On Sunday April 05, 2009 the WSS Merseyside Branch visited River Class patrol vessel HMS MERSEY during her Liverpool call. HMS MERSEY was completed by Vosper Thornycroft in 2003 and was leased to the Royal Navy for an initial 5 year period. In January 2007 this was until the end 2013. The ship's primary role is that of fisheries protection. The ship's boats being used to board fishing vessels for inspection purposes. For a naval vessel she has particularly well specified crew accommodation with the majority being of crew sharing two berth cabins which would not be out of place on a passenger ship rather different from the cramped accommodation on most warships. She has a speed of 20 knots, displaces 1,700 tonnes and measures 80m x 13.5m x 3.8m. Her main armament is a 20mm gun. | 
