Returning westward again, and scooping in occasional isolated magazines on the high ground back from the shore, he blew up three cruisers and the battleships Oregon, Delaware, New Hampshire, and Florida--the latter had just gone into dry-dock, and the magnificent dry-dock was destroyed along with her.

"She's going to dry-dock, you see; and you can catch her as late as five to-morrow afternoon--at least, so her first officer told me."

I had been appointed ex-officio by the British Consul to take charge of her after a man who had died suddenly, leaving for the guidance of his successor some suspiciously un receipted bills, a few dry-dock estimates hinting at bribery, and a quantity of vouchers for three years' extravagant expenditure; all these mixed up to gether in a dusty old violin-case lined with ruby velvet.

It was imparted to me in a low voice by Captain Giles that this was an officer of some Rajah's yacht which had come into our port to be dry-docked. Must have been "seeing life" last night, he added, wrinkling his nose in an intimate, confidential way which pleased me vastly.

Although New Delhi has yet to unveil the sketch of its shipbuilding plan, it has started a new 310m long dry-dock facility at state-run Cochin Shipyard.

Bjorn Berger, head of department, maritime advisory, DNV GL, said: "By combining our broad knowledge and experience with dry-docking processes and VesselMan's cloud-based management system, we are offering a more professionalized and modern approach to dry-dock management making ship-owners and operators better equipped to plan and execute their dry-dockings in future."

Under the extended dry-docking selected restricted availability contract, BAE Systems employees and subcontractors will dry-dock the 505-foot-long Cole and perform upgrades and repairs to the ship's hull and engineering systems that will affect nearly every space on board.

The USS Constitution, the world's oldest commissioned warship still afloat, was pushed along by a tugboat, its sails already taken down as it prepares to enter dry-dock for the repairs, which the Navy says could take about three years.

This specific dry-dock operation was not possible previously, because of inadequate lifting for a vessel of this size.

Britannia chief executive Bob Downie said: "The marine surveyors have advised us that the hull is in a great condition and there is no reason to dry-dock Britannia again for at least another 20 years."

In the newest installment of the Princess online dry-dock journal, the current Tahitian Princess will not only undergo a makeover, but also get a new name.