Ship Visits April 2023
Report from Rachel Green and Cynthia Green
FPV Lilibet
On Thursday 6th April 2023 we had a lovely visit from the Fisheries Patrol Vessel Lilibet, which was on her way to the Falklands Islands and making a quick stop at Tristan. The crew enjoyed a lovely visit to the Post Office and Tourism Centre as well as having a walk through the village.
Fisheries Patrol Vessel Lilibet under way off the Patches (Photo: Rodney Green)
MV Hondius
The MV Hondius arrived at Tristan around 11:00am on Easter Saturday 8th April. Two of the ship's zodiacs came into the harbour to collect the Police Adviser for immigration clearance and to assess conditions for the passengers. Unfortunately, the swell was too bad alongside the ship. MV Hondius then decided to go across to Nightingale and Inaccessible Islands and try once more at the settlement on Monday. Again on Monday the weather didn't allow for passengers to come ashore. A few souvenirs, postcards and stamps were sent off to be sold in their shop onboard. A third attempt was made to land passengers on Tuesday at the settlement, but the weather still had not subsided enough. However, all passengers were eventually sucessful in landing - at Stony Beach in the south of the island. MV Hondius departed later that evening for St Helena Island. We wished them well on their journey and hoped to see them back at Tristan.
MV Hondius off the harbour (Photo: Rachel Green)
Bark Europa
The Bark Europa is a regular visitor to Tristan, coming most years. She approached the anchorage at sunset on Friday 14th April in stunning full sail, before taking in sail and anchoring overnight.
The Bark Europa in sail on the horizon and approaching the anchorage at sunset (Photo: Emil Pirzenthal)
The Bark Europa at anchor (Photo: Emil Pirzenthal)
While crew and passengers went ashore, a small group of islanders was taken on board to look around the ship. She departed Tristan in the late afternoon on Sunday 16th April, and kindly taking our expat social worker Shirley Wainwright and her partner Adriaan de Schipper with her to Cape Town.
A crew member of the Bark Europa talking to Shirley Wainwright, and Chantelle and Katie Repetto (Photo: Randall Repetto)