If it weren’t for that plume of steam you’d never know it was there..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-11605365

The Royal Navy’s newest and largest attack submarine HMS Astute has run aground off Skye, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed.

We have a brand new method of controlling the submarine, which is by platform management system, rather than the old conventional way of doing everything of using your hands.

back to the old fashioned way, then?

Easy to criticise. Can you drive one of those?

Driving it into the bottom does seem a fairly basic error, like putting a double decker bus under a low bridge.

Looks like someone’s going to be driving a desk from now on 🙄

The spokeswoman added: “There is no indication of any environmental impact.”

Apart from a where it hit the seabed.

They were apparently “dropping some sailors off”. As you do.

“dropping some sailors off”

that does sound like a euphamism…

HMS Astute
Hmm, not very astute obviously…

😆

Isnt it next to the skye bridge – there are some strong currents going through there.

I was there in the summer and there was a lot of helicopter activity coming and going from a Qinetic base they have there.

A submarine captain earlier…

Not the first time that it’s happened there. I wouldn’t fancy trying to get a sub through that gap.

platform management system

sounds like steering by comittee, “All those who vote we turn left?… uhuh…. And all those who vote for a Right turn? …. uhuh … OK, so adding that up we have our new heading”
“But Sir, that would mean-“
“Not now Jenkins.”
“But..”

etc, etc

Im told on good authority that Nuclear Subs are notoriously tricky to navigate through shallow water. Doesn’t stop it being any less funny though.

What submarine? Where? All I see is a black and yellow boat and a very low level cloud…

>Isnt it next to the skye bridge – there are some strong currents going through there.<

They shouldnt have been anywhere within a mile of the bridge – too shallow for anything with that kind of Draught.

Court Marshall time here we come…

Im told on good authority that Nuclear Subs are notoriously tricky to navigate through shallow water

which does sort of beg the question, doesn’t it?

Or at the very least a quick brief to the driver and Navigator. “Right lads, as you know, there’s some tricky water up ahead, lets not **** it up…Why have we stopped?”

Easy to criticise. Can you drive one of those?

How far wrong could one of us go wrong compared to the above? 😆

Anyone know where we are? not near Iran this time Sir. Phew, what could possibly go wrong? B*gger…

At least the taxi home won’t cost too much – definite improvement over driving it into Gibraltar…

It is understood that the boat, which is first in its class, ran aground by its stern in a manoeuvre that “went slightly wrong”

Understatement of the day goes to the Telegraph

I hear that the former Captain of HMS Nottingham was moved to the Sub division, oh dear…..
Lets hope the coast of Skye wasn’t on a crease on the map!

At least the taxi home won’t cost too much – definite improvement over driving it into Gibraltar…

actually the taxi home was a recovery vessel that the government just announced they are going to scrap

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-11606046

At least she only hit the bottom and not another submarine

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/4640673/British-and-French-nuclear-submarine-collision-as-serious-as-sinking-of-Kursk.html

@ Kimbers. Oh, sweet irony

Not enough Bicarbonate of Soda………

Easy to criticise. Can you drive one of those?

Yeah, course. I’ve got a HSV (Heavy Submarine Vehicle) licence. Why, haven’t you? Shooduv studied harder at school then. 🙄

I’d bunnyhop it over a sandbank, cos I iz skil.

It’s not far from where we’re staying this week so we past the sub this afternoon:

Where it’s aground is very close inshore so it looks like someone screwed up pretty badly. I’d expect two or even three officers (OOD, captain and navigation officer) might have there careers stalled after this one. I’m ex-Navy (although never on subs) and when navigating close to shore we used to have at least two officers navigating (one taking fixes and the other plotting them) and several lookouts as well.

It is quite ironic seeing that tug in use so soon after the announcement that it’s being cut. I’ve seen it often, but usually it’s anchored off Aultbea.

It is quite ironic seeing that tug in use so soon after the announcement that it’s being cut.

I thought that too, obviously not required 🙄

Easy to criticise. Can you drive one of those?

Yes thanks, its been a few years but its just like riding a bike.

On ‘work up’ before being designated fit for operations you can spend weeks up around that area performing tight navigational manouevers and the like.

“dropping some sailors off”

Normally a handful of lads will be lucky enough to pop into town for a small sherry.

White101 – where do they drop them off up there – alongside the wall at Lochalsh?

What’s long, narrow and full of seamen?

A submarine.

IGMC.

Carbon337, we used a rib that was onboard and send them off the side or use one of the RMAS tugs that was generally there as a support vessel. It would come alongside and swing a ladder over. It all depended on what tug was available.
Never got the chance myself, was either gunned-up as a trot sentry or on the bridge as signalman.

don’t they have those beepy things that cars have for parking?

Love the ‘I bet you couldn’t drive one of those’ comments.

No I can’t but at a billion quid a pop I’d sure as hell make sure that I found someone that could. And I would imagine that the inshore role that these subs are intended to provide (snooping, dropping off ninjas etc) is all about softly, softly to avoid either crashing into stuff or alerting the bad dudes. A bit more practice needed there then…

The one thing about HMS Nottingham is where they managed to stack it. Whilst I love Skye, Lord Howe Island’s an even better place for an unscheduled stop and the weather’s loads better.

White101 – doesn’t make much sense to me they could do it offshore with a chopper if they are going as far as using tugs etc.

Why are they dropping people off up there – QinetiQ staff?

Tugs always used to hang around. Staff wise it was Navy blokes going for a pint, but onboard during trials and work up you had dozens of engineers from equipment manufacturers doing testing and repairs to bits of kit that had wobbles now and again. I do recall a Mr Mystery from Marconi.

Think I want their job then working on Subs testing systems.

They used to do quite a few trips when the boat comes out of build or refit, I think there was a couple came to the states with us when we did spearfish and trident test firing for 4 months (that was a hard time 😉 )
It was better than being in the Navy and spending 3 months away without sunshine 😯

What is the steam venting for?