SAINT HELENA’S VITAL LIFE-LINE
A Report for BBC World Service “Calling the Falklands” by Graham Bound (GB) 08/25/04
St. Helena’s vital life-line, a freight and passenger service operated by Andrew Weir Shipping, is to change radically. Following a review, which considered ways in which the RMS St. Helena can improve its service to both the Saints and to their visitors, the direct service to the Island will end. Instead, for a trial period of one year, the RMS, as it’s known, will shuttle between Cape Town in South Africa, Walvis Bay and Luderitz’s Bay in Namibia and St. Helena and Ascension. But, how will this benefit Islanders? I put that question to Captain Bill Langworthy (AL), the General Manager of Andrew Weir Shipping.
AL: We are trying to improve the Island’s economy by bringing more tourists and also to bring in more regular imports into St. Helena, particularly from the UK. At the moment, the ship calls into the UK around about every 3 months or so. And, we have a large number of exports from the UK for the Island. But, this does mean that things that are only acquirable in the UK - Mars Bars or Hob Nobs or
GB: Very important
AL: If you do run out and you buy them from South Africa, they don’t taste the same. And so there is a legacy of wish to see UK exports continue. But we’ve addressed that by providing transport with a feeder service from the UK to Walvis Bay, then the RMS will pick up those UK exports every 21 days across to the Island.
GB: Can you just give us the nuts and bolts of this? What will the new service mean in terms of frequency and facility for the users?
AL: The service leaves Cape Town every 23 days. It’s about 36 hours or so up to Luderitz Bay. The vessel is there for eight hours and then overnight to Walvis Bay. We will be in Walvis Bay all day.
GB: Taking on Freight.
AL: Taking on Freight, discharging freight. And, then passengers cross three and a half days from Walvis Bay to St. Helena. The ship is there normally two days and then a two day run up to Ascension. One day at Ascension, back to St. Helena, two days and then one overnight stay at St. Helena and back to Walvis Bay, three and a half days. A day call at Walvis then overnight to Luderitz, eight hours in Luderitz and then down to Cape Town for an early morning arrival. The arrival times that we’ve set now for the new service are co-ordinated with the flight information that we have at the moment, so that when people do arrive at Ascension, Walvis Bay or Cape Town, they are in time to get connecting flights for international departures.
GB: And, also it should be attractive for the tourists. If you spend a week on the Island, without actually too much time getting there and so on. The current cruise option is really a very long one, isn’t it?
AL: It is a very long one and we’re very conscious that people have a lot of money but not time. Obviously, we are trying to get as many tourists to the Island as possible. What the new service has done is to make passage to the Island more affordable in Pound (Sterling) terms because it’s a shorter period, therefore the prices are cheaper. But, it’s a quicker passage all the way through. So, now from the UK to go to Walvis Bay then across to the Island, have a week on the Island with family or friends, relations, etc.. and then get back to the UK, it can be done in about 16 days or so. That gives you three and a half days each way on the ship and a week on the Island.
GB: What’s the feedback from the Tourism industry both on the Island and out here in the UK?
AL: We are seeing a much greater take-up of passenger berths now, with people doing different options. We’ve got 10 different ways of actually doing St. Helena. We hope these different options will improve the number of people going to St. Helena for holiday. That’s important as far as we are concerned - to try and boost the economy and the tourism industry. On the back of this, we are also hoping that we provide the Island with the opportunity to export fruit and vegetables from St. Helena into Namibia. This is something we seriously hope will grow. We are hoping that people will pick up on this. Here’s an opportunity. Let’s give it a try.
GB: If you are a Saint planning a trip home, or perhaps you fancy a holiday on the Island, you can learn more about RMS St. Helena’s new service on the Andrew Weir Shipping website. That’s: http://www.aws.co.uk.
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