Deployment to Indian Ocean 2010

[jollyjack]

Due to spend 7 months away frm UK with the British Navy 2010 ivo Indian Ocean/Arabian Sea. Could be operationally anything from manic to mind-numbing. Have got a binocular set and am intersted if anyone has observing experience from that area. What will I be able to see that I cant see from the UK?

[michigander]

Southern Cross, Magellanic Clouds, Jewel Box, Omega Centauri and many more. If you have a 'puter available on board you could take a copy of Stellarium and reconfigure it to show the skies around the area you are in at any time. I'm sure that on an RN vessel you'd know your Longitude and Latitude, so just enter those co-ordinates. Practise a bit first as we've done this for holidays, and also had to reset the time - but cannot remember how just at the moment.

Have a good trip - and don't fall in the waaateerr!

Dana

[TheThing]

Not sure which is better for you - manic or mind numbing - but whatever, hope you have a good trip and come home safe. My dad was in the RN (Suez and all that) and taught me the 'Sailor's Lament' which I hope the mods don't mind me reproducing here: -

Oh Lord above,

Send down a dove,

With wings as sharp as razors,

To cut the throats,

Of them there blokes,

What sells bad beer to sailors!

[jollyjack]

Cheers for the sentiment!

Have got stellarium now, and ave been looking at my potential locations, should be very interesting. Will send some observation reports hopefully with the bins I'm taking with me.

"Oh I couldn't care less

For the Killick of the Mess

Or the Buffer of the working party,

Cos I'm off ashore

At a quarter past four

I'm Jack me (flippin') hearty!!!"

[nicnac]

lucky [removed word], it was all bulkheads and plant for my kind (stoker SM)