HMS Lancaster
Three warships passed our position today heading for sea all spick and span after the bad weather, there was no radio traffic and the AIS was switched off so no ideas about where they were going or what the mission was. Their silent passage was impressive with all the crew on deck and the white caps gleaming in the winter sun. A few days earlier there was plenty of chatter from one warship and the VTS at Southampton, now the other day at Rotterdam I blogged about being able to speak English on the VHF, well who better to give us a great example of perfect Queens English than the boys and girls of the Royal Navy?
Well it was English, but it must have been the competition for the most clipped and shortest time on air or they have some kind of military practice for short messages so they don’t get targeted by radio direction finders or something. There are things that are confusing when hearing such military tone and military speak ” This is coalition warship calling the vessel on a course of 225 speed 15knots in position etc. etc.” Since when have the Royal Navy started calling themselves “coalition warships”, and what happens when they use the half second grunts and bleats that are meant to be words but sound more like noises from a haggard or stall with the non-English speakers like the French? Probably more of the same back to them……
But I was happy to hear the calm and collected voice of Solent Coastguard on the VHF sounding very clear and concise, even if it was a bad weather forecast for more gales, they sounded good anyway.
HMS Gloucester looks very sleek, and very deadly. all three are beauties. if nothing else, the RN knows how to build them fast and deadly! of course, the real way to make my eyes light up is to show three SUBMARINES!
hope you are weathering the weather whether you want to or not.
HMS Gloucester does look well for her age, launched 1982 and a major refit last year. They passed our position silently, effortlessly, slicing through the water with a muscular grace only warships have. You can’t help admiring them. Submarines we don’t see so often, I suppose thats the whole idea!
Maybe they were FF-PD coalition warships heading off to shell Dublin Castle.
Some of the most memorable ‘bloopers’ I ever heard on Ch 16 were in Waterford the day the tall ships left prt in 2005.
Great blog Tim, our mutual friend Bock referred me to it, I’m reading all your back posts.
Regards
The Bolted Nut