The French naval vessel Garonne (A605) paid a short courtesy visit to the Port of Poole earlier this year, arriving from Calais on 31 January and mooring alongside Bulwark Quay.
Garonne is the fourth and final Loire class tug and offshore support vessel, designed to conduct a wide range of support missions, specifically to accommodate divers, to carry weapons and ammunition, to support submarines and surface ships, to tow underwater antennas as well as anti-pollution measures.
Built by the Kership yard in Brittany, the 70m vessel entered active service during January 2020. Garonne sailed from Poole on 3 February to conduct immigration patrols out of Calais.
Report and photo by Kevin Mitchell
