Royal Navy patrol boat ‘Example’ completes year-long refit

After a year in refit HMS Example has made her return to the the Royal Navy fleet, and taken her place as one of 14 patrol boats that make up the Royal Navy’s 1st Patrol Boat Squadron (1PBS).

The Archer-class patrol boat has a new Ship’s Company, headed by Lieutenant Thomas Stapley-Bunten RN.

HMS Example will return to fleet tasking but also support the Northumbrian University Royal Naval Unit based at HMS Calliope.

The Northumbrian Universities Royal Naval Unit (NURNU) has welcomed back its units’ ship, HMS Example, with brand new engines and a gleaming new coat of paint.

The ship’s return to HMS Calliope comes in time for the new academic year where senior students and a new entry of first years were given the opportunity to go on a sea day this month to familiarise themselves with the roles taken on ship as well as experiencing the ships performance with its new engines, achieving a new top speed of 22kts.

The return of HMS Example has been beneficial to the URNU students as it allows them to conduct more frequent sea training, putting their skills such as navigation and leadership into practice.

The most recent sea day had seen students learn about roles such as that of the officer-of-the-watch, navigator and quartermaster (steering the ship at the helm).