spending three months at sea.

The NATO contingent, consisting of two Canadian frigates and one frigate each from the US, Dutch, British and German navies, has been patrolling waters along the eastern coast of the US and South America on stand-by for any potential international incident.

The force, known as Stanavforlant -- Standing Naval Forces Atlantic -- will be spending the weekend off-duty docked in Hamilton before starting the long journey back across the Atlantic to Germany on Monday.

And while here several crew members have volunteered their time to lend a helping hand to several local organisations.

Crews aid charities The crews will be carrying out repairs at the Bermuda Riding for the Disabled stables at Windreach, helping out with painting work at Hamilton Cathedral and carrying out a clean-up operation on Bird Island on behalf of the Boy Scouts.

And local shopkeepers are bound to benefit from the fleet's presence too as some 1,200 sailors, including 84 women, enjoy their last shore leave before beginning the long voyage across the ocean to Europe.

"I'm sure the crew will leave behind a lot of money,'' the force's commander, Rear Admiral Gottifried Hoch, said from the bridge of the flagship FGS Schleswig Holstein .

"I am pretty sure they will have a wonderful time here.'' Photos by Tony Cordeiro and David Skinner Out with the old: Modern NATO warships cruise past a visiting tall ship as they enter Hamilton Harbour (above). Below, schoolchildren get a glimpse of the squadron's might.