Back To Boats

Backs to boats, well ships really, I often wonder the difference between a ship and a boat, my best understanding is that you can put a boat on a ship but not a ship on a boat. Sorry for the musings but it is one of those questions I often ponder, a little sad but there it is.

Early this morning the rain was coming down like there was no tomorrow, it was almost biblical in its proportions as I sat in the car and slowly waded my way through my tax law tutorial for uni… as if I wasn’t depressed enough!!!! As the morning ambled on the weather cleared and the rain soon became a memory. The sky was lovely; well I thought so, gentle, ever so subtle tones of pinks reflecting over the cloud. There was a feeling of tranquillity, a peaceful air and a gentle breeze but not cold for this time of year but the cold weather is on its way with temperatures here set to drop by the end of the week

Today a shot of HMS Northumberland is a type 23 frigate named after The Duke of Northumberland. She is the eighth Royal Navy vessel to bear the name, the first a 70 gun frigate in 1679. She was the ninth in the class of Type 23 frigates and is based in Devonport and is part of the Devonport Flotilla.

She was built by Swan Hunter in 1992 on the Tyne and was launched by her sponsor Lady Kerr, wife of Admiral Sir John Kerr, the former Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command, in April 1992. Her first deployment was intended to be to The Falkland Islands however it turned into an eventful voyage long before the treacherous waters of the South Atlantic.

During her passage HMS Northumberland had to divert into rough weather to assist in the search and rescue of the crew of a fishing trawler. During the diversion the ship struck a whale. At Tenerife, after disembarking the rescued fishermen, the bow dome began to leak. The dome continued to leak during her resumed voyage to the Falkland Islands leading to the Northumberland having to remain at the islands until good weather conditions were prevailing. Once better weather arrived she sailed to Brazil to be put into dry dock. She was escorted in by two Royal Navy type 22 frigates. Once in the dry dock the whale damage was discovered and subsequent repairs took three weeks at a cost of £3 million

I hope you enjoy the shot, I fear the days of bright skies are diminishing, soon to be replaced with dark days and endless nights. I will continue to make the most of the late autumn light when I can and hope you enjoy them with me, certainly best viewed in large.