Tristan : Island gets Backup Generator - Shipping News
Submitted by Tristan Times (Sarah Glass) 22.03.2008 (Article Archived on 05.04.2008)
The MV Edinburgh arrived at Tristan on the evening of Thursday 6th February. Weather conditions were favorable, so the islanders took the opportunity to get as much cargo (including a car) off the vessel as possible.
Photo (c) James Glass (Tristan Times)
Island gets Backup Generator - Shipping News
Offloading the back-up generator
The MV Edinburgh arrived at Tristan on the evening of Thursday 6th February. Weather conditions were favorable, so the islanders took the opportunity to get as much cargo (including a car) off the vessel as possible. The following morning the fresh and frozen products were unloaded before the vessel collected the Sea Fishing Observers and headed for Nightingale Is to deploy 4 transits lines as part of a Lobster Project. The weather was not good enough to unload the most important piece of equipment and that was another generator desperately needed to help the standby generator on the island. The following day the wind and swell had subsided and the Captain of the Lyme Bay gave Clarence the Captain of the Edinburgh the signal that he was ready to try and retrieve the generator from his ships cargo hold.
The Edinburgh departed Nightingale and arrived at the settlement around 8:30am. The Captain and his officers boarded the MV Edinburgh and held a meeting with the Captain on how they intend to get the generator of his vessel. Captain Peter Farmer was obviously concern about getting his seven month old ship scratched, and said that he would have a number of floating fenders in the water. The plan of action was that the Lyme Bay Captain would position his ship head to wind and swell, and act as a jetty for the MV Edinburgh, the Captain of the Edinburgh would then come along side and the Lyme Bays Crane which had a 12m reach would lift it out of the Edinburgh’s cargo hold.
I was lucky to be onboard the MV Edinburgh (as a fishery Observer, under the Lobster Project) at the time and watch it all happen. The Edinburgh position herself perfectly with a little help from the islands barge Atlantic Isle, which acted as the tug, and soon we were alongside although we felt like a boat alongside a passenger liner, she being 16,000GRT to our mere 700GRT. Guide ropes were thrown, instructions shouted and the next thing the generator popped out of our ships hold and landed on the Lyme Bays deck.
The Edinburgh pulled away immediately and we headed for Nightingale to haul the transits, whilst the islanders barge Atlantic Isle went alongside to collect the generator and take it ashore. The generator was install and the island now has 24hrs power again, although there are sometimes power cuts throughout the day, for some reason or other.
The Edinburgh has almost completed her quota and is hoping to depart Tristan for Cape Town at the weekend, she will depart Cape Town for Tristan again on the 24th April .
Sarah Glass
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