Type 23 frigate HMS St Albans, damaged by a ferry in gales in the autumn, is back at sea today, well on course to resume her programme of trials and training.

The P&O ferry Pride of Portsmouth was approaching the Continental Ferry Port in Portsmouth early on the morning of October 27 after a crossing from Le Havre when she slewed off course in winds gusting to 70mph.

She struck the frigate, which was berthed at a jetty, buckling the 30mm gun deck, bridge wing, boat and cradle, weapon direction platform, lifeboat sponson and SCOT platform on the port side, and the hull on the starboard side where she was forced against the jetty.

The ship had only been in the Fleet a year at the time of the incident, and is yet to undertake her first operational deployment. She had a duty watch of 37 on board at the time, and no one was injured.

The 33,336-tonne ferry, carrying 850 passengers and a crew of 130, suffered only superficial damage, and sailed to France again later the same day.

St Albans was in the final week of her preparations for operational sea training, but that programme was delayed to allow inspections and repairs.

Within a week of the collision the Frigates Integrated Project Team (IPT) had surveyed the damage, identified a repair strategy and contracted FSL in Portsmouth Naval Based to carry out the work, under Project Manager Dean Kimber.

BAE Systems at Scotstoun, the shipbuilders, were subcontracted to build new bridge wings and sponsons, which were delivered to Portsmouth by road on the Friday before Christmas.

The ship entered dock in November to repair damage to the starboard side, and undocked – on schedule – a month later, while a bespoke trials package was put together, tailor-made to cover all the systems affected by the incident.

By Christmas the new bridge wing, gun deck and other sponsons had been replaced, and shortly after all the wiring and ship’s fittings were replaced and set to work.

St Albans is due back at sea today, when she will resume her programme towards Basic Operational Sea Training (BOST) on a three-day work-up in UK waters.

Lt Cdr Ian MacGillivray, one of the senior officers on board the frigate, said: “We will shake out the cobwebs and make the most of this opportunity to fully test the crew and the ship. We are all looking forward to it.”