During October 2023 two ships of contrasting age traversed the Thames.
On 9 October the tall ship Stad Amsterdam sailed from London. The steel-hulled 76m three-masted clipper was launched in 2000 and was designed by Gerald Dijkstra who based his design on a 19th century frigate Amsterdam. She has a passenger capacity of 115 guests and a crew of 30.
Three days later the Royal Navy’s newly acquired vessel RFA Proteus passed Gravesend after her dedication ceremony alongside HMS Belfast in London.
The Ministry of Defence acquisition of the ship for $62 million, previously Topaz Tangaro, is to constrain the increasing threat of the Russian Navy’s submarines attack on under water infrastructure such as gas pipes and communication cables after Russian activities in the invasion of Ukraine.
RFA Proteus will operate in the European and Atlantic waters as a MROSS (Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ship) vessel.
Photos by Fraser Gray
