Thirty nine years of maritime history came to an end last week when the Royal Mail Ship (RMS) St Helena departed the Port of Cape Town for the last time. The last working Royal Mail Ship in the world – and one of only two ocean-going vessels to carry the venerable title – this unique cargo-passenger ship has been usurped by a new airport on the remote island. “It really is the end of an era. There is a lot of sentiment involved and most of the crew are quite nostalgic,” ship Captain Andy Williams told FTW ahead of the final departure. For years the HMS St Helena has been the only means of reaching the island, ferrying all of the goods the population of St Helena needs. Operating out of Cape Town and calling both St Helena and Ascension, the vessel offered an extremely versatile service including dry breakbulk, reefers, LCL, FCL and out-ofgauge consignments. “We have carried some very interesting cargo over the years,” said Williams. “From live animals like sheep, cows, chickens and pigs to crocodiles. We have also taken all the equipment, like a 200- ton crane, to the island, all the vehicles, medical supplies, literally everything you can possibly think of.” With a capacity to carry 2000 tons of containerised and general cargo (it can accommodate 92 TEUs of which 17 can be reefer), Williams said the vessel had been the lifeblood of the island even though there was no port suitable for large ships. According to Williams a buyer is being sought for the vessel which will dock back in Cape Town for the last time on February 10. If a buyer is not found the vessel will be scrapped. Cargo to St Helena will now be delivered via the general cargo vessel the MV Helena that has a capacity for at least 380 containers. The first cargo will be delivered on this freight vessel at the end of February.
