Comments (Newest First):

 

Post 607

  John Mavin, Dover

Early this morning we nearly lost a piece of Dover's architectural heritage. A HUGE rogue wave crashed onto Shakespeare Beach, taking the Golden Arrow with it as it receded...... it did!

With the help of a Bulgarian lorry driver named Bogdan I managed to secure a rope and, using his tractor unit we pulled the old Fleche d'Or back and returned it to its original location ...... true!

The trouble is that in these cynical days you tell a story like this and no-one believes you! ....Tchhhh.



Tuesday, 1 April 2014 - 08:43

 

Post 606

  Jan Higgins, Dover

That is a good one Mike.

Tuesday, 1 April 2014 - 08:11

 

Post 605

  Mike J., Dover

Dredging is taking place at Charlton Green in preparation for the new Cruise Terminal.

When works are completed cruise ships will be able to dock in the centre of Dover.

After the preliminary works are finished the DAVID CHURCH will come up the Dour to complete the dredging & Morrisons will become Cruise Terminal 3.










Tuesday, 1 April 2014 - 07:54

 

Post 604

  PaulB, Dover

It is surely truly enjoyable for all of us to see the arrival of Spring in earnest..and let's hope we haven't spoken too soon. The picture above shows the scene across the harbour very early yesterday morning at low low tide, and as you can see all was beautifully springlike and entirely tranquil. The sea was flat calm, as calm as calm can be.. and therefore ideal for travelling landlubbers (yours truly!). All weekend it was very busy in the nearby seafront hotels, clearly thousands were going across the channel making the most of Mothers Day and the best of the tranquil and even warm weather.

Following on below we have a couple of new pictures from yesterday of the seafront groynes taking shape. Gone now are the 'orrible old metal ones. All have been replaced with natural Norwegian Larvic rock as you can see. A huge improvement and so neatly done too...how do they do that? those big mechanical diggers are hardly delicate instruments of fine tuning, so a big well done to all concerned. Clearly artists at work here. The following two pictures show the same groynes at the different state of tidal movement yesterday morning. From rock bottom to mid tide.

Of course the work is far from over yet...it is still very much a job in progress. Bear in mind that both pictures above show the tide at quite a low level, one of them obviously so, but the tide actually rises way above the groynes ...you can see the level on the marker buoys.
And speaking of low tide. The sea birds certainly like it when it's low...this is the seabed vegetation on display yesterday at very low tide. Seagulls bathing, washing, nibbling ... a tiny freshwater stream flows into the sea round about there.


Tuesday, 1 April 2014 - 06:28

 

Post 603

  howard mcsweeney, Dover

that really is a lovely ship, pity it arrived too late in the day for the passengers and crew to get into town.

great all round photos again from everyone.

Monday, 31 March 2014 - 15:48

 

Post 602

  PaulB, Dover

THE FIRST CRUISE LINER OF THE SEASON.
Although it had been a beautiful sunny morning here in Dover, by the time our first cruise liner of the season had arrived it had become a murky shade of grey as you can see in the pictures. The ship was running late by all accounts and by the time it got to harbour at around 2.15pm yours truly had fortunately just made it back to base camp in time for the arrival by a literal whisker...and of course managed to get the pictures. The ship is the beautiful Azores. She seemed to have a large contingent of passengers...and most appear to have come on deck for their exciting arrival to White Cliffed Dover. She left again last night at 9pm in a blaze of light to illuminate a very dark night.

There is more info on her from Mike in Post 522.

Ben Greenwood, Business Development Manager, Port of Dover, said: "We look forward to welcoming this year’s cruise customers to the Port of Dover. Whether the cruise line, cruise vessel, or one of the customers on-board, we are committed to ensuring that they all receive the very best service. "
So there you have it.


