on 9 October passing north of St Peter and St Paul Rocks (see ) on 16 October, arriving at Bridgetown, Barbados, for a visit from 23 to 27 October. During the trip across the Atlantic the side-scan sonar was deployed the autopilot and engine speed set in an attempt to set a record for the longest survey line. The journey parallel to the equator was carried out with just one small course correction to avoid a fleet of fishing boats near to the coast of South America. She was alongside at the US Naval Station at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico (known to sailors as Roosey Roads - see and ) from 29 to 31 October before setting up camps and sites on Great Inagua and the Turks Islands, in order to carry out hydrographic surveys centred on the waters around the British Virgin Islands - see. These surveys were part of a project in co-operation with the United States Navy, in the Turks and Caicos Islands, covering the Mouchoir Passage and Turks Island Passage. These passages were last surveyed by Commander Richard Owen in in 1829. Visits were made to Roadtown, Tortola (see and map ) from 12 to 16 November and, after sailing, a rendezvous was made with RFA Stromness near Vieques to take on stores, before resuming surveys. On 2 December, she broke off from surveys to visit Nassau, Bahamas (see harbour map at ) from 4–8 December 1981 and she then continued surveying (Hydrographic Instruction - HI 54) until 15 December. Changes were found in the configuration of the reefs - the northern edge of the Mouchoir Bank being nearly two miles south of its charted position. Leaving a handful of volunteers to guard the various sites on island shores, she sailed north in order to spend two weeks alongside in St. Petersburg, Florida (see ), arriving 18 December, for Christmas and New Year 1981/1982. Sailing on 2 January 1982, she arrived on the survey ground four days later and recovered the landed sailors, after their lonely three weeks in the sun. Hydrographic Instruction "HI 54" was completed by 15 January 1982 and equipment ashore recovered. At anchor overnight on 15/16 January, she sailed for Roosevelt Roads arriving 18 January. She sailed three days later for Sand Cay in order to set up the surveys in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) area; time off task was necessitated