Another major Ministry of Defence contract lasting several months and involving 300 workers a day will start at Falmouth Docks next month.

RFA Lyme Bay will arrive at the docks next Monday to de-store before commencing a five-month long refit on July 16.

The vessel will dry-dock in early August with the contract completion date on expected on December 7.

This will be the fourth of the Bay Class RFA ships to undergo a similar refit which includes re-routing the exhaust system, a full painting programme, survey and rectification work along with main engine and propulsion overhaul.

The Cluster support team, headed by Gerald Pitts, RFA Cluster Programme director for A&P, will oversee this latest refit.

During the ship’s Gulf deployment she was dry-docked in Bahrain with multiple maintenance periods performed whilst in theatre – all of which were overseen by the Falmouth-based team.

A new Ballast Water Treatment plant installation will be fitted to Lyme Bay. It will be the first fit of four for the Falmouth Cluster Team, and Gerald is sure there will be many commercial vessels requiring this in the future.

Lyme Bay has been deployed in the Gulf since 2009 acting as mother ship for the UK Mine Countermeasures (MCMV) fleet which she handed over to RFA Cardigan Bay in May after she finished her refit at Falmouth. Lyme Bay also supported Coalition forces during the on-going Operation Kipion.

For more In Port news CLICK HERE