Followers of this blog will be aware that I try to photograph any warships visiting the Solent. Usually they are fairly average-looking modern destroyers or frigates like the ones below:
This is HNMLS Van Amstel (thought that was beer), a Dutch frigate of the Karel Doorman Class. And here's the Belgian Frigate Leopold.
Looks familiar? Yes it's the same class, built in Holland, in fact the Leopold was the original Karel Doorman, first of the class before being transferred to the Belgian navy in 2005.
Look at the yardarm and you'll see the ensign of the Belgian Navy:
Talking of beer, this can of 6X is to be found floating off the I.O.W. coast near Yarmouth. Can't work out how to get at the contents, though.
Another naval vessel, this time the UK - the RFA Cardigan Bay, a Bay class Landing Ship, Dock (LSD)
How did this get here? Spotted on the way to Yarmouth the tug Wyetow hauling a load of - what? I reckon they were marina pontoons bound for Yarmouth or Lymington.
Sometimes something unusual turns up. I made a special trip to sail round this one and take a few photos:
There it is, anchored in the East Solent between Stokes Bay and Ryde. Looks like an aircraft carrier and very large.
It certainly was, although so was the APL container ship just passing.
Here she is, the 100,000 ton USN George H W Bush, latest of the USN's Nimitz class nuclear-powered carriers. She was just about to up-anchor after a visit to Portsmouth. The small launch alongside is one of the local Police launches mentioned in an earlier blog. There to protect the carrier from terrorist attack or from determined yachtsmen with cameras.
I didn't get arrested and here are two more views. The drive-thru effect above is because both port and starboard aircraft side lifts were lowered to hangar level at the same time.
I won't attempt to describe the ship here but all the details are at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_George_H.W._Bush_(CVN-77) and the ships official web-site is at: http://www.public.navy.mil/airfor/cvn77/Pages/USS%20GEORGE%20H.W.%20BUSH%20(CVN%2077).aspx
The USN has 10 of these; if we ever get our new carrier it will be half the size of the Nimitz class and without nuclear propulsion will need to refuel every few days to maintain intensive operations. Although they do need to regularly replenish their aviation fuel the Nimitz class ships nuclear fuel lasts for 50 years.
