Sailors to visit Ararat
Crew members from the Royal Australian Navy Armidale Class patrol boat HMAS Ararat II will be guests of Ararat RSL sub branch on Anzac Day.
HMAS Ararat II is based in Darwin and is involved in border-protection duties along Australia’s northern coastline.
The visit will be the first from the crew to the city of which its boat is named.
Ararat II captain Lieutenant Fiona Simmonds and some crew members would visit Ararat district schools to chat with students the day before Anzac services.
One of the female sailors is a former Ararat Marian College student.
Ararat RSL has urged the community to make the navy personnel welcome during their visit.
HMAS Ararat II, which has a crew of 21, is one of 12 Armidale and two Cape class patrol boats involved in national fisheries protection, immigration, customs and drug law-enforcement operations.
It works hand-in-hand with other government agencies as part of the Australian Border Force.
HMAS Ararat, which has a motto of ‘Strength through Effort’, has a range of 3000 nautical miles at 12 knots and a maximum speed of about 25 knots.
It is equipped with high-definition navigational radar, high and ultra-high frequency communications equipment, gyro compasses and echo sounder.
Ararat is also fitted with a satellite navigation system that enables the ship’s position to be determined with great accuracy and is armed with a 25mm Rafael M242 Bushmaster auto cannon and two 12.7mm machine guns.