John S. Darrell spokesman Richard King said the USS Aubrey Fitch -- an Oliver Hazard Perry class guided missile frigate -- was due to berth in Dockyard tomorrow and refuel.

It was also planning to take on 20 "Tiger'' cruisers for the trip back to the US mainland which would begin later that day.

Tiger cruisers are friends and family of US Navy personnel who are allowed to join them on their ship and experience life on board a military vessel.

The HMCS Cormorant will also return to Dockyard tomorrow. The "deep submergence experimental ship'' arrived last Friday and has spent the last week performing operations off the South Shore.

Mr. King said the vessel was intending to remain offshore during the week to conduct exercises but would return to berth in Dockyard on the weekends.

Otherwise it was business as usual with the Somers Isles and the Oleander arriving on Monday followed by the Bermuda Islander on Tuesday.

Meyer Agencies spokesman Stephen Paynter reported that the Somers Isles off loaded 103 containers including nine refrigerated containers.

It also off loaded assorted loose cargo including a dump truck, 35 bundles of lumber and plywood, nine bundles structural steel and an empty steel tank before its scheduled departure this afternoon.

Mr. Paynter said the Bermuda Islander arrived a day late but did not know the reason why. It is understood that the vessel may have encountered the same bad weather that delayed the Oleander .

It off loaded 108 containers including 11 refers before leaving later that same day.

And Container Ship Management vice-president Robert Lewis said the Oleander off loaded 27 refers and 92 dry containers plus some loose cargo including a 40-foot maffi, six cars and one back hoe. It departed on Tuesday.