Another lockdown… another commute

[Shutree]

First sight of Africa?

[Mendip]

Bladdy hell... I thought you were a teacher!

Last clue... I took the picture from the port side of our boat. That's the left side, for you landlubbers.

[Shutree]

Oh, 1805 and all that. I don't remember much, I was very young at the time.

[Mendip]

Yes!

The site of The Battle of Trafalgar!

I have two heroes in my life... Charlie Harper and Admiral Horatio Nelson. This was like a pilgrimage to me and we had a beautiful day for it.

If we had sailed by on 21st October 1805, almost exactly 216 years ago to the day, we would have seen something like this.



Well, to be honest we passed by about 24 nautical miles south of the site of the battle, and the horizon is said to be around 16 nautical miles away at sea, but this would have been the scene just out of view over the horizon, in my photo above.

Nelson was outnumbered but attacked the combined fleet of French and Spanish vessels using two columns headed directly to the heart of the enemy. Nelson led the attack from the flagship, the HMS Victory. The genius was, once engaged amongst the enemy, the British could rake the enemy fleet from bow to stern with double-sided broadsides.



The faster rate of the British gunners helped to win the day, but it was hot work.



Tragically Nelson was shot by a French sharpshooter during the battle and eventually succumbed, but not before hearing that he had won the day. This victory prevented Napoleon from invading Old Blighty and established Britain as the dominant naval force for 100 years.



At the end of the battle, Britain hadn't lost a single ship, whereas the French and Spanish had lost twenty-two.



I've long been a fan of Nelson and have a superb model of his HMS Victory at home.



Nelson's full titles, as written on his coffin, are...

The Most Noble Lord Horatio Nelson, Viscount and Baron Nelson, of the Nile and of Burnham Thorpe in the County of Norfolk, Baron Nelson of the Nile and of Hilborough in the said County, Knight of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Vice Admiral of the White Squadron of the Fleet, Commander in Chief of his Majesty's Ships and Vessels in the Mediterranean, Duke of Bronté in the Kingdom of Sicily, Knight Grand Cross of the Sicilian Order of St Ferdinand and of Merit, Member of the Ottoman Order of the Crescent, Knight Grand Commander of the Order of St Joachim.

What a man!



Now that I've got a retro bowling shirt I can dress like Charlie Harper, as I appreciate that I'd look like a bit of a twat dressing like Admiral Horatio Nelson when wandering around the bars of lower Sukhumvit, but Dan loves a bit of role play!



An uncanny likeness!

Yesterday I asked if we could make a small diversion to pass directly over the exact position of the Battle of Trafalgar, but as expected my request was denied. A shame because that would really have meant a lot to me, and it would have been just great to put the ROV down to find a couple of cannonballs.

But anyway, I had to settle for a selfie of myself almost at the site of the historic battle.

This will take pride of place on the wall next to the HMS Victory at home!




The Battle of Trafalgar and the image of Horatio Nelson | Art UK

[Shutree]

Nelson's full titles, as written on his coffin,

I don't remember the words but I was very impressed by his sarcophagus in the crypt of St. Paul's. There are a few interesting people laid to rest there.

[Edmond]

Cool to see the stars showing in your phone pics.

Is there much light pollution from the ship when out in the middle of the ocean in the dead of night, or do you get views of the Milky Way in all its glory?

There are night sky map apps etc, that you just hold up your phone and they list out all the planets and stars etc that you can see. Pretty cool.

[hallelujah]

Cool to see the stars showing in your phone pics.

Is there much light pollution from the ship when out in the middle of the ocean in the dead of night, or do you get views of the Milky Way in all its glory?
.

Does it get any more glorious than this?

[Edmond]

It doesn't.

Don't they have an ice cream version as well. *drool*


Probably available at Siamburi for 7 baht for a pack of 12.

[beerlaodrinker]

Bladdy hell... I thought you were a teacher!

Last clue... I took the picture from the port side of our boat. That's the left side, for you landlubbers.

An easy way to remember left from right in the maritime world is. There's No PORT . LEFT in the bottle Once you dial that in then starboards a no brainer

[beerlaodrinker]

I'm a big fan of captain Cook personally. Admiral Nelson and Charlie Harper were ok . But that captain Cook bloke got it right

[Mendip]

^^ And the port side light is red, same as the port in a bottle. Starboard lights are green.

[nidhogg]

One of the most amazing things of course is that to this day you can walk around HMS Victory, and pretty amazing it is too.

[Reg Dingle]

I'm a big fan of captain Cook personally. Admiral Nelson and Charlie Harper were ok . But that captain Cook bloke got it right

They're all a bunch of wankers these sailors. Look at that Popeye and those huge wrists.

Mendip's the same, but with peas and pies instead of spinach

[bsnub]

The Battle of Trafalgar and the image of Horatio Nelson

A modern day movie would be epic.

[cyrille]

Do you mean ... a movie?

A modern day movie would be a bit odd.

[malmomike77]

One of the most amazing things of course is that to this day you can walk around HMS Victory, and pretty amazing it is too.

Still an active ship of the Navy and flagship of the First Sea Lord.

[cyrille]

That is really cool.

Launched in 1765.

[bsnub]

Do you mean ... a movie?

Of course I do. How is that hard to understand?

A modern day movie would be be a bit odd.

Oh god. Why do you insist on being a tedious twat? A modern movie true to history with all the production and cgi would be amazing if it recreated that battle.

[malmomike77]

There are 4 ships that are great to visit in the UK with different reasons

1. HMS Victory - Portsmouth
2. Cutty Sark - London
3. SS Great Britain - Bristol
4. HMS Belfast - London

Great stories and very atmospheric. Love these places, really enjoyed the USS Intrepid in New York, never did make it up Liberty.

[cyrille]

^^Yeah, you just used the wrong term.

Calm down.


You're pretty boring yourself btw - except when you're making a total wanker of yourself.

Which admittedly is quite often.

[bsnub]

[cyrille]

A modern movie true to history with all the production and cgi would be amazing if it recreated that battle.

Agreed.

Tom Hardy should be in it.

[cyrille]

And that fat fuck from the Bet 365 adverts shouldn't be.

The world's best known bet in kampany.

[malmomike77]

^ are you feeling alright Cyrille?

[cyrille]

Actors in a 2022 nautical movie.

I think it's quite good fun to imagine who'd fit and who wouldn't.

I'd put Idris Elba in just to get newbie dave going 'Oh FFS!'