Weather: Nice and Calm probably no more than a force 2, Significant wave height 2-3m
Location: Bhodaich, near the Isle of Ewe/Isle of May
Food: Monk Fish
Tornadoes, Mirrages, Science and RRS James Cook gets surrounded!!!!
Today started just like another day - we have made our way slowly back towards shore after the bumpy ride that we experienced out in the North Atlantic. The ship got on station early this morning near the Isle of Ewe near a place called Bhodaich. The area is spectacular with some very impressive mountains and scenery - although its a lot more impressive when its sunny!!! When it rains (and it does in this part of the world) it looks a little bleak...... reminds me of Wales.
Anyway the BGS guys spent the morning working on the drill - some minor damage was sustained during yesterdays recovery and this needed to be fixed. Heather and Gav have been practicing for "International Talk like A Pirate Day" which is tomorrow and there has been a lot of "Arghhhhhhh" and "Avast" as well as some strange Pirate Chat-up lines recited by Gav.
The morning meeting was short and sweet - tomorrow we will head into Ullapool and do some surveying in the sea loch. The workboat will be deployed to collect some ships spares. I requested to go in the boat and get some pictures of the ship in the loch and have been granted permission!!! Wooo Hoooo!!! Not as sunny as the last time off Portugal but hey!!!
An attempt was made to deploy the drill - water here is about 36m and for the first time this cruise we got the USBL working and managed to track the drill and its descent to the seabed. Unfortunately the drill developed a minor problem and was recovered. The BGS guys spent a couple of hours working on the problem and the rig was soon back in the water and on the seabed. The USBL worked beyond expectation and the rig was landed within roughly 1.5m of its target position!!! The rig will now drill into the seabed and extract samples!
During the 10 o'clock meeting a RAF Tornado flew passed the ship at low level and over the next few hours numerous runs were made passed the ship. This is expected as we are in the middle of Exercise Neptune Warrior - A massive NATO war games week. In the distance was the dark outline of what appeared to be a frigate. Finally things got a bit quieter, then two very noisy French Mirrages resumed the attack and a few mock dogfights over the ship. Those on deck who had served in the Falklands commented how the area we were working in was very similar to the Falklands - especially the weather and the fact that it was so bleak.
Things were quiet for the next few hours - some warships/frigates could be seen on the horizon. Then from nowhere appeared two RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat). They stayed a short distance away from our ship whilst on the horizon appeared the silhouette of several naval vessels - these were heading towards us and as they neared the RHIB's appeared to engage them throwing the group into disarray and a number of flares were fired. The RHIBS then beat a hasty retreat and RRS James Cook was the surrounded by the Mine Counter Measure group consisting of HMS Echo, HMS Walney (M104), HMS Chiddingfold (M37), HMS Shoreham (M112) and FS Andromede (M643) which lay around us for a couple of hours before steaming of into the mist and leaving HMS Chiddingfold off our port side.
Interestingly HMS Echo has equipment that can detect items the size of a football underwater up to 1000ft away. Our noisy and bulky rock drill must have caused some curiosity although this was probably more an annoyance to them as it is so loud it who have stopped them detecting much else - including the submarines in the area.......
A minor computer glitch with the ships DP saw the rapid recovery of the rock drill as a precautionary measure...... It look slike someone may have been trying their jamming equipment
No sleep for the wicked. Rock drill deployment at 23:45. USBL positioning worked very well and we were able to land within 1.5m of the target for the second time today - the drill did land on a boulder but this was not a problem!! Off to be very very very tired!!
The BGS rock drill is pulled onto the deck
Crew work to prepare the rock drill for its next deployment.
How many people can fit in a rock drill? The crew and BGS team prepare the rock drill for its next deployment.
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More work on the BGS rock drill in preperation for its next deploymeny
No-one told Heather and Gav that the fancy dress had been cancelled....
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Map of our location - we are marked by the red dot. The red shaded areas are naval exercise areas........ |
A Dassault Mirrage belonging to the French Air Force peels off over RRS James Cook
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RAF Tornado in action over the ship
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RMAS Salmoor (A185) is a SAL Class mooring and salvage vessel still working for the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service department of the Royal Navy, until commencement of contract for Serco Denholm at HMNB Clyde, and based at Great Harbour, Greenock.
Built by Hall Russell in 1985, her displacement is 2,200 tonnes and dimensions 77 m by 15 m by 4 m. Her complement is 19 and speed 15 knots.
Tasks include the laying and maintenance of underwater targets, navigation marks and moorings.
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The navy were taking no chances with the cigarrete deprived AB's of the RRS James Cook. Left to right HMS Walney , HMS Echo and HMS Chiddingfold. The little boat on the rseemed to be conducting an attack against the flotilla.
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HMS Walney , HMS Chiddingfold and HMS Echo take evasive action |
RN RHIB in action against the flotila |
