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HMY Britannia Mk2 Rears her Beautiful Head once again!

I'm surprised this hasn't been covered already but haven't seen it.

The PM is going ahead with the new royal yacht and has caused a row over making the MOD pay for her.

Plans for new national flagship to promote 'best of British'

If they are going forward with this it would be interesting how they go forward with manning her and running her.

(I would say that the RFA would be the shoe in for running her on cost but I can just imagine the leathery faced, nicotine stained, 65 year old AB wearing paint stained shorts and wrecked DMS boots going "Alright Love" as HM walks by!)

The current pictures I see don't have some of the things I would expect a modern ship (especially with a possible swing role) such as a flight deck.

A very strange turn up at this time when we have much more important ships to build such as FSS and a full order book for Escorts and the other new concepts that came out of the latest review!
 
IMHO quite absurd making either the RN or the Crown pay for it, as the ship will be a state asset with the overwhelming majority of its use being by HMG for diplomatic and commercial purposes.

Treasury should pay for its build and upkeep, RN should crew it (and be proud to, as with the last one), and the Palace might perhaps provide the stateroom staff and top tier gravitas.

Personally, I think a Britannia#2 would be a useful flagship for Britain in the way that the old one was, and that its costs would be significantly better value for money than much of the current aid budget. Given the way BJ's government has spaffed money away, at least B2 would be a tangible asset that the taxpayer can see and take some pride in.
 
I'm surprised this hasn't been covered already but haven't seen it.

The PM is going ahead with the new royal yacht and has caused a row over making the MOD pay for her.

Plans for new national flagship to promote 'best of British'

If they are going forward with this it would be interesting how they go forward with manning her and running her.

(I would say that the RFA would be the shoe in for running her on cost but I can just imagine the leathery faced, nicotine stained, 65 year old AB wearing paint stained shorts and wrecked DMS boots going "Alright Love" as HM walks by!)

The current pictures I see don't have some of the things I would expect a modern ship (especially with a possible swing role) such as a flight deck.

A very strange turn up at this time when we have much more important ships to build such as FSS and a full order book for Escorts and the other new concepts that came out of the latest review!

Morning @instinct,
'Funny' for the excellent description and have an ' informative' as well.
 
I get the very definite sense the MoD wants nothing to do with this...
My view aswell, Don't know where the bodies are coming for all these ships we are getting!

You do know about the "yachties" don't you...?

What the Wind assisted F***ing idio kind? Or the incredibly niche RN ones that was a navy in a navy?
IMHO quite absurd making either the RN or the Crown pay for it, as the ship will be a state asset with the overwhelming majority of its use being by HMG for diplomatic and commercial purposes.

Treasury should pay for its build and upkeep, RN should crew it (and be proud to, as with the last one), and the Palace might perhaps provide the stateroom staff and top tier gravitas.

Personally, I think a Britannia#2 would be a useful flagship for Britain in the way that the old one was, and that its costs would be significantly better value for money than much of the current aid budget. Given the way BJ's government has spaffed money away, at least B2 would be a tangible asset that the taxpayer can see and take some pride in.
Looking at this one it wouldn't be useful for anything other than flag waving and so on. I would imagine a much nicer and fancily appointed looking version of the new Multi-Role Support Ships that have the space and ability to be adapted would be a better option.

 
I'm surprised this hasn't been covered already but haven't seen it.

The PM is going ahead with the new royal yacht and has caused a row over making the MOD pay for her.

Plans for new national flagship to promote 'best of British'

If they are going forward with this it would be interesting how they go forward with manning her and running her.

(I would say that the RFA would be the shoe in for running her on cost but I can just imagine the leathery faced, nicotine stained, 65 year old AB wearing paint stained shorts and wrecked DMS boots going "Alright Love" as HM walks by!)

The current pictures I see don't have some of the things I would expect a modern ship (especially with a possible swing role) such as a flight deck.

A very strange turn up at this time when we have much more important ships to build such as FSS and a full order book for Escorts and the other new concepts that came out of the latest review!

Its quite simple.
You build a fabulous Yacht that projects British values wherever it moors up.
Crew it with RN as its secondary role ( in Wartime ) is quite rightly not Cocktail parties but Hospital ship.

MOD charges HMG for crew wages, fuel, Gin, etc

Do it quickly so HM the Boss can see its beautiful new lines and TCB liar sees its magnificence - before he dies in cancerous agony.
 
As was sensibly pointed out today, a purpose built replacement for RFA Argus would fit the Bill for the odd times a ship is needed for a HMG jolly.
 
As long as it has space for a series one land rover, who cares who foots the bill?

48827907656_479cc58247_b.jpg
 
It's another one of Boris's off the cuff japes...
And a bee in the bonnet for the Telegraph newspaper.
Utter cobblers and a revolting waste of cash. If the navy aren’t bothered running it, then who?
Could gain some money back by SERCO running it privately on exclusive cruises with some poor tour guide gravely intoning “these are the Royal heads. Rumour that HRH Duchess of Cambridge once had to take a dump here”.
Actually, I have completely changed my mind.
Build it at the expense of three new hospitals. Reverse the indulgent NHS pay rise.
Build this now. And give it to Harry and Meghan for a bit. They cruise the world, promoting their cause. People queue to take pictures of Meghan‘s nautical khazi, even though they know she don’t shit.
It needs masts. With pictures on them. I’d say HM the Q and Hazza’s mum, but let’s go bold. And corporate! Imagine that space! You can’t buy that. OK, you can. Phone this number.
 
Does anyone have any idea how much the last RYB raised for the country in trade deals etc. over it's lifespan compared to construction/running costs?
It would be interesting to find out. I think the ability to have a floating embassy is not something we should sneer at, I casn apprecite that there is an entire generation now that were not around when the last one was working but if the popularity and usefulness of the old one is anything to go by, it could very well pay for itself several times over in its lifetime.
Totally agree that the treasury should fund this centrally, or at the very least increase the defense budget to cover it btw!
 
The amount of Trade generated by the old RY, I don’t think could ever be valued.
In my opinion the old one shouldn’t have been laid up, completely stripped and refitted with modern engines and possibly the best of British technology as a showcase.
Interestingly no new Royal Yacht has had the same name apart from there being three Victoria & Albert’s in total over the centuries there have been over 60 Royal Yachts.
 
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