HMS Diamond on a dull, grey day

I had heard on the radio that HMS Diamond was going to be in Aberdeen on Saturday, so before I went to check in for the ferry I went a drive out to the Torry Battery to get a view across to her. I have to say, I didn't exactly find her a nice looking ship...

She was built in the Clyde and is the Royal Navy's newest warship - amazingly the Government haven't yet decided to scrap her, unlike the RAF's Harriers... She is undergoing sea trials for almost a year, from last September until July (if I remember right). Apparently Aberdeen will be her home port, so she was open to the public on Saturday afternoon. I decided I didn't have time to queue and look round though, but it seemed that as I was in Aberdeen anyway I should at least make the effort to see her, which I did.

It turned out that the best view I got was actually as the ferry was leaving the harbour - through the window of the ferry, hence the weird reflections, I decided that having seen conditions at the harbour entrance earlier I needed to be sitting down by that point and not wandering about the deck - and that was also what the captain advised passengers.

Watching a tanker leave Aberdeen Harbour .... hmm, nice conditions, not looking forward to that part of the journey.... but it looks fairly calm outside the harbour ... or so I thought at the time.....

I was wrong! It wasn't calm at all outside the harbour! The first 2 hours of the ferry journey home was really not fun. Well, actually, none of the crossing was 'fun' but the first 2 hours were by far the worst, especially the crashing noises! Thank goodness for the crystallised ginger supply I had, and for my ipod which I used to try to drown out the sound of other people being seasick.... lovely. The journey took longer than usual too due to the sea conditions, over 7 hours instead of the usual 6 hours, but at least the ferry sailed and I got home safely - Sunday's boat was cancelled due to the weather.