INCHING along and surrounded by a ring of steel, Sir Galahad was today delivering her vital cargo of humanitarian aid.

Portsmouth-based minesweeper HMS Sandown led the way along the narrow strait of Khawr abd Allah - God's Waterway - to the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr. In front of her were dolphins trained by the US to spot mines.

Helicopter gunships hovered overhead and fast patrol boats surrounded Sir Galahad - watched by crew wearing chemical suits and flak jackets and brandishing rifles.

RFA crew manned heavy machine guns and all wore anti-flash kit.

Sir Galahad herself was riding high in the water because her captain had ordered that fuel tanks in the bow should be flushed empty, reducing the risk of fire if she hit a mine.

No chances were being taken as the Hampshire-based Royal Fleet Auxiliary got under way on her mission of mercy, delivering 500 tonnes of aid to the Iraqis.

The nine-hour journey to Umm Qasr began edgily about 5am UK time yesterday.

At one stage the ship went on alert when an unidentified boat was spotted zipping around in the water - only for crew to learn it was an American launch here to escort us into Iraq.

Overhead a Lynx helicopter from the Portsmouth frigate HMS Marlborough flew shotgun, joined later by an Australian Sea King.

And to our rear, three patrol boats - one American, two Kuwaiti - stood guard, while ahead minehunter HMS Sandown was just a stone's throw from Sir Galahad, seeking any freshly-laid mines.

But beyond this military might the picture of Umm Qasr, Iraq's premier port, was serene. There were no clouds in the sky and the water was like a millpond. Military leaders believe the threat to the convoy is diminishing. Allied forces have destroyed one of the two remaining Iraqi missile patrol boats which could have posed a danger to Sir Galahad.

American commander Ian Hall, in charge of the mine-hunting operations, said nine ships had swept the waterway to Umm Qasr.

"We feel the port to be safe,'' he said.

"Royal Navy sailors have been doing a wonderful job to make the channel into the port as safe as possible. Umm Qasr is essential for humanitarian aid for the Iraqi people.''

Sir Galahad's move to Iraq's main port has been thwarted for the past three days by a combination of bad weather - the northern Gulf has been beset by fog and sandstorms - continued fighting at Umm Qasr, now officially declared "secure'', and finally by mines.

Two of the underwater weapons were found by Allied forces on Thursday morning along the precise route the Marchwood-based RFA ship was due to follow. One was just ten miles from the military cargo ship.

Royal Navy minehunters blasted the mines out of the water, but it is not known yet if the weapons were laid recently by Saddam's forces, or had been unearthed by tides and currents.

Sir Galahad will blaze a trail for other merchantmen waiting in the northern Gulf to deliver their aid. The "basic stuff of life'' has been loaded aboard the 8,000-tonne auxiliary by the people of Kuwait, including tea, rice, bottled water and tomatoes, plus basic ration packs - tuna, biscuits, cheese and bread - to be distributed to the Iraqi people.

Sir Galahad's commander, Captain Roger Robinson-Brown, said beyond the difficulties of passing through the narrow waterway there remained a threat from troops loyal to Saddam.

He said: "The port itself is secure, but we have to take precautions. If you were going to block the waterway, then the place where we found one of the mines was ideal."

Troops from Marchwood military port in Southampton have taken over the docks at Umm Qasr to help with the offloading, and the city itself is under the control of the Royal Marines.

Saddam did not have time to demolish the port infrastructure - cranes, stores, a giant grain elevator and quays - but Umm Qasr still appears to be in a sorry state. No ship has reached here in three weeks. At least half the cranes are not working. Most of the dredgers which keep the waterways clear are out of action and there's only one tug to help ships in and out.

The Navy doesn't know yet if it's still working.

Hampshire writer Richard Hargreaves reports from Umm Qasr