A former Royal Naval patrol vessel has found a new life as a hospital ship in Africa, thanks to the work of engineers and specialists at UK Docks in Gosport.
HMS Scimitar was a patrol vessel that served with sister ship HMS Sabre as part of the Gibraltar Squadron for many years, safeguarding the waters around the entrance to the Mediterranean.
Both were brought back to the UK, decommissioned and sold, with HMS Scimitar being bought by The Vine Trust charity and converted by UK Docks into a medical ship, the Scimitar being renamed the MV Lady Jean at a naming ceremony in Portsmouth.
Once the conversion work was completed, the new look vessel made a poignant final pass by sister ship HMS Sabre, which was bought by a private owner, before being moved to Southampton where she was loaded on to a vessel transiting to Mombassa.
The refitted and rejuvenated former HMS Scimitar bids a last farewell to sister ship HMS Sabre before heading to Africa.
Having arrived in Kenya, she is now due to be lifted onto a specialist lorry and moved to Lake Victoria in Tanzania where she will operate as a mobile medical vessel, serving the numerous islands on the lake.
Charles Barley, UK Docks director at Endeavor Quay said: “It was an unusual and interesting project for us to work on and it brought several challenges we had to rise to as we worked through the conversion but it was really satisfying for the team.
“It was quite touching at the end, seeing her alongside HMS Sabre for the last time but it’s great that she has important new duties ahead of her.
“As HMS Scimitar, she did Royal Naval work which kept people safe, now, as the MV Lady Jean, she’s doing medical work which will protect people’s health.”
The former HMS Scimitar, now the MV Lady Jean, being lowered back into the water to begin life as a hospital ship.
The year-long conversion was funded by international defence company Babcock, who contracted UK Docks to undertake the work.
UK Docks offered discounted rates, free lifting of the vessel and free storage during conversion which took place on both Victoria and Endeavour Quay.
The changes included a new generator, conversion of the wheelhouse and forward accommodation to suit the needs of a hospital vessel and new galley with fridges, ovens, sink, serving areas and air conditioning unit installed.
There was a total redesign of the aft transom with guardrails, boarding steps and boarding platform put in to allow people to board.
Additionally, a new engine had to be sourced and as the Scimatar’s former engines were obsolete.
That sparked a two-month, European-wide search before, a new MAN truck engine was sourced in Holland.
Once the engine was shipped back to the UK, it was stripped down and rebuilt into a new engine using parts from both engines, over the course of the next two months with stringent testing being carried out on the resulting engine.
This solution proved to be a great success and UK Docks were thankful for the help and assistance they received from other collaborators during the project.
Fully restored and refurbished, the new MV Lady Jean.
UK Docks managing director, Jonathan Wilson, said: “Our company carries out servicing and maintenance of vessels from the North East down to the South Coast and each project is unique in its own way.
“But the conversion of HMS Scimitar into the MV Lady Jean was a particularly special one.
“We would like to thank The Vine Trust and Babcock for entrusting us with the work and we wish the MV Lady Jean many years of successful service on Lake Victoria.”
