RMS St Helena is a cargo liner (carrying cargo and passengers) that served the British overseas territory of Saint Helena. She sailed between Cape Town and Saint Helena with regular shuttles continuing to Ascension Island. Some voyages also served Walvis Bay en route to and from, or occasionally instead of, Cape Town. She visited Portland, Dorset twice a year with normal calls in the Spanish ports of Vigo (northbound) and Tenerife (southbound) until 14 October 2011, when she set sail on her final voyage from the English port.
On 10 February 2018 she departed for her last trip from St Helena to Cape Town. At the time of her retirement from St Helena service she was one of only four ships in the world still carrying the status of Royal Mail Ship. Locals including local press have usually called her the RMS rather than the St. Helena, in order not to confuse her with the island itself.
In April 2018 she was purchased by MNG Maritime and renamed MNG Tahiti to act as a vessel-based armoury (VBA) licensed by the UK Department for International Trade (DIT) in the Gulf of Oman. In October 2018 MNG sold the ship and she returned to the UK renamed St Helena once more.
Background
Formerly, Saint Helena island was occasionally served by ships of the Union-Castle Line, which ran between the UK and South Africa. By the 1970s the number of ships taking this route had declined significantly and Union-Castle withdrew from the route completely at the end of 1977. As Saint Helena lacked an airfield, the British government had to purchase a ship to service the remote island and its dependencies from Cape Town.
The British government purchased the part passenger, part cargo ship Northland Prince to fulfil the role of servicing Saint Helena, and after being refitted and renamed this became the first RMS St Helena. Originally built in 1963, this converted 3,150-ton ship had room to carry 76 passengers and supplies. The ship was used by the Royal Navy during the Falklands War as a minesweeper support ship. By the 1980s it was becoming apparent that the ship was too small for the island's needs, resulting in the new St Helena, built in 1989.
The island lacks a port suitable for large ships, so the RMS anchored near the island, and loaded and unloaded cargo to and from lighters.
Characteristics
The new RMS St Helena, the last ship built in Aberdeen, was launched by Hall, Russell & Company in 1989. St Helena was a British registered Class 1 passenger/cargo ship, and operated with 56 officers and crew. St Helena was equipped to carry a wide range of cargo, including liquids, to meet the needs of the population of Saint Helena. She also had berths for 155 passengers and associated facilities including a swimming pool, shop, and lounges. She also had well-equipped medical facilities and an on-board doctor. The ship's capacity was extended in 2012 by the addition of 24 extra cabin berths, and a new gym was installed.
Some sources state that she had the nickname "Betty Blue Bucket".
AW Ship Management had a package deal where passengers could travel in one direction on the RMS and in the other by taking Royal Air Force flights to or from RAF Ascension Island and RAF Brize Norton in Brize Norton, England.
By the 2010s many construction workers building the airport and South African tourists were passengers. The shipboard culture had been inherited from previous Union Castle lines although formality became relaxed in response to changes in the customer base.
When she converted to a vessel-based armoury in May 2018, a rigid inflatable boat davit was fitted on the port side, and additional bunks installed, taking the capacity to 30 crew and 250 passengers.
Incidents
In November 1999, St Helena broke down en route to the island and was forced into the French port of Brest to undergo repairs. Many people were left stranded on the island with no way in or out whilst the ship was being repaired. Panic-buying ensued as islanders became concerned about the non-delivery of vital supplies. This incident intensified calls for the island to be provided with an airport.
On 25 August 2000, St Helena suffered a minor engine room fire while sailing from Cardiff to Tenerife on the first leg of her journey to the island. No one was injured and there was no significant damage.
In March and April 2017 a number of Cape Town – Saint Helena voyages were cancelled because of technical problems with the propellers, making the island isolated as the airport was still not operational.