Comments (Newest First):

 

Post 3271

  Sarah, Ramsgate

A rather large Windfarm vessel was in Ramsgate Harbour today.

Njord Forseti





Our good friend Valiant was also in the harbour, seen here with Pilot Boat Estuary Leader.



Tuesday, 21 June 2016 - 18:48

 

Post 3270

  brian, dover

thanks paul .that's the bugger who rattled me rafters,,

Tuesday, 21 June 2016 - 11:49

 

Post 3269

  Sea News, Dover

As I write this morning my observation tower is engulfed in a thick pea-souper fog, and all about us the wailing sound of the lonely electronic bell calling out a warning across the harbour. The weather was dreadful all day yesterday, you wont need me to tell you, but miraculously just before the Balmoral departed it cleared up and there was a Eureka moment as the sun burst through across the hazy harbour...the colour had returned.. a watery colour...

The Balmoral was off to Guernsey and there she goes above. But just as we all began to enjoy the late sun...a thick mist came rolling in from the sea very fast indeed. It came across the bay in spooky Hollywood tradition and all were engulfed. So no further pictures for the moment. But here's one below from the archives especially for Brian...this will rattle yer timbers Brian..it rattled the timbers at yours trulys observation tower a while back.


PaulB.



Tuesday, 21 June 2016 - 06:22

 

Post 3268

  Sea News, Dover

With the Pride of Kent on Saturday from DOVER to CALAIS...





and an extra one here of a strangely empty Calais....Saturday around 6pm...where is everybody ??


Well done with that CRUISE LIST below Colette...ace work!
ah were ye aerially buzzed up there Brian...thanks for letting us know it took place.
PaulB.



Monday, 20 June 2016 - 06:04

 

Post 3267

  ColetteB, Dover

Cruise Visits
__________

And now for the final round of June Cruises

Tomorrow Monday 20th June, after a long absence, we see the return of Fred Olsen Cruise Lines ‘Balmoral’ to Dover. She will cruise into CT2 at 08:00 on a POC and leave us at 17:00 hrs. Of course, as I’m sure we all know, she was named after the Scottish home of the Royal Family and is a classically styled ship exuding a welcoming, friendly atmosphere and a warming, home-from-home feel. It’s great to see her back with us and we will have the pleasure of her presence again this season in September & October

Then on Wednesday 22nd the Artania is back with us at CT2, POC. She will arrive at 08:00 and depart at 18:00.

The following day Thursday 23rd, Saga Sapphire arrives back at CT1 at midnight and leaves the evening of the 24th, again around midnight.

And now for a double header on Saturday 25th June, firstly, the Black Watch is here again at CT2, TR at 07:00, leaving at 17:00

Arriving at the same time, Voyages to Antiquity’s classically elegant cruise ship ‘Aegean Odyssey’ cruises into CT1, TR. Premium class, but far from stuffy and formal, MV Aegean Odyssey offers passengers every comfort at sea, with a relaxed, congenial atmosphere and the highest calibre of personal service.

She carries an average of 350 passengers, her ideal size is perfectly suited for coastal cruising to the small inlets of the Mediterranean that larger ships cannot reach. It also allows her to navigate the great rivers of Asia, including the Saigon and Yangon Rivers, as well as Spain’s Guadalquivir River, for a unique combination of ocean and river cruising.

This is a Grand Voyage to the Rivieras. The itinerary is truly awesome, it starts from Dover, crossing the Channel at 20:00 hrs, to the impressive sites of the D-Day beaches in Normandy, the abbey of Mont Saint-Michel and the elegant chateaux of the Loire plus the opportunity to taste some of the great wines of Bordeaux.
After a trip to the pilgrimage site of Galicia’s Santiago de Compostela, you journey to two of Portugal’s most stunning cities, Oporto and Lisbon. Then cruise to Cadiz and Malaga. Also calls at Valencia, Monte Carlo and Portofino exemplify the beauty and history of the Mediterranean.

The itinerary concludes with two of the most impressive and historically fascinating cities in the world, Florence and Rome. Bliss!!

Now back down to earth, we conclude the month of June on Thursday June 30th with the Saga Sapphire at CT1, TR. Arrives at Midnight on the 30th and departs at midnight on July 1st.

