Green Rover in Reserve

Whilst we await the departure of the Grey Rover, thought I post this shot of the first Rover to leave RFA service. Green Rover was eventually sold to Indonesia in Jan 1992 being renamed Arun.

Good photo Stevo. Spent a year on there in lay up as part of the skeleton crew. Cushy job or what ! Home every night too. Those jobs were few and far between. Still going strong in Indonesia i believe.

Jenxy, so what exactly does one do on a mothballed ship all day?

These days they are not mothballed but what is quaintly called "preservation by operation" or PxO. All machinery is run and maintained as is the hull etc. Hotel services continue for the reduced crew, security watches maintained, so there is plenty to do. You just don't go anywhere.

I remember doing several assisted maint periods on Illustrious when she was in PXO, what a waste of time they were.

On Board her for TG317.2 Far East deployment 74/75, approx 9 months a great trip and a nice vessel.

Stevo. Exactly what Lancastrian says. Always something to do, just a bit more relaxed than your normal fully active RFA. If memory serves me correct we had 1st and 2nd engineers, Bosun and 2 AB`s and a purser. Night watch was like the Marie Celeste !