One in 18 sample Severn

FIVE thousand Channel Islanders sampled life with the Cod Squad when they visited HMS Severn at Jersey Boat Show.

An estimated one in three Jersey inhabitants attended the three-day show… and one in six of those toured Severn… so we can assume (using the Navy News team’s limited mathematical skills) that approximately one in every 18 Jerseymen experienced the fishery patrol ship.

Which is not a bad ‘hit’ ratio at all.

Severn took a break from her near-constant patrols of UK waters keeping tabs of fishermen to attend the three-day show in St Helier.

There she was joined by around 60 vessels from tugs and small pleasure cruisers to top-of the-range Sunseeker yachts, and another one of Her Majesty’s warships, Bristol’s university boat HMS Raider.

“With the exciting opportunity to operate one of the Ship’s fire hoses and aim the 20mm gun, how could the public resist?” said Lt Oli Ayers, Severn’s navigator.

“Fine weather for the majority of the event also meant the upper deck made a perfect viewpoint for the harbour and other boat show attractions.”

In addition to the general public, while in St Helier the ship hosted an official reception for island officials and boat show exhibitors, held guided tours for members of the Prince’s Trust, prize winners from the boat show, members of the St Helier Fire Service and Mr and Miss St Helier.

The ship also welcomed aboard Vice Admiral Sir Tim McClement, former Deputy Commander in Chief Fleet and now CEO Flagship Superyacht Academy, and Cdre Jamie Miller, the RN’s Regional Commander for Wales and West of England.

All well and good, but for the Severns the highlight of the visit to St Helier was the presentation of the Jersey Cup – the most coveted award in the Fishery Protection World.

The trophy dates back to the wartime destroyer HMS Jersey and a magnificent £20,000 solid silver trophy donated to the ship by islanders. The destroyer was lost in the Mediterranean but the cup survived and subsequently ended up on the next HMS Jersey, a fishery patrol boat.

When she was sold to Pakistan in the mid-90s, the cup was kept, since when it’s been presented to the most effective fishery protection ship…

…which over the past 12 months was HMS Severn.

The ship steamed 40,135 nautical miles (just shy of twice round the world), carried out 325 boardings (roughly one per day on patrol), reminded 161 vessels of the fishing regulations, issued a dozen official warnings and detained seven boats for transgressions. Much of that was captured by TV crews from the documentary series Sea Patrol.

Lieutenant Governor of Jersey, Lieutenant General Andrew Ridgway, formally presented the cup to Severn’s CO Lt Cdr Catherine Jordan.

As well as the Jersey Cup, Severn was also awarded the Fleet Efficiency Pennant as the most hard-working and effective patrol boat in the RN.

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