Northern Horizon - search vessel

Channel 4 and ITN's project to find the wreck of the Hood is finally underway. The survey ship, Northern Horizon, set sail from Cork at 11pm last night.

The Hood project is her most ambitious to date, but Northern Horizon is used to difficult tasks. Latest voyages include the discovery of the wrecks of two Phoenician trading ships dating back to 750 BC. Last year she sailed to the Black Sea in a bid to find the remains of Noah's Ark.

As she departed, Search Director David Mearns of Blue Water Recoveries is pleased with her progress so far.

"As we got Northern Horizon ready" David reports, "the deck looked like Spaghetti Junction! We had an army of riggers, welders and technicians crawling over every inch of it. But mobilization produced no serious problems - with all our heavy gear, cranes, cable wheels and winches going in OK."

Ted Briggs - in Cork

And David is as confident of his team - and Channel 4's - as he is of the ship. "I feel good about them" he said. "All 22 coming on board are about as experienced in their field as you can get - and that experience will enable us to fix any problems we encounter on the search."

Ted Briggs, the last remaining survivor of Hood's sinking, was also in Cork to wish the expedition good luck.

"I'm looking forward very much to joining the Channel 4 team for the act of remembrance at the site of the sinking of our great navy", he said from the harbour.