Comments (Newest First):

 

Post 4211

  Del Styan, Norwich

Well, now I know who to thank for the improved railway times to the South and my good access to Carrow Road to see the Canaries. Thanks Mr Matcham for all your good work up here in Norfolk.

Saturday, 29 April 2017 - 23:27

 

Post 4210

  Mike J., Dover

Arrival of the SERENADE OF THE SEA, an impressive sight - virtually the same length as the DISNEY MAGIC.

DELFT SEAWAYS sailing & dredger CAUSEWAY on the Eastern Arm.





Re post 3716 & the lack of dredging activity on Thursday - apparently work was suspended as 27 May was a Dutch public holiday to celebrate the Dutch Royal family.
An indication of the major Dutch involvement with the DWDR project.


Saturday, 29 April 2017 - 22:47

 

Post 4209

  Ed Connell, Dover Strait

Serenade of the Seas, Saga Pearl II and flypast.





Saturday, 29 April 2017 - 19:44

 

Post 4208

  Sea News, Dover

A picture above there from yesterday afternoon and to the left of shot you can see the piledriver device which was in operation for a short while. You can see the scale of it by comparing to the size of the automobiles in shot.

In the background the Duzgit Venture came back to Port to service the Saga Sapphire.
And here we are a tad later last evening...the Saga Sapphire reverses out through the western exit.


Cracking pictures below Ed of that fabulous car...Wowser! I want one of those as the Sea News runabout...
Well done Jeremy...nice shot of the Serenade of the Seas.
Yours truly will have some further pictures of the Serenade...at this point it will be tomorrow morning now... catching up as ever.
Lol! Vic
Bet you enjoyed lunch on the Saga Sapphire Ray...sounds good!

PB.


Saturday, 29 April 2017 - 16:43

 

Post 4207

  Jeremy Ward, Whitfield, Dover

Long distance shot of the Serenade of the Seas taken today from White Cliffs.

Saturday, 29 April 2017 - 15:18

 

Post 4206

  Ed Connell, Dover Strait

Koenigsegg CCR supercar carried across this morning.



Saturday, 29 April 2017 - 12:17

 

Post 4205

  vic matcham , Dovor

I think the D.H.B. should give Mr Wiggins the push out,and put me there .where I could keep a eye open to all the work going on and piling making shore they are doing right.

Saturday, 29 April 2017 - 11:56

 

Post 4204

  Ray Woods, Canterbury

Went on board the 'Saga Sapphire' for lunch yesterday and took some pics of the work in progress with the cargo terminal.
Learned that there was a drop in the number of cruise ships using the port this year, about 101 as opposed to over 130 last year.
However, next year it is estimated that 140+ will come in.


Saturday, 29 April 2017 - 09:04

 

Post 4203

  Sea News, Dover

Longish range pic above there of the approaching Serenade of the Seas this morning early, time of shot 06.20. We will have more pictures in due course. The picture above doesn't quite show the the scale of the magnificent ship.. its rather huge. Also in today is the Saga Pearl II. So we have a double header of excitements. The Saga Pearl is something of a minnow in comparison. PB.

Saturday, 29 April 2017 - 08:58

 

Post 4202

  vic matcham , Dovor

Ah,Mr STYAN that might have been myself done a lot piling in Norfolk and repairs to the old wood swing bridges across the rivers they were railway ones,also piling in Norwich it self and big repairs to the road bridge leading up to the the football ground Cower rd.This was in the 80s and 90s and 2000.

Saturday, 29 April 2017 - 08:25

 

Post 4201

  Sea News, Dover

As promised - the AIDAluna arriving yesterday.




Hopefully we will be spared some of the extreme pile driving Del, there was a hint of it yesterday but it didn't last for more than a few minutes.

Thanks for the tip Howard...will watch for that arrival for sure.

Nice picture from Dunkerque again Ed - great to see all those pix from Dunkerque.

Well done with those two shots Patrick..good work there.

PB PS: 90,000 tonner Serenade of the Seas approaching..

