UK’s biggest warship suffers propeller shaft damage off south coast after setting sail for US

jamie N

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In my 'offshore industry world', that's now on downtime and I'm not impressed.
Has there been any report on when it'll be repaired and operational again?
 

capnsensible

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In my 'offshore industry world', that's now on downtime and I'm not impressed.
Has there been any report on when it'll be repaired and operational again?
That's the difference, I suppose, between commercial and military. I'm sure there are some not impressed Admirals, but that's the way the mop flops.

The whole evolution will have generated an enormous amount of training for people at all levels, time is never wasted in a blue suit.

My last view of HMS/M Sceptre, a happy boat that I spent 4 years on was in 3 dock. The yard was impressive in its ability to fix things and having built the carriers, I'm confident that the carrier will be returned to service as soon as is possible. But it still wont earn anything...... :)
 

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Respect from Johnny Foreigner is what it will earn.
To be fair, little else here does these days.
I think everything is, so far, impressive…and others will notice…the ship was replaced in a couple of days by the sister ship..and the carrier went straight into a dry dock that was available and big (just) enough.
 

jamie N

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After 15 years since it was given the go ahead, which was itself after 9 years of debate on whether or not to give it the go ahead, it's an indictment of how an organisation interested in efficiency wouldn't do it in my experience, but I've only slight experience from one side of the fence.
I believe that there's ''considerable damage" to both prop and shaft, but think it'd be perfectly normal to have a spare prop, or blade available, and would be shocked if that wasn't the case to cover both of the carriers (would I?), but a shaft?? WOW, that ain't lying around at the back of the yard, and isn't going to be a quick fix.
Good luck to all though (y) .
 

Bouba

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After 15 years since it was given the go ahead, which was itself after 9 years of debate on whether or not to give it the go ahead, it's an indictment of how an organisation interested in efficiency wouldn't do it in my experience, but I've only slight experience from one side of the fence.
I believe that there's ''considerable damage" to both prop and shaft, but think it'd be perfectly normal to have a spare prop, or blade available, and would be shocked if that wasn't the case to cover both of the carriers (would I?), but a shaft?? WOW, that ain't lying around at the back of the yard, and isn't going to be a quick fix.
Good luck to all though (y) .
The shaft is made of pieces...so it may not be the whole shaft
 

SaltIre

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That's the difference, I suppose, between commercial and military. I'm sure there are some not impressed Admirals, but that's the way the mop flops.

The whole evolution will have generated an enormous amount of training for people at all levels, time is never wasted in a blue suit.

My last view of HMS/M Sceptre, a happy boat that I spent 4 years on was in 3 dock. The yard was impressive in its ability to fix things and having built the carriers, I'm confident that the carrier will be returned to service as soon as is possible. But it still wont earn anything...... :)
Was that the submarine refit dock then? I believe Repulse was there in 1986-87; SWMBO might possibly be able to recite the exercise fire alarm pipes verbatim!:)
 

capnsensible

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Was that the submarine refit dock then? I believe Repulse was there in 1986-87; SWMBO might possibly be able to recite the exercise fire alarm pipes verbatim!:)
Yup with dockside offices. The crew was victualled in HMS Cochrane up the road. A nice bracing walk to and from. The route also went past the Fashion Police School, a natural target for submariners wearing blue hard hats outside the yard.

:)
 

capnsensible

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For those interested, HMS Queen Elizabeth is returning to Pompey tomorrow afternoon.

Pit stop before deployment on CSG22.

  • .@HMSQNLZ returns to Portsmouth tomorrow after visit to New York - passing Round Tower approx 1445. Preparing to deploy again soon on #CSG22 with embarked jets in European waters. https://t.co/gmZyaEq4xR
 

SaltIre

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Yup with dockside offices. The crew was victualled in HMS Cochrane up the road. A nice bracing walk to and from. The route also went past the Fashion Police School, a natural target for submariners wearing blue hard hats outside the yard.

:)
It was DPMO at Cochrane Jan 86 - Oct 87. It's now a business park with Sainsburys Bank where the sickbay was!
Google Maps
 

SaltIre

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It is the dock in which the carrier was built.
Is it? No 3 is nuclear certified... Carrier was built and is in dock 1 which is longer. :unsure:
FeyyLPOWQAA4_34
 

Bajansailor

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Why does PoW have two towers (for want of a better term) but the US aircraft carrier has only one ?

I sent a link to this question / thread to a pal who recently retired from the MOD - he was very closely involved with the Carriers, including the philosophy behind having two islands. He sent me the following response to New Forester's question.
------------------------------------------
There are multiple reasons
1 survivability by separating control of ship and control of the flight desk
2 the need for multiple uptakes and exhausts to feed the gas turbines
3 arrange the islands and lifts most efficiently for aircraft servicing
4 separate sensors again for survivability as well as wooding.

The layout of aircraft carriers is a complex series of integrated compromises.
There is a book due out soon on the carriers, but it is unlikely to tell the full story as many of the choices etc were too “political “.
 
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