The 6,700 ton St. Helena is one of only two vessels to still carry which designation?
RMS St Helena (1989) from St Helena to Cape Town. At the time of her retirement from St Helena service she was one of only four ships in the world still carrying the status of Royal Mail Ship. Locals including local press have usually called her "the RMS", in order not to confuse her with the island itself. In April 2018 she was purchased by MNG Maritime and renamed MNG Tahiti" to act as a vessel based armoury (VBA) licensed by the UK Department for International Trade (DIT) in the Gulf of Oman. Formerly, Saint Helena island was occasionally served by ships of the
RMS St Helena (1989) ton ship had room to carry 76 passengers and supplies. The ship was used by the Royal Navy during the Falklands War as a minesweeper support ship. By the 1980s it was becoming apparent that the ship was too small for the island's needs, resulting in the new "St Helena", built in 1989. The island lacks a port suitable for large ships, so the RMS anchored near the island, and loaded and unloaded cargo to and from lighters. The new RMS "St Helena" was built by Hall, Russell & Company in Aberdeen, and entered service in 1990. "St Helena" was