RN submarine seamanship strikes (almost) again.

How did they know it was an RN sub, did someone in the know recognise the masts from the tower / fin ?

I once had a sub hide under my boat ( detected it by depthsounder given the clue of a helo dipping sonar very nearby during a NATO exercise ) but no clue which nationality.

It's believed a Contessa 32 was sunk by the periscope and / or other masts of an RN sub in the North Sea some years ago, and I remember the fishing boat crews from Portpatrick were very bitter and cynical after a British sub surfaced unknowingly in the middle of a fishing fleet; I've asked sub drivers if having the depthsounder on might help but it depends on the speed the sub is doing for a start.
 
Seajet said:
How did they know it was an RN sub, did someone in the know recognise the masts from the tower / fin ?

I once had a sub hide under my boat ( detected it by depthsounder given the clue of a helo dipping sonar very nearby during a NATO exercise ) but no clue which nationality.

It's believed a Contessa 32 was sunk by the periscope and / or other masts of an RN sub in the North Sea some years ago, and I remember the fishing boat crews from Portpatrick were very bitter and cynical after a British sub surfaced unknowingly in the middle of a fishing fleet; I've asked sub drivers if having the depthsounder on might help but it depends on the speed the sub is doing for a start.
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It would appear that a "spokesman" for the RN has confirmed that it was a RN submarine. The MAIB are investigating. It'll be interesting to see if any report is published.
 
Seajet said:
How did they know it was an RN sub, did someone in the know recognise the masts from the tower / fin.
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Quite right. I remember years ago being on fish patrol in the Irish Sea when we saw a periscope ahead of us. We followed standard procedure at the time and reported the details to the MOD by urgent message. They advised it was not one of ours.
 
mainsail1 said:
Or you could say the ferry almost hit the submarine but that would possibly be against your narrative.
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If one vessel is very visible on the surface and broadcasting on AIS - and another vessel is submerged, hidden from sight, no material radar trace and not broadcasting on AIS - then it is the latter, the submarine, that has the entire onus to keep clear of the surface vessel.

Different if the grey line boat was on the surface and broadcasting on AIS. But it wasn’t.
 
Depends how close was close. If that periscope was a fishing boat there probably wouldn't have been a word said about it. People see an ominous periscope and imagine this massive thing under the water. We will have to wait and see the report.
 
black mercury said:
Depends how close was close. If that periscope was a fishing boat there probably wouldn't have been a word said about it. People see an ominous periscope and imagine this massive thing under the water. We will have to wait and see the report.
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Eh? How could the periscope be a fishing boat?

Yes, if I see a periscope, I certainly imagine a massive thing under the water. What would you expect a periscope to be attached to?
 
Sorry my English probably isn't up to some standards. What i meant was if the periscope HAD been a fishing boat, and that some people think submarines are bigger than they actually are. I am sure most people could understand.
 
mainsail1 said:
Or you could say the ferry almost hit the submarine but that would possibly be against your narrative.
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Nail on Head.:encouragement:

Here's what I posted in the Lounge:
A1Sailor said:
A pesky car ferry tried to mow down one of their submarines which was at periscope depth but the brave submariners managed to take evasive action.:encouragement:
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Just as well they travel underwater, imagine the carnage if they drove about on surface!
 
They have been practising this for years, back in 1988, long before the Antares; the Army kept a yacht, the Dalriada, in Carrickfergus, one night in July she set off across the North Channel with a crew of four on board, serving in N.I. I am sure they were happy to be getting away for a while, half way across HMS Conqueror stuck her periscope through her and down she went. On this occasion the sub. surfaced and called a surface ship (destroyer or suchlike) to pick up all the crew from the water, so no casualties; unlike when Conqueror encountered another boat called the Belgrano.
If we are going to keep these things in Scotland we are bound to encounter them from time time.
 
Seajet said:
How did they know it was an RN sub, did someone in the know recognise the masts from the tower / fin ?
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I expect they didn't know at the time, but

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is a bit of a dead giveaway.
 
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