Hi Serge,
We have in recent days experienced weather that has been quite exceptional
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I do agree with your very valid point and just like any sailor I have been in some really violent storm force conditions although 150mph ++ is exceptional. 100mph plus winds in a small frigate is from experience 'entertaining' and as you rightly say it should not be a cause of concern for a carrier, but is she in company with any smaller ships that our tabloid press have not reported?
You do have or did have much smaller vessels that tended to shadow our exercises and I guess these may well have struggled to cope with those types of sea conditions.
I could can understand the need for taking shelter if she could not clear her flight deck of all the ancillary equipment that she may be carrying, although with that ski-slope type bow, unlike our older conventional carriers I doubt if she would be taking green water over the bow.
It is a sad reflection on the state of our own surface fleet when we have to steam from Portsmouth all the way north for that type of duty. You can bet your bottom dollar that it was a most uncomfortable journey for the crew of the British warship as I doubt they were asked to take their time getting on station.
