HMS Bulwark

Having set my alarm for 5am, I headed up to Renfrew on the rumour of "something exciting" heading for Glasgow in the early hours.

Looking at MarineTraffic before I left the house, I saw that HMS Bulwark was the surprise visitor. That made the trip more than worthwhile. I had read that she spent her 11th birthday in Scottish waters a few days earlier, so I knew that she was in the vicinity.

She came up the river assisted by all three local Svitzer tugs.

Bulwark is expected to leave Glasgow on Monday morning.

Exercise Joint Warrior 16-1

Time has come around again for the first of NATO's Joint Warrior exercises for 2016.

There seemed to be less naval participants than in some previous gatherings, however I was pleased to have seen vessels which I have not previously photographed.

More pictures are available in my Picasa galleries.

Spanish frigate ESPS Alvaro de Bazan passing Roseneath

RFA Wave Ruler A390 being escorted up Loch Long

C130 Hercules flying low over US supply ship Robert E Peary at entrance to Loch Striven

Three ships lying at the Roseneath anchorages

German submarine U34 enters the restricted waters of Gareloch

A spot of fishing going on perhaps? Danish support ship Absalon heading for Glasgow

German support ship FGS Donau A516 leaving Faslane after the Sunday briefing

KDM Peter Willemoes passes the Rhu spit escorted by two Svitzer tugs

HMS Defender leaving the Clyde

After her open day at Glasgow, HMS Defender sailed down river on a bright, sunny Sunday morning.

Here are a few pictures taken as she passed East India Harbour in Greenock.

HMS Defender

HMS Defender spent a weekend in Glasgow, the city of her birth.

Having seen several Type 45 destroyers undergoing sea trials on the Clyde, taking the opportunity for a closer look was not to be missed.

After going through a security bag check and standing in a queue for over half an hour we finally managed to get on board, only to find half of Glasgow snaking round the stern deck, through the hangar, in through the operations room and up towards the bow of the ship before turning around and heading back to the stern.

The Royal Navy personnel made everyone feel welcome and took time to chat with their visitors.

The large helicopter deck makes an ideal playground for restless kids

A plaque remembers naval campaigns which involved Defender's fore-runners

Uniformed personnel chat with the public

Sophisticaed electronic equipment, and a small gun

A big gun

The human conga makes its way back towards the stern of the ship

One of 2 Phalanx guns which can fire 4500 rounds per minute

A display of fire-fighting equipment

Returning to the stern via the hangar

Glen Mallan & Faslane

Well, an early start for a trip to Glen Mallan and Faslane this morning.

First ship to appear was HMS Diamond who paid a visit to the armaments jetty. The weather did us no favours, varying from rain to mist and drizzle.

After leaving Diamond as she approached the jetty, we made a quick trip down to Kilcreggan where we were just on time to catch RFA Diligence leave the Gareloch after a short visit to Faslane sub base.

By the time HMS Montrose arrived in the loch, the mist had descended enough to obscure most of the background.

HMS Diamond escorted by a pair of Serco tugs

HMS Diamond

Berthing is a shared responsibility

A132 RFA Diligence

Diligence heading for Loch Striven

HMS Montrose comes out of the mist

Montrose passing Rhu spit

Montrose making her way to Faslane

Joint Warrior - Friday arrivals, part 2

Some more arrivals for Joint warrior, firstly the Glasgow bound ships, photographed from Greenock, and then around to Glen Mallan and Faslane in the afternoon.

Swedish corvette, HMS Sundsvall

ORP Kontradmiral Xawery Czernicki, with local tug Battler following

HNLMS Urk, one of three Tripartite class minehunters arriving today

FGS Weilheim

Belgian Tripartite class, BNS Bellis

HNoMS Hinnoey following behind Bellis

ORP Czajka taking up the rear as the convoy heads to Glasgow

HDMS Absalon passing Faslane naval base

FGS Emden, F210 at Rhu

FGS Emden beside sister ship F207, FGS Bremen

Bremen and Emden alongside jetty at Garelochhead

Bremen and Emden with Absalon behind

German replenishment oiler, Frankfurt am Main at Glen Mallan