Since owning the Recife, I have sailed her the length of the North Sea twice during the Northern Hemisphere winter, between Norway and the U.K. before departing on her voyage to Australia.

 

With an average speed of 8 knots, this versatile vessel made the voyage to Sydney comfortably without mishap, which goes to prove her versatility and mechanical soundness, having endured extreme weather conditions on passage from the rigours of the North Sea to the high temperatures of the Red Sea.

 

Recife ex Kystvern ex Rundoy was built back in 1954 at Arundal Norway under DNV Classification as a small cargo vessel for trading around the fjords.  Her strong steel hull part rivetted and part welded is a fine example of Norwegian shipbuilding.  Her history includes many years service with the Norwegian Navy where she was employed as a Coastguard Vessel and Training Vessel.  Her sister ship was still used as a whale chaser in Norway when I sailed in February 2004. 

 

The passage to Sydney was  10 wks 6.1 days (including a deviation to Las Palmas) via the Suez Canal .  Distance covered was 14,438 nautical miles.  Fuel consumption was 62,800 litres.   820.49 ltrs per day.   34.19 ltrs per hour.   4.34 ltrs per nautical mile (calculations based on passage times not engine running hours).

 

Whilst in Sydney, the Recife had been modified to meet the rigorous requirements of the U.S.L Code to bring her into survey with NSW Maritime as it was called at the time for the carriage of cargo and deck passengers.  Whilst there she was chartered as a Training Vessel on many occasions.

 

We departed Australia 14th August 2015 on passage to Noumea and Vanuatu, and here we are in Port Vila where she is now registered, in her new role as an Inter Island Trader.

 

I first started my sea career at the age of 15 years old, where I first went to sea as a Deck Boy and have been sailing on merchant ships ever since.

Captain Clive Rolfe

Master Mariner