receive your free copy. See Tristan Association Membership Page. Passengers are encouraged to send photographs and reports to the editor by email : newseditor@tristandc.com |
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Friday 17th February The RMS St Helena arrived back in Cape Town to end the Quincentenary Cruise. |
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Sunday 12th February The RMS St Helena visited Gough Island on its return voyage to Cape Town. Six members of the 1955/6 Gough Island Scientific Survey led by Tristan Association Chair Michael Swales and Vice-President Sir Martin Holdgate and also including John Heaney, Dr Robert Chambers, Dr Roger Le Maitre and Philip Mullock were able to celebrate an emotional return to Gough to mark the 50th Anniversary of the expedition. Unfortunately neither the Goughalites nor Governor Clancy were able to land and the visit was limited to a circumnavigation of the island and radio conversations with the South African Team based at the Meteorological Station. |
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That was the week that was : in reverse order we catalogue the main events of the Tristan Quincentenary Celebrations | ||||
Saturday 11th February | Farewell to Tristan Photograph right showing RMS St Helena Cruise passengers being ferried back to the ship from Calshot Harbour on Saturday afternoon, and left the RMS sailing away, (hopefully not for the last time), for a trip around Inaccessible and Nightingale Islands before cruising overnight to Gough. |
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Friday 10th February |
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Thursday 9th February This day was declared a public holiday to formally celebrate the Quincentenary of Tristan da Cunha. Morning sports included a married v single football match (The Tristan v RMS St Helena Crew game was cancelled owing to poor weather stopping ferry journeys to the ship), a school sports day followed by an adult game of the unique Tristan 'football-rounders'. Governor Clancy had lunch at the home of the Chief Islander, sampling the local delicacies stuffed roast mutton ,crayfish pie and clouttie dumpling. |
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500th Anniversary Dance At the dance HE Michael Clancy (Governor of St Helena and its Dependencies of Tristan da Cunha and Ascension Island) read a special message from HM Queen Elizabeth II which we are privileged to publish - Quincentenary Message Governor Clancy continued by referring to recently received news on the proposed harbour redevelopment : 'I want to say a word about the harbour. I welcome TDC's decision to put it's EDF allocation towards the rehabilitation. I am pleased to be able to announce that the Department for International Development in London has agreed to provide the balance of funds necessary. Preparatory work will be carried out in two phases and consultants to undertake this work will be appointed shortly. Once the preparatory phases are complete, rehabilitation work can get underway. It is hoped the preparatory work can be completed as soon as possible in 2006 with the aim of a final completion date in 2008. DFID will however continue to keep the Tristan da Cunha administration updated on developments.' Further news of the proposed harbour project can be found on the Development News page |
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New Envir0nmental Protection Ordinance Presented |
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Tristan da Cunha celebrates 500th Anniversary with new Environmental Protection Laws Five hundred years after the discovery of the South Atlantic islands of Tristan Da Cunha, the unique wildlife of the UK Overseas Territory will receive greater protection, thanks to a new Conservation Ordinance. At a ceremony, on the 9th of February, celebrating the 500th anniversary of the islands' discovery, His Excellency the Governor of St Helena and Dependencies, Michael Clancy, presented the new ordinance to: Mr Mike Hentley, the islands' Administrator; Mrs Anne Green, the Chief Islander; and Mr James Glass, Head of the Tristan Natural Resources Department. The author of the ordinance, John Cooper, of the University of Cape Town and a Tristan honorary conservation officer, said: "We hope this ordinance will take the environmental protection of Tristan da Cunha and its outlying islands into the first half of the new century: it really is a major achievement. Among many other matters, it results in the creation of seven new reserves for rockhopper penguins on the main island of Tristan. The Islanders should be proud of their conservation achievements that this new ordinance marks." The full report can be found on our Conservation News Page |
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Rikki's Return An Elvis tribute provided by Rikki Ryan, above, provided music for the dance. Rikki has been raising funds to provide a new sound system for the Prince Philip Hall. He is the son of Noeline Evans (nee Swain). |
Record Number of Overnight Visitors ? During RMS week, a total of 70 RMS passengers stayed all 6 nights ashore, another 31 stayed 5 nights or less, in addition to 24 relatives/friends/visitors/officials who came on the Kelso/Edinburgh. So the total resident population of 271 plus 8 ex pats peaked by a further 125 at one stage - with one visitor was sleeping in his tent in the factory manager's garden! |
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Wednesday 8th February The fishing vessel MV Kelso provided an opportunity for 47people, including Governor Mike Clancey to go ashore on Nightingale Island and enjoy a circumnavigation of Inaccessible Island. The full day trip lasted from 10 am to 10pm as it took many journeys to ferry passengers to and from the rocky landing on Nightingale. |
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Tuesday 7th February |
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Monday 6th February In the morning Governor Mike Clancey toured the Crawfish factory and also went aboard the fishing vessels MV Edinburgh and Kelso, anchored off the Settlement with the RMS St Helena (see photograph below). At 2pm the Governor joined a packed school hall for 31 St Mary's School pupils to perform their production 'The Pied Piper of Tristan', also featured in more detail on our Community News Page. |
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Edinburgh v Edinburgh |
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Evening Reception and Dance Mike Hentley, Tristan's Administrator hosted a Reception at The Residency which included a toast to 500 Years of Tristan History and afterwards most of the island community and the many visitors attended a dance in the Prince Philip Hall to celebrate Maria's timely 21st Birthday. |
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Sunday 5th February The RMS St Helena arrived on the morning of Sunday 5th February on its special quincentenary year visit bringing a total of 114 passengers. Despite the overcast sky and stiff breeze, the disembarkation process went very smoothly. Many passengers are planning to stay ashore for one or more nights, and nearly every Tristan household is hosting guests. One enterprising passenger has even pitched his tent in the Factory Manager's garden!
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Tristan welcomes The Governor Governor Mike Clancy being welcomed by Administrator Mike Hentley and Chief Islander Anne Green as he makes his inaugural visit to Tristan during the quincentenary year. The Governor carries a special 500th Anniversary message from HM Queen Elizabeth II which will be read at a Reception planned for Tuesday 7th February. It will be published on tristandc.com immediately afterwards. |
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Monday 30th January RMS St Helena left Cape Town with 114 passengers for a five / six day passage to the Tristan Settlement of Edinburgh of the Seven Seas. Passengers are from all over the world, include the Governor of St Helena and its dependencies Michael Clancey joining Tristan Association members, led by Chairman Michael Swales. |
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No Room at the Inn The RMS St Helena Cruise will test Tristan da Cunha's hospitality to its limits. Maximum Bed and Breakfast capacity is normally 40, but island families have made spare rooms available for the influx of passengers on the RMS. Tristan da Cunha has no hotels or inns, but there are two guest houses and islanders offer full board to occasional visitors. Normally passengers from passing ships are not allowed to stay overnight as weather conditions change quickly and they may be marooned. |
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Tristan Programme - Sunday 5th February to Saturday 11th February 2006 Government Departments Open Days - Concert - Sports Day - 2 Receptions - Evening Dance |