RFA Fort Victoria
RFA Fort Victoria (A387) is a combined fleet stores ship and tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
RFA Fort Victoria was laid down at Harland & Wollf in Belfast on the 15th September 1988. On the 6th of September 1990 a bomb placed in Fort Victoria’s engine room exploded causing minor damage but no casualties. She finally sailed for sea trials two years later than planned on the 29th June 1992.
...the AOR's are 'one stop ships' supplying fuel, food, and dry stores.....
On sea trials RFA Fort Victoria suffered damage and went to
Birkenhead for completion and defect rectification. On the 5th of
April 1993 Fort Victoria sailed for Portsmouth still incomplete. On
the 4th of August 1993, RFA Fort Victoria finally sailed from
Portsmouth on sea trials.
Capable of 22 knots the AOR’s are “one stop ships” supplying fuel,
food,
and stores. Having extensive aviation facilities, she is capable of
embarking 4 Merlin helicopters for long periods of time.
Fitted with four dual-purpose replenishment rigs fitted amidships
enable RFA Fort Victoria to replenish at sea (RAS) two warships with
both fuel and stores simultaneously. Transfering fuel is accomplished
by suspending a hose from a tensioned cable called the jackstay,
which runs from RFA Fort Victoria to the receiving ship where it
is secured to a fixed or moving eye-pad..
...that will be capable of transfering loads of over 6 tonnes in the future....
The hose is fitted with a quick-coupling probe or NATO B connection to mate with the fuel receiving point on the warship. Once the hose has been connected, RFA Fort Victoria is able to pump fuel across to the receiving ship as well as water, aviation fuel, and Lubrication oil.
During a dry stores RAS the jackstay supports a 'traveller block', to which the stores of up to 2 tonnes are slung from and transferred across by inhaul and outhaul winches. It is in the planned to have a stores rig that will be capable of transfering loads of over 6 tons in the future for the new carriers.
As well as the main replenishment at sea rigs, RFA Fort Victoria is also fitted with an additional refuelling rig, called a Hudson Reel, which is fitted at the stern of the vessel. Stern refuelling is not as efficient as beam replenishment, but it is safer in severe weather conditions.
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