Comments (Newest First):

 

Post 3351

  Sea News, Dover

Running a tad behind schedule here but trying to catch up. So much to do, so little time! Two pictures above there of the departing Amadea from a couple of evenings ago. She was heading on down the coast to Portland in blazing sunlight. Steady...summer is here and its already lasted for more than two days.

Below we have a somewhat ungainly and contrasty picture of Emerald leaving an evening or so ago...off to Flushing in the Netherlands. Being helped along here by the tug before departing through the eastern exit. Both tugs Doughty and Dauntless were in smooth operation.


The moon below in glorious colour on Tuesday evening. You can play 'spot the ship' in the hazy picture...


Thanks for the info Mike all round.
Amazing shots of the traffic at the Port once again...its currently taking 3 hours to get through we understand. Its put an end to the quick day trip over. Good to see Vigilant.

Sally:
I now have the email address for Barry Wadsworth-Smith and here we are...
wadsworthsmith@btinternet.com
Hope that helps.

Sarah...lol! Its always good to keep a woman happy. Lots more to come I'm sure.

Personal grumble: can you adam and eve it ! my fridge has packed in just when I need it most in the midst of this hot tropical summer. A chap could spit feathers so he could! Its only a couple of years old too..grrrrr


PS: Don't forget the REGATTA is on this weekend. On Saturday July 23. Will have a poster soon.

PaulB.


Thursday, 21 July 2016 - 06:01

 

Post 3350

  Mike J., Dover

Whilst photographing the congestion this morning I noticed an unfamiliar shape away in the distance, just south of Folkestone with Dungeness Power Station looming in the background.





Zooming & cropping didn't help much but AIS showed it to be the Dutch survey vessel VIGILANT & she was still there at 2000 tonight.
I’m told that she was conducting exercises with the SAR helicopter yesterday.

Coincidentally I saw her in Great Yarmouth back in April - a smart looking ship.





Rock dumping operations at the base of the Shakespeare Beach Railway Seawall works are supposed to start tomorrow, Thursday.

Pretty much the same technique as when the CHARLEY ROCK was dumping rocks for the groynes along the seafront a year or two back, the main difference being that the dumping barge will collect her rocks from the stockpile on the huge STEMA barge that has been anchored southwest of the port for a week or so instead from a coaster on the Admiralty Pier.
Perhaps the STEMA barge will be brought into port altho' it might get in the way of the cruise ships on the Ad.Pier..

Holyhead Towing's tug/workboat AFON GOCH has been in the old Jetfoil terminal for a few days & will handle the dumping barge, thought to be the CHARLEY ROCK again.




Wednesday, 20 July 2016 - 20:36

 

Post 3349

  Sarah, Ramsgate

Loving the further lifeboat photos Paul, you have made me very happy

Wednesday, 20 July 2016 - 15:20

 

Post 3348

  Sally Mavin, Manchester (Sallymavin@gmail.com)

Hello

I wonder whether someone would be kind enough to put me in touch with Barry Wadsworth-Smith? My email is sallymavin@gmail.com if he wouldn't mind getting in touch.

Thank you

Sally Mavin

Wednesday, 20 July 2016 - 12:45

 

Post 3347

  Mike J., Dover

Yep, the congestion is back - here it is at 0700 with much much bleating of horns from frustrated motorists.










Also the arrival of the FREDERICA to bunker the the SAGA PEARL 2.
I’ll leave the arrival of today’s brace of SAGAs to Mr.B





I think yesterday’s ‘shout’ by the lifeboat was to a channel swimmer with problems.
A good job well done.
As usual.


Wednesday, 20 July 2016 - 11:51

 

Post 3346

  ColetteB, Dover

Superb rescue action shots over the last few days MrB
Our Dover Lifeboat Team have certainly been busy, those guys are awesome and worth their weight in gold for sure

Sally Mavin, I knew your Dad Sally, John & I passed the time of day many a time down at the cruise port. That's a lovely picture you posted of him. My sincere condolences to you & your family.

Wednesday, 20 July 2016 - 10:46

 

Post 3345

  Sea News, Dover

Looking out to sea yesterday morning at 10am I saw a motor vessel powering towards the Port at great speed. I didn't realise initially that it was the Lifeboat. Once I caught on I grabbed the camera to hand and took the following shots. We understand it was a medical emergency and they were rushing back to port having evacuated an injured person from a ship mid-channel ( UPDATE: the latest news on this is that it was actually a female channel swimmer who got into trouble 11 miles out. That's the second emergency now re channel swimming in a few days. Its a tough game, if there was ever any doubt about that look at the latest emergency situations. )

As they approached the Port entrance the Lifeboat suddenly found a yacht in its path, the yacht approaching from the left as we look, and both made the entrance together....but the Lifeboat guys clearly knew what they were doing and there was no problem. An ambulance was waiting for the Lifeboat at its station.
A hectic few days indeed for the Dover Lifeboat. Our best wishes go to the casualty.
Pictures below through the heat haze... PaulB.






Double Saga header today both Pearl and Sapphire are in Port.
The traffic is abysmal going outwards. Leave early if travelling.


Thanks for that information below Sally
That's a lovely picture for sure.
Sad days Sally.
PaulB.

Wednesday, 20 July 2016 - 06:27

 

Post 3344

  Sally Mavin, Manchester (sallymavin@gmail.com)

Hello

Thank you to everyone for your lovely comments about dad. For anyone who knew my dad and would like to attend the funeral, the details are as follows:

11am Tuesday 26th July 2016

Hawkinge Crematorium
Aerodrome Road
Folkestone
CT18 7AG

Guests are also welcome to join us after the service for refreshments at:

The Mayfly
Defiant Way
Folkestone
Hawkinge
CT18 7RU

Best wishes

Sally Mavin

Tuesday, 19 July 2016 - 12:11

 

Post 3343

  Sea News, Dover

A couple of extra pictures above there of the Lifeboat at around 1pm sunday...as the RIB returned to the 'mothership'. These pictures taken as the emergency crises featured earlier in post 2883 was winding down.




