River class offshore patrol vessel HMS Mersey is back at sea after completing an extensive maintenance package.

The ship’s X account posted: “Yesterday, after 257 days alongside Falmouth conducting an extensive maintenance package, we were able to set sail! Follow us over the coming months as we work towards our return to frontline operations.”

Launched in 2003, HMS Mersey is the youngest of the original batch of River Class offshore patrol vessels.

HMS Mersey was one of the busiest ships in the Royal Navy Fleet, averaging 220 days at sea every year.

Most of those are dedicated to fishery protection, working alongside her sisters to ensure that fishing boats and trawlers stick to agreed quotas and regulations on behalf of the Marine Management Organisation.

Given her regular presence in home waters, HMS Mersey is also frequently involved in monitoring the movements of foreign warships as they pass the UK.

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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39 COMMENTS

    • Hi Dern,

      They do look very cool.

      They do an important job monitoring our economic waters and also provide young officers with a chance to cut their teeth in the command role. Unsung little heroes of the fleet 🙂

      Cheers CR

      • I agree.

        Having something not costing £500m to train on is useful.

        Be interesting how the fleet gets shuffled when T31 comes into service?

        • I’d guess B1’s retire, some B2’s return to the UK, T31’s replacing some of the B2’s on Foreign Station, other roles get gapped.
          I’d hope we get some B3’s to fill in the gaps, but I doubt it.

        • What I’d like to see is Venturer replace Iron Duke in the Gulf. I’d like to see one frigate supporting each of the two LRGs (so one forward deployed). I think one should either replace HMS Forth in the Falklands, or restore Atlantic patrol tasking (South), adding to the presence down there. One for the UK to add to a pool for FRE.

          I’d like to see B2 Rivers remain forwards deployed, with the possibility of Forth moving to Asia Pacific. I’d like three new (or even second-hand) small patrol ships, maybe 400-800 tons for UK waters. If those can be matched with Border Patrol ships, that could bring the price down.

          • All sounds great and I would tend to agree that the RFA and Albions (if they ever go to sea) need protection but with availability and refit cycles you’d need T31B2 as well for that lot.

          • I’m sure that would be true eventually. I was just thinking about the first few years, when the T31s first come into service. It’ll require another shake-up from 2032/33 onward, when we’ll start to see T31 refits, have most of the T26s coming available, and we should be seeing MRSS taking over from the Bays etc.

          • A pair of T31s would be even better when available. Put them to work straight out of the blocks. I’m thinking the same, the B2 are too useful at the moment for just UK coastal work. If they won’t build a few more T31s then why not a light capability upgrade for the B2 Rivers? Could the UK use a more a Harry Dewolf style AOPV for the Falklands & South Georgia and its Northern patrols? The earlier article on the Kongsberg MCM motherships also showed other variants. Hopefully working with the Norwegians will help towards the UK landing a T26 order.

          • Lancaster will go next year, supposed to be replaced by Iron Duke for a three year stint.

            Venturer is unlikely to operate before 2028. Although Babcock might be able to wrestle the delays back to 2027, I wouldn’t bet on it. Wikipedia has a projected commissioning date of next year, even though they haven’t even rolled it out of the shed yet. There’s some pretty optimistic thinking going on.

          • They said a 3 year stint for Montrose. It became way longer. There was some creative managing going on at the end to ensure it stayed within Lloyd’s rules for inspections. I fully expect Lanc to do the same.
            Failing that… Dock Lanc for a hull survey in theater and then reset the clock. It would be cheaper and quicker than doing it in the UK… I’m sure I could make myself available just need to dust off the plans and work Ive already done for docking a T23 in our Floating Dock… 😁😏

          • Releases ID for other duties in the UK whilst Lanc remains in theatre and remains capable of continuing its tasking.
            Doesnt tie up a dock in the UK either.

          • Your last sentence is noteworthy! How many cutters are Border Force operating now?

            Why? Well have the River iterations, the P class, Gib station(new) and add in BF, and that is quite a procurement package and a Minister should be looking at economies of scale and drumbeat.

          • Replacements for eleven Border Force cutters were postponed under the Sunak government (five about 400 tons and six smaller). Add in the three Scottish Marine protection vessels: 700-2100 tons* and about the same age as the B1s. The Gib boats are new and the P1000s were replaced fairly recently too. You are right about the 17 P2000s needing replacement fairly soon, but they are much smaller. So yeah, a Minister who also happens to be the Shipbuilding Tsar probably should be looking at all that or we’ll end up buying them piecemeal from Damen.

            [*I might be wrong about the size of the Scottish vessels. Wikipedia has the tonnage down as displacement, but Marine Scotland has the same figures as gross tonnage, which would make them smaller. With an endurance of 30 days, the two larger ships have a similar requirement to the OPVs.]

      • Hey CR,

        Agree with everything you just said, I just wish we’d used the opportunity to upgun the B1’s from that dinky little 25mm to a proper 30mm. 🎣

      • It’s possible that Starmer will concede EU access to UK fisheries waters as a trade off for a deal on phytosanitary and agrifood products. The B1 Rivers and their replacements could be busy.

    • Cigarette packet or toothpaste tube design. Fast food outlets? – well the crews wear baseball caps and say things like ‘gotten’ and write ‘battleship gray …’

      Useful looking ships and proving themselves.

  2. Never thought I’d see the day RN vessels in camouflage, would love to see T45,or our carriers in Camouflage .🇬🇧

  4. Does anyone know the status of HMS Medway? Last I heard two or three weeks ago there was a mechanical failure during post-refit trials and it was towed back to Gibraltar. Anyone with an update?

        • Maybe towards getting it in its best condition now for if they ever did want to on-sell or donate it later on or just to keep it going longer than longer… lol 😁 .

        • Differing rules for various classes of vessels and the spec they were built to.

          Lloyds rules differ between tonnage, crew numbers and build standard. When a vessel comes under Lloyds classification as a civilian build there are a lot more mandatory inspection requirements to be met than a mil spec build.

    • Nope that’s about right. Ships are not simple below decks. Lots of mandated inspections for the mechanical stuff.

      Remove the fuel from the tanks. Tank clean. That takes a month
      Blast the tanks (Horrible job!)
      Docking
      Hull survey after you remove the paint.
      Props and shafts out.
      Renew Sea Valves and prove pressure test.
      Updates to ships systems, HVAC Gensets etc. Engine rebuilds throughout the period, Sewage system, renew pipework, lagging. All that needs post work inspections and certification and sign off.
      New plate for wastage.
      Props shafts, rudders back on.
      At the end apply paint schemes which is around 2 weeks for the underwater hull.
      Undock
      Set to work fire fighting and fuel systems, vent, electrical and control systems
      Fuel ship
      Set to work engines (You need all of the above)
      HATS

      With all that you also need the crew accom, galley to be ready, Ship staff move onboard Harbour safety training and ready to fight fires.
      Fast cruise alongside to prove organisations for the crew when at sea. Such as worst case scenarios…Man the ship with fog lookouts whilst fighting a fire in the galley with casualties that need CASEVAC via helo….
      Go to sea , do basic safety training and get an acceptable pass, then you can do SATS.
      return for defect repairs from SATS…

      I do a lot of work on a certain Bay with A&P and they are nothing if not thorough in ensuring maintenance and refit packages are completed to a very high standard and that the acceptance paperwork is in good order. Makes their life and my life a lot easier. Having a good working relationship with A&P and the Crew is always a big boon.

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