Tristan : TRISTAN TESTS NEW ARCTIC 24 RESCUE RIB
Submitted by Tristan Times (Juanita Brock) 23.01.2004 (Article Archived on 26.03.2004)
Thanks to the British Government, Tristan now has an Arctic 24 Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB). She was built by the UK firm, VT Halmatic and arrived on Tristan on the 6th of May 2003. Conrad Glass Tells us more.
Photo (c) Tristan Times
TRISTAN TESTS NEW ARCTIC 24 RESCUE RIB
By Conrad Glass (SARTMA – TdC)
Duncan Lavarello, Conrad Glass, Mark Swain, and Neil Swain take to the ocean for a circumnavigation of Tristan.
Thanks to the British Government, Tristan now has an Arctic 24 Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB). She was built by the UK firm, VT Halmatic and arrived on Tristan on the 6th of May 2003.
The RIB entered service at Tristan da Cunha on Monday, 12 May 2003, when she was launched and officially named “Atlantic Dawn” by Derek Rogers, the Catholic Lay Minister. Mr. Rogers said prayers and blessed the boat by sprinkling Holy-water over the bow. Atlantic Dawn is crewed by Inspector Glass, Senior Coxswain, Neil Swain, Executive Coxswain, Mark Swain and Duncan Lavarello, Relief Coxswains. She was tested by the crew of four the same day, when they sailed around Tristan for the maiden voyage.
Weather for the voyage was variable, being calm on the lee of the Island but very rough on the south side of the Island, with a wind speed of about 25 knots, sea state at approximately Force 3 and with a confused swell four to five metres high. Atlantic Dawn circumnavigated Tristan in one hour and ten minutes. The boat performed well, being more steady and stable in the water than the previous RIB.
Monday, 30th of June was a lovely sunny day, with lots of men fishing in small dinghies, the Launch, Atlantic Spray and the Barge, Sandy Point Express – already hired out for fishing. At 0730hrs Neil, Mark, Duncan Leon and myself set about getting Atlantic Dawn ready for more sea trials. This time we intended to circumnavigate Nightingale, Inaccessible and Tristan, to carry out a fisheries patrol and test the range of the new VHF Radio. We left the harbour at 0930hrs and set course for Inaccessible, after waiting until most of the fishing boats had left the harbour. We arrived at Inaccessible at 1030hrs and waited until radio contact had been made with Tristan Radio. After having a clear reception with them, we continued to circumnavigate Inaccessible and Nightingale on fishery patrol. Although it was a perfect day, nothing unusual was seen.
After arriving at Nightingale we moored to the kelp and had our lunch. As conditions at the rock were good, we came alongside it and Neil and Mark went ashore to check on the huts and collect some personal items. The water alongside of the rock was clear and we could see the bottom of the seabed. Duncan, Leon and I looked to see if anything of the Canton was still there but the strong currents removed any evidence of the wrecked longboat.
With Neil and Mark back onboard, we made for Tristan with a following wind and sea making the 25 mile crossing from the Rock to Stony Hill in half an hour. And, the boat was only cruising at half speed. Fifteen minutes later we were speaking to the crews of the fishing boats. They were fishing for Blue Fin and had lines and long lines about one mile offshore from the village. Most had caught over a dozen fish.
Note: Canton was featured in John Hemmingway's Video Diary of his trip to Tristan in 1989.
Derek Rogers, a Catholic Lay Minister, blesses "Atlantic Dawn" just before she is launched for the first time.
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