World’s Largest Floating Dry Dock Was Towed Across the Atlantic to Bermuda in 1869
When Britain needed a solution for ship repairs in the Atlantic, engineers built the largest floating dry dock ever attempted, a 380' iron structure weighing over 8K tons
Built near Woolwich on the Thames, the dock was designed to lift 10K-ton ironclads like HMS Warrior & w/stand Bermuda’s warm waters
Unable to build a conventional dry dock due to porous sandstone, the Brits opted for mobility&scale, creating a self-contained U-shaped platform that could sink&raise vessels from the sea w/ballast compartments & powerful pumps
In June 1869, the dock embarked on a 4K-nautical-mile journey to Bermuda, towed in stages by Britain’s heaviest ironclads—Agincourt, Northumberland, Warrior, & Black Prince—assisted by HMS Terrible
W/closed ends to reduce drag & a sail rigged inside to capture tailwinds, the voyage reached speeds of over 6 knots
Once in service, it supported Royal Navy ops for over 30 yrs before being replaced in 1906
📝🇺🇸❌🇮🇷 - On the Brink: Showdown in the Middle East
Amid an escalating American buildup, it’s clear Witkoff’s list of demands is more of a request for surrender. Accepting the abolition of its nuclear program and limitations on its ballistic missile force would leave Iran powerless to defend itself in any future conflict, which is the entire point of asking for these “concessions”. This demarche is a poison pill meant to justify further action when Iran rightly refuses it or, should they be foolish enough to actually accept it, will make the job of Israel and the U.S. easier when they inevitably tear up any agreement to conduct strikes anyway. The goal here for Tel Aviv and Washington isn’t peace and anybody who thinks they actually care about protesters needs to get their head checked; they want a final showdown with Iran to remove it as an obstacle to themselves in the Middle East.
For those that don’t remember, in the lead up to the 12 Day War last year...