Comments (Newest First):

 

Post 4170

  ColetteB, Dover

CRUISE VISITS
____________

We have a busy week of cruise calls starting tomorrow Monday April 24th with MV Hamburg. She was last here in October 2016 and is currently sailing up the channel from Falmouth after visiting Spain and Portugal. She will arrive at CT1 08.30 departing 19.30 hours, PoC.

Then on Tuesday April 25th Saga Pearl II is scheduled to arrive at CT1 08.00 leaving at 16.00 hours T/R. I'm a little unsure of this one as there are no further details to be found, so watch this space.

This Thursday April 27th AIDAsol is popping in to pay us a visit again, on a 4 Night round trip from Hamburg via Ijmuiden in the Netherlands, arriving CT2 09.30 leaving 21.30 hours PoC.

A Double Whammy this Friday April 28th with the arrival of the AIDAluna at CT2, PoC, arriving at 08.00 and is scheduled to depart at 20.00 hours. She is calling on her way from Las Palmas to Warnmunde. We haven't seen her since April 2015 so it's a real treat to see her again

On the same day at CT1, arriving at 08.00 hours T/R is our old friend the graceful Saga Sapphire sailing 14 nights on 'A Taste of France & Spain' cruise, calling at Guernsey on the way. She will depart at approximately 16.00 hours.

Then Wow!! Sunday April 30th brings us another Double Bubble! At CT2, 06.30 hours, the Grand Old Dame herself 'Balmoral' begins her 7 Night cruise taking in the wondrous Fjords, Mountains and Glaciers of Norway departing 17.30 T/R.

On the same day Saga Pearl II is scheduled to sail off on a Bank Holiday Getaway, arriving at CT1 08.00 leaving 16.00 hours T/R. Hopefully she is arriving as there are no further details available.

That's all until May folks, catch up then

Sunday, 23 April 2017 - 15:41

 

Post 4169

  Ed Connell, Blackpool

Vic in his rowing boat. All this area will sadly be filled in during the DWDR project.


Sunday, 23 April 2017 - 12:53

 

Post 4168

  Sea News, Dover

Yes Mike good to see Gemini in the thick of the action...also.. I will have that press release in full tomorrow.
Hard to imagine nowadays Vic, rowing back and forth so I guess times change and sometimes for the better.
Glad you are enjoying the events unfurl here on Sea News. Lots more to come.
PaulB.

Sunday, 23 April 2017 - 10:55

 

Post 4167

  Mike J., Dover

Post 3691 - GEMINI - good to see a local boat getting some work on the DWDR project.
She's normally busy with fishing parties.

Pile-driving may be starting on Monday [presumably at the site of the new ‘Marina Cut’ & will last for many months with restrictions for bathing off the beach.

For the very interesting DHB press release place ‘http’ [but not the apostrophes !] in front of -

://www.doverport.co.uk/about/news/changes-to-harbour-leisure-activities/13296/



Sunday, 23 April 2017 - 09:04

 

Post 4166

  vic matcham , Dovor

Their crew Transfer boat is better then the rowing boat we had, and I had to row it before starting work and at the end of the day with no ex pay.

Sunday, 23 April 2017 - 06:17

 

Post 4165

  Sea News, Dover

As these vessels are operating 24 hours a day and 7 days a week they obviously need crew changes. That's dredger MP40 above and below, enjoying the late evening sun of a few days ago as Gemini delivers the next shift...

I zoomed in on the situation below ... the pictures are a tad soft what with it being late in the long day.



And then below... night falls on the MP40. It looks tranquil but no, this pic taken just before all the floodlights come on...will aim to get a pic of those floodlights in due course. The other vessels are ablaze with these lights also, working as they do all through the night...so its getting like New York around here..


AIDadiva left us last night just before 9pm heading to Le Havre, but the excitement goes on as another AIDA is in today .. AIDAsol is back.

Sunday, 23 April 2017 - 06:06

 

Post 4164

  Sea News, Dover

The super AIDAdiva arriving with us through the drizzle this morning sunday...still in port as I write. That's one of the Wadden barges to the right of shot...

Sarah you're on fire with the camera over there in Ramsgate - a great collection below once again. Great to see those pictures.
Well done Mike, right on the spot once again in the immediate post below. Great stuff!

Saturday, 22 April 2017 - 19:27

 

Post 4163

  Mike J., Dover

A couple of RIBs, Saturday morning.
The CRC ATLAS arrived from Brighton Marina on Friday afternoon & has been busy all day.



The CRC HERCULES was in the old Jetfoil terminal.

AIS shows two 'windcats' the ADMIRAL P & the CARDINAL P due in Dover from Torquay this evening where they'll join the ALERT who is due about 1800.

Saturday, 22 April 2017 - 17:01

 

Post 4162

  Sarah, Ramsgate

She is on her way back to Dover, she has just left Ramsgate. I managed to catch a couple leaving Ramsgate early this morning.

Border Force - Eagle







Royal Navy - HMS Charger



Seen here with Pilot Boat - Estuary Elan



Saturday, 22 April 2017 - 11:33

 

Post 4161

  Sea News, Dover

A cracking collection of pix below Sarah, They look great and follow on nicely from Alert in Dover. Great to get close-up shots like that.
Royal Navy one a bit special too. Ramsgate looking good. PB.


