End of the line for Fremantle

10 August 2006 By Michael Brooke

If Navy patrol boats could speak,HMAS Fremantle (II) (LCDR James Harper) would tell you an amazing story about her fight spanning more than a quarter of a century against foreign fishing vessels plundering Australia’s fish stocks.

Since being commissioned on St Patrick’s Day 1980, Fremantle (II) has travelled more than 535,705 nautical miles, which is the equivalent of steaming five times around the world, and apprehended more than 250 FFVs.

So July 22 was a day of mixed emotions for the crew of Fremantle (II) when she steamed into HMAS Coonawarra for the last time flying her 42-metre decommissioning pennant.

Fremantle (II), one of the RAN’s 15 FCPBs currently being replaced by the new Armidale Class Patrol Boats, will be decommissioned at Coonawarra on August 11.

LCDR Harper said Fremantle (II) had given the RAN 26-years of loyal service and her record of achievements set an impressive benchmark for the ACPBs coming on-line.

LCDR Harper said the crews’ sadness at saying farewell to such an old and loyal friend was quickly replaced by their excitement at being posted to one of the new ACPBs.