Having completed the African leg of its journey, the Baton has boarded the RMS St Helena at Cape Town in South Africa for the five-day 3,200km (2,000 mile) voyage to the South Atlantic volcanic island of St Helena.

This year will be the final time the Baton visits St Helena by sea as the island is due to open a new airport in 2016.

The RMS St Helena was built by Aberdeen shipbuilders Hall, Russell & Company and entered service in 1990.

She has been the only means of regular transportation to the island, ferrying passengers and cargo, from everything to toilet rolls to bags of cement, from Cape Town for the past 24 years.

The ship is currently operated by Glasgow-based shipping company Andrew Weir Shipping Ltd.

The Commonwealth Games Queen's Baton gets ready to board the St Helena ©Glasgow 2014



St Helena has a population of around 4,500 and this will be the third time the Baton has visited the island.

The island will be the 40th nation or Overseas Territory on the Glasgow 2014 Relay and will be followed by the Falklands Islands and Guyana.

The Baton has already been through Asia, Oceania and Africa, and its onward journey includes the Caribbean, the Americas and Europe.

The Baton Relay was launched by Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace on October 9 last year and will visit to all 70 nations and territories of the Commonwealth during the build-up to Glasgow 2014 before it arrives at the Opening Ceremony in Celtic Park on July 23 to officially open the Games.

To keep-up-to-date with the Queen's Baton Relay progress click here.

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