FOR the first time in 153 years, the Royal Navy is without an official captain-in-charge of HMS Tamar.
The post was vacated yesterday morning after a short but ceremonial sendoff for the last of the rank to serve in the territory - Captain Tom Sunter.
''It has been a lot of fun,'' the 47-year-old captain said as he received a caricature of himself and fellow officers as a departing gift.
The captain was caught off-guard shortly after 10 am when a group of his officers escorted him from his office at Stonecutters Island to a waiting rickshaw.
They carried him to the dock and, after watching a short lion dance, he received his caricature and jumped into a boat.
Escorted by four fast pursuit craft and a navy patrol vessel, the boat pulled away to caps raised in salute by his officers.