While the aforementioned emergency was going on...the Nederland Reefer was arriving at the same time. It was a hectic harbour and no mistake.
See also Ed's picture further below page ( 2882).
I notice now that Nederland Reefer has left us already and Emerald has taken up the slot.. its all go!

Thanks for that info Howard...good to hear the chap is recovering. Good news.
Thanks Sarah...have added a couple of extra pictures of the Lifeboat above there for you to enjoy.
Thanks Vic all round - sensible advice there.
The Amadea is in with us this morning.



Tuesday, 19 July 2016 - 07:12

 

Post 3342

  Vic Matcham, DOVOR

Again great photos and seeing all what is going on in the port as it happens,glad the person who was swimming is OK here is a time in life when you are a swimmer or Boxer, runner etc that your body tells you to slow up or stop and I think that is what happen in this case,walking is very good and you can do that right up to the day you died and is very good for you and your body but the rest give it up when you have had a body warning,Thats what I done and apart from my legs it works and I will be 74 in a few weeks time.

Tuesday, 19 July 2016 - 07:02

 

Post 3341

  Howard McSweeney, Dover

Should have added that the chap involved is making a great recovery by all accounts.

Monday, 18 July 2016 - 20:37

 

Post 3340

  Howard McSweeney, Dover

Spectacular shots of the helicopter that went over my house about that time yesterday then suddenly turned 180 degrees and accelerated away, now I know why.

Monday, 18 July 2016 - 20:36

 

Post 3339

  Sarah, Ramsgate

Great photos of the rescue Paul, excellent as always.

Sincere condolences to Sally & her family.

Monday, 18 July 2016 - 14:18

 

Post 3338

  Sea News, Dover

Seafront Emergency: Yesterday around 1pm there was a substantial emergency on the seafront when one of the long distance swimmers got into serious difficulty. The first I knew off it was when the Coastguard helicopter came right over the roof of the 'observation tower'. By then the Lifeboat was already on the scene as were the police and ambulance services and a coastguard vehicle. The swimmer was on the beach by then and being very well attended as you can see in the shots below. The helicopter lowered a man to the scene also. The swimmer is a man in his fifties we understand and we wish him all the very best.




And then below it was all over...the swimmer was taken away by road ambulance and the airman and stretcher returned to the helicopter and they were off...at the same time the RIB returned to the Lifeboat and was scooped up in standard manner .. and the scene returned to tranquillity...
PaulB.





Thanks for the words and pictures in the post below Ed. Excellent!
Also to Barry WS further below.


A Special Tribute to the Emergency Services.




Monday, 18 July 2016 - 07:10

 

Post 3337

  Ed Connell, Dover

Sorry to hear about the passing of John Mavin. Did not know him personally but have admired his photos for many years.

Photos below of Nederland Reefer at the DCT today, and Norwegian yacht Origo entering via the Eastern Entrance.





Sunday, 17 July 2016 - 23:50

 

Post 3336

  Barry WS, Dover

Such a shame to hear the sad news about John's passing, he was a great photographer and his nautical knowledge endless. A good friend and workmate R.I.P. John

Sunday, 17 July 2016 - 10:17

 

Post 3335

  Sea News, Dover

By John Mavin

That's one of John's pictures above there Vic, especially for you and all fans everywhere. Very topical in a way as the Black Watch happens to be in Port right now.
Thanks once again to Sally for letting us know.
... and once again sincere condolences to the family ( see also post 2877 for picture ).

* *

Thanks for those contributions Mike.
Amazing pictures of the vehicles queuing at the Port. Was at the rear end of that queue or similar only 2 weeks ago.

Ian have another stab at uploading your picture when you can. It should work fine...hopefully.

PaulB.

Sunday, 17 July 2016 - 07:54

 

Post 3334

  vic matcham, Dover

It is always very sad when a member dies, I did not know John well so I am hoping that we can see more of his photos 0f the port put up please so all of us can see them.Thank you.

Sunday, 17 July 2016 - 01:49

 

Post 3333

  Mike J., Dover

At 1100 the Maltese-flagged tanker SIKINOS arrIved with bunkers for the BLACK WATCH.
I don't think that she's been to Dover before.



I was very sorry to read of the death of John Mavin who I’d met a few times on the clifftops & we exchanged Emails for a while.

John was a very good photographer & took full advantage of working in Western Docks & was author of the excellent CRUISE SHIPS OF DOVER which contained many of his own photos.








Saturday, 16 July 2016 - 22:06

 

Post 3332

  Sea News, Dover

Hi Sally
I am very sorry to hear the sad news about your dad. I think I only met John the once when he came to one of our Christmas gatherings a number of years ago but we did exchange pictures several times via email. He also posted extremely good pictures from time to time here on this Sea News section and in the Forum and was always a very welcome contributor. He was good friends with Barry Wadsworth-Smith as they worked, if I am remembering correctly, in the Port together for quite a while....and here is a picture of the two of them together. I am afraid its only a small picture but here we are...


Barry Wadsworth-Smith left, John Mavin right.

Best wishes Sally at a sad time. Condolences to you from all here.

Paul Boland

* *

Thanks guys for the other posts, will get back to you in due course.



Saturday, 16 July 2016 - 17:53