Patrol ship HMS Medway takes over South Atlantic mission
HMS Medway has left the blue skies and high temperatures of the Caribbean for the cool shores of the Falklands to act as the islands' persistent Royal Naval presence.
The offshore patrol ship will be temporarily replacing HMS Forth while she undergoes a refit in Gibraltar – her first major overhaul since leaving the UK more than three years ago.
Medway's task is identical to Forth's; she is there to reassure British citizens that the UK is permanently on hand to provide support and assistance.
Prior to this move, Medway has spent her entire operational career in and around the Caribbean, reassuring the overseas territories, as well as providing disaster relief and humanitarian aid in the wake of natural disasters, most recently in the aftermath of Hurricanes Ian and Fiona.
The patrol ship has also been supporting the fight against the illegal narcotics trade.
In October, accompanied by a US Coast Guard boarding team, Medway seized more than 400kg of cocaine in the Caribbean.
On the journey south, Medway's crew even stepped in to save five sailors on an ocean-going tug when it started sinking.
Commanding Officer Commander Chris Hollingworth said: "Travelling the length of the Atlantic from Florida to the Falklands has been another impressive achievement for Medway and her ship's company".
"In the space of a month, the ship has covered more than 6,500 nautical miles, saved five lives at sea and seamlessly integrated into a new theatre.
"The opportunity to cover the responsibilities of the South Atlantic Patrol Vessel gives my ship's company the chance to see a new part of the world and they can't wait to explore the Falkland Islands and witness first-hand the breath-taking scenery and stunning wildlife prevalent in the region."
Medway's new domain embraces not just the main Falklands Islands archipelago but also the wildlife paradise of South Georgia and the even more distant, and uninhabited, South Sandwich Isles.
The climate, environment, seas, wildlife and human inhabitants are all very different from those in the Tropic of Cancer.
Some of the ship's company passed over the Equator for the first time on the voyage south – prompting a traditional seafaring 'crossing the line' ceremony, featuring lots of dressing up, dunkings in water and good humour followed by a certificate from Neptune, to mark the occasion.
One young officer, Sub Lieutenant Sid James said this opportunity to travel has been "incredible".
He said: "I'd only travelled as far as France before joining the Royal Navy.
"In just four months I have already visited four countries spanning two continents. It's been incredible."
Medway will begin her first patrol shortly. She is due to remain in the South Atlantic until Forth returns later in the year.
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