Saturday, 22 April 2017 - 07:29

 

Post 4160

  Sarah, Ramsgate

Alert has now arrived in Ramsgate, here she is entering the harbour this evening.









There were two overnighters from the Royal Navy in the harbour tonight HMS Charger & HMS Biter.



Friday, 21 April 2017 - 20:21

 

Post 4159

  Sea News, Dover

Skaw Provider above there which came earlier in the week to provide bunkering services to the Saga Sapphire and possibly the AIDAsol. Yours truly didn't remember seeing Skaw before so surprised myself by seeing other pictures of her in the system here from a previous time. That's a triple whammy picture...in the immediate background we have ol favourite Alert arriving here as the Skaw Provider pulled away. The name of the ship in the far distance isn't known.
Above we have MP40 in action...just caught the moment the claw came out of the water...you can just see Alert squeeze into the background with AIDAsol also in shot.

Just adding this extra one of Alert (...at the new size 790 pixels wide) looking across the top of MP40...


See also todays sizing announcement 3683. PaulB.

Friday, 21 April 2017 - 15:34

 

Post 4158

  Sea News, Dover

A couple of pictures above there of the fire on the Western Heights last evening about 5pm. It looked to be a vandal situation as there were no signs of an organised scrub clearance. Sirens were heard wailing in the distance....
Hard to believe but those are actually colour pictures....

Below we have a shot of the returning Noah from a few evenings ago. A familiar errrrr face in the harbour! In the background the lifeboat goes out on a training session catching the late sun...must have been Tuesday...


Friday, 21 April 2017 - 07:27

 

Post 4157

  Sea News, Dover

NOTE: Just to announce that we have been able to increase the size of the pictures on display. I liaised yesterday with the editor of our sister channel Dover.uk.com Chris Tutthill who is also our webmaster generale, and the upshot is our pictures now display at 790 pixels wide which should greatly enhance visibility for everyone's pictures here on Sea News.

Just to give a demo below....
The following shot of the Port sunrise was taken yesterday morning thursday and it shows our new size.
The new sizes kicked in yesterday later on and I see Mike's pictures a couple of posts below are at the new size too and look good, so all's well.

I personally generally resize pictures to shape because as editor I have a variety of size options, I have resized the sunrise picture above to 790 pixels wide before uploading.

Will temporarily pin this item to the top so all will see

* *

Thanks for that info below Vic...you know your onions!. yes indeed I have some old pictures somewhere in the system but they are from years ago and whether I could find them now I don't know...many thousands and thousand and thousands of pictures in the system. Will look though...


Nice pictures and info Mike below..the pictures are looking good, first ones up under the new improvements.

Well done Andrew H - you got a triple whammy of vessels in the one shot. Always good to hear from you.
Yes lots more to come on Sea News.

That's Elvira in the sunrise above, well ... you can just about see her at the Cargo Terminal. She left last evening at 6pm right under my nose, I knew it was happening but still missed it as absorbed and bogged down with personal computer difficulties/changes for the moment although I think the worst is behind me now...sez he bravely.
PaulB


Many thanks to Chris T once again.

Friday, 21 April 2017 - 06:02

 

Post 4156

  vic matcham , dovor

No sir they are call clutch piles because they get joined up with other as they put down then both sides get filled with cement then cut off this what I done along the front when that big hole was there,all so done alot of them in Folkestone . They are not so good as the round one because they split in two up the sides if you pile into rock,then we would have to dig down to the split and weld it up not a easy job and some times the sand and water would build up around you. All so when you came to cut the tops off you would have to cut into the clutch and that times you would get a bow back from your burning gun and I still have burn marks all over my arms etc.

Thursday, 20 April 2017 - 22:37

 

Post 4155

  Mike J., Dover

The British survey vessel NORTHERN WIND came in from Cuxhaven midmorning Thursday to take part in the DWDR project.

The FLUVIUS AXE sailed mid-afternoon for Rotterdam, some of her cargo was taken by road down to Wellington Dock presumably for the cutting of the new channel.

The steel looks to be 'shuttering' rather than piles, but will still need 'pile-driving' into the ground to form a facing for the cut or new quays.

Undermanning didn't seem to be a problem !



Thursday, 20 April 2017 - 22:10

 

Post 4154

  Andrew H, Broadstairs

Thursday, 20 April 2017 - 11:58

 

Post 4153

  Andrew H, Broadstairs

Yesterday I joined my colleague and friend Mike J to watch the arrival of the Fluvius Axe, taking the viewpoint from the cliffs I caught the dredgers CAUSEWAY and SOSPAN-DAU doing a ‘pirouette’ with our own DAVID CHURCH passing by, giving some idea of the size and scale of the equipment being employed in the reconstruction scheme and listening to those around me has gained regular ‘watchers’ from the cliff tops. It will be great to follow the progress on Sea News over the coming months/years?

Thursday, 20 April 2017 - 11:51

 

Post 4152

  vic matcham , dover

I think you have some photos of some I done a long the front and repairs a round that big hole a few years a go,

Thursday, 20 April 2017 - 08:44

 

Post 4151

  vic matcham , Dovor

Yes that was part of my job to drive the piles in then when all in to mark round tops of them where I was to cut them off,I did that to most of the births in Dover and a lot round the UK. Round about 400 in Chatham dock yards.Alot of cutting off then the offcuts had to be welded to each other and then put back in the ground lot of hard worked but I loved doing it some times very cold .

Thursday, 20 April 2017 - 08:42