Portsmouth A Royal Navy ship that suffered damage costing hundreds of thousands of pounds to repair has arrived back in Britain from the Falklands. The ice-patrol ship HMS Endurance lost power when the engine room flooded in December in the Strait of Magellan, off Chile. Ten passengers from the British Schools Exploring Society were taken off by a Chilean navy helicopter.
The ship, which is used for scientific surveys as well as its navy role, was originally taken to the Falkland Islands for examination. It has now been brought back "piggy-back" style on the heavy lift vessel MV Target. It will be floated before being towed into Portsmouth Naval Base for repairs and a refit.
Captain Gavin Pritchard, Endurance's commanding officer, said: "The ship suffered a very serious flood. It wasn't at any stage in any serious danger of sinking, but there was a lengthy period of damage control where the crew were working in very unpleasant conditions with no power or propulsion."
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Report in the Times newspaper 9th April 2009