UPDATE – Sorry to disappoint everyone, but I’ve now found out that this was an April Fools Day Hoax!
New evidence discovered in the Royal Naval Museum’s archives has shown that HMS Victory, Nelson’s Flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar, was afloat in 1933 for that year’s Navy Week.
HMS Victory afloat for Navy week 1933
While researching Navy Days the Museum’s Head Curator found a logbook kept by a young officer onboard HMS Hood, the famous battlecruiser that was based in Portmouth at the time:
‘The entire Gunroom has had the good fortune to be appointed to the … Victory, which is due to sail for a fortnight’s cruise.’
Previously it had been thought that Victory had entered dry dock in 1922, and had remained there ever since. This fascinating new evidence suggests that in fact 11 years later, with a degree of towing, she managed to sail as far as Dover. The young officer commented further:
‘the greatest advantage gained in this fortnight is the unique experience of how a square-rigged ship – especially the old heavy bluff-bowed type – was handled’
Navy Week began in 1927, and was the forerunner of Navy Days. This years event takes place from 30 July to 1 August in Portsmouth Naval Base.
Daly History Blog 
We are about to have Navy Week here in Charleston SC next month.
Its quite telling how we used to have Navy Week, but now we have ‘Navy Days’, and then only intermittently. And we have to fill the port with foreign vessels. Not that I’m complaining mind, last time we had Danish, Japanese, Chilean and French ships in port. They haven’t confirmed any visitors yet for this year, but apparently an Italian warship will be among them.
It is interesting to see foreign ships of our allies. I have only been on US ships.
It is interesting, they all have their own unique feel, smell and aura, even down to the slightly different shades of battleship grey each navy uses. My favourite memory is going on a couple of South Korean ships some years ago, such a friendly bunch of sailors!
If this really happened then they should pull her out again with a suit of sails and have her put to sea as she was ment to do. I for one would love to see her under sail
Victory under sail again would be an impressive sight. It would take quite a lot of money and effort – people don’t realise how heavy and bulky sails are! One of Victory’s Trafalgar sails is preserved at the Historic Dockyard, its only one of the smaller top sails, but its still huge.
War ships are a thing to respect and if famous to try to maintain and preserve for future generation’s to see and also experience under sail or their own power. Keep those guns at ready, old but still a weapon. a thing of beauty and craftsmanship.
This was a replica built in the dockyard to promote navy days and manned by officers of his hood and his Nelson . I have photos as proof.