Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Former 'RMS' St. Helena Returns to London Not for Conversion into SuperYacht but Passenger Ship

1st February 2019
Former Royal Mail Ship (RMS) St Helena having passed through Tower Bridge, arrives to moor alongside HMS Belfast in the Pool of London this week (see link below to Afloat's 2016 coverage). St. Helena's visit was to promote Extreme E electric car racing launching in 2021 as the ship will transport the championship’s supplies and equipment. Afloat adds in 1995, RMS St. Helena made a once-off charter to Swan Hellenic Cruises with calls to Ireland, Dublin and Cork (Cobh), Isle of Man and the Western Scottish Isles. Former Royal Mail Ship (RMS) St Helena having passed through Tower Bridge, arrives to moor alongside HMS Belfast in the Pool of London this week (see link below to Afloat's 2016 coverage). St. Helena's visit was to promote Extreme E electric car racing launching in 2021 as the ship will transport the championship’s supplies and equipment. Afloat adds in 1995, RMS St. Helena made a once-off charter to Swan Hellenic Cruises with calls to Ireland, Dublin and Cork (Cobh), Isle of Man and the Western Scottish Isles. Credit: London Port Authority -twitter

#shipping - Former Royal Mail Ship (RMS) St Helena returned to London almost three years after a farewell 'once off' visit took place just days before the UK Referendum to remain or leave the EU was held, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Afloat had tracked the 6,767 gross tonnes ship which no longer has the RMS prefix, but simply renamed St. Helena to the Pool of London where the 1990 built vessel on Wednesday moored alongside HMS Belfast, the preserved WW2 Battlecruiser (see 2016 coverage)

The former 'RMS' passenger and cargoship almost a year ago completed its final lifeline sailing between South Africa and the South Atlantic Ocean island of St.Helena where commercial air services replaced the ship. Up until then the ship served as the sole transport link with the rest of the world transporting essential supplies and bringing islanders and passengers alike to the remote British Overseas Territory.

As previously covered in October, the St. Helena returned to UK waters, Portland in Dorset, and following the sale of St Helena Line to MHG which chartered the vessel for antipiracy work in early 2018. The ship understood to be renamed MNG Tahiti, however this short-lived career ended when the vessel was purchased by new owners from MHG in August 2018.

Afloat has confirmed with the ship's manager, Wilson Yacht Management that St. Helena is to be refitted and continue to trade as a passenger ship. This is contrary to recent media reports, that the ship is to be converted into a superyacht. The refit work is to take 18 months and take place in Portland and Falmouth in Cornwall. 

The call to the UK capital of St Helena was to launch on board the promotion of Extreme E electric car racing which is to begin in January 2021. This timeframe would suggest the refit programme be completed in time given reports by Eurosport, that St Helena will transport all the championship’s supplies and equipment and will be refitted to act as Extreme E' (XE’s) floating paddock and operations base.

When in the role of RMS St. Helena, the ship operated between Cape Town, South Africa and the island, a distance of 1,950km and taking a five-day voyage. Originally, the ship was based out of the UK, operating voyages firstly from Cardiff, Wales and then transferred to Portland. This involved calls via Tenerife, Canary Islands. 

In more recent years, the shorter voyage from South Africa took over, though ultimately all this was to change as scheduled flights took over following construction of the island's first airport.

As aviation put an end to the unique combined sea service of Royal Mail Service status (that included Ascension) this led to last year's introduction of a containership. This service is based out of Cape Town and is operated by the M.V. Helena.

 

Jehan Ashmore

About The Author

Jehan Ashmore

Email The Author

Jehan Ashmore is a marine correspondent, researcher and photographer, specialising in Irish ports, shipping and the ferry sector serving the UK and directly to mainland Europe. Jehan also occasionally writes a column, 'Maritime' Dalkey for the (Dalkey Community Council Newsletter) in addition to contributing to UK marine periodicals. 

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven't put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full-time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.

Direct Donation to Afloat button