Comments (Newest First):

 

Post 6814

  Mike J., Dover

'Sea News' readers may recall Ed Connell who has passed away after a long illness, bravely borne.

Ed worked on the ferries for many years after he left deepsea, initially with Sealink & finally with DFDS working as a Radio Officer until the rank was abolished, continuing as an Electro-Technical Officer.

A frequent contributor to 'Sea News' Ed's photos were much valued, particularly as he was the main contributor of photos of vessels passing thru the Dover Straits & taken from aboard his ferry until he came ashore in April 2018 [post 5314]


Ed was very knowledgeable about shipping & particularly interested in local history & was contributing to the 'Dover History Pages' Facebook page until last November.

A real character with an impish sense of humour & a real gentleman, Ed will be much missed & our sympathies go out to Chris his wife & to his family.




Saturday, 15 February 2020 - 12:33

 

Post 6813

  Sea News, Dover

Tug Dauntless

We are expecting more rough weather...with Storm Dennis due and ready to menace. The picture above of Tug Dauntless was taken during Storm Ciara a few days ago, it shows the tug on standby duty mid-harbour, ready to assist the incoming ferries dock in the rough weather. You can see the breakwater behind Dauntless over-run with the high seas...we are expecting more of the same..

The picture below is another one of Norman at WD4...Norman our latest visitor. We have a picture further below too in 6812 taken at a different time, this is a wider version showing the wider scene as it were. Norman is now at WD5, the new cargo terminal.



Update: Norman has just left for a 'Margate Anchorage'

PaulB

Saturday, 15 February 2020 - 05:56

 

Post 6812

  Sea News, Dover

The latest arrival at the new grain pier WD4 is...well yes you've guessed it,,,Norman. I thought she was another grain vessel but it seems not...she was waiting for the Lady Rosemary to vacate WD5 the new cargo terminal...she is now over there .. after Lady Rosemary set out for Vlissingen fully recovered.

Initially I thought aloud...
"Its Norman
sheltering from the storm in
WD5"

....as it was stormy yesterday morning.

We've got Shakespeare worried there as you can see...

Yes Del, some dicey weather coming this weekend. Better brace ourselves. yes I think that's how we spell dicey as my spellchecker hasn't gone in to meltdown..

Interesting collection below from our 'inshore correspondent' ...well done with those Mike.

PB

Friday, 14 February 2020 - 07:45

 

Post 6811

  Mike J., Dover

Excellent Maersk pix !

The Smit/Boskalis SMIT DEE, supposedly a 'training vessel' came into Dover from Weymouth early on Wednesday & remained in The Tug Haven on Thursday morning,

She was tied-up alongside DAVID CHURCH who provided a rather confusing background.


Rain was starting when I was on the pontoon & was throwing it down by the time I got up to St.Martin's battery . . . . .




Friday, 14 February 2020 - 00:30

 

Post 6810

  Del Styan, Norwich

Good luck this weekend with Dennis - that Jubilee way pic looks a bit dicey - if that's how you spell dicey!

Thursday, 13 February 2020 - 23:04

 

Post 6809

  Sea News, Dover

Gunhilde Maersk: this one came in close to Port on Tuesday while the weather was a tad easier...presumably to let the pilot off or similar. She paused here for a time....If yours truly is remembering correctly...she was on her way to Felixstowe. Always happy to see them linger here...

The picture below is from 5/6 days ago...just prior to Storm Ciara...shows the magnificent Morten Maersk in the gentle evening light...all 195,000 tons of her. Almost twice the size of Gunhilde above...which is a 100,000 tonner.



We are having some very rough weather again as I write...is this Storm Dennis ahead of schedule?
We're getting too much menace from Dennis!
A last one of Storm Ciara below which shows the scale of the waves in relation to the truck coming down Jubilee Way. Granted the truck is that bit further away but you get the drift.


PaulB

Thursday, 13 February 2020 - 06:18

 

Post 6808

  Sea News, Dover

Lady Rosemary listing as she approaches the Port of Dover yesterday Tuesday… look at the containers!



Following a tip off from Mike I was able to spot our recent friend Lady Rosemary coming to Port just off South Foreland. She had suffered from shifting cargo in the fierce storms and was listing...and you can see that in the pictures above. Several of the containers have toppled over as you can see....

