Oil spill embarrasses Royal Navy frigate

By ANNE BESTON environment reporter

Red-faced Royal Navy sailors worked frantically to clean up an unsightly oil slick spilling from a warship before visitors arrived for an open day.

HMS Marlborough, fresh from its travels in the Gulf as part Britain's contribution to the Iraq war, is berthed at Auckland's Princes Wharf next to exclusive waterfront apartments.

Auckland harbourmaster James McPetrie, himself a former Royal Navy commander, said about 90 litres of lube oil spilled into the harbour when a diesel generator cooling system malfunctioned and ruptured a pipe, creating a black slick in and around the ship.

"They were quite embarrassed by the whole thing," he said. "It's such a public space.

"But they did the best they could and there was no negligence by any of the crew."

The spill happened about 8.45am on Sunday, giving crewmen little time to clean up before visitors - and protesters - began arriving for the ship's open day at 10am.

Anti-war protesters were picketing the Marlborough over its involvement in Iraq.

Mr McPetrie said the 133m frigate carried its own oil-spill equipment and the leak was under control by the time he and his staff arrived to help.

HMS Marlborough has been away from its home port of Portsmouth since January and at sea more than 85 days.

The ship was responsible for providing covering gunfire for British commando units as they moved in to secure oil installations on the Al Faw peninsula in Southern Iraq.

The Marlborough is an anti-submarine frigate and entered service in 1991.

A combination of diesel, electric and gas engines give the ship a maximum speed of 28 knots and mean it is capable of near-silent running.

It is fitted with Seawolf surface-to-air missiles, Boeing Harpoon surface-to-surface missiles and carries a Lynx helicopter.

The five-day visit to New Zealand is part of a goodwill tour. HMS Marlborough leaves for home tomorrow.