Comments (Newest First):

 

Post 2909

  brian, dover

do you mean freezing brass monkys.lol

Sunday, 28 February 2016 - 06:54

 

Post 2908

  Sea News, Dover

Just catching up in the pictures above which show some hi-speed lifeboat action from last sunday. It has taken a while to catch up what with one thing and another, not least trying to get images of the new DFDS ships and so on...but there we are at last above. Just a small selection above of the pictures taken on the day. The Lifeboat guys usually do a practice run further afield on sunday but last sunday they stayed within the confines of the harbour. It was a gloomy rough oul day but I like that top shot in particular, even if I do say so myself..


Below we have old favourite the Saga Sapphire, which as we know made a surprising stop here at the Port of Dover yesterday. The pictures show her leaving about 4pm yesterday afternoon...fortunately while there was still light, but alas low contrasty light - never great for pictures. But what can ye do. She was departing for Bergen in Norway. Mike tells me she is on her way to see the Northern Lights. Hope they all packed some sturdy anoraks and hi-tog thermals. Even in Dover at the moment it would freeze the......





A super collection below from my famed roving reporter Sarah Hewes. Well done with those Sarah.... very enjoyable pictures indeed, and Ed captured the bunkering for us yesterday. Well done Ed as ever. I got some pictures of the Skaw Provider departing and they will follow in due course but for now its the time of the Lifeboat and the Saga Sapphire.
PaulB.

Sunday, 28 February 2016 - 06:37

 

Post 2907

  Sarah, Ramsgate

A couple of lovely Wind Farm vessels seen this morning.

Seacat Resolute



Njord Skua



Saturday, 27 February 2016 - 13:27

 

Post 2906

  Sarah, Ramsgate

Another welcome visitor in the harbour today HMS Trumpeter, not seen her since the Dunkirk anniversary when she was one of the escorts for the Little Ships.





Their was a joint exercise today for the ILB along with the Coastguard Helicopter & the Pilot Boat Estuary Élan








Saturday, 27 February 2016 - 13:22

 

Post 2905

  Ed Connell, Dover

Saga Sapphire on the Admiralty Pier at lunchtime, bunkering from Skaw Provider.



Saturday, 27 February 2016 - 12:44

 

Post 2904

  Sea News, Dover

Hi Howard as I understand it she has just come in to be fuelled up, they use a term called bunkering...which derives from the old coal bunker days. A vessel called Skaw Provider is alongside doing the necessary.

Saturday, 27 February 2016 - 12:30

 

Post 2903

  Howard McSweeney, Dover

I can't remember a cruise ship calling in February, thankfully the weather although cold is dry.

Saturday, 27 February 2016 - 12:03

 

Post 2902

  Sea News, Dover

Below we have another new picture Del of the all new arrival...the Cote des Flandres . This is another pic from a batch of pictures that were sent over to us by the team at DFDS... so, grateful thanks to them. The ships are looking great so I feel sure you will enjoy your trip over to France next week. Yes we understand that the crew is more or less the same as those that worked for MyFerryLink so a kind of status quo is restored.


As expected the Saga Sapphire came in this morning. She arrived into Port at 05.20...a bit too early for the ould camera to capture a decent image as it was pitch dark. That's....emmm one hour ago as I write. She is over at Cruise Terminal One enjoying the chilly morn.
Have added this picture from late last year...

The saga goes on... PB.

Saturday, 27 February 2016 - 06:23

 

Post 2901

  Del Styan, Norwich

Glad to see the "new" Cote Des Dunes winging its way across the channel again. I hope it's staffed by the old My Ferry Link crew. It will certainly improve the competition to P and O. It seems like a satisfactory end to the long running dispute. Good luck to them. I will be on one of them next week ( I hope!).

Friday, 26 February 2016 - 23:42

 

Post 2900

  vic matcham, Dover

Looking at the photo of the Cote Des Dunes, it has hit some thing hard put a very big dent in her side or is it my eyes?

