SYDNEY - A crippled British warship, holed on rocks near a remote Tasman Sea island more than three months ago, left Australia today for a six-week ride on a heavy-lift ship back to Britain.
The US$400 million Type 42 air defence destroyer HMS Nottingham left Sydney Harbour in the middle ofthe night, several hours behind schedule, the Australian Broadcasting Corp reported.
Royal Navy spokesman Lieutenant Commander Simon Dalziel said depending on the weather, the trip home would last about six weeks and take the Nottingham through the Panama Canal.
The vessel, which suffered a gaping tear in her hull after hitting submerged but well-charted rocks off Lord Howe Island on July 7, is being carried on the NV Swan, a semi-submersible transporter chartered from Dutch heavy-lift specialists Dockwise.
The Nottingham's preparations for the journey home have taken more than three months.
Normally in her element when cruising at 28 knots, she had to be towed stern first to the eastern Australian port of Newcastle after languishing off Lord Howe Island for a month, and later stern first down to Sydney to be raised on the Swan.
Her Sea Dart missiles and other ammunition have been removed for the trip home.
The salvage operation so far has cost more than £10 million ($32.32 million), including the estimated cost of the Dockwise charter.
However, navy officials say original fears the Nottingham would have to be scrapped or consigned to target practice have eased and the vessel appears to be salvageable.
A Royal Navy inquiry into the grounding found there had been lapses in procedures on the bridge of the Nottingham and senior navy commanders are now investigating disciplinary action.
