Renovate Britannia

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Sybarite

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In an era where classic yachts of all types are being completely restored, why not do the same for Britannia?

  • Fit more economical engines
  • Would give work to UK yards
  • Would employ RN sailors
  • Would act as hospital ship in times of war
  • Would serve as an emblem of excellence for the country.
  • Would give pleasure to Liz and would be a fitting anniversary present from the nation.

At 126m it would only be 10th in yacht world rankings and, if the Egyptians can maintain one at 146m built in 1865, surely prestige issues are at stake.

Under build at present are one's which are 200m, 180m, and 141m (sail).
 
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Fascadale said:
And who might pay for this restoration?
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The State. Apparently the Royal Yacht as a venue for meetings easily paid her way when one takes into account the outcomes from these meetings, apparently.
 
I would have thought that the Royal Family would be entirely capable of making up their own minds whether to have a Royal Yacht or not.

In my view the current Britannia has very little to recommend it.
How about a decent new sailing yacht, or even a replica of the big class Britannia?
 
The Royal family can easily pay for it themselves if they want to.

If we need a meeting place there are plenty of facilities already built that are available for rent. They are called hotels.

As the owner of an organisation that organises meeting and conferences it always astounds me how public bodies can justify holding conferences at some of the places they do. The monetary waste is unbelievable. Massive fun for the bigwigs though, going somewhere nice a someone else's expense. Things like the WEF in Davos are a perfect example. Hotel rooms at five times a reasonable rate. In a ski resort! Give me a break please.
 
Ex-SolentBoy said:
..... If we need a meeting place there are plenty of facilities already built that are available for rent. They are called hotels.....
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According to a documentary on her history and the decommissioning decision the valuable meetings were the ones held abroad on her. Apparently she had a presence which the foreign office thought contributed to a favourable outcome. Anyway, she is now past it and that presence, whatever it was, is likely long gone.
 
I strongly favour putting her back into commission.

It would not be hard to do.

The Danes and the Norwegians seem to find their Royal Yachts well worth while. Both are British built and older than "Britannia".

She was very a good tool of "soft diplomacy". We actually need something like that.
 
Count me in

VO5 said:
All of us.

It is the least that can be done to honour a Monarch who has served the Nation, The Commonwealth and Dependencies for 60 Glorious Years.

God Bless Her, and may she reign for many more.:D
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A sad day if we cannot afford a royal yacht.
 
VO5 said:
All of us.

It is the least that can be done to honour a Monarch who has served the Nation, The Commonwealth and Dependencies for 60 Glorious Years.

God Bless Her, and may she reign for many more.:D
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Has any asked Her Maj whether she would care to be honoured with a tarting-up of a clapped out old boat?

I suspect she was asked before they pensioned it off. Maybe she feels sufficiently honoured with her collection of castles and estates, which also do their bit for diplomacy?

Maybe it was more trouble than it was worth, inventing excuses to use it?
It was very shiny, the best blue paintjob ever, but I was not sorry to see the end of them parking the damned thing on the racecourse at Cowes Week.
 
lw395 said:
Has any asked Her Maj whether she would care to be honoured with a tarting-up of a clapped out old boat?

I suspect she was asked before they pensioned it off. Maybe she feels sufficiently honoured with her collection of castles and estates, which also do their bit for diplomacy?

Maybe it was more trouble than it was worth, inventing excuses to use it?
It was very shiny, the best blue paintjob ever, but I was not sorry to see the end of them parking the damned thing on the racecourse at Cowes Week.
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The decision to retire Britannia was taken during the famous "annus horribilis" when something had to be done to placate the baying hounds, some of whom found their way onto this thread.

As far as cost is concerned as long as the work is done in the UK the money circulates within the economy. Of course maybe you would prefer to pay people to be on the dole.

I'm sure the cost would be a small fraction of the cost of say an Embassy such as there is in Paris - and would probably be more productive, a roving embassy.

From the RY Britannia site :

An ambassador abroad

The Royal Yacht Britannia has helped to make The Queen the most travelled monarch the world has ever known. Not only has The Queen and her family travelled the world on Britannia, but the world - its statesmen and leaders - has visited them on board. From Sydney to Samoa, The Queen's guests have been entertained just as they would be at a royal palace on British soil.

For a state visit some five tonnes of luggage, including everything from The Queen's jewels to the famous bottles of Malvern water for Her Majesty's tea, would be brought on board. With The Queen came up to 45 members of the Royal Household, who together with Britannia's Officers and Yachtsmen ensured that each visit ran like clockwork and that no detail was overlooked.

As well as hosting royal banquets and receptions, Britannia was an ambassador for British business, promoting trade and industry around the globe. Indeed the Overseas Trade Board estimates that £3 billion has been made for the Exchequer as a result of commercial days on Britannia between 1991 and 1995.
 
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lw395 said:
I suspect she was asked before they pensioned it off.
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If she was asked and agreed, it would have only been out of a sense of duty, not willingly. Apparently the decommissioning of Britannia was the only time the queen has ever been seen to shed a tear in public.

Pete
 
Sybarite said:
The decision to retire Britannia was taken during the famous "annus horribilis" when something had to be done to placate the baying hounds, some of whom found their way onto this thread.

As far as cost is concerned as long as the work is done in the UK the money circulates within the economy. Of course maybe you would prefer to pay people to be on the dole.

I'm sure the cost would be a small fraction of the cost of say an Embassy such as there is in Paris - and would probably be more produdctive, a roving embassy.
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And the cost of this renovation project would solve the unemployment issue in this country? I think not. I have nothing against the principle of a new yacht but as the question already raised asks who is going to pay for this? Face it this country does not rule half the world anymore, we are a small broke country where are pensioners die in their own homes every winter because they can't afford to heat them, our hospitals are filthy, children still live in poverty and all at a time when people are having their pay frozen or cut.

Its nothing to do with 'baying hounds' its reality.
 
Fascadale said:
Not everyone might agree with you.
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I generally tend to disregard the majority popular opiinion, not for the sake of it or just to pointlessly contradict for the sake of it, but (and I accept the risk of being accused of having a minority, or even having an elitist view) because it is nearly always wrong, in my experience.

I am therefore obligated to act and think according to my experience and not that of everybody else.
 
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