A huge section of hull for Hms
Queen Elizabeth is seen here sailing under The Forth Rail Bridge on Sunday 11th
November 2012.
She is the first of two new
aircraft carriers being built for the UK Royal Navy, she left BAE Systems’
shipyard at Govan on November 4 to embark on a 1500-mile journey to Rosyth.
The large sea-going barge AMT Trader
was carrying the 11,300 tonne aft section of hull, known as Lower Block 04, was
towed from the company’s yard on the Clyde to
begin her seven-day journey to the east coast.
Since moving the block out of the
company’s shipbuilding hall on the 21st October, final preparatory work,
including sea fastening, was undertaken by workers to prepare the block for her
departure. The team had also monitored weather forecasts to time the block’s
departure to ensure a smoother journey to the east coast.
Equating to around twenty per
cent of the overall weight of the ship, Lower Block 04 is the largest hull
section of Hms Queen Elizabeth. The block will now be floated off the
specialist barge and moved into position in dry dock, ready to join the other
sections already in place. Additionally, around 250 employees from the Clyde followed the block to Rosyth where they will work
in partnership with Babcock to complete the assembly phase.
