Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service

The Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service (RMAS) was a British Government agency which ran a variety of auxiliary vessels for His Majesty's Naval Service (incl.

In the 1990s, marine services were put out to commercial tender by the Ministry of Defence Warship Support Agency (now absorbed into the Defence Equipment and Support organisation) and by 1996, all tugs, lifting craft, various tenders and management of HMNB Devonport, Portsmouth and Clyde were operated by Serco Denholm.

Serco were quickly declared preferred bidders and the RMAS was disbanded on 31 March 2008.

They also had a distinctive livery or colour-scheme, namely: black hulls with white beading and buff-coloured upperworks.

Below is a list of vessels previously operated by the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service.

Research vessel Colonel Templer passing Greenock on the Firth of Clyde
Sal-class Salmoor passing Gourock on the Firth of Clyde
Adept-class tugs Forceful and Careful entering the River Tamar
Aberdovey-class Bembridge entering Portsmouth in 1983
Clovelly-class Harlech at Exeter , England, in 2004
Clovelly-class Lamlash passing HMS Warrior at Portsmouth April 30, 2000
Dive tender Ilchester at Wick , Scotland, in 2004, on her way from Rosyth to Holyhead during the closure of the Caledonian Canal
Manly-class fleet tender Milbrook at Almerimar , Spain, in 2000