A design milestone in Royal Navy history

[Crag Cay]

As HMS Astute left for sea trials yesterday, I thought we should recognise the design milestone she represents in Royal Navy history.

She's the first RN submarine that has a bunk for every crew member.
Welcome to the 21st century.

[gonzo]

Iron ships and wooden men (and women now too)

[SamSam]

Iron ships and wooden men (and women now too)Are you alluding to mixed crews or did you just get the quote backwards? ;)

[gonzo]

No, I am being sarcastic about CragCay's comment of the Navy joning the 21st century. They use to eat hard tack and sea biscuits and get a tote of rum a day. Now they need their own bunk. Pretty soon they'll stop tarring their pony tails.

[Luckless]

No, I am being sarcastic about CragCay's comment of the Navy joning the 21st century. They use to eat hard tack and sea biscuits and get a tote of rum a day. Now they need their own bunk. Pretty soon they'll stop tarring their pony tails.

Yeah, and they also use to have massive drops in combat efficiency from malnutrition and fatigue.

Have you lived in conditions with Hot Bunking? It is a major source of stress, or more correctly, it is a lack of stress relief. There is a lot to be said to a human about having his own place he can lay down and sleep securely. One that is his, and his alone, and not shared.

[gonzo]

I've spent a lot of my life working in crappy conditions offshore.

[wardd]

is it made of concrete?

[Luckless]

I've spent a lot of my life working in crappy conditions offshore.

And do you feel you are more productive working in crappy conditions, as opposed to ones where you have more chances to relax and feel comfortable? As a student I've worked around Nuclear power, and it isn't something you want people tired, stressed, and not thinking clearly to be working on.

[gonzo]

You must not be comfortable around hairy chested men that pride themselves on how much crap they can take and keep on going.

[troy2000]

You must not be comfortable around hairy chested men that pride themselves on how much crap they can take and keep on going.

OK, gonzo. I know it's fun, but you need to stop yanking the gentleman's chain now...:D

[RHP]

As long as a darn thing's quiet enough to remain invisible they can have their own onboard bordello as far as I´m concerned.

[gonzo]

OK, I'll stop yanking. However, keeping a bordello quiet is going to be quite a trick.

[apex1]

OK, I'll stop yanking. However, keeping a bordello quiet is going to be quite a trick.

Give them a pint of Rum and you´ll hear not much! And the bordello staff will remain virgin as a side effect.

[wardd]

rum and bordello?

where do i sign up?

[gonzo]

All you had to do in the good old times was to hang out at the waterfront. They had thugs impressing people into the Navy.

[Submarine Tom]

I thought hot bunking went out with the Geneva Convention years ago.

I doubt those Soviet kids even had bunks, what a "life".

Concrete; good one.

-Tom

[hoytedow]

is it made of concrete?
Funny.

[JLIMA]

I have done 16 years on US submarines and on all boats except the "Ohio" or 726 class SSBNs hot rack. I have personal served on every class except the SSN 21 or Sea Wolf class. I can tell you hot racking is a miserable experience, and once I got to the "Boomers" i never looked back. Ports be damned at the larger bunk rooms and personal racks make life much more bearable, even when you don't see the sun for a few months! Good on the Brits their boys deserve it.