All a-bored... fed-up sailors quit Navy’s new carrier

‘They will probably want to be living somewhere else. It’s dull. You can understand people getting fed up’

THE Navy’s delayed new aircraft carrier is facing a morale crisis, it has been claimed, as sailors marooned in a small Scottish dockyard “abandon ship” out of boredom.

In the last few weeks, around 21 sailors are reported to have quit HMS Queen Elizabeth – the largest and most powerful warship ever built for the Royal Navy – amid claims morale has dropped “to an all-time low” because conditions on board are so dull. Technical issues have caused a series of delays and the £3.2billion ship remains at Rosyth, Fife, yet to begin sea trials.

It has been claimed sailors are being forced to work longer hours and weekends. Sailors wishing to change jobs within the Navy have had applications to leave the ship declined as they could not be replaced, according to reports, and are therefore resigning from the Navy to pursue careers elsewhere.

Commander Graham Edmunds, the vice-chairman of the UK National Defence Association, said the crew would be suffering from boredom.

“I can believe more junior personnel could feel as though they are kicking their heels and they will probably want to be living somewhere other than Rosyth. It’s dull,” he said. “You can understand people getting fed up and depressed. They have this fantastic ship and it has problems with paint peeling off her deck and there are negative reports going on.”

Cdr Edmunds added he was “disappointed” to hear that a number of people had decided to quit the Navy but said it would not have a large impact on the ship’s overall ability to operate.

Retired Lieutenant Commander Mike Critchley said the crew would be frustrated at delays which set sea trials back from spring to summer.

“That’s something that is not good for morale,” he said.

A crew of 700 has been on board the 65,000-ton carrier since May last year.

It is due to make its first voyage to Portsmouth in the autumn.

One disgruntled sailor told the Portsmouth News: “Morale is at an all-time low. People join the Navy to ‘see the world’ and that does not happen any more, hence the dwindling numbers and continuous line of personnel submitting their notice weekly.”

A Navy spokesman denied morale was low and said the retirement rate was “absolutely in line with the fleet average”.

He added: “Are the sailors working hard? Yes, and they are very proud of their ship. Morale is high.

“We’re all very upbeat and determined to get HMS Queen Elizabeth ready to sail in the summer.”