IT WAS a dramatic moment as the historic ship listed to one side as she was being moved to have her hull repainted.
Engineers had just started to move the Queen's former vessel, the Royal Yacht Britannia, from her permanent mooring at Leith in Edinburgh when the 5862-tonne ship tilted on its starboard side.
There was an anxious moment for engineers as the vessel, now a tourist attraction, started listing because of a leak in a door seal.
Water was pumped off the yacht, which in July hosted the Queen's grand-daughter Zara Phillips' and England rugby star Mike Tindall's pre-wedding party attended by Princes William and Harry, and the Duchess of Cambridge.
The ship, which shut on New Year's Day for a month, was being moved to the neighbouring Imperial Dry Dock, also in the Port of Leith, for work to be carried out.
Graham Inglis, group commander at Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service, said: "They had a listing ship and they needed to move water from the starboard side to the port side to bring it up to the vertical. We believe it was a leaking door.
"It's been sitting there for a long time.
"I suspect that the movement created this."
More than 20 firefighters from Lothian and Borders fire and rescue service and specialist pumps were needed to clear the seawater to get the vessel upright.
Four fire engines and three other fire service vehicles were at the scene including one specialist high volume pump.
Water could be seen being pumped out from the back of the ship's hull towards the stern of the ship.
Britannia was being moved to be taken out of the water and into the dry dock to allow that part of the hull to be inspected, treated and then repainted.
It is the first time since the summer of 1998 that it has been done.
Bob Downie, chief executive of the Royal Yacht Britannia, said the ship had been secure throughout, adding: "When we were removing the mooring ropes this morning the ship moved four degrees to starboard.
"This meant that new access watertight doors to our pontoons were below the water level. There has been a leak in the seals in those doors which was accentuating the list.
"Because we have limited shore power, we asked the fire brigade to provide us with some assistance in correcting the ship's ballast."
A spokesman said last night that two tugs had completed the task of getting her into position at the dry dock.
Britannia served the Queen for 44 years, carrying her and the royal family on 968 official voyages.
Launched in April 1953 at John Brown's Clydebank Shipyard, Britannia was commissioned for service the following January.
She travelled 1,087,623 nautical miles, calling at more than 600 ports in 135 countries.
In June 1994, the Government announced that the ship would be taken out of service.
She was removed from service in 1997.
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