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Scene on the Sound

Active morning in Plymouth Sound

Active morning in Plymouth Sound

By The Captain, maritime correspondent for The Beagle Users of the Torpoint Ferry this morning will have been aware that there was a ‘submarine movement’. These ‘movements’ are driven by the tide – which was high at 0753 this morning. Ideally, you plan to move a vessel with a deep draught

Oh dear - a very wet visit for luxury cruise ship passengers

Oh dear - a very wet visit for luxury cruise ship passengers

By The Captain I’m sure we all welcome cruise ships to our port – but why oh why couldn’t the Silver Spirit have been here yesterday, when the sun was shining? As those of you who ventured out this morning will have seen, many of Plymouth streets were awash

FOST and OST as ships and a sub arrive in the Sound

FOST and OST as ships and a sub arrive in the Sound

By The Captain, maritime correspondent, The Beagle Another busy few days in the Sound for naval shipping. This week, the Royal Norwegian Navy (RNoN) Frigate Otto Sverdrup arrived, almost certainly for Operational Sea Training (OST) with Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST). I assume she will be here for a week

Ships and yachts on a busy weekend in the Sound

Ships and yachts on a busy weekend in the Sound

And still they come to join the French, Admiral RAdm Bossu’s, forces for Exercise Catamaran. This morning’s arrival was the French ship Tonnere – to join her sister ship FS Dixmude (presently alongside in Devonport). FS Tonnere is anchored south of the Breakwater (seen in the photo, above, from

Remember the Cold War years? Are we returning to large multi-national exercises seen off Plymouth?

Remember the Cold War years? Are we returning to large multi-national exercises seen off Plymouth?

By The Captain, maritime correspondent, The Beagle As The Beagle noted yesterday, Rear Admiral Yannick Bossu’s Flagship ship Dixmude arrived in Plymouth yesterday. RAdm Bossu is DCOM FRSTRIKEFOR (in NATO-speak). This means that he is Deputy Commander of the French (naval) Strike Force. As such, he is presently in

I saw three ships come sailing in

I saw three ships come sailing in

Yesterday and today see two very different cruise ships anchored in the Sound, and an Antarctic visitor. Yesterday, we had the 987 passenger Saga Spirit of Adventure and today we have the 2394 passenger Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Norwegian Pearl. These two ships illustrate some of the differences in the cruise

A visit to HMS Portland

A visit to HMS Portland

SCENE ON THE SOUND, by The Captain I was lucky enough to visit HMS Portland, in the Frigate Complex (more usually known as ‘the sheds’) in Devonport Dockyard last week. Sixteen Type 23 (T23) frigates were commissioned into the Royal Navy between 1990 and 2003. The original plan was that