Where?
St Helena is situated in the South Atlantic Ocean, 5° 43' west and 15° 56' south, 1,200 miles from the south-west coast of Africa, and 1,800 miles from the coast of South America. The nearest land is Ascension Island, which lies 703 miles (1,125km) to the north-west. Cape Town lies some 1700 miles to the south east. In other words, it’s pretty remote!
St Helena Island land is only some 47 square miles or 122 square km, ten and a half miles or 17km long and six and a half miles or 10km wide. St Helena Island has two other British Overseas Territories: Ascension Island which lies 703 miles to the north west and Tristan da Cunha, which lies 1500 miles to the south west.
It was uninhabited when it was first discovered by the Portuguese explorer, Juan Da Nova on 21 May 1502. The name St Helena is derived from the fact that the day Juan Da Niva discovered St Helena, it was a festival day, of St Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, so he named the island in her honour. The Portuguese kept quiet about St Helena’s existence and used it as a convenient stop off place for ships returning home from the east to stock up on fresh water and fruit. For a little over 80 years only the Portuguese visited St Helena until in 1588 Captain Thomas Cavendish, captain of the H.M.S. Desire, called at the island on his voyage round the world and stayed 12 days there. After this time, English and Dutch merchant ships began to stop off for provisions and repairs.
As might be expected from this period in history, disputes soon arose between the Dutch and the English over sovereignty of St Helena. In 1659 the British East India Company placed a garrison on the island and started the first permanent settlement. In retaliation, the Dutch invaded in 1673 forcing the English out. The island was recaptured by the English and held by the British East India Company until 1834 until it was brought under the direct government of the British Crown.
In the Eighteenth century over a thousand ships called annually. Following the opening of the Suez Canal and the advent of steam the island slipped into oblivion and remained as sort of time warp with its elegance period buildings , relaxed atmosphere and virtually crime free community.
Perhaps many people recognise the name St Helena in connection with Napoleon. Napoleon was confined to St Helena in 18l5 after his defeat at Waterloo. Residents of St Helena call themselves “Saints.” Things to do on St Helena include visiting the Plantation House, the residence of the Governor where one can photograph the giant tortoise reputed to be more than 150 years old, Longwood House where Napoleon was kept until his death in 1821 and is maintained by France as a museum.
Ascension Island has a military airstrip that can be used by civilians, but there is currently no civilian airport, so the only way to get there is by boat. The UK Royal Mail Ship, the RMS St Helena, built in Glasgow, Scotland in 1990 provides cargo and passenger services. It has a passenger capacity of 128 people.
The British Royal Mail ship sets off from Cardiff in the UK, calling at Tenerife and Ascension Island, and Cape Town. There are usually 4 voyages from the UK, 15 voyages from Ascension and 10 from Cape Town each year. Once a year the RMS calls at Tristan da Cunha – a Dependency of St Helena. Most people travel via Ascension Island or Cape Town. The travel time for the RMS St Helena is 2 days from Ascension, 5 days from Cape Town and 14 days if travel is direct from Cardiff, UK. If you are interested in taking the boat, take a look at: www.aws.co.uk or e-mail reservations@aws.co.uk or enquiries@solomons.co.sh
According to Mac, who has looked into freighters, most freighters won’t take passengers over 75 years of age, as they have no doctors aboard, and he a little over this. He has culled some information from reading an account of freighter travel to St Helena.