Comments (Newest First):

 

Post 6572

  Mike J., Dover

Saturday afternoon saw the arrival of Trinity House ALERT from Harwich to moor alongside the DAVID CHURCH in the Tidal Basin.




Bouys on deck - I'm no expert on buoys but I think that they MIGHT be wreck buoys. Perhaps someone out there can give a definite answer.





I was away from Dover until late Friday & quite missed the arrival of two visiting TAMAR class lifeboats for an overnight stay & only noticed them Saturday morning on AIS after they had sailed.
Drat.

Walton & Frinton boat 16-06 FRANK & ANNE WILKINSON was heading for Poole & refit & will be covered by 16-19 MURIEL REES.



Many thanks to ‘Dover Strait Shipping’ for the use of this unusual photo, not often that three lifeboats are in together.


Sunday, 6 October 2019 - 01:45

 

Post 6571

  Sea News, Dover

Following on from yesterdays picture of Rotterdam just outside Port, here she is just having entered. It was getting darker and gloomier by the minute so it was good to get some reasonable pictures... you can see a rowing crew in the foreground...
Rotterdam: Yours truly took a long range shot below as just wasn't sure if it would be too dark by the time she got to Port and here we are below, looking across a departing ferry on a chilly evening...

We will have pictures of her leaving last evening too...will follow along with those in due course...have quite a bit to catch up on..

On to the departing Boudicca now...

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines' 'Boudicca' to set sail from Dover on longest-ever voyage
________________________________________________________________________

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines 880-guest Boudicca will be departing from the Port of Dover, Kent on 3rd October 2019, on the company's longest-ever sailing, an epic 168-night Grand Voyage. Boudicca returns to Dover after nearly six months at sea on 19th March 2020.

Those guests joining the cruise for the whole duration will have the chance to visit no fewer than 61 different ports, towns and cities, right across the globe. Guests can also book shorter sectors of this spectacular longer cruise, such as a 14-night ‘Indonesian Islands Discovery’ from Phuket, Thailand, to Bali, Indonesia in November 2019 and a 14-night ‘Authentic India’ exploration from Colombo, Sri Lanka to Dubai, United Arab Emirates in February 2020.

Jackie Martin, Sales and Marketing Director for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said:

“Boudicca’s ‘Grand Voyage’ â€" of an epic 168 nights â€" is set to be the longest, most extensive sailing ever undertaken in Fred. Olsen’s history! Guests will get the chance to visit no fewer than 61 different ports, towns and cities right across the globe, taking in far-flung destinations rich in culture and steeped in history.

Of course, we appreciate that not everyone is able to sail away for an entire 168 nights, so we hope that those looking to take a shorter, but equally exotic, Fred. Olsen fly-cruise will also enjoy making memories to last a lifetime!”

Sonia Limbrick, Head of Cruise at the Port of Dover, said:

“We are delighted that the Port of Dover has been chosen as the starting point for such a celebrated Fred. Olsen cruise. As Dover is immersed in UK history, its iconic cliffs and castle provide the perfect backdrop to begin a voyage to some of the world’s famed destinations.”

Guests embarking on this remarkable adventure will get the chance to marvel at many of the planet’s most spectacular islands; legendary cities; cultural, historic and spiritual sites; a diverse array of amazing wildlife; and awe-inspiring natural wonders.

ENDS - that's part of the press release above there...

Some pictures below of the tug spraying, sadly there was heavy cloud and strong wind at the time and all was a tad gloomy for the spraying tugboat at departure, but here we are with some pix….
a salute to send her off on her lonnnnng voyage.



Oddly enough as it got darker it brightened up...if that makes sense..
So there was some marginally better light later on for the picture below...And away she goes....


All pictures above taken Thursday evening Oct 3.
Will get the Peak Dublin pictures up tomorrow.

PaulB

Saturday, 5 October 2019 - 06:16

 

Post 6570

  Sea News, Dover

A picture above there of the Dover Lifeboat taken yesterday evening thursday just before 6pm. You can see the Lifeboat there towing local boat Maverick back to Port. There was obviously some kind of breakdown. Yours truly didn't realise there was a tow rope in place when taking the picture...one coundnt see it with the naked eye, but obviously noticed it later when looking at the pictures in close up.....and there we are....

