MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

HMS Endurance en route to Falklands

Royal Navy's Ice Patrol Vessel, HMS Endurance which is scheduled to arrive this week in the Falkland Islands during its brief visit to Montevideo met up with her old friend the Cunard Liner Queen Elizabeth 2.

The last time these sovereign vessels passed was at the International Fleet Review on 28 June in the Eastern Solent, when the Red Plum was the Royal Review Ship for the Lord High Admiral, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second.

In an interesting twist of fate both ships visited the Uruguayan capital, famous for witnessing the scuttling of the Graf Spee during the Battle of the River Plate in 1939.

HMS Endurance called in to repair a defect to ensure she is in fine fettle before starting her Antarctic season in December. Passengers from QE2 and Ship's Company of the Plum swapped tales of their passages to South America. Many remarked on the interesting comparison of the weather during the Austral summer with that of the UK. It is typically 28ºC in Montevideo in late November, so very difficult to imagine the recent blizzards that have affected Britain.

Captain Nick Lambert remarked, "Meeting with a prestigious British liner such as the QE2 has enhanced what has been an extremely successful and enjoyable visit. My engineers, with the assistance of the excellent local facilities, have promptly returned the ship to full capability. The team has enjoyed an unexpected opportunity to sample the South American culture, and I am confident we are now ready to meet the challenges of an exciting Antarctic deployment. We too look forward to seeing the snow!"