Displaying items by tag: AntiPiracy Role

18th April 2018

Former RMS St. Helena to Become Anti-Piracy Armory Vessel

The former Royal Mail Ship, RMS St. Helena, a passenger-cargoship Afloat adds was confirmed by the St. Helena Government with a sale of the ship concluded in London yesterday. The 6,000 gross tonnage ship is now to serve as an anti-piracy security transfer vessel in the Middle East.

#Ports&Shipping- The UK's last working postal ship, RMS St. Helena, was for nearly three decades the main source of contact between one of humanity’s remotest islands and the outside world.

Now the ship, cherished by the 4,500 residents of British-ruled St. Helena, will according to MarineLink, start a new life as a floating armory, packed with automatic weapons, bullet-proof jackets and night vision goggles, all stored for maritime security operatives.

Renamed the MNG Tahiti, the 340-foot ship will undergo some tweaks before sailing to the Gulf of Oman where it will be used to ferry guns and guards to passing vessels navigating stretches of water lurking with pirates, its new operator said on Tuesday.

For more on the story click here and Afloat's reportage in recent years from London where RMS St. Helena made a first and only farewell call to the UK capital. In addition to highlighting a previous historic once-off 'charter-cruise' to Irish ports in 1995.

Published in Ports & Shipping

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About Pamela Lee, Irish Offshore Sailor

Ireland has produced some of the world’s most dedicated offshore sailors, and Pamela Lee of Greystones is one of them. She has made a name for herself in the sailing world, having worked as a mate on a charter Super-yacht for two and a half years. After coming ashore, she has been fully committed to her offshore sailing ambitions since 2019.

Lee has raced in various craft, including Figaro 3s, Class 40, Tp 52s, and multihulls, and has eight transatlantic crossings under her belt. In partnership with Kenny Rumball, Lee supported Rumball’s La Solitaire du Figaro sailing campaign to secure the Irish berth in the proposed Mixed Offshore Keelboat event for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

One of Lee’s stated main aims is to promote female empowerment in sport, and she set out to establish a double-handed Round Ireland speed record with Englishwoman Cat Hunt in the winter of 2020. This campaign gained much publicity, and Lee expressed pride in bringing sailing and offshore sailing, in particular, into the conversation for 2020.

To further her offshore sailing career, Lee moved to France, where she has recently secured a place to skipper a yacht in the Transat Jacques Vabre Challenge in October 2023. Lee’s passion and dedication to offshore sailing are inspiring, and her achievements are a testament to her hard work and perseverance.