HMS Intrepid - The last voyage

[FINNY]

Well yesterday saw the end of an era, HMS Intrepid which was last serving in the Falklands, went to its final destination for recycling. I was one of the guys who was involved in the towing of the vessel to Liverpool docks. Lets just say it was a very long day starting at 2.00am in the morning and eventually getting home around 6.00pm, but it was well worth it anyways here is a few pictures of the ship, whilst it was being towed and in the dry dock...

The ship situated in the dry dock in Liverpool.

The bow as it was at sea...

These 2 pics are taken from the front tower of the ship looking down.

One of the many kitchens onboard

AND FINALLY... the bridge

 

[lost]

Stunning! Thanks for sharing it.

 

[sqwasher]

Wow! Thanks for sharing these here. Great pics & some ace views!

 

[mr_bones]

That really is something else! A very rare insight into the final trip of such a huge vessel. The photos are great - thanks very much for sharing.

 

[FINNY]

Im hoping to get some more images over the coming months as she is cut up deck by deck...

 

[jock1966]

Fantastic set of photos thanks for posting.

 

[spacepunk]

Brilliant! can't wait to see the rest.

 

[Neosea]

Poor old girl, such a sad sight.

 

[Foxylady]

Superb photos. What an opportunity for a great explore, eh! Excellent stuff.

 

[steadyguy]

Thanks for great pics. Always sad when you see these nice looking ships taking their last run.
steadyguy,

 

[oldscrote]

How sad.I wonder how old crew members feel seeing their old home going to that great skip in the sky.

 

[King Al]

Excellent explore + pics FINNY, sad end to a good ship

 

[FINNY]

How sad.I wonder how old crew members feel seeing their old home going to that great skip in the sky.

Its old crew has actually set up a veterans association at hmsintrepid.com and a few of them were there for it to come into dock, we are also holding a visitors day for all the veterans who served on the ship before it gets dismantled.

 

[smiffy]

I guess as far as the Navy goes she is probably worn out and completely out of date but i really hate seeing what looks like (to the rest of us anyways) as a perfectly good , useable ship with a few more years in her go to the cutters yard.........
Guess with scrap being so high a price lately thats the way its gotta go.........

 

[Reaperman]

Cheers for posting these up. I dont suppose you had any photos of the engine room? Did you have anything to do with transporting the sister ship Fearless?

 

[Lacelotte]

I love these two old girls. They are truely fantastic ships and I for one was sorry to see them leave service.
I last seen them about two years ago moored in the middle of Portsmouth harbour with the other mothballed ships.

An interesting fact one Intrepid & Fearless was that towards the end of their operational life the navy only had one operational stern door for the ships and thats why you would only ever see one of them in service at a time. The other door would be swapped between ships and one would stay alongside.

 

[FINNY]

Cheers for posting these up. Really interesting. Did you have anything to do with transporting the sister ship Fearless?

Unfortunately not. Fearless was sold to a German company, pictures of Fearless being cut up can be found here
http://www.f913westhinder.be/fearless.htm

 

[FINNY]

I love these two old girls. They are truely fantastic ships and I for one was sorry to see them leave service.
I last seen them about two years ago moored in the middle of Portsmouth harbour with the other mothballed ships.

An interesting fact one Intrepid & Fearless was that towards the end of their operational life the navy only had one operational stern door for the ships and thats why you would only ever see one of them in service at a time. The other door would be swapped between ships and one would stay alongside.

There is a spare door actually in the rear of Intrepid, totally unused in primer red.

 

[Lacelotte]

There must have been a spare door to put on the back of the ship that stayed alongside but as far as I was told by a number of RN personel only one could be used at a time. Perhaps it was a particular mechanism that operated the door? Who knows... Two fantastic ships non the less

 

[FINNY]

Heres one of Fearless and Intrepid on the 19th June 2008 when I first went onboard

and another detail one from Intrepid..