The picture above there shows cruise ship Rotterdam approaching the Port yesterday evening. Thanks to a tip off from Mike we were able to get that photo...I wouldn't have known the ship was coming.
A nice ship - not sure if the picture does it justice as we look through the gloom, but we will aim to have more ….
That's the second cruise ship in a short time to come in unscheduled in the evening. The AIDAvita being the other one. The ragged remnants of Hurricane Lorenzo may have brought this earlier arrival....

Environmental Survey boat Titan Discovery has been going back and forth from the Port...here she is returning to Port a couple of evenings ago. You can also see Royal Charlotte in the third picture in the sequence.


Finally another shot of the Hebridean Sky moving south...with the pilot in the foreground,
see also the previous similar picture in 6567...


Yes Brian we spotted that one coming...or to be more accurate Mike did and tipped me off. Will have more pictures.
Excellent collection below there from 'inshore correspondent' Mike...man on the spot...

Also one of the tugs gave a water spray send off to Boudicca last evening ...she is on a huge cruise round the world we understand. The weather was gloomy but will have a picture...the spray from the tug was blasted all over the place by the wind. Also will have pix of Peak Dublin....

PaulB



Friday, 4 October 2019 - 07:17

 

Post 6569

  brian dixon, dover

I see the cruise ship rotterdam is in port 12 hours early.

Thursday, 3 October 2019 - 19:02

 

Post 6568

  Mike J., Dover

Wednesday afternoon & the Dungeness lifeboat brings in a disabled yacht..




The Tug Haven from Channel View Road with the SPIRIT OF BRITAIN docking in the background
.



Thursday, 3 October 2019 - 07:26

 

Post 6567

  Sea News, Dover

Hebridean Sky

A couple of pictures above there of the Hebridean Sky arriving with us on...ermm let me see...Tuesday morning, pix taken in the early morning slate grey gloom as you can see. She left early in the day, around lunchtime, yours truly was disappointed not to see her departure but caught her a short time later out in the Channel, while the pilot boat returns to base in the foreground. I think she must have left via the eastern exit, weather was fairly rough....


We featured the Olympic Challenger in recent days...thought I saw her again yesterday so took a few very long range pictures. When double checking later it turned out to be the recently featured NKT Victoria. Also in shot is the Varne Lightvessel and in the distance the pleasant town of Boulogne...final picture today at the bottom shows again her recent visit. Used it again below there just to add more detail to the long range shot...

NKT Victoria. There is clearly a lot of cable-laying going on...

Cracking Ramsgate collection below there Ted...always great to see your 'Famous Five'.
Terrific enjoyable pictures from Ted...Dont Miss Those!

Vic yes somebody walking on water there...I do that myself on a regular basis just to keep my hand in!
Glad you are still enjoying all the comings and goings Vic

PaulB
Busy morning...new ship Peak Dublin at WD4 don't miss the news release re that one in post 6562, thanks to Mike for the tip, also in ....Boudicca and the Spirit of Discovery.

Thursday, 3 October 2019 - 07:24

 

Post 6566

  Ted, Canterbury

"Five from Ramsgate"
An interesting sleek craft at Ramsgate is the "NO DESTINATION"registered at Bikini in the Marshall Islands. A former Damen Fast Crew Supplier she will soon be refitted and converted into a super yacht somewhere in Europe.


The Pilot Cutter ESTUARY ESPRIT under the hoist having her hull cleaned by a very high pressured hose.

Whilst on our Harbour Walkabout both RNLI lifeboats were paged by HM Coasguard.
The inshore lifeboat departed at great speed heading towards Broadstairs.

Followed by the offshore lifeboat. Difficult to photograph as it was taken into the sunshine.

Ramgate Lifeboat had just cleared the harbour when she returned back to station.
The Inshore lifeboat returned later. Not sure what the incident was all about but it should
appear on their Facebook page later.

Wednesday, 2 October 2019 - 18:07

 

Post 6565

  matcham, Dover

photo five looks like a man walking on water again thank you for great photos of our great working port.

Wednesday, 2 October 2019 - 09:01

 

Post 6564

  Sea News, Dover

Saga Sapphire Saga Sapphire: Just catching up now with some pictures of ol' friend Saga Sapphire...you can see her above there approaching the port last Friday in the hazy sunshine. Haven't been able to get her up on display sooner but there she is at last...she is currently on a 12 day round trip of Denmark and Norway from Dover.

Two further pictures below of the impressive cable-laying Olympic Challenger at Cruise Terminal One. The ultra high tide propped her up for some longer range camerawork...


Just came across several other Olympic pictures in the file...several of Olympic Triton, very similar as you can see, pictured here below just off Dover in 2017. So many pictures in the archives that just get forgotten... worth enjoying these again...


