One of the landmarks of the River Thames waterfront is HMS Belfast. Originally launched in 1938, the 600′ (180m) long cruiser was capable of speeds of more than 30 knots, and she saw service in both WWII and the Korean War. In the early-1970s, the Belfast was converted into a museum ship, and she’s been moored on the south bank of the Thames ever since.
For people who like boats, the Belfast is a fantastic place to visit. The original engines featured oil-fired boilers that generated steam to drive four independent prop shafts, and they are all still installed and completely open to visitors. Her main armament of 12 6-inch guns mounted in turrets remains, and tourists are free to climb the ladders to the bridge and the flag deck.
After previously spending time at museums featuring the sailing warships of the 1800s, it was amazing to see how quickly technology developed. In a mere 100 years, the state-of-the-art completely changed – from snub-nosed wooden tubs driven by the wind blowing into canvas controlled by hemp in the 1800s, to long and narrow metal hulls able to move at high speed regardless of wind direction.
