When I surfaced at Greenwich on Thursday, there were two remarkable  ships on view. The newly reburbished and reopened Cutty Sark is looking great now, with all the scaffolding and stuff gone, so you can see the glass building that surrounds the bottom half of the hull as it should be seen. With a slight lengthwise curve to the roof, the old ship has an impression of movement, more like she’s back sailing on the water than when it was just sunk in a darkened concrete hole of a dry dock.

Lynx helicopter

And out on the river Thames itself,  before embarking the motor cruiser to see the Cable Car Crossing and the Thames Barrier, the scene is dominated by an enormous grey warship. From the waterside, the shape of HMS Ocean is disorientating. The superstructure is asymetrical, and the main hull looks like it’s been sliced lengthways, revealing two big holes at the side. Seeing the platform jutting out on the port side, it looks a bit like a traditional aircraft carrier, but it isn’t. It’s a helicopter ship, carrying eight Lynx helicopters there to patrol the no fly zone during the London 2012 Olympics.

HMS Ocean at Greenwich

According to information I looked up later, there are both Army and Navy Lynx helicopters onboard, as well as serving as a base for anti terrorist units during the period of the Games. Greenwich is used to seeing large Navy ships moored in the Thames, such as HMS Illustrious last year.

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HMS Ocean Helicopter Warship at Greenwich

Some interesting ships can be seen docked in the Thames, such as the Greenwich warship a couple of years ago. This weekend brought a Spanish Navy training ship, the four masted tall ship called Juan Sebastián de Elcano which is one of the largest and oldest tall ships still operational.

The video was taken from onboard one of the Hurricane Clipper river boat catamarans which provide a commuter service as well as sightseeing on the river Thames and now accept Oystercard onboard for payment as well as pre-paid tickets.

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Greenwich Tall Ship – 4 Masted Juan Sebastián de Elcano

Ark Royal could be saved from the scrapheap under plans to turn it into a heliport.

The Royal Navy aircraft carrier, axed in last October’s defence cuts and due to be decommissioned next month, could be based on the Thames by May 2012.

The 693ft vessel would be manned by around 150 former servicemen, for whom it would be both a home and a job, and would cater for City workers, police helicopters and London’s air ambulance.

Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, the head of the Navy, said the move could safeguard the future of the carrier, and the Ministry of Defence  confirmed it was considering the plan.

Currently in Portsmouth, the ship would be moored in the Royal Docks near City Airport to comply with noise-pollution rules.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1358880/Ark-Royal-new-future–floating-helipad-Thames.html

Photo: HMS Illustrious at Greenwich

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Arc Royal to extend London City Airport

More information and video:

• thisislondon/cable-cars-over-thames-a-high-way-to-the-east
• docklands24.co.uk  plans outlined_for_boris johnson’s_cable_car_scheme_over_london
• tfl.gov.uk/../projectsandschemes/
• Gondola Project

Here’s the impressionistic video to give an idea of what the ride on the London cable car will feel like from Summer 2012. It’s going to be called the Emirates Air Line by the way.

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London Cable Car May Go Ahead

HMS Illustrious is moored in the Thames off Greenwich for a week to help with the Royal Navy’s participation in Remembrance Day commemorations in London. This year is the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

HMS Illustrious was also used as a platform for the November 6TH Fireworks display which by all accounts was quite spectacular, being accompanied by the dramatic sounds of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 overture.

Photo derived from one by Simon Starr

HMS Illustrious returns to Greenwich in MAy 2009 as part of the Fly 100 events to commemorate the Royal Navy’s first “airship”. The aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious will be in Greenwich from Wednesday 6th may 2009 around midday.

• Gravesend at 9am
• Thames Barrier 10-11am
• Greenwich at 11:30am

There will then be a flypast of every current Front Line helicopter type passing up the Thames over HMS Illustrious on Thursday May 7th 2009 at 12.00 noon.

Thursday 7th to Sunday 10th May - Static aircraft displays in the Greenwich Old Naval College.

Saturday 9th May and  Sunday 10th May  at 2pm –  helicopter displays over the river by the Greenwich Old Naval College.

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HMS Illustrious at Greenwich