Monday, 31 March 2014 - 06:11

 

Post 601

  PaulB, Dover

I guess we are all waiting with baited breath for the first cruise liner of the season and you can see the info from Mike there...not due till 1pm. So I thought I would add a few pix to be going on with...from early yesterday morning. Taken at dawn - around 5.15am. Nobody should be up that early...nosireee! But you can see those hard working guys beat me to it. Yes its the early work taking place on the seafront groynes and with the wide view shown here you can see how it is all developing.


Sunday, 30 March 2014 - 10:13

 

Post 600

  Mike J., Dover

At the risk of telling you something that you may know already . . . .

If you are looking for the AZORES on the 'Dover Forum Channel Shipping' you only get a limited local 'picture'

Would suggest that you Google 'Marine Traffic' & you will get access to all areas that 'Marine Traffic' covers.

On their home page click on 'NAME-MMSI-IMO' & type in 'AZORES'

You will be given a list of all ships called 'AZORES' - currently she is top of the list.

Click on the little blue symbol under the name & you will be transported, as if by magic, to the ship's location.

Clicking on the symbol on the chart another box will open up with her details including her ETA which she is currently giving as 1300 today.

Lots of other info available if you wish to explore further !


Sunday, 30 March 2014 - 09:17

 

Post 599

  PaulB, Dover

Just had a quick look for her on Chris T's channel traffic map Brian..and she is still way up in the North Sea yet. So will be ages before she gets here, if at all at this rate. Must have been held up. Hopefully yours truly will still get a picture but will be out and about today so don't know.

Sunday, 30 March 2014 - 08:40

 

Post 598

  brian d., dover.

as of this moment no sign of the expexted cruise ship.possabley another no show.

Sunday, 30 March 2014 - 08:18

 

Post 597

  PaulB, Dover

A thing of Beauty is a Joy forever ! We must 'rendre hommage' to the great rock pile above..our very own St Michaels Mount. Now alas no longer there, as the three hard-working diggers have, at breakneck pace and working against the tide, distributed the rocks above to their required destination..the groynes are now taking serious shape. The picture was taken just a couple of days ago for posterity but the work powers forward swiftly ..and at all hours, so these rocks are now moved. One of the rocks shown looks to be in tablet form, see bottom left, looks like it may be the one brought down from that other Mount by Moses himself!
No, cant be !

This picture shows one such digger in operation yesterday afternoon..the other ones were working just out of shot. In the background our ol' friend the now super-clean spruced up Pride of Burgundy makes her way slowly towards the western exit in the blinding sunlight.
Thanks for that info below Mike as ever.


Saturday, 29 March 2014 - 06:13

 

Post 596

  Mike J., Dover

Fire-fighting exercise I believe.

Friday, 28 March 2014 - 11:50

 

Post 595

  PaulB, Dover

See also the post below...for closer shot.

Friday, 28 March 2014 - 07:47

 

Post 594

  PaulB, Dover

Not sure what was going on above there in mid-harbour yesterday. There seemed to be a bit of a sudden kerfuffle and the tugboat Doughty was called to do some spraying. But what it was all about alas I don't know. Made for some interesting pictures though ..they were taken through the gloom and mist which was prevalent at around 5pm, so have had to boost the pix up a bit so that we can actually see them but the colours have gone a bit askew.

Keep going with the Connaught Park initiatives Colette..you got some good further info from Mike there too re those vessels.

Friday, 28 March 2014 - 07:21

 

Post 593

  ColetteB, Dover

Thanks Mike for the fascinating information with photos of the Ocean Nova really appreciate that. It sounds like the kind of cruise ship for our brilliant forumite wildlife photographer Phil Smith
Great to see Dover included with the strange sounding names of those faraway places

Also, that looks like a marvelous running festival on Dover Sea front at the weekend & for a very worthy cause too. Well done to the Port of Dover staff & to their event organiser Karen Webber. A youth engagement scheme is something I'm keen to explore within Connaught Park, have some ideas in the pipeline yet to be discussed

Thursday, 27 March 2014 - 21:08

 

Post 592

  PaulB, Dover

The Helene leaving yesterday evening...its Norwegian Larvic Rock delivery completed...for now at least.

