Falmouth could be playing host to the officers and crew of HMS Albion the Royal Navy's new amphibious assault ship next month. Dock master Captain Jim Skelley confirmed that he has had a fairly firm enquiry from the ship for an alongside berth on Friday, February 13.

"In terms of ship size we can handle the Albion. She is only 175 metres long with a draught of 7.1 metres," said Jim.

Albion and her sister ship Bulwark, known as Landing Platform Dock (LPD) ships were built by Vickers' Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd, now BAE Systems Marine. Their primary function is to embark, transport, and deploy and recover troops and their equipment forming part of an Amphibious Assault Force. The 19,000 ton ships cost £450 million and are designed to carry 300 assault troops and their vehicles.

Following the Albion a week later will be the new Fishery Protection ship HMS Tyne making her first official visit to the port.

In March the Type 42 destroyer HMS Southampton and the Duke Class frigate HMS Montrose are scheduled.

With the Queens wharf out of action for most of 2003 Royal Navy ships gave Falmouth a wide berth. This has now changed again with the docks expecting to return to normal levels of warships making use of its facilities now that the new Queens wharf is in commission.