HMC Vigilant.

We were back in Lowestoft to visit Mum today. Se was very well and happy,  and seems to have made quite a few friends... This is a great relief for us as you might well guess.

The usual look at the harbour turned up something a little different. The ship is Her Majesty's Cutter Vigilant. 


The class were built to the Damen Stan Patrol 4207 design in the Damen Shipyards in the Netherlands between 2001 and 2004, and have a steel hull with an aluminium superstructure. Much effort has been expended in making them quiet to reduce crew fatigue; their engines are raft-mounted, decks throughout the ships are of a floating type, and their compartments are constructed on a box-within-a-box principle.


The Border Force has a fleet of five Cutters and they are kept very busy patrolling the channel and rescuing migrants as well intercepting cargos of drugs... so it was a bit of a surprise to see HMC Seeker tied up further along the quay side. extra