Saturday, 29 April 2017 - 04:55

 

Post 4199

  Del Styan, Norwich

I'm glad you're getting vibrations, rather than thumps. When I lived up on the North Norfolk coast Cromer Pier was repaired, and we could hear, and feel, the piling going in some mile and a half away. Hope you are to be spared that! Hopefully the technology has moved on from Vic's time.

Friday, 28 April 2017 - 23:25

 

Post 4198

  Howard McSweeney, Dover

Just heard that the Royal Caribbean cruise liner "Serenade of the seas" is being diverted to Dover arriving 0700 hours tomorrow leaving at 2100 hours with 2500 passengers on board. Could be busy in town.

Friday, 28 April 2017 - 19:20

 

Post 4197

  Ed Connell, Dover Strait

Small sheerlegs under tow in Dunkerque West.


Friday, 28 April 2017 - 18:35

 

Post 4196

  Patrick, Marine Parade

Steel piling in progress adjacent to where the new lock cut in being excavated into Wellington Dock. Thank you to Vic for explaining 'Clutch Piling' in his recent post.



On the beach side the shape of the cut has been excavated. Notice all that brick rubble just below the surface of what was at one time the road.



Friday, 28 April 2017 - 18:01

 

Post 4195

  Sea News, Dover

Just realised we didn't do a picture of the AIDAsol yesterday, so there she is above arriving yesterday morning..
....looking massively resplendent in the early morning light. As mentioned earlier the AIDAluna is in today will have pix of that one in the morning.
Ah...just as I write at 3.45pm the pile driving has started. Thanks to Vic for all the hands-on info below. PB.


Friday, 28 April 2017 - 15:43

 

Post 4194

  vic matcham , Dovor

One thing I forgot to say is at times when you are cutting off the pile it had to be done from a ladder and when you cut the off cut of the pile off you cannot just let in drop to ground if it hit anyone it would kill them ,so what you do is have a crane on stand by with you the crane would have chains .So if you are unlucky that you can not cut the pile standing on the ground ,the welder then climb,s up the ladder to where the pile is to be cut,he then cuts a round hole in the off cut,he then gets the crane to lower his chains you put the chains into the hole and fix them back up to the crane ,you then get the crane to take the strain ,then you cut round the pile,when it comes off the offcut will swing on the chains of the crane ,job done,but some years ago I was just doing this and the wind got up and as I cut the pile off in it came round hitting me full on and off the ladder I came after a hot cup of tea ad a small cut on my head fixed ,I was up again and ready to start again.true story.

Friday, 28 April 2017 - 08:24

 

Post 4193

  vic matcham , Dovor

Yes Clutch piles do not have to be hammer in ,you put the pile in by fixing it into the clutch of the pile next to it,then with vibration it should slide down the only banging is sometimes it will hit hard rock on the way down ,then you need to try and hit it down pass the rock. it does not always work and the pile spits open at the bottom ,then in most case,s the welder will climb down into the hole and weld it back up not a easy job.So when they are all in some will be higher then the rest because of rock,So they are all marked off at the same level and then cut off at that level and not a easy job for the welder who is burning them off,the hard part is burning out the clutch you get a blow back into your face or hands and I still have lots of burn marks on my arms etc where that has happen but all good fun

Friday, 28 April 2017 - 07:35

 

Post 4192

  Sea News, Dover

And now the Elsebeth departure...


There she goes, heading off to Flushing in the Netherlands on the evening before last...Wednesday evening. Ed got some nice pictures of her in the cargo terminal and there we are above with her departure on a pleasant evening here in Dover. Time about 18.15 ( or 6.15pm).

On the Cruise front - the Saga Sapphire is arriving as we speak, its grey and murky though for pictures.

Nice work Mike below, solid inshore reporting there of all the general goings on..
and cracking pictures from Sarah below that of the Border Force.
Well done teamsters!
Wow Ed - we just posted almost at the same time below. Great stuff!
ADDED: AIDAluna also arriving, a terrific collection of AIDA ships coming in these days.

Friday, 28 April 2017 - 06:38

 

Post 4191

  Ed Connell, Dover Strait

Saga Sapphire approaching Dover at 0600 today.


New dolphin under construction at the apex of the Quai de Ramsgate and the Quai d'Alsace in Dunkerque West.


Friday, 28 April 2017 - 06:36