st. helena
update (February 2018)
now listen to this! the royal mail service from south africa to the remote island of st. in the south atlantic. Helena was officially retired in early 2018 as a replacement air service had been approved. the last voyage from cape town was on january 24, 2018, with a stopover in st. helena and ascension then returning to st. helena and cape town, arriving there on 11 february 2018. then it’s done with the engines.
The mail boat had been sold (April 2018) as a lodging ship for soldiers fighting piracy in the Indian Ocean. Shortly after that brief period, the ship was resold and then went on to be chartered long-term to provide transportation and a base for the Formula E World Series wherever it takes place. the ship will transport racing teams and cars to locations around the world and act as an on-site accommodation ship. quirky cruise will continue to follow the ship’s career for its many fans. the text below is now one for the history books. now you can read what you missed. I’m sure I’m glad I didn’t. —ted scull
archive revision (last update 2017)
the royal mail ship st. Helena is the latest in a long line of passenger, mail and cargo ships that connected the motherland with its dependents; In this case, the dependency is the remote and beautiful South Atlantic island of St. helena. an airport, nearing completion, will put island residents within five hours of johannesburg instead of five days to and from cape town, and in addition to convenience for the island’s population, foreign visitors are expected come in greater numbers for a vacation stay. st. Helena’s remoteness was, to some, its main draw, along with a true ocean liner voyage, albeit considerably smaller than the Queen Mary 2, the only other true ocean liner afloat.
ship, year of delivery & passengers
st. Helena (built in 1990 and 156 passengers)
passenger profile
The local population is called saints so they can be of any age, while the generally older visitors come from South Africa, Britain (since the island is a dependency), other Europeans and some Americans. the rms, as it is affectionately known, also carries passengers’ pets.
passenger decks
4 decks with an elevator serving three of the four.
price
$ – $$ moderate to expensive
included features
When booking a package, features included would be the sea voyage, transfers, hotel accommodation and some sightseeing in st. helena and perhaps ascension (a possible port of call).
itineraries
the most common route is boarding in cape town, then a five-night trip to st. Helena, where most visitors disembark for six days, while the RMS unloads cargo and sails north for two nights to Ascension, where most Saints working overseas disembark or embark. the ship then returns to st. Helena ends any cargo handling there may be and re-boards passengers who have spent nearly a week on the island for Cape Town, again a five-night sailing.
very occasionally, the rms also called at tristan da cunha, an even more remote british island inhabited by fewer than 300 people of british descent and located deep in the south atlantic, closer to south africa than south america. South African lobster boats provide the only passenger access as of January 2018.
the classic view from jamestown to the little speck that is rms st. helena. * photo: bruce listened
why go?
the street rms. Helena and the island of the same name from the ship provide one of the most unusual travel experiences imaginable. travel, not on a cruise ship, but aboard a pocket liner, with local islanders and a small group of lucky visitors who later enjoy a stay on a remote island. Some book into one of several small hotels, bed and breakfasts (some half-board or full-board), and self-catering accommodation in Jamestown or the countryside.
The places of interest are Jamestown, a charming pastel-coloured 19th-century Georgian town whose main street serves as the island’s social hub and offers a couple of restaurants; longwood, the house and gardens of Napoleon’s exile, and official French property; the plantation house built in 1791, home to the island’s governor and a nearly 200-year-old Seychellois tortoise named Jonathan; Charming island drives on mostly single lane roads with passing places; wonderful walks and deep sea fishing. The island operates a charabanc, a pre-World War II open-top tour bus. You can drive to shore, but the volcanic island has very little sand around the edge, except for a small pebbly beach at Sandy Bay. NB. the week my wife and I spent on the island could easily have lasted two.
when to go?
The ship offers regular sailings now through September 2016. The island’s subtropical climate is peaceful and calm, with no temperature extremes at either end of the scale. Travel to and from Cape Town can be difficult near South Africa during southern hemisphere winters.
cabins
Most cabins are exterior and small to moderate in size with two lower beds; two lower and one upper; two lower and two upper; Or just one top and one bottom. these have a private bathroom with shower and wc. budget accommodations are mostly for four, although some have two bunk beds, and do not have windows or portholes and have a shared bathroom in the corridor.
rooms public
The forward observation lounge has a bar, as does the aft sundeck that overlooks the rear deck, where there are sundeck games and a swimming pool. wifi is now available.
dining room
The restaurant operates with a front seat and a late seat, with senior officers and the flight attendant hosting tables during dinner. the food is british and south african and most of the fresh produce is brought on board in cape town. the highlight will be the curry at lunchtime, the roasts and the fish at night. A light buffet breakfast and lunch are served daily on the sun terrace.
activities & entertainment
The ship functions like a traditional ocean liner with deck games like shuffleboard and bowling, even cricket!, and after dinner movies, bingo, quizzes and frog races. the latter name involves flat wooden “frogs” attached to a spring rope that you pull to drag the frog across the deck. pull too fast and the frog flips over; roll too slowly and you will surely lose.
special notes
The cargo to be handled will be everything the island needs, from fresh and frozen food to building materials, royal mail including items the saints ordered online, medical equipment and medicine, vehicles, possibly pets. live farm and maybe a shipment from st. helena stamps, one of the only sources of income on the island.
It is worth observing the cargo whether it is in a container or on pallets.
on the same line
Some aspects parallel c.p.t.m.’s aranui 5, where the ship also provides a lifeline to a chain of islands, but is a round trip with only day calls and no island calls. most accommodations are more luxurious than rooms.
contact
Andrew Weir Shipping (SA) Ltd., Thibault Square, Foreshore, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa; rms-st-helena.com, +27 21 425 1165
special note
captain rodney, captain of the rms st. Helena, died while on leave in early January 2017. He joined his ship as a cadet in August 1980 and was promoted to captain in August 2000, the first st. Helenian to take on this role. he was very popular with the crew and passengers and will be missed. adam smith, also a saint, is now a captain.
— two
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