Thursday, 27 March 2014 - 10:07

 

Post 591

  Mike J., Dover

ColetteB - OCEAN NOVA is an ‘expedition ship’ built in 1993.

These small cruise ships specialize in visits to isolated areas & their passengers are more interested in natural history & scenery, wildlife & other specialised interests than in ‘conventional’ cruising.

Although very comfortable they don’t have have all the facilities & razzamataz as found on other cruise ships.

The Arctic & Antaractic regions are often visited but from time to time these ships operate in other areas, the OCEAN NOVA has been on bird-watching cruises to the Shetlands & other Scots islands.



From 'Polar Quest' tour-operator's website.




They are occasional visitors to Dover, Hurtigruten's FRAM was here in April 2011.



Faraway places with strange-sounding names, Grytviken, Svalbard, Punta Arenas, Bear Island, Lofoten, Dover . . . . .



Thursday, 27 March 2014 - 07:25

 

Post 590

  howard mcsweeney, dover

lovely photo of the seafront grasses paul, taken in late summer last year is my guess.

the cruise business this summer is a bit complicated, yes more operators are onboard but the number of ships are down.

a very competitive market.

Wednesday, 26 March 2014 - 22:18

 

Post 589

  PaulB, Dover

DOVER'S LOVELY SEAFRONT IS THE PLACE TO BE THIS WEEKEND


On the weekend of Saturday 29th March and Sunday 30th March 2014, the Port of Dover is supporting a charitable running festival on Dover seafront.

Featuring a full marathon each day and a 10k run on the Saturday, the festival is set to attract around 200 professional and amateur runners across the three events.

The runs are in aid of the Buttons for Brathay campaign which is raising money for the Brathay Trust. The charity works to improve the life chances of some of the most vulnerable and hard to reach children and young people. It helps them to engage positively in their communities by developing their confidence, motivation and skills to positively change their lives.

Event organiser and Port of Dover staff member, Karen Webber, said: "The Port was delighted to facilitate this event for such a great cause. Improving the life chances of young people is what we are about so it is a great fit with our Youth Engagement Scheme as well as a keep fit opportunity for some from our community."

Several free places were offered by the charity to the local and port community for participation in the 10k which starts at 11am on the Saturday and will see participants running along the seafront and Prince of Wales pier.

Kaz Hurrell, Buttons for Brathay Coordinator, said: "Thanks to the Port of Dover we have quite a unique course to run in an iconic location that I am sure will inspire the runners to reach the finish line. Teaming up with the Port is a great partnership of those aiming to be the best port in the world with those looking to achieve the some of the best times in the world and it is all for a fantastic cause."

The promenade and beach will remain open to the public for both those who wish to watch the races and those wish to go for a weekend stroll. So come along and cheer them on!

* * *

Great pictures below there Mike. Great stuff indeed. Really enjoyed those.
You were very busy for sure there.
Also welcome to Alex the early bird with that one..
Thats great news Kevin...we have to wait until next year for Disney but will be worth it..and to be going on with as it were..we have a great batch of ships coming in this year too, see Posts 532 and 533.



A couple of further pix from the Norwegian Rock delivery early this morning...

Afon Goch is a very large tug as tugs go..hard to show the scale but there we are. In the background the delivery vessel herself...Helene ..
as featured earlier by Mike.
Charlie Rock making her way back to her location at western arm after delivery, with once again Helene in the background. Assisted at the rear by Roerdomp with of course out of shot but pulling from the front...Afon Goch.

STOP PRESS: as I write more rock being delivered...


Wednesday, 26 March 2014 - 16:57

 

Post 588

  Kevin Charles, Dover

More great news for Dover Cruise Port - Disney Cruise Line have announced they'll be sailing from Dover again in 2015. Welcome back Micky!

Wednesday, 26 March 2014 - 14:39