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Scene on the Sound

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

Nuclear sign-off: On board HMS Triumph - the last of the T Boat submarines

Nuclear sign-off: On board HMS Triumph - the last of the T Boat submarines

The Captain - Beagle maritime correspondent - goes on board to witness the end of an era in Devonport I was lucky enough to spend a couple of hours onboard HMS Triumph, the last of the Royal Navy’s Trafalgar class or ‘T Boat’ submarines. When I first wrote about

The Dutch 'invasion'

The Dutch 'invasion'

For those of you keeping an eye on movements in the Sound over the last couple of weeks, you must have noticed the Dutch ‘invasion’. A few days ago, we had two Royal Netherlands Navy Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) - HNlMS Friesland & HNlMS Groningen. Friesland & Groningen were only

Air defence and command frigate HNlMS De Ruyter in the Sound

Air defence and command frigate HNlMS De Ruyter in the Sound

There is another foreign naval ship in the Sound this week. His Netherland Majesty’s Ship (HNlMS) De Ruyter. She is, I am sure, also here to conduct training with Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) based in HMS Drake. HNlMS De Ruyter is an air defence and command frigate. She

Two new foreign ships in the Sound - from Germany and Netherlands

Two new foreign ships in the Sound - from Germany and Netherlands

There will be two new foreign naval ships in the Sound this week. Federal German Ship (FGS) Braunschweig and His Netherland Majesty’s Ship (HNlMS) Mercuur. They are probably here to conduct training with Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) based in HMS Drake. FGS Braunschweig is an ocean-going corvette – so