Visiting Navy boat Wellington warms to Nelson after cold spell

After weeks in colder climates, the Navy enjoyed a warm welcome in Nelson this weekend.

The Royal New Zealand Navy’s patrol vessel HMNZS Wellington berthed at Port Nelson’s Lay Up No.1 wharf on Sunday morning for a two-day visit.

The 85m vessel made its Nelson stopover having returned from a five-week resupply to the SubAntarctic Islands as part of Oper- ation Endurance.

The ship opened to the public on Sunday afternoon, with a gold coin entry donated to the Nelson Tasman Hospice.

Operations officer SubLieutenant Samara Mankelow said previous open days the ship had held around the country had drawn between 4000 in Auckland and 50 in Dunedin.

Within the first hour at Port Nel- son, 380 visitors had boarded.

‘‘This has definitely beaten Dunedin and you’ve definitely turned on the weather for us,’’ Mankelow said.

One of two offshore patrol vessels within the RNZN, HMNZS Wellington is designed for maritime surveillance, supply, support and patrol missions around New Zealand’s 15,000km coast, the Southern Ocean and the Pacific.

Under the command of Lt Cdr Damien Gibbs RNZN, the ship has a complement of 42 Naval personnel, 12 flight personnel with the capacity to carry an additional 36 personnel including government agencies.

Mankelow said Operation Endurance’s two-year programme had seen the Navy assist Department of Conservation and Metservice staff with maintenance and mouse eradication work in the Antipodes, Campbell and Auckland Islands.

Prior to its arrival in Nelson, 12 local sea scouts were and taken out to the ship in Tasman Bay by RIB jet boat for a tour before being welcomed on-board as the ship entered The Cut.

‘‘I think we might have some potential recruits out of that,’’ Mankelow said.