A 'Huge Well Done' to all the Sea News team this last week, for their terrific array of photos and information on all things Nautical



Sunday, 19 June 2016 - 21:35

 

Post 3266

  brian, dover

yes paul it went ahead,the noisy blyter done a fly bye over me house,lol

Sunday, 19 June 2016 - 19:46

 

Post 3265

  Sea News, Dover

The Saga Pearl II leaving the Port today about 4.20pm, heading off to Stockholm in Sweden. Note.. we have some pleasant weather for a change. Strongish breeze though so I am not sure if the usual aerial display took place...it would probably have been beyond yours trulys camera range anyway.

Nice spreads once again Ed ..great stuff!
Good to see our roving correspondent is keeping us up to speed from Ramsgate.
PB.

Sunday, 19 June 2016 - 17:35

 

Post 3264

  Ed Connell, Dover

Italia Reefer at the DCT today.


Sunday, 19 June 2016 - 14:20

 

Post 3263

  Sarah, Ramsgate

Titan Discovery is back at Ramsgate. Certainly brightens up the harbour with her bright yellow livery.



Saturday, 18 June 2016 - 13:39

 

Post 3262

  Ed Connell, Dover

Disney Magic today.





Five little ships of Dunkirk today taking part in the making of a Hollywood movie about the Dunkirk evacuation, I am given to understand.


Friday, 17 June 2016 - 21:45

 

Post 3261

  Sea News, Dover

Mike tipped me off that this one was coming and right enough mid-morning this all new deep sea diving vessel turned up. It is called Deep Helder and there she is above looking good. Top shot shows her arriving at the eastern entrance and the second pic shows her under the shadow of the magnificent Disney Magic. Also in shot you can just see LS Concorde. We were hampered by dreadful visibility issues today...but...

Friday, 17 June 2016 - 19:10

 

Post 3260

  Sea News, Dover

Some exciting pictures just in from my lady colleague down at the Port...
direct from the pilot boat early this morning.. the arrival of the Disney Magic..wowser!





Disney's magnificent ship returns
____________________________


Britain’s second most popular cruise destination welcomed back the luxury Disney Magic cruise ship early this morning. The world renowned White Cliffs of Dover provided a stunning vista for her passengers as she swept into view at sunrise.

The magnificent ship pays homage to the grand era of the luxury ocean liner with its art deco style interior. Boasting 11 decks and accommodating 2,700 passengers in her 875 staterooms, the ship has twenty bright yellow lifeboats which, along with the black, red, and white colours of the ship itself, match the colours of Mickey Mouse.

On arrival at Dover Cruise Port, passengers were able to take advantage of state-of-the-art terminals and award winning facilities and customer services for a smooth and swift disembark. Being perfectly positioned for turnaround or port of call visits for the British Isles, Northern Europe, the Baltic, Eastern Mediterranean and USA, passengers can enjoy a variety of itineraries and excellent pre and post cruise accommodation. On leaving the Port, there are the fantastic and historic attractions that Dover has to offer as well as the many beautiful and diverse attractions in the wider county of Kent, The Garden of England.

Sonia Limbrick, Head of Business Development (Cruise), Port of Dover, said:

"I would like to thank Disney Magic for visiting us again at Dover Cruise Port. Dover is one of the most progressive cruise Ports in the country and is already a Port of choice for over 20 individual cruise lines and around 200,000 discerning cruise passengers. With the significant investment received and ongoing progression of the Dover Western Docks Revival project we anticipate great things for our future and look forward to continuing to welcome Disney Cruise Line ships to our Port."


Ends


See also below.



Friday, 17 June 2016 - 07:56

 

Post 3259

  Sea News, Dover

Red Sails in the Sunset: Well a little bit of gentle sailing goes down very well on a nice Thursday evening. Dover Harbour was colourfully and deliciously tranquil...while its true there wasn't a sunset, it was however a gorgeous early evening for sure and those red sails above made the most of it.

Below we have a pic of the Saga Sapphire from a couple of evenings back...she stayed overnight ( people will talk! )


The all too fab Disney Magic is back in with us today... great to see it as ever...
one wit sang this to me the other day..
"when I wish upon a star
it doesn't get me very far"

Well there you are, you have to save up your pennies.
To see previous pix of the Disney Magic type the name in the Search Engine above.
PaulB.


Friday, 17 June 2016 - 06:36

 

Post 3258

  Sea News, Dover

Thanks for that Vic. You're a good lad PB.

