HMS Astute

[basys]

Hi Folks

BBC has put up a mini-gallery containing a nice set of piccies
showing Astute build/inside/leaving.

ATB
Paul

[DaveB]

Nice.. thanks for that Paul

ATB

DaveB

[FlyTexas]

Impressive! I like the part about how she can create her own oxygen from sea water. How cool is that?

Brian

[DaveB]

That's nothing new as it happens Brian.. nuclear boats have been doing it for years The bit where you had to surface at night to replenish your air is long gone as is the lack of water meaning you didn't have to wash. However, the fitting of desalination plants seems to have passed submariners by as I doubt they wash even though they can They're all traditionalists at heart!

ATB

DaveB

[basys]

Hi Folks

Impressive!
I like the part about how she can create her own oxygen from sea water.
How cool is that?

Pah !!
That's nowt.

How about departing Plymouth
submerging then sailing 41,000 nautical miles,
then returning to Plymouth,
having only surfaced once during the trip,
in Sydney.

the fitting of desalination plants seems to have passed submariners by
as I doubt they wash even though they can

Pommade, deodorant, aftershave, and washing
is for skimmer fairies only.

First three are all banned onboard,
due to clogging up/impeding air filtration/purification systems.

Desal plants can generate plenty of water,
but then you'd have to pump it overboard,
which makes you detectable, and limits your operating depth.

HTH
ATB
Paul

[DaveB]

I love the excuses Got the opportunity to go to sea on HMS Revenge while she was doing DSRV trials with Avalon many moons ago. A floating gin palace and no mistakin'!

ATB

DaveB

[FlyTexas]

Got the opportunity to go to sea on HMS Revenge while she was doing DSRV trials with Avalon many moons ago. A floating gin palace and no mistakin'!

Ahh, now we're talkin'! If the Navy could put me on a ship like that - and if I could have my own cabin w/bathroom facilities, I'd sign up in a heartbeat. Oh, and they'd need to limit the length of the cruise to about a week...I'd get kinda bored looking at the sea for much longer than that.

Brian

[DaveB]

An unfortunate consequence of serving in submarines is that you don't get to look at the sea.. well, you don't see much.. only when leaving and entering harbour. No walks along the promenade deck watching the sun set! The junior rates mess on Revenge had a couple of fish tanks setup behind a false bulkhead with scuttles making it look like you could see the fish swimming past Of course, a little imagination and 3 cans of beer helped the illusion

ATB

DaveB

[basys]

Hi Folks

Got the opportunity to go to sea on HMS Revenge

Lucky man Dave.

I've spent years underwater,
unfortunately all whilst dockside.

she was doing DSRV trials with Avalon many moons ago.
A floating gin palace and no mistakin'!

Not Avalon.

Did you have to do the SET tank ?
Something I'd always wanted to do.

ATB
Paul

[DaveB]

No mate.. I was purely an observer. Revenge had a frigate as guardship for the trials which (as you'd imagine) went tech on Thursday evening meaning they had to return to Faslane (for weekend) I was the senior Radio Op on HMS Wakeful at the time and while we were dossing around the Clyde in our newly found promotion to.. you guessed it.. 'Guardship'.. I recognised one of the RO's onboard Revenge who was on the fin.. I'd served with him at Nato in Portugal. An opportunity came up for a transfer to see what they were up to and the skipper let me go I have to admit going back to Wakeful later that day much the worse for 'hospitality' but the skipper turned a blind eye

ATB

DaveB