HMS Invincible sold
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HMS Invincible sold
Gents
Its been reported that HMS Invincible has been sold to a Turkish scrapyard, that specialises in recycling old ships. HMS Invincible is expected to be towed from Portsmouth to Turkey buring March and the journey will take four weeks.
HMS Invincible sold to Turkish scrapyard
Not a very dignified end.
Hunty
Its been reported that HMS Invincible has been sold to a Turkish scrapyard, that specialises in recycling old ships. HMS Invincible is expected to be towed from Portsmouth to Turkey buring March and the journey will take four weeks.
HMS Invincible sold to Turkish scrapyard
Not a very dignified end.
Hunty
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As we have never shown an interest in, let alone found money to preserve warships as Museums, this is the inevitable fate for most.
The dismantling process will now provide employment in Turkey and not the UK. It's hard to fathom why nobody in the UK is interested in such work especially with the number of warships likely to be scrapped over the next few years
The dismantling process will now provide employment in Turkey and not the UK. It's hard to fathom why nobody in the UK is interested in such work especially with the number of warships likely to be scrapped over the next few years
"As we have never shown an interest in, let alone found money to preserve warships as Museums, this is the inevitable fate for most."
Slightly harsh (and untrue) - there are plenty of warship museums in the UK, and worldwide. The main problem they have though is finding the money to keep them going as a long term asset.
It is phenomenally expensive to keep a warship (or any ship) going as a museum ship due to the need to keep the hull maintained. The US is on the verge of scrapping the USS Olympia (a very old 1890s historic cruiser) as the lack of money available to run her means her hull is litterally paper thin in places, and she is in danger of sinking. Other US museum ships are being put into permanent dry dock to stop the hulls breaking.
Most museum ships are a real struggle to run succesfully as a business - HMS CAVALIER (last WW2 RN destroyer) took nearly 30 years to find a succesful home where she is loved - and shes a fraction of the size of Vince. Similarly, other museums, such as the HMS PLYMOUTH trust and other places struggle for funding. Outside of a couple of core locations such as Portsmouth and Chatham, there is no real location where you can moor a ship permanently, maintain her and keep sufficient people as passing trade to make money.
Ultimately I'd like to see a cold war escort preserved as part of the national historic register, but I don't think a CVS is a credible vessel to do this.
Slightly harsh (and untrue) - there are plenty of warship museums in the UK, and worldwide. The main problem they have though is finding the money to keep them going as a long term asset.
It is phenomenally expensive to keep a warship (or any ship) going as a museum ship due to the need to keep the hull maintained. The US is on the verge of scrapping the USS Olympia (a very old 1890s historic cruiser) as the lack of money available to run her means her hull is litterally paper thin in places, and she is in danger of sinking. Other US museum ships are being put into permanent dry dock to stop the hulls breaking.
Most museum ships are a real struggle to run succesfully as a business - HMS CAVALIER (last WW2 RN destroyer) took nearly 30 years to find a succesful home where she is loved - and shes a fraction of the size of Vince. Similarly, other museums, such as the HMS PLYMOUTH trust and other places struggle for funding. Outside of a couple of core locations such as Portsmouth and Chatham, there is no real location where you can moor a ship permanently, maintain her and keep sufficient people as passing trade to make money.
Ultimately I'd like to see a cold war escort preserved as part of the national historic register, but I don't think a CVS is a credible vessel to do this.
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Never an "it", always a "she"!
"It took me a few seconds to write" that like "It will take eight months to dismantle" 'her'
MadMark!!!
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Navy forced to drop warship patrols in Caribbean through lack of funds | UK news | The Guardian
Sigh..... it doesn't get any better does it.... they will be getting Thames Water to fit meters to them next so they can monitor their spending....
Perhaps they should sail to Cuba ( if they have the fuel budget for it) and ask for political asylum, do to persecution in their home country by the regime in power.....
Sigh..... it doesn't get any better does it.... they will be getting Thames Water to fit meters to them next so they can monitor their spending....
Perhaps they should sail to Cuba ( if they have the fuel budget for it) and ask for political asylum, do to persecution in their home country by the regime in power.....
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"Slightly harsh (and untrue)"
The Royal Navy has not been in favour of donating ships as Museum pieces for free, preferring the scrap value route and by so doing, scaring off most Museum type interest. Even if they did not, the running costs would, as you say, be unlikely to make preservation a viable option especially for a ship the size of a carrier.
