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Norman Arrow at Dover

The latest generation Incat has arrived on the English Channel after a 24-day delivery voyage from Tasmania. The 112m Norman Arrow will provide four return crossings a day on the Dover- Boulogne route for French operator LD Lines. Billed as the world's largest diesel-powered catamaran, Norman Arrow moves onto the service first provided by the 74m catamaran, Hoverspeed Great Britain, which made an impact on the fast ferry scene 19 years ago.

Exeter becomes an Ex

The last surviving Royal Navy warship that took part in the 1982 Falklands War was decommissioned on 27 May. HMS Exeter formally left the fleet after 29 years service. During the South Atlantic campaign the Type 42 destroyer was credited with shooting down four enemy aircraft after being sent to replace her stricken sister-ship HMS Sheffield. She was also involved in the first Gulf War in 1991 when deployed as an escort for a US battleship and mine countermeasures vessels off the Kuwaiti coast. During her lengthy service around the globe Exeter clocked up 892,811 nautical miles.

The Regeneration Game

The former HMS Dulverton left Portsmouth undertow of the Svitzer Mercia on 19 May. The Hunt class mine warfare vessel, along with ex-HMS Cottesmore, will be refitted next year by A&P Falmouth for a return to the role for which they were built, having been converted to patrol ships in 1998. They are due to enter service with the Lithuanian Navy in 2011.

Manannan heads to IOM

The Isle of Man Steam Packet's new fast ferry Manannan finally left Portsmouth for the Irish Sea on 10 May after a short delay due to bad weather. The vessel was due to arrive in Douglas the following day. She is scheduled to enter service on 22 May, in time for the Steam Packet's busiest period, the annual TT Races.

May Day for Manannan

The Isle of Man Steam Packet's new 96 metre fast ferry Manannan went to sea for the first time on 1 May. The former military vessel is due to leave for the Irish Sea on 8 May on completion of an extensive refit which has seen the addition of two new passenger lounges. The ten-month conversion project was carried out by Burgess Marine at Portsmouth naval dockyard.

Biggest Boxship

At 363 metres long and displacing 131,000gt, the brand new CMA CGM Andromeda has become the largest container ship to ever to use Southampton Container Terminal. The 11,356 TEU British-flagged vessel was delivered to the CMA CGM group on 18 March, making her inaugural call at Southampton on 18 April. She is being touted as the world's greenest container ship, being the first to feature new technologies such a new oil recovery system designed to help prevent marine pollution.

Endurance at Spithead

HMS Endurance has returned to the UK after an 8,000 mile 'piggy-back' from the Falkland Islands. The ice patrol ship arrived rather unceremoniously as deck cargo on board Dockwise's MV Target on 8 April. Endurance was subsequently offloaded and towed into Portsmouth on 10 April for expensive repairs. The sight of a Royal Navy vessel returning from overseas in such a manner is sadly not that unusual. The destroyers Southampton and Nottingham did the same in 1988 and 2002 respectively.

Handbags at Dawn!

Wightlink has courted controversy by pressing two of its new Wight class ferries into service on the Lymington-Yarmouth crossing prior to obtaining full certification. Wight Light and Wight Sky have replaced the 35-year old C class ferries whose passenger certificates are due to expire in mid-March. Despite this some parties in Lymington have not welcomed the larger vessels citing fears for the fragile salt marshes and increased traffic. The new ferries will operate under a temporary Safe Operating Profile. This will prohibit them from passing in the narrow estuary and operating in wind conditions above 20 knots until a final sea trial requiring specific wind and tidal conditions has been carried out.

Taking a liberty

The former HMS Rame Head left Portsmouth Harbour for the last time at first light on 25 February. The Vancouver-built merchant cargo ship was completed in 1945 and is the last of 16 Fort class vessels dubbed 'Canadian liberty' ships. She is more well-known for her role as a training platform for Special Forces in Fareham Creek. With her asbestos already removed, Rame Head was towed to Van Heyghen in Ghent for recycling, the same place that last year disposed of HMS Fearless. Her removal means that for the first time in living memory there are no laid-up warships in Fareham Creek.

A lot less bovver...

The Canadian Coastguard's latest hovercraft Mamilossa arrived at Portsmouth on 23 February for shipment to Canada on the BBC Kusan. The 75-tonne vessel was built by Hoverwork on the Isle of Wight, the same facility that built the Southsea-Ryde hovercraft Solent Express. Although capable of 60 knots the Mamilossa will be used primarily as a buoy tender on the St.Lawrence Seaway, where it will also be used for ice-breaking. Mamilossa is an Abenaki Indian word meaning 'he who goes from water to land'.

Daring debutant

The lead ship of a new class of destroyers arrived at her homeport of Portsmouth for the first time on 28 January. HMS Daring was greeted by hundreds of spectators despite dismal weather conditions and poor visibility. Much has been written about the step change in capability the new ships will provide, with their state-of-the-art combat system and newly-christened Sea Viper (Aster) missiles. Daring will spend much of the year working the system up to operational readiness.

Flat-pack ferry

The Isle of Wight ferry operator Red Funnel has added another curious livery to one of its vessels. After running with a 'Red Squirrel' banner for much of last year, the Red Osprey now sports a striking yellow and blue paint job, making her more like a canary than a raptor. The Swedish colours, which have been applied to promote the opening of a new IKEA store in Southampton, will remain highly-visible on the Southampton-Cowes route for the next 12 months.

QE2 exits in a blaze of glory

Cunard's Queen Elizabeth 2 had a memorable final day at her homeport on 11 November. The grand dame seemed reluctant to end her long service after grounding on the Brambles sandbank in high winds as she made her way into Southampton for the last time. Whilst alongside with her paying-off pennant flying, she was honoured by a visit from a Harrier jump-jet and a sailpast by RFA Mounts Bay & three Royal Navy training boats, in tribute to her service during the Falklands War in 1982. At 1915 she left her berth and paused for a fireworks display before heading off into the darkness accompanied by a flotilla of tugs, ferries, pleasure craft and the cheers of thousands of spectators.