Friday, 26 February 2016 - 18:10

 

Post 2899

  brian, dover

there used to be comps on the prince of wales on a regular bases,all so was used as a standby when bad wheather affectes the admilitry pier.

Friday, 26 February 2016 - 16:23

 

Post 2898

  Howard McSweeney, Dover

A very perceptive summing up(in my view) from Mike, I reckon I walked as far as the Admiralty Pier about 3 times in the last 10 years, basically it is for serious anglers with competitions held there.

The Marina curve is a strange one as no company has come forward to help run it the last I heard. The artist's impressions will continue to come out, differing slightly each time while most of us would be more interested in plans put in front of DDC.




Friday, 26 February 2016 - 15:08

 

Post 2897

  Sea News, Dover

This was the scene a couple of mornings ago. Yours truly was waiting like a coiled spring to capture one of the new Cote vessels, but when none appeared I opted for the seagulls instead, particularly when three of them flew into shot at the same time. Was hoping for a romantic Cote to power into view out of the sun, but no, it didn't happen at this time.

While I was fetching the one above from the files this one below popped into view from the past...sunrise with tug as opposed to the sunrise with birds above...so there you are. Not sure if it was ever used but here we are now. It started sunny this morning but is now sadly slate... roll on spring!


And just when you need a Cote a Cote comes into view. Cote des Dunes long range.


Many thanks Reginald . Will aim for a picture upon its arrival. Hopefully it will be bright tomorrow morning

Interesting post below Mike. Certainly food for thought there. Its a brave new world approaching for sure.



Friday, 26 February 2016 - 15:06

 

Post 2896

  Reginald, Dover

Dover cruise season will kick of around a month earlier than planned with the short notice arrival of the Saga Sapphire tomorrow (Sat 27th) at around 6am.

Friday, 26 February 2016 - 10:12

 

Post 2895

  Mike J., Dover

Re Paul's Western Docks 'drawing' in post 2440 -

We're not going to see a heck of a lot from the new ‘promenade pier’ are we ?

It’s really a breakwater for the marina with a walkway on top of it - good views of the new marina & the Castle certainly but cruise ships on the Ad.Pier will be hard to see and views of shipping arriving & departing thru the Eastern Entrance will also be hindered by the extension at the end of the ‘Marina Curve’, which I understand will be home of the dredger & tugs & other service craft & their infrastructure.
Maybe Eastern Entrance views can be seen from the landward end of the ‘pier’ but they’ll be little better than from the beach

I believe that the public will be allowed partway along the ‘Marina Curve’ pier which may give views towards the Eastern Entrance.





I doubt whether many casual walkers will make the long trek to the Admiralty Pier.

The outer end beyond the turret is often closed when a cruise ship is on Cruise-2 & in any event the whole pier is closed in bad weather, quite apart from the inconvenience of walking along a narrow walkway shared with the anglers & their clutter.

Disabled access to the Ad.Pier looks difficult for casual visitors with steps at each end of the walkway to the pier itself, altho' disabled anglers will be allowed to fish inside the harbour from the lower level beyond Cruise-2, weather & cruise-ships permitting.

DHB seem very coy as to the detail of the project, I’ve heard 2018 quoted for the completion of the ‘first stage’ whatever that is.
I hope that DHB will put up a website giving up-to-date details of the works as they progress.

It’ll be interesting to watch developments [& changes to the Master Plan, quite a few ‘detail’ changes can be seen on the various ‘artists impressions’ already].

All a bit sad from the public’s point of view, but that’s progress.

An earlier ‘Master Plan’ of moving all the ferry operations to Western Docks is long gone !


Thursday, 25 February 2016 - 23:50

 

Post 2894

  Sea News, Dover

Another pic of the Elvira...this one from the archives. See also Ed's pic in 2428.