The Royal Navy has not been in favour of donating ships as Museum pieces for free, preferring the scrap value route and by so doing, scaring off most Museum type interest. Even if they did not, the running costs would, as you say, be unlikely to make preservation a viable option especially for a ship the size of a carrier.
if you can row it and "it" goes under water "it" is a boat
It's no wonder your the senior service, I think you have alzheimers.
Suspicion breeds confidence
Its decommissioned so its just a hulk, so an "it". Jimlad makes some very valid points as always, but I would say just this. The US battlewagons and carriers attract families and most of all children for weekend camps. These are very profitable and contribute to the upkeep of the vessels. These are not 9 - 5 museums. It would take a big ship to have the same affect here. But I doubt it will happen.
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Just remember a ship like an aircraft is metal only and has little meaning to civilian world. Every Nimrod to me was my buddy, I took pride in looking after her now most of her has now gone. They have destroyed them in front of my eyes for the last year. The MRA4 is going through the same and its a hrad thing to take , the Harrier im sure will see the same and now the ships, the pride of many years and so many memories wiped away. I feel for the sailors though as months at a time were spent with the carrier and now its getting an undignified end in Turkey. 
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Goldenrivet
I'll offer a simpler explanation, it doesn't matter if it floats on or under the water, to the air force they are all targets
I'll offer a simpler explanation, it doesn't matter if it floats on or under the water, to the air force they are all targets
Both Jim & Draken make entirely valid points. However, as the nation that invented the aircraft carrier it is a crying shame that we can't / won't support an equivalent to this (or USS Intrepid and the other Essexes).
SDACM USS Midway Aircraft Restoration Hangar
We didn't manage to save Vengeance (the last WWII-service carrier) and now a Falklands veteran won't be saved. As ever, it's a question of where to put it to attract sufficient visitors to keep it. Upkeep isn't necessarily a problem £5m every ten years would sort docking, but building / maintaining a trust fund for that would be. XH558 demonstrates just how hard that can be....
SDACM USS Midway Aircraft Restoration Hangar
We didn't manage to save Vengeance (the last WWII-service carrier) and now a Falklands veteran won't be saved. As ever, it's a question of where to put it to attract sufficient visitors to keep it. Upkeep isn't necessarily a problem £5m every ten years would sort docking, but building / maintaining a trust fund for that would be. XH558 demonstrates just how hard that can be....
I agree its a crying shamethat there is no aircraft carrier in the UK as a museum, however, having seen the state of the USS Intrepid pre restoration, and seen how much it cost to fix her, I cant imagine any UK company being in the same position.
The problem that running Vince as a museum ship would have is that what do you open - is it the flight deck, hangar, bridge, ops room, accommodation and maybe the engine rooms? (Pretty much what Intrepid has open) The rest of her is just a maze of compartments which aren't really any use to the museum trust. You'd also need an aircaft collection to demonstrate the link to the aviation past. This all equals serious money to keep H&S compliant, maintain the aircraft and also keep the ship in a basic condition where she can be visited safely.
The problem is that I don't see this making much money - there will be a spike of interest, and a steady trickle of visitors, but I don't see many people really making a major detour to see her if she's moored in some out of the way place, and unless she's free, then repeat visits are unlikely.
To be honest, I'd rather see the cash that would go on Invincible spent on the Fleet Air Arm museum, which has an excellent carrier mock up already and which is more likely to survive for the long term.
The problem that running Vince as a museum ship would have is that what do you open - is it the flight deck, hangar, bridge, ops room, accommodation and maybe the engine rooms? (Pretty much what Intrepid has open) The rest of her is just a maze of compartments which aren't really any use to the museum trust. You'd also need an aircaft collection to demonstrate the link to the aviation past. This all equals serious money to keep H&S compliant, maintain the aircraft and also keep the ship in a basic condition where she can be visited safely.
The problem is that I don't see this making much money - there will be a spike of interest, and a steady trickle of visitors, but I don't see many people really making a major detour to see her if she's moored in some out of the way place, and unless she's free, then repeat visits are unlikely.
To be honest, I'd rather see the cash that would go on Invincible spent on the Fleet Air Arm museum, which has an excellent carrier mock up already and which is more likely to survive for the long term.
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Where Clemenceau was scrapped - but presumably the Turks bid more (if Able even bid)
DSA were apparently very happy with the work the Turkish yard did on the three T42s sent there.
Last edited by XV277; 9th Feb 2011 at 11:57.