When she got close the tugs were able to lend a hand and she got into the new western cargo terminal safely enough....

A couple of shots below of Calais Seaways approaching the Port on Monday evening... in a little bit of weak sunlight but still with very windy weather. The ferries were still delayed...



PaulB

Wednesday, 12 February 2020 - 05:06

 

Post 6807

  Sea News, Dover

Some more pictures now from Storm Ciara's reign of terror...
Stormy Dover.






Just prior to Ciara the MPI Enterprise went by the Port, heading northwards, the visibility was terrible so this is more a computer image than a camera image. We have featured a number of these MPI vessels in the past as they amble by, more in the Search Engine above..which will take you through our own pages..


Brian

It seems the blustery conditions are likely to go on...according to the weather persons..

PaulB

Tuesday, 11 February 2020 - 06:33

 

Post 6806

  brian dixon, dover

yes thanks paul, came over loud and clear.

Monday, 10 February 2020 - 14:44

 

Post 6805

  Sea News, Dover

The last ferry to leave the Port yesterday ( Sunday ) before it closed...
yes the pictures here show Delft Seaways struggling manfully in Storm Ciara's fierce winds with the help of the tugs... the tug featured in these pix...Tug Doughty

Delft Seaways

I must admit I would not have wanted to be on that ferry...the conditions..phew!

Time of the first picture above 09.31.
Taken from the rear window of the 'observation tower' ..the normal viewing position inaccessible due to safety concerns...


Although the conditions were fierce and in some cases destructive, the sea nevertheless provided quite a spectacle. Tons of sightseers descended onto the seafront ..you can see all the cars coming in the pix below. At the moment these pictures were being taken Simon Jones was doing a live report...the BBC 4by4 is in the pic. I said to myself 'that report is NOT live'
but then I realised it was, Simon was taking some shelter from the ermm shelter while doing it, so was obscured from my pictured view.
I guess the cameraman had to hold on to his equipment !!...


Anyway here we go...


Duck!! That chap got a soaking... and there were others getting the similar soaking...
will aim to have some further pictures...

More...

Great round up info below there Mike - well done with that. Enjoyable pictures too.Excellent stuff!

Thanks to Nigel once again.

Del I think they probably held the traffic outside of town yesterday..in the Operation StacK thingy

Brian hope you got the info below there last night.

Ah yes indeed Mark...some ferries were held up for hours offshore yesterday, cant have been very nice onboard..

Thanks for that fascinating picture Terry (from up there in Gloucestershire)...very enjoyable post.

PaulB
ps: weather seems a lot calmer as I write...

Monday, 10 February 2020 - 07:01

 

Post 6804

  Mike J., Dover

Sunday & storm CIARA - a filthy day indeed with SW winds up to 60kts, horizontal rain & flickering rural electricity supplies.
A day for staying at home.

The port was closed for most of the day with the PRIDE OF CANTERBURY marooned on No.9 berth.

The wind dropped during the evening & the first movement was the arrival of the DOVER SEAWAYS, as noted by Paul, with the PRIDE OF CANTERBURY sailing at 2100 adter which the SPIRIT OF BRITAIN entered..

The CANTERBURY did not sail for Calais, but headed up into the Downs to join the PRIDE OF BURGUNDY.

At the height of the storm there were 21 ships sheltering in Margate Roads, with eight more vessels a little further north in the Tongue anchorage..



Much nicer sunny weather on Thursday & Friday so a quick ‘small fry’ catch-up.

During the migrant activity on Thursday two of Viking Marine’s rescue craft went out on a training exercise, returning shortly before the Dutch lifeboat KOOPMANSDANK sailed.


The second one was the rescue boat from the Holland America cruise ship WESTERDAM [post 6322] .


In the wee small hours of Friday the small tug NEW ROSS 1 limped in towing a barge that she had brought up from the Solent en route Felixstowe & docked on Cruise-1.

She was quite invisible from Paul’s lookout post & Langdon Cliffs & just a uninteresting blob from St.Martins Battery & this excellent view of her taken after she shifted to the Tug Haven is copyright & courtesy of ‘Dover Straits Shipping’ - Thanks Nige !


After repairs she sailed Friday evening & made it safely to Felixstowe before CIARA came on the scene.

On the other side of the pontoon the yellow object is the George Hammond launch, GEORGE HAMMOND, used mostly for offshore crew transfers & stores deliveries.