Thursday, 25 February 2016 - 11:01

 

Post 2893

  Sea News, Dover

NEW SHIP ARRIVING AT THE PORT OF DOVER



DFDS Welcomes Second New Ferry on Dover-Calais Route
__________________________________________________


Award-winning ferry operator, DFDS, welcomed its second new ferry, Côte des Flandres, on its Dover-Calais service. The ship sailed into Dover tuesday night (February 23rd) at 20h15 after its inaugural voyage from Calais.

The passenger and freight ferry has been transformed in her brand new DFDS livery, mirroring sister ship, Côte des Dunes, which came into service on February 9th. The ship has undergone extensive interior renovations, creating modern and spacious passenger facilities such as the Lighthouse café, self-service restaurant the 7Seas and a large shop stocked with a variety of holiday essentials and luxuries. There is also a children’s soft play area to help keep the little ones entertained on-board, whilst those wanting a relaxing voyage can choose access to upgrade to the Premium Lounge.

The ship’s renovations also include a wide range of dedicated facilities for commercial drivers in the Road Kings area, which encompasses around a third of the upper deck. This includes substantial shower facilities, a large restaurant serving free hot meals to drivers, a relaxation lounge and a dedicated outside deck area.

With the addition of Côte des Flandres, DFDS has increased its daily schedule of sailings between Dover and Calais to up to 30 per day. When combined with DFDS’ three ferries on the Dover-Dunkirk route, DFDS now operates six ships in total on the Dover Strait, with up to 54 daily sailings to the two French ports.

Not only has this allowed daily departures from Dover to Calais to increase by 50%, but the new ships have also enabled DFDS to significantly increase capacity by 70% for freight and tourist customers on the Channel route.

Carsten Jensen, senior vice president at DFDS, comments; "We are always striving to ensure that customers are at the heart of everything we do. Our new Calais ships, which are purpose-built for the Channel, form a key part of our commitment to provide customers with a high quality, frequent and reliable cross Channel ferry service."

For more information on our freight sales, please visit www.dfds.com
or call 01304 274 001 for freight reservations.


-Ends-


* *

A big thankyou as ever to the DFDS team for sending over the above.

Great to see these new ships in action, cant wait to take a trip soon...exciting times...
here's an extra pic from last evening of the newest new ship....Cote des Flandres, also at the top as you can see. The pic at the top from the DFDS team.


Also we wanted to add this picture below of the proposed new Western Dock Development.
This is the first time I have seen this pic. It may be new or maybe I just missed it...
but it is a very exciting image indeed.
Cant wait for all this to come to full fruition...exciting times ahead for us all.



Thanks for all the comments below and good to hear from you again Del up there in Norfolk.
Cracking sets of pictures below there from all the team.
Jeremy got the ace scoop again. Gosh he's fast. Faster than a gunslinger in the wild west! Well done Jeremy.
Brilliant collection from Ed of the new ship. Great stuff Ed...you keep us going.
Sarah...our roving reporter got a great collection below there too. Totally on fire with that camera.
Mike did a bit of roving himself with those ones below.
And Ed also got our regular visitor the Elvira. Great to see the many cargo ships coming now.

Brilliant work all round!
PaulB


Thanks once again to DFDS for the latest press release above...





Thursday, 25 February 2016 - 06:32

 

Post 2892

  vic matcham, Dover

No one has said we will not trade with the EU or them with us because if we was out of the EU trade would still carry on as it does now ,they need to trade with the UK even if we come out we buy more goods from them then they do from us and if they did stop trading with the UK they would end up being the poorer for it.

Thursday, 25 February 2016 - 05:54

 

Post 2891

  Del Styan, Norwich

I agree with you Paul. Lets stay in and keep Dover trading with the EU.

Wednesday, 24 February 2016 - 23:29

 

Post 2890

  vic matcham , dover

Great photos again thank you.

Wednesday, 24 February 2016 - 22:41