HMY BRITANNIA 8th January 2012

The Royal Yacht Britannia, one of Scotland's leading tourist attractions, closed on the 31st of December 2011 for one month, re-opening on 1st February 2012. The vessel is making the short trip to a neighbouring dry-dock for inspecting and repainting her hull below the waterline as she prepares for a big year ahead.

Whilst Britannia spent eleven days in the Leith dry-dock, to ensure that the iconic vessel looks her best for The Queen's Diamond Jubilee year, the attraction will close for the full month.

Bob Downie, Chief Executive of The Royal Yacht Britannia said 'Britannia was last in dry dock in May 1998 when she first arrived in Leith and ever since then we have been conscious that, like all ships, there would be a future requirement to take her out of water again and have her hull surveyed and repainted.

'That said, every year Britannia is subject to a comprehensive independent maintenance survey and divers also inspect the hull to ensure that all is in good order, and whilst there is no particular need to undertake this work now our insurance company is keen that their own surveyors can inspect the vessel, with a view to not having to dry dock Britannia again for another 20-25 years.

'Although we will spend only a fortnight in dry dock, we will take advantage of the down-time to scaffold the funnel and masts so that they can also be repainted, thus avoiding this unsightly work taking place whilst open to visitors'

Britannia is looking forward to a busy year with The Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations and 2012 is also the 60th Anniversary of the laying down of Britannia's keel. Work began on the ship at John Brown's shipyard in Clydebank in June 1952 and she was launched in April 1953.

Last year was one of the award-winning attraction's busiest years with over 275,000 visitors, a 12% increase on the previous year, a year that also saw Britannia receive the highest quality mark (95.85%) ever awarded by the Scottish tourist board - Visit Scotland.

Britannia will reopen to visitors on 1st February 2012.

With the dry dock now empty ready for her hull painting, I was lucky enough to be able to enter the dry dock (big thank you  to Phil and the gang) and get these amazing shots:

HMY BRITANNIA 7th January 2012

Following on from Britannia's mishap the previous day she is seen here in the dry dock with the water pumping out of the dry dock.

It took some 9 hours to empty the dock.

HMY BRITANNIA 6th January 2012

On the 6^th January 2012 an emergency effort to pump water out of the Royal Yacht Britannia was rectified the list it developed while being moved to be repainted.

The yacht was tilting on its starboard side after developing a leak in a door seal. I spoke to an official the next day who confirmed it was 14 degrees.

The leak was discovered when officials noticed the ship was tilting and went to alter ballast levels, to bring the leak and ballast back under control. Four fire engines and two units from Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service.  Hawick Fire Service were also called to the Britannia with a high-volume pump on what they said was an emergency call.   It took around 20 fire fighters six hours to pump the water from Britannia which then allowed her to continue her journey slightly later than planned to the neighbouring Imperial Dry Dock, Leith, for work to be carried out.

Britannia Trust Chief executive Bob Downie said: "When we were removing the final mooring ropes this morning the ship moved several degrees to starboard.  "This meant that new access watertight doors to our pontoons were below the water level. There has been a leak in the seals on those doors which was accentuating the list. Because we have had limited shore power we asked the fire brigade to provide us with some assistance in correcting the ship's ballast.  This has caused a delay in the process.”

He added: "Moving the yacht obviously took longer than expected after suffering a setback but it is now mission complete. It all went smoothly once the water was pumped off the boat and it started to move. So, all's well that ends well."

There was no other damage to the yacht, which travelled more than a million miles during her career and has a top speed of 22.5 knots.  It was the first time the yacht has been moved from its berth in Edinburgh in almost 14 years.   The ship is due to reopen to the public on 1 February after a thorough survey and repainting of her hull, funnel and masts and a cost of around £100,000.

Work began on the ship at John Brown's shipyard in Clydebank in June 1952 and was launched in April 1953. During her career, she conveyed the Queen, other members of the Royal family and dignitaries on almost 968 official voyages. She travelled 1,087,623 nautical miles, calling at more than 600 ports in 135 countries.  The Queen publicly shed a tear at her decommissioning ceremony in December 1997 after Tony Blair’s Labour government refused to replace her.

  

On 11 December 1997 Britannia was decommissioned and became a visitor attraction in Edinburgh after the city bid to become her new home.

Last year was one of the attraction's busiest years with more than 275,000 visitors, a 12% increase on the previous year. 

She is seen here starting her list: