Comments (Newest First):

 

Post 3635

  Sea News, Dover

Hopefully now we have all managed to put our clocks back an hour...mornings brighter henceforth, but evenings darker

This is the season now of dramatic skies and here we are with a couple of dramatically colourful pictures of the channel taken in the past few days. Top shot shows the early ferries both a-coming and a-going, a very pleasant scene indeed, hugely pleasing for the half-term passengers onboard...the pic above is from Friday. The one below is from earlier in the week and shows the sun fighting to get through the intermittent clouds while the ferry ploughs on to Calais.

 

Nice pic below Mike. Always good to see the inshore goings on.

Sunday, 30 October 2016 - 06:40

 

Post 3634

  Mike J., Dover

Friday morning found the survey vessel TITAN DISCOVERY in the Tidal Basin.
Also overnighting were our old friends SEARCHER in the former jetfoil terminal & SOLENT GUARDIAN in the Tidal Basin.



An unexpected arrival around dawn on Saturday will be the cruise ship MAGELLAN who usually docks at Tilbury, she's currently heading up into the Channel from Lisbon.
First time in Dover ?


Friday, 28 October 2016 - 19:05

 

Post 3633

  Sea News, Dover

This mighty beast was going down the channel on Wednesday evening. She weighs in at something like 160,000 tons of heavy metal. We have featured Cosco before, Cosco Spain and Cosco England...this one is Cosco Belgium going from Antwerp to Port Said almost in the wake of the Russian fleet.
 

The Jungle is being cleared - but the real work to stop the Calais migrant magnet starts now .. says CHARLIE ELPHICKE MP
________________________________________________________________________________________________

  
Children living in squalor. Slave-masters lurking around every corner. Tourists and truckers attacked. Petrol bombs lobbed across the road. Trees hurled onto the carriageway. More than 10,000 people living in cramped and dirty conditions. This is the reality of the Calais Jungle – and why it simply had to be dismantled.

For years we at the Dover frontline have watched in horror as the migrant camp has grown. Fences and a wall have been built at the roadside. With better border security we have caught more and more people trying to break into Britain. But the camp has kept growing and this summer reached bursting point.

I met with truckers whose lives were being put at risk on a daily basis. People traffickers – armed with machetes and chainsaws – were going to ever more extreme lengths to stop lorries so migrants could clamber on board. I saw journalists attacked and abused in the Jungle, where conditions had become worse than I’d ever seen. Meanwhile yet more migrants in small craft have been landing on our beaches.

The only way to end the Calais migrant magnet is to dismantle the Jungle – never to return. That’s why we’ve kept working with the French to get it done. They should have done it much sooner. Letting the numbers grow to 10,000 was only going to make the job harder.

But with the help of the Home Office, work has begun. At the weekend 50 vulnerable young girls were brought to safety, away from the camp and the evil people traffickers. Yet some people – like the hard-left anarchists of No Borders – seem determined to keep things as they are. Why would anyone want to keep people living in the squalor of the Jungle for a moment longer? If No Borders are guilty of any violence towards the authorities in Calais it's right that the French should prosecute them. And the Home Office should consider banning them.

As the Jungle is cleared, the people there will be more desperate than ever to reach our shores. So Britain and France need to make border security at Dover and Calais as tight as possible – and boost patrols in our English Channel. Once the Jungle is gone we must work harder than ever to make sure smaller camps are stopped from springing up along the French coast. That’s why we need to invest in intelligence.

We all know the French should never have let the Jungle grow the way it has. But with Britain’s help they have taken back control and the camp is at last being cleared. Now we must work with France to stop any other camps from forming – stepping in before the first tent is pitched. Much has been done – but the real hard work to build a better and stronger Calais, and to end the migrant magnet for good, starts now.

Charlie


Ends


Some pix below taken off TV showing the 'Jungle' ablaze earlier in the week. It was most definitely time to clear this abysmal site. The Road Hauliers Assoc has been clamouring for this for ages...its members, driving the huge amount of trucks that come through Calais everyday en route to the UK, have been subjected to allsorts of intimidation as we have seen on TV. Tourists likewise have also suffered harassment ...and lets not forget, the town and people of Calais itself are suffering greatly. Msr Hollande took too long to act. Let's hope the migrants can be put somewhere safe and clean. PB.
   
 

Friday, 28 October 2016 - 06:26

 

Post 3632

  Sea News, Dover

This delightful sailing vessel above moved on by the Port on Tuesday afternoon. We believe it to be the Queen Galadriel and she was heading over to Ramsgate we understand. Conditions were a bit hazy inshore so it looks more of a watercolour than a photograph but hope all enjoy it nonetheless. All was peace and tranquillity.

Invest in Dover....

Dover District Showcased at UK'S Biggest Property Exhibition
_________________________________________________
 
Opportunities to invest in the Dover district were promoted at the UK’s biggest property exhibition, MIPIM UK at London Olympia from 19-21 October, as major town, waterfront and port regeneration projects get underway.  The Invest in Dover stand was supported by Dover District Council, the Port of Dover, and Quinn Estates.  Dover was the only Kent district represented at the exhibition. 

Gavin Barwell MP, Minister of State for Housing and Planning, took a keen interest with a major housebuilding programme underway in the district set to deliver 10,000 new homes by 2026.  There was particularly strong investor interest in the former Connaught Barracks site which is currently being cleared for construction of up to 500 new homes.
Pete Gladwell, Head of Public Sector Partnerships at Legal & General also visited the Invest in Dover stand as a strong showing of retail, leisure and hotel investors learned more about opportunities at the St James and Dover Waterfront developments.  The 157,000 sq. ft. Dover St James development is being funded by Legal & General Investment Management Real Assets.
Paul Watkins   

Cllr Paul Watkins, Leader of Dover District Council, was on hand to speak to potential investors at the exhibition.  He said: "This was an excellent opportunity to speak face-to-face with UK and international investors.  There is a strong appetite for property investment outside the main cities, with places like the Dover district high on the agenda thanks to our excellent transport links with both London and Europe, and the Council’s growth agenda."

Local people will have an opportunity to find out more about major development projects and the new jobs being created with free entry to the Dover Skills & Business Expo at Dover Town Hall from 9am to 3pm on Tuesday, 15 November.  

Ends

The cargo terminal continues to be exceptionally busy...Esmeralda ( the bells! the bells! .. I said I wouldn't do that again ! ) was in with us and left last night at 7pm. Unfortunately it was dark as it was when she arrived. With the days getting shorter the opportunities for pictures are getting scarcer... so this one below is from the archives. Four cargo ships now in 6/7 days or so. Esmeralda, Swedish Reefer, Max Wonder, Lady Korcula. Great stuff! PB.


Thursday, 27 October 2016 - 06:52

 

Post 3631

  Sea News, Dover

  
The Port on Saturday evening above, saturated in a blaze of late colours as one of the P&O Spirits arrives under a big big sky. For days it can look endlessly grey and then pow! it all changes...its just a point n shoot picture, no fancy manipulation. Nature in action.


And speaking of the Port.... as an aficionado of the motorised two-wheeler myself I appreciate this initiative below..


'Crash Cards' added to Port's Driver Safety Information Service
____________________________________________________

A major safety scheme to help save motorcyclists injured in serious crashes has reached Kent through the Port of Dover.

Port Police have joined forces with Kent County Council, road safety equipment specialists Travelspot, and Kent & Medway Safety Camera Partnership to bring the "crash card" to the county.

The "crash card" details a motorcyclist’s medical history, medication and next of kin, and fits inside the rider’s helmet. A green dot fixed to the outside of the helmet tells paramedics and firefighters at the scene of a crash that the casualty is carrying medical details crucial for their treatment.

The "crash card" was inspired by the Ambulance Motorcycle Club and is already in use in Northamptonshire. The scheme was spotted by an off-duty Port of Dover Police officer who was visiting a superbike event at Silverstone.

Paul Wilczek, the Port’s Chief Police Officer, said: "Each year, somewhere in the region of 19,000 motorcycles pass through the Port, so it’s an ideal opportunity to engage with British riders. Our initial production run of "crash cards" is enough to supply 30,000 bikers."

Inside the Port, the card is being distributed by Travelspot – a company providing essential safety equipment which drivers heading for Europe are required to carry by law.
Charles Sterling from Travelspot said:  "It is great to be able to add this into our Driver Safety Information service for the ferry operators in Dover Port. This initiative is at its greatest importance when a rider is abroad and overseas emergency services are desperately trying to identify a rider and their medical history and next of kin without a common language or a direct link into the UK DVLA database."

The scheme is also being rolled-out county-wide, with the project’s partners looking at bike shops and cafés frequented by motorcyclists to help with distribution.
Vicky Watkins, Kent County Council Road Safety Team Leader, said "Our work isn't just about reducing the number of road crashes, it's also about reducing the human impact of these incidents. We know riders of powered two wheelers are over-represented in crash and casualty statistics; e.g. 1% of all road traffic that make up nearly 25% of all fatal and serious injuries. When a crash happens, the ability for the emergency services to give the proper care is vital, so these "crash cards" will help the health professionals to make the best decisions they can."

Early diagnosis and treatment of casualties is critical to saving lives and the "crash card" is expected to have an important role to play.

Colin Evans from Kent and Medway Safety Camera Partnership said "Speed is a significant factor in a crash as it contributes to the severity of any injury. Whilst managing vehicle speed is a key way to reduce crash severity, "crash cards" will help the emergency services make a quicker diagnosis on the scene and subsequently provide more targeted treatment that could save lives and reduce the severity of injury."   

Ends


BORDER FORCE
Two Border Force vessels across the harbour a couple of evenings ago. Searcher and Eagle. It was a grey evening and of course the ships are grey so difficult to get a pic worth seeing...the picture is a bit forced in order to produce a see-able image. Unusual to see these two together. Note those four guys fishing on the Admiralty pier, bet it was chilly up there...bracing.. you'd be needing yer thermals up there...
  

And to coincide with the picture...right on cue this press release came in...

Cigarette smuggling attempt crumbles at Border
______________________________________

A lorry driver caught smuggling 2.6 million counterfeit cigarettes into the UK hidden behind boxes of rotten apples has been jailed for 21 months, after an HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) investigation.

Pawel Michal Maroszek, 32, was stopped by Border Force officers at Dover Eastern Docks in May 2016, after a scan revealed a suspicious load in the refrigerated lorry he was driving. Officers discovered 2,640,000 cigarettes surrounded by pallets of rotten apples.

The estimated excise duty evaded was £655,327. The case was referred to HMRC for investigation.

Alan Tully, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said:

"Maroszek thought the cigarettes were well concealed within the load of rotten apples and wouldn’t be discovered. But he was wrong and he is now paying for his crime.

"We continue to work with other enforcement agencies to reduce the availability of illicit tobacco, which costs the UK around £2 billion a year in stolen revenue. Don’t let criminals profit by undermining legitimate retailers. Anyone with information about the smuggling or illegal sale of tobacco can report it by calling our 24-hour Hotline on 0800 59 5000."

Maroszek had previously pleaded not guilty to the crime, but changed his plea to guilty before his trial started at Maidstone Crown Court on Monday 24 October. He was jailed for 21 months.

Ends

This pic below from the archives to round things off, again shows Searcher in local action with the crew out patrolling the immediate waters ..
   


Well done Mike with the post below. Interesting stuff there for sure, fascinating to see that development. You are right, its difficult getting about at the moment, we are hit by brick wall after brick wall, but it will all come good in the end. Ermmm hopefully...
PaulB.

Wednesday, 26 October 2016 - 06:18

 

Post 3630

  Mike J., Dover

Been a while since I looked in at Wellington Dock, usually keeping well clear of the area due to the roadworks [access to & from Mr.B’s watchtower must be a real pain at times] so it was a surprise on Monday when I noticed a new colourful addition to the ‘facilities’

The little spur jetty by De Bradelei [their former premises are supposed to be re-opening very shortly in a different form] has been taken over by locally based ship manning firm Viking Marine who have recently opened the ‘Marine Skills Academy’ training school in Beechwood Business Park up at Whitfield.
The range of lifeboats & rescue craft will be used for their survival & ‘offshore’ courses.
Look out for them in action !

The big lifeboat is for escaping ships in trouble, often launched nowadays from a ramp at the stern of the ship [see the stern of BBC PEARL in post 3165] & the smaller craft are ‘rescue boats’ & can be seen on all Dover ferries who rely mostly on rafts for emergency evacuations.






Tuesday, 25 October 2016 - 15:25

 

Post 3628

  Sea News, Dover

CULINARY DELIGHT!
   

LEAH WINS HER PRIMARY SCHOOL'S BAKE OFF EVENT AFTER FINALISTS ARE JUDGED BY P&O FERRIES' CHEF STEVE
______________________________________________________________________________________________


MORE than two hundred pupils at Vale View Primary School in Dover received some expert advice on cooking this week when a chef from one of P&O Ferries' ships on the English Channel visited to judge their Bake Off competition.

The children, aged between five and 11, had prepared dishes including chipati, shortbread and a pinata cake containing smarties.

Steve Loram, acting sous chef on P&O Ferries' Pride of Burgundy ship, then conducted a blind tasting of the dishes which had made the final, with the plates marked only by number.

Steve picked out as the clear winner some cup-cakes baked by Leah Humphreys in year six (pictured), who won a complimentary ferry crossing to France courtesy of P&O Ferries. The seven runners-up received P&O Ferries colouring books and pens.

Samantha Hall, teacher of form KS1 and organiser of the Bake Off event, said: "Steve delighted the children with his stories about his culinary career. He explained that he had once made 4,000 cakes in one day, once served 5,000 people in a day and once cooked 130 Sunday roasts for the ship's crew."

"After listening to what he had to say, some of the children said that they would like to become chefs when they grew up. They were very enthusiastic in asking him questions about his role on the ship."

Steve also judged a separate Bake Off competition for the staff at the school which was won by Samantha Hall for her feta cheese cake.

Steve Loram added: "Being a chef on a ship is an exhilarating career which I would recommend to anyone. In a few years' time, there's no reason at all why some of these children won't be able to apply for jobs in the galleys of P&O Ferries' ships themselves."

ENDS

Well done Leah and Samantha too.
And here is one of those very ships...P&O's Spirit of France leaving harbour just two days ago..
   

* *

A picture now of the Lady Korcula arriving in misty conditions two days ago. Its a very busy time for the Dover Cargo terminal...we've had three ships in and out in 4/5 days Swedish Reefer, Max Wonder and Lady Korcula.. the Lady has now left the Port.

   

Yes indeed well done Mike with that latest batch of pictures below. Good to see them and to see the transformer once more...she will have left us in the night, if all went to plan.

Many thanks once again to P&O for the above. PB.




Tuesday, 25 October 2016 - 07:21

 

Post 3627

  Howard McSweeney, Dover

Mike and most others here are so on the ball nothing of significance gets missed.

Monday, 24 October 2016 - 23:04

 

Post 3626

  Mike J., Dover

Monday -
THV ALERT came in mid-afternoon.
The survey vessel SOLENT GUARDIAN has been lid-up in Wellington Dock for a few days & in the freight yard the transformer was waiting to depart for Sellindge at 2300.






