CPV Hunter, UK Border Force, Port of Dover, Kent, England

The 20m HMC Hunter, also termed CPV Hunter ('Coastal Patrol Vessel') of the UK Border Force berthed in the Inner Tidal Harbour, part of the Marina:in the Port of Dover::

HMC Hunter on Monday the 4th of May, 2020. Camera: Google Pixel 2

CPV Speedwell  MV Oceana cruise ship

A post about CPV Speedwell, who was also in port this day, is linked to on the left.

Dover Clock Tower.

Above CPV Hunter in the main photo is the clock tower, and to its left, the roof of the former lifeboat station.

Click thumbnail to see a larger size.

A Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) is a series of nine digits which are sent in digital form over a radio frequency channel in order to uniquely identify a ship or vessel.

The MMSI for CPV Hunter is 235118133 which enables her to be tracked in real-time on an AIS ('Automatic Identification System') map:



A 2017 Freedom of Information request (FOI 45061) stated:

I am able to disclose Border Force bought eight (8) x BP ARRC's ('Autonomous Rescue and Recovery Craft'), later renamed as coastal patrol vessels (CPV's) from Delta at a total cost of C£1m, these being all of the eight ex-BP vessels. As at today’s date, we have no immediate plans to purchase more. 

I have no further technical information specifically for CPV Hunter but surmise from the above that it is similar to that of HMC Active:

Built in 2006, CPV Hunter served as an Autonomous Rescue and Recovery Craft in the North Sea for supporting oil platform operations.

CPV Hunter was operated as a daughter craft from a larger offshore support vessel and launched when needed via a davit.

The design includes a deep-vee hull design constructed from fibre-reinforced plastic.

The design is also self-righting and can return to the upright position if capsized.

Propulsion: CPV Hunter is fitted with twin Caterpillar C18 engines driving twin water jets through a pair of reduction gearboxes

The total installed power of 1,288 kW (1,727 hp) gives CPV Hunter a top speed of 34 knots (63 km/h) in calm seas, or up to 24 knots (44 km/h) in seas up to 7 metres (23 ft) significant wave height.

A second view of Her Majesty's Cutter Hunter:

HMC Hunter on the 4th of May, 2020. Camera:Canon 600D DSLR

The United Kingdom Border Force is a law enforcement agency within the Home Office who secure the national borders by carrying out immigration and customs controls for people and goods entering the country.

As an example of HMC Hunter's involvement in this role, in 2019 she was involved in an incident in which twenty six people including eight children were picked up after crossing the English Channel.

Today, the Coronavirus pandemic has made the working life of her crew even more hazardous than before (not least because desperate illegal migrants are hardly in a position to practice social distancing).

My hat goes off to them as it does to those employed in another Dover "front line", Buckland Hospital.

The HMC Hunter photographs were taken from Crosswall Quay in the Port of Dover during a permitted Coronavirus bike ride.

Covid-19 lockdown: a cycling route map and biometrics can be seen on this Polar Flow web page.

Abridged versions of this post are also on Facebook and Twitter.