Under specced
 

I can remember a RN nav friend of mine going off to give the (then) brand new Ocean the once over. He came back unimpressed by a number of aspects, especially the bow thruster. Said it was like they'd fitted the smallest one available, pinched from a sun seeker yatch; it had very little effect on where the bow was pointing...

Didn't it get severely dinged when launched?

Yes and yes. Fore-poppet collapsed during launch, allowing forefoot to slam onto the berth and opening minor bow compartment to the sea (well, river). Fixed when docked some months later.

OK I give up - what is a 'fore poppet' and a 'fore-foot?

That was likely referring to the RCOH for each ship. Half (5) of the Nimitz class ships have already completed, or are currently in, their major mid life refit. This is known as Refueling and Complex Overhaul- RCOH. This is a major 3-4 year period where the reactors are refueled and the ships are majorly stripped out and refitted. This is the only reactor refueling in the projected 50 year life of the ships. There was some talk of skipping the RCOH for the George Washington and retiring her early as a cost saving move, but that was averted and she is next in the que and the other 4 will follow. Regular lesser yard periods are built into the deployment cycles for each ship. Massively complex and expensive undertakings to keep these capable and impressive ships in top shape and deployable.

Fore poppet: the temporary structure (wooden prop usually) that supports the forefoot during the slide down the slipway.


Forefoot: The bottom bit of the bow where it is curving round to join the keel/bottom.


N

At least when the USN put a carrier force to sea, they don't include a tug!

Thanks Bengo!! I must get to more launchings!!

I served on Ocean and she was a good ship, I really thought. Far, far better designed than Invincible (which in retrospective was bloody horrible in just about all aspects to my own selfish concern).
Ocean has a Big Hangar, aircraft lifts that were reliable and didn't collapse, wider flight deck, better access to the same deck, larger wider passageways, multiple compartments meaning lots of space for more people.
Better people, less big shouty egos, a far better ships company all around.
Downside, some pretty thuggish embarked Royal Marines one has to witness to believe actually allowed to serve, but they are what they are. Piss poor aircraft refuel system to the flight deck which had serious knock on effects at the time. Limited build quality in some areas, good in others.
Bigger deck and space generally makes for happier people. HS.

Almost as if when LPH was being tendered, the MoD (and the tenderers) went to the trouble of asking folk what could be improved from the CVS (then been in-service for around 10 years) and having got a list, implemented as much of it as could be afforded.

I am thinking that Ocean was always envisaged to have an RM contingent embarked whereas Invincible class never really was, and also that Ocean was always condidered to have a logistics role whereas (again) Invincible classes never were. Invincible really designed to provide sub-hunter support capability Vs Ocean designed more as a platform to support expeditionary warfare............

Just my 2 pennyworth...........

Arc