Monday, 24 October 2016 - 22:04

 

Post 3625

  Sea News, Dover

  
A couple of pictures above there of a new visitor here to the Port of Dover...its the Max Wonder, unusual name, and definitely a first visit. Yours truly did not notice her arrival but there she is above departing through the western exit for Rotterdam. A Friday evening departure around 5.45pm through the rain and gloom as you can see. It was light rain...that's the best I can say about it. Great to see the new visitor.

Below we have the Ports Corporate Director Barbara Buczek exchanging pleasantries and small gifts with the Capt of the Corinthian Cenk Ayvaci. It was also great to see MV Corinthian here, we have pictures of the ship below in posts 3159, 3161 and 3162 and very welcome she was too.


Thanks once again to Jon Miell for the Lifeboat Special pictures below
and to our own Sarah Hewes.
PB.


Monday, 24 October 2016 - 07:26

 

Post 3624

  Sea News, Dover

LIFEBOAT SPECIAL
These fantastic up-close images were sent over to Sea News by Jon Miell the 2nd coxswain at Dover Lifeboat and show the blistering action at the recent exercise at Lydd with HM Coastguard....will let the excellent pictures do the talking ..
 
   
  
   
Many thanks to Jon Miell once again. Great pictures indeed!

And here below is an additional picture to show the Dover Lifeboat in full as it were. This ace picture below is by our roving correspondent from over there in Ramsgate .. Sarah Hewes herself.
  

A great collection below Mike of the ship and transformer transporter....great work. Don't miss those pix below
PaulB.




Sunday, 23 October 2016 - 07:18

 

Post 3623

  Mike J., Dover

Impressive pix from Paul of the transformer being unloaded from the BBC PEARL using one of her two 400 ton cranes.

I was was able to get a few quayside views, including the transporter moving up to the ship from the front of Cruise-1.





Note the steersman at the rear of the transporter unit.
When loaded there will probably be two tractors at the front & perhaps a third one at the rear.


The BBC PEARL sailed for Antwerp at 1900.




Saturday, 22 October 2016 - 23:43

 

Post 3622

  Sea News, Dover

An extra picture with more detail...see also the post below...


Saturday, 22 October 2016 - 18:19

 

Post 3621

  Sea News, Dover

   
   
   

The transformer being lifted from the BBC Pearl just minutes ago as I write... ( info details on 3138 )
well done Mike with the early shot of the ship off Walmer below
and the one of the Corinthian from on high.

Thanks guys for the timing tip-off behind the scenes.

Saturday, 22 October 2016 - 16:48

 

Post 3620

  Mike J., Dover

The heavy-lift ship BBC PEARL was at anchor in the Downs, off Walmer, yesterday & at 0700 Saturday was docking on the Admiralty Pier ready to unload the huge transformer from Germany that she had loaded in Rotterdam. [post 3138 refers].


The CORINTHIAN didn’t stay long & sailed mid-afternoon on Friday for Rouen.


.


Saturday, 22 October 2016 - 07:54

 

Post 3619

  Sea News, Dover

  
Some more pictures now of yesterdays cruise visitors. The top two pictures show the AIDASol arriving for the final time this year. We believe it to be the final time anyway. She arrived yesterday Friday just after 7am while it was still darkish...and under a menacing sky to match the darkish mood. She left last night at 8pm on her way to Le Havre.

Below we have another one of Corinthian...seen here also arriving. She was scheduled in much earlier but arrived in around 11am or so, possibly held up by the Russian fleet.
   
And speaking of the Russian fleet, which is still making all the headlines, here we are with another picture below of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov...about to dwarf the Larne Lightvessel yesterday. You can clearly see the jets on the deck as she steams south.
 


Will have some spectacular pictures of the Lifeboat guys in exciting action tomorrow. They were sent over by the guys themselves.. just need to get it sorted and will aim to have those on display in the morning all being well. PaulB.

Saturday, 22 October 2016 - 06:52

 

Post 3618

  vicmatchamThank, heading south.