Thursday, 16 June 2016 - 19:05

 

Post 3257

  vic matcham, Dovor

We are just back from Blackpool did not see one ship on the sea up there so it was great to login into the sea news and see all the great ships that have sailed into Dovor when we was away. thank you.

Thursday, 16 June 2016 - 11:29

 

Post 3256

  Sea News, Dover

P&O FERRIES RECORD BUSTING SPELL GOES ON....



P&O FERRIES REPORTS RECORD 13TH CONSECUTIVE MONTH OF CARRYING MORE THAN 100,000 FREIGHT VEHICLES ON ENGLISH CHANNEL
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Release time: immediate


P&O Ferries today announces that in May it recorded the longest run of high monthly freight volumes between Dover and Calais in its modern history.

The ferry company's six ships on the English Channel have now carried more than 100,000 freight vehicles in every month since May 2015 - a period of thirteen consecutive months.

P&O Ferries has never before consistently exceeded the 100,000 vehicles mark - the benchmark figure for high monthly demand on the English Channel - for this length of time. The previous record was seven consecutive months between January and July 2012.

Janette Bell, Chief Commercial Officer at P&O Ferries, said: "These figures illustrate that demand on the English Channel continues to be robust, with our ferry services providing a vital link in the supply chain between Britain and France on which hundreds of thousands of businesses depend."

"We have made it a priority to minimize dwell times for our customers and have put a freight-only vessel back into operation to provide extra trips when needed."

"Our objective is to give all our customers the lowest possible waiting times. Freight customers work on very low margins in a highly competitive industry and it costs them money when drivers and equipment stand idle unnecessarily."

In 2015, P&O Ferries carried more freight across the English Channel than in any previous year since 2003. The company's ships transported 1.34 million units of freight during the 12-month period - an increase of 22 per cent year on year.

Earlier this year, P&O Ferries also reached agreement with VIIA to provide transport to Britain for unaccompanied freight arriving on a new train service between Le Boulou and Calais. This new intermodal service is operating on a daily basis and providing a direct trailer link to the UK for exporters in France and Spain.

P&O Ferries is a leading pan-European ferry operator, sailing on eight major routes between Britain, France, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Holland and Belgium. The company operates 20 vessels which carry more than 10 million passengers, 1.6 million cars and two million freight units every year.


ENDS


Exciting news above from P&O Ferries...record freight going to the EU.


A couple of pictures below of the Pacific Princess departing last evening. She left us around 5.15pm, gliding gently across the harbour before exiting glamourously through the eastern wing, heading off to Bergen. Gorgeous evening on the sea, a bit fresh, but...well you cant have everything.




Wow! nice work below there Mike...great to see the Jean de la Lune up close.






Thursday, 16 June 2016 - 07:08

 

Post 3255

  Mike J., Dover

Another ‘tallish’ ship - the French-built JEAN DE LA LUNE came into Dover on Wednesday afternoon from Poole Harbour to berth alongside the DAVID CHURCH.

She was built in 1957 as a sailing trawler & converted in 1983 for charter work as a sail training vessel & now flies the Red Ensign.

She came up from Poole Harbour & is thought to be enroute the Thames.










Wednesday, 15 June 2016 - 21:46

 

Post 3254

  Sea News, Dover

Just to add another couple of pictures of the Monarch to the mix... the one above as she rested by Terminal 2 and the second pic below shows her 'in flight' as it were last evening. It was actually 9PM or 21:00 hours when she left in the picture below. Light was dim and getting dimmer... as she headed off to Ijmuiden in Holland.




Well done to the lads below. Ed for the spread and Mike and Nigel for the tall ship.

Wednesday, 15 June 2016 - 15:08

 

Post 3253

  Mike J., Dover

After the SEA CLOUD 2’s visit, another square-rigger passed Dover on Tuesday evening.
Built in 1936, the former German barque HORST WESSEL was seized by the U.S after WW2 & commissioned in 1946 as the U.S Coast Guard training ship EAGLE.
After a few days in London she is now heading for Bermuda.



Taken under 'difficult' conditions & cropped until the pixels squeaked, photo courtesy of NIGEL SCUTT.



Wednesday, 15 June 2016 - 07:57

 

Post 3252

  Ed Connell, Dover

Pacific Princess approaching Dover this morning.


Wednesday, 15 June 2016 - 04:58