The British Navies oldest active ship puts to sea and is joined by sail (4 images)

grebeman

Old Codgers Group
HMS Illustrious is the British Navies oldest active serving ship. Here she puts to sea from Devonport naval base

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Here she turns to port to negotiate the Drake Channel between Western King Point, Eastern King Point and Drake's Island having passed through the narrows off Devil's Point


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Then a turn to Starboard to negotiate the Smeaton Passage into Plymouth Sound


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Waiting in Millbay docks for Illustrious to pass was the sail training ship Stavros S Niarchos, a more unusual job for the Plymouth civilian ships pilot to undertake


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A contrast in styles, although the warship is some 20 years older than the sailing ship


Barrie
 
I thought of you the other day Barrie when I saw the juxtaposition of a massive modern freighter passing (what I assume) was a recreation of an couple hundred year old schooner on Lake Michigan. Alas, my cameras were at home.
 
In the last picture, between the aircraft carrier and the sailing ship you can just about make out the Eddystone Lighthouse fourteen miles away on the horizon. It's only a vertical smudge, but I believe that's it.

I used to live in Plymouth, and on a clear day you could see the stump of Smeaton's Lighthouse alongside it too.

-R
 
That was the 45-175mm zoom at full stretch for some of the images. My 4/3 Olympus 50-200mm is a big beast and not that much longer, although I have a 1.4 times extender that retains auto focus with the GH2, but it's very slow to focus and heavy, so not used as a walk about!

Barrie
 
That was the 45-175mm zoom at full stretch for some of the images. My 4/3 Olympus 50-200mm is a big beast and not that much longer, although I have a 1.4 times extender that retains auto focus with the GH2, but it's very slow to focus and heavy, so not used as a walk about!

Barrie

But if ever a subject is good for a big, slow lens it would be this.

Still a fine series.
 
In the last picture, between the aircraft carrier and the sailing ship you can just about make out the Eddystone Lighthouse fourteen miles away on the horizon. It's only a vertical smudge, but I believe that's it.

I used to live in Plymouth, and on a clear day you could see the stump of Smeaton's Lighthouse alongside it too.

-R

Interesting pictures and the most spooky coincidence. I'm having a blue plaque put up on my house next week to commemorate the man who lived here and built the first Eddystone lighthouse. I had never heard of him and now the current Eddytone lighthouse gets mentioned in this thread within days of the installation!

Images not taken by me.
Image of the man trying out positions for where the real plaque might be placed.
View attachment 70465
Museum Street A1 by meaning_of_light, on Flickr

Close up
View attachment 70466
Museum Street A4 by meaning_of_light, on Flickr
 
Neat

Interesting pictures and the most spooky coincidence. I'm having a blue plaque put up on my house next week to commemorate the man who lived here and built the first Eddystone lighthouse. I had never heard of him and now the current Eddytone lighthouse gets mentioned in this thread within days of the installation!

Images not taken by me.
Image of the man trying out positions for where the real plaque might be placed.
View attachment 70467
Museum Street A1 by meaning_of_light, on Flickr

Close up
View attachment 70468
Museum Street A4 by meaning_of_light, on Flickr

Very neat!
 
3rd Eddystone light

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Behind the pilot launch and standing on Plymouth Hoe is the remains of the third Eddystone light built by John Smeaton between 1756 and 1759. It pioneered the oak tree shape and used interlocking granite blocks. It stood for about 120 years before the rock on which it stood eroded to the extent that the lighthouse shook when hit by large waves. It was dismantled and erected on Plymouth Hoe as a memorial.

There is a model of Winstanley's lighthouse in the museum in Plymouth.
 
Interesting. Seems like the Eddystone lighthouses have a lot of stories to tell. Poor old Winstanley always said he would really like to be in his lighthouse during a big storm, he was and the storm destroyed his lighthouse with him in it!
 
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