Thank you for showing them,

Friday, 21 October 2016 - 16:10

 

Post 3617

  Sea News, Dover

Yes indeed Vic the Russians came and went this morning. There was much excitement on the TV news channels and they passed by between mid morning and lunchtime...all ships about a mile apart. Must have been about 12 ships or more including an aircraft carrier.

The lighting was poor which was a pity. Some days on the channel you can see for miles with great clarity, today wasn't one of those days. You could see alright but with blue haze everywhere....anyway here are a few okay pictures, nothing special alas.. the aircraft carrier leading the way on these shots...

  The Admiral Kuznetsov above with two jets on the deck.
   Wild geese passing by the Russian fleet, probably heading to winter in mother Russia itself.
   The ferries had to adjust accordingly...above and below..
   
The Corinthian came in..somewhat overshadowed in the midst of all the Russian excitement...she was mentioned on Colette's list of cruise visits, see post 3136.
That's another Russian warship in the background.



Friday, 21 October 2016 - 14:46

 

Post 3616

  vic matcham , on the move

Well done to the port in getting the reward.
I hope you keep the film rolling and get some good shots of the R/war ships heading our way.It would be great to let them stay at Dover for s few days just think of the trade that would bring to Dover and its shops and bars,

Friday, 21 October 2016 - 08:09

 

Post 3615

  Sea News, Dover

  
   
  
Some pictures above there of the Lady Racisce leaving us on...let me think, what day was it... yes Wednesday afternoon. She came right across the harbour with the help of both tugs and left through the western exit, heading off to Antwerp. Its always very helpful for us when they leave through the western exit. Although the ferries do it a lot now its rare for the cargo ships to leave this way.  You will have noted I'm sure that she has no cargo, no containers to be seen which is unusual and the ship itself looks a little...well tired. Not sure if there was anything wrong. Fairly standard but pleasant shots above and an extra one below which is very zoomed in...trying to get into the heart of the action.

 

PaulB

Also just in from the guys at the Port..


The Port of Dover wins national recognition of its Heart Safe training and facilities for the second year running.
_____________________________________________________________________________

  
Despite winning the accolade of Large Business of the Year in 2015, the Port of Dover has continued to advance with training, demonstrations and the promotion of the Port’s Automated External Defibrillators (AED’s). As a direct result of this work, the Port’s ship operators and external construction contractors have now gone on to purchase AED’s for their own sites and to train their own staff – not only in Dover, but at other locations around the UK where they operate.

Within the Port itself, equipment is located with the Harbour Patrol Launch providing cover for marine incidents; the Marina Office ensuring that visitors mooring at the Marina have access to advanced medical facilities and two units in the Port’s busy Cruise Terminal, catering for advanced care for cruise passengers. Redeployment of the AED locations this year has also allowed for mobile units to be utilised by the Port of Dover Police to provide a third ‘blue light’ response to areas within and outside of the Port. Investment was also made into ensuring all seven units have paediatric pads for the use on children, enhancing the flexibility of deployment.

As part of the continued promotion and use of AED’s, the Port delivered first aid and defibrillator training to staff on save a life days, Port-centric safety day and customer safety roadshows to the wider community.

This ongoing work has continued to provide necessary and immediate care. A recent case in point saw the deployment of the Port Police and safety personnel to the scene of a sudden cardiac arrest and the availability of equipment meant that two AED units were deployed to the scene allowing for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation within two minutes.

The judges were impressed by the Port’s improvement year on year, its outward looking approach and commitment and passion for AEDs.

The Port of Dover Lead Safety Advisor, Andy Stephens said: "Winning this award for a second year is a true representation of the investment of both the Port and its staff in committing to create a safer environment for colleagues, the wider Port community and the travelling public. It further endorses the work being undertaken with the local community and the training provided to local clubs and organisations, and also has a positive impact with close business partners who have been further influenced to enhance their own AED and basic life support provisions as a result."

Ends


AIDA Sol in today for the last time this year. Pictures later.
Well done once again to DFDS for achieving that milestone below.



Friday, 21 October 2016 - 06:01