She also transfers pilots from Hammond's own pilotage service which covers Northern European waters & also frequently collects over-carried pilots who have been unable to disembark after leaving European ports due to bad weather.

Established in 1767 Hammonds have an interesting website covering their various shipping services.


Monday, 10 February 2020 - 02:33

 

Post 6803

  Del Styan, Norwich

I'm intrigued to know how the roads were today, with the ferries "off line".

Sunday, 9 February 2020 - 23:04

 

Post 6802

  Sea News, Dover

Just a quick one Brian - will have a more general post in the morning with pictures.
The Port appears to be closed still - there is no activity.

Update: Ah ...no sooner had I spoken and I see a ferry approaching ..Time 8.25pm (20.25) .. tug ready and waiting to help,
so it looks like 'all systems go' again.
PB

Sunday, 9 February 2020 - 20:14

 

Post 6801

  brian dixon, dover

is the port still closed dose any one know

Sunday, 9 February 2020 - 19:11

 

Post 6800

  Mark Rushton, Northants

Commiserations to the four boatloads of ferry passengers stranded in the Channel this afternoon. I well remember it happening to my mum a few times when she worked on the ferries. The worst was 24 hours on an Ostender with 1500 passengers on board. She was circumspect in her description of conditions on board after all that time, but they clearly weren't pleasant !

Sunday, 9 February 2020 - 14:31

 

Post 6799

  Old Dovorian, Gloucestershire

 

Post 6798

  Old Dovorian, Gloucestershire

Dover Harbour Board Tug, "The Lady Vita". My grandfather was a stoker on it when he retired from the Royal Navy in the early 1900's.

B&W Photograph taken by Edgar Tarry Adams in August 1898. "The Lady Vita" was sold and renamed 'Lingdale', built on the Thames in 1882. Her engines are in Newcastle Science Museum.

Sunday, 9 February 2020 - 13:36

 

Post 6797

  Sea News, Dover

A sequence now of grain ship Niklas departing on Friday evening...time of first shot 16.46 (or 4.46PM if you prefer). You can see her below in the first picture moving away from the dock and then slowly, with the pilot alongside, making her way out of Port. A very well maintained ship as you can see...looks good...





Niklas moves away:
The fifth picture there is a zoomed crop of the one above in an effort to show more detail.
Niklas now on her way to Leith in bonny Scotland.

Thanks for the post below Terry, great to hear about times past at the Port of Dover. We are glad you are enjoying the pictures..we have lots more to come.

PaulB
ps: we are expecting, indeed experiencing, some rough weather here in Dover today. it seems to be wild everywhere in and around the UK. Hold on to yer hat!


Sunday, 9 February 2020 - 06:13

 

Post 6796

  Old Dovorian, Gloucestershire (terrywhelan6@gmail.com)

I was born and grew up (ish!) in Dover, leaving in the 1960s when I joined the military. Thanks for these fantastic photos of the goings on in the port, I love 'em!

I remember the timber ships and fruit and veg ships arriving in the inner dock and the colliers unloading near the clock tower. That's all gone but it's good to see the grain ships and reefers plus the cruise liners keeping the port busy. I also remember the first hovercraft being tied up alongside The Prince of Wales Pier, it was a little round thing with a tiny cabin, I wondered what good it was but when the Princess Margaret class hovercraft were in service and I was back in town on a visit, I just had to do a crossing on one!

Saturday, 8 February 2020 - 16:34

 

Post 6795

  Sea News, Dover

Niklas general cargo and latest grain ship above there at WD4...the 'grain pier'. The shot above taken in the fairly clear conditions of Thursday. Below we have some shots from early Friday morning showing the grain loading in full swing.




One hopes that chap above there is wearing a facial mask re lung protection, the amount of airborne dust is phenomenal. But I'm sure they know what they are doing...don't need yours truly telling them...

Round about the same time Friday morning...Trinity House Vessel Alert moves out of Port...
Alert

Great collections below from Mike, migrant crises etc...DONT MISS THOSE!

Great to see a picture from our legendary roving reporter Sarah Hewes in the mix there..

Nice picture and info below Patrick...helped me correct a mistake I made previously.. well done with that

PaulB
ps: Niklas left Port just before 5PM yesterday Friday...will have some pictures...

Saturday, 8 February 2020 - 05:15