THIS year is the 200th anniversary of Lord Nelson's naval victory at Trafalgar, and celebrations will be taking place throughout Great Britain. The centre of these celebrations is Portsmouth, home to the historic dockyard where Nelson's flagship HMS Victory is moored.
Recently, I was invited aboard to splice the mainbrace while I was told about the fabulous events that are planned for this year.
But first I was given a tour. Made mainly of oak, this stalwart ship is 227 feet in length, with a beam of 52 feet and carries 27 miles of rigging. Into this tight
ship the crew at Trafalgar consisted of 821 men, 500 of whom lived on the lower gun deck.
Smelly
The gun ports were usually kept closed so it was dark,damp and smelly. There were 15 32-pounder guns both port and starboard. Each gun was manned by a crew of 15.
In battle young lads, known as powder monkeys, kept them supplied with powder charges from the magazine below. Hammocks, each allowed 16 ins, were slung from the beams, and mess tables were placed between the guns. Food and drink was generous with three good meals a day and half a pint of rum mixed with water provided at midday and evening meals. Fortunately when I had drinks down here there was plenty of room to lift the elbow, although the height of some of the in-between decks necessitated a lot of bending.
The officers quarters in the galleries at the stern were comfortable, with solid mahogany chairs and tables that were laid with fine pewter and silverware.
In preparation for battle, the interior bulkheads or partitions of the officers quarters were removed and guns installed.

Shattering
Then the vessel became a 100-gun first rate
ship-of-the-line designed to deliver shattering
broadsides.Under the command of Lord Nelson, Victory, with 27 other naval ships, on the 21st October 1805, smashed the joint French and Spanish fleets of double their number at Trafalgar off the south west coast of Spain.
Battered

Nelson was mortally wounded, and a battered HMS Victory returned to Portsmouth with the Admiral's body preserved in a barrel of brandy. He was honoured with a state funeral in St Paul's Cathedral. In the Royal Naval Museum, today, can be seen interesting memorabilia of this heroic man including
portraits, his uniforms, his watch and the miniature of Emma Hamilton - his great love - that he wore round his neck.
To celebrate this momentous victory, Portsmouth is making the year 2005 the place to visit. On June 28, there is to be an International Fleet Review in the
Solent by her Majesty the Queen - the first for nearly 30 years.
Participating in this 600-year-old tradition will be 150 ships from 40 of the world's navies as well as thousands of other craft. Aircraft and helicopter
fly-pasts will certainly add to the drama.
Evening sees a spectacular re-creation of a Napoleonic battle in the Solent.
Eight tall ships lying off the Southsea coast are aware suddenly of other tall ships closing to engage, as Nelson, embarks by boat from the harbour.
The naval organisers promise this engagement is as close to the real thing as you will ever get, thanks to the high-tech pyrotechnics, son et lumiere, music and radio broadcasts. Visit www.trafalgar200.com for more information.
Festival
The review is followed by a four day festival starting on June 30, which will enable members of the public to board many of the ships and talk to the crews that
participated in this magnificent event. During this period musicians, entertainers and sailors will join in the fun. Exciting displays will enhance this cosmopolitan event. For more information then go online and visit www.festivalofthesea.co.uk
The end of the Global Challenge Yacht Race is scheduled for July 17.
Here, the 72 yachts from some 11 nations who set sail last October will return from their 30,000 mile adventure of sailing the wrong way around the world.
Portsmouth is home to the Royal Navy, and the Historic Dockyard contains three of the most famous ships ever built.
Guns
Chronologically the first is the Mary Rose built 1509-11 during Henry V111's reign. The Mary Rose Museum contains 19,000 objects portraying life in
these times, including bronze guns and other expensive equipment.
But most interesting are those things that were part of everyday living, such as wooden carved spades, 137 longbows, 3,500 arrows and a magnificent collection of pewter - to name but a few of the items.
The last of the famous warships is the HMS Warrior launched in 1860.
I enjoyed a naval dinner aboard at heavy mess tables squeezed between massive cannons. Six hundred men used to live on her gun deck.
In her time, Warrior was the world's largest, fastest and most heavily armoured warship afloat. No opponent dared to challenge her. The ship had ten boilers each
with four furnaces.
She burned 11 tonnes of coal an hour at full speed and had a steaming range of 2000 miles - still not enough to cross the Atlantic. Hence long passages were made under sail with steam used to manoeuvre in and out of harbour.
When under sail the funnels telescoped down and the enormous propeller was hoisted clear of the water.
Anger
HMS Warrior never had to fire a shot in anger, which was the true measure of her success.
There is a multitude of things to do and see in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, including Action Stations, an interactive gallery with 35 fascinating exhibits explaining the science and technology behind our marine and naval industries.
And there is a 40 minute tour cruise around the naval base, the home of the Royal Navy.
On Trafalgar Day, October 21, alongside HMS Victory, a beacon will be lit - the first of a chain of beacons throughout the UK and the Channel Islands.
Celebrations
There will be many opportunities to take part in local celebrations throughout the land and for more information visit www.seabritain.com to see what is in
your area.