We will have some pictures of the visit from Hebridean Sky yesterday...although she left at lunchtime and caught us all out.

PaulB

Wednesday, 2 October 2019 - 06:07

 

Post 6563

  Sea News, Dover

"We are prepared" - Port of Dover Chief Executive Doug Bannister speaks today
at The Conservative Party Conference in Manchester.


Doug Bannister has today reiterated the importance of keeping goods flowing freely via the most economic route to market on 31st October and beyond at a Port of Dover Conservative Party Conference Fringe event in association with Conservativehome. Smooth operations at the Port are vital for ensuring factories stay busy, shops are full and prices remain low for British consumers.

Doug said: "Dover is a fast-pace operation unlike anywhere else and has been dubbed Britain’s just-in-time trade conveyor belt; but it is Ireland’s too with around 40% of Irish exports to the EU travelling via Dover. Business as usual means Dover as usual and that is what we have been working on."

The Port of Dover has been at the forefront of the Brexit debate around UK trade and for good reason. It handles £122bn by value or 17% of the UK’s trade in goods on the shortest sea crossing between the UK and the EU. That unique geographical position enables Dover to maximise capacity, efficiency and frequency in order to facilitate 120 ferry movements a day with a fleet of 12 ferries carrying up to 110 miles of lorries between them – more than all other UK ports combined.

He added: "Alongside ongoing major investment in our operational capacity, we’ve prepared for Brexit, working hard to ensure our assets are ready, critical spare parts stocked and the right level of resources are in place."

With one month to go until Brexit, Doug was joined by other logistics leaders, including James Hookham, Deputy Chief Executive of the Freight Transport Assiciation (FTA), to discuss how Britain’s key transport links are preparing for Brexit.

The Port of Dover is also the headline sponsor for the FTA ’s Brexit Readiness Conference on Friday, which presents another timely opportunity for key players in the logistics industry to come together and ensure they are prepared for 31st October.

The Port is one link in the chain and governments have a responsibility to ensure that borders operate efficiently. Trader readiness is another key area, which is why these conferences are so important. The Port is doing everything possible to support this so that all links in the logistics chain are good to go and the UK Government must continue playing a big role too.


ENDS



PaulB. See also todays earlier post below.

Tuesday, 1 October 2019 - 09:12

 

Post 6562

  Sea News, Dover

Going with the grain - new cargo customer to christen new cargo terminal
__________________________________________________________________



Port of Dover Cargo Ltd is delighted to announce that Cefetra's export grain vessel MV Peak Dublin will be the first to call at Dover's new cargo terminal

The new state of the art multi-purpose cargo terminal facility is a major part of the Port’s £250 million Dover Western Docks Revival development and its commencement of operations heralds the next exciting chapter for the cargo business at Dover.

Nik Scott-Gray, General Manager, Port of Dover Cargo Ltd, said: "What better way to christen our fantastic brand new facility than with a brand new customer. Cefetra’s arrival delivers a real sign of confidence in Dover and the new opportunities we have to offer customers across a range of markets. I am delighted to welcome Cefetra to Dover and look forward to developing a successful partnership in the months and years ahead."

Andrew Mackay, CEO Cefetra Ltd, said: "We are pleased that Dover have developed a new multi-purpose cargo terminal and that Cefetra will be loading the first vessel through the facility. Our new Kent office opened in August and we are confident that this will be the first vessel of many that we will load in Dover as we open up new markets for the produce of the farmers of Kent. "

As a major player in the grain market serving the UK and Ireland, Cefetra’s arrival at Dover is another demonstration of the critical role the Port of Dover plays in supporting trade via these two nations to other European markets.

ENDS


Following along from Mike's pix of the Olympic Challenger here are some more, this time further across the harbour as it were...in the early morning sun...


Olympic Challenger
Will have another couple of pictures of Olympic Challenger later at the cruise terminal..they wont be quite so..ermmm yellow...

Well done Mike - nice collection below there..very enjoyable..
Del yes exciting new ships from P&O..hopefully we will see some designs soon..

PaulB



Tuesday, 1 October 2019 - 05:56

 

Post 6561

  Mike J., Dover

Arrival of offshore support vessel OLYMPIC CHALLENGER from southern North Sea operations at dawn on Monday.




She didn’t stay on Cruise-1 for very long & sailed for Brest at 1400.

About 15 minutes after the CHALLENGER entered the PRIDE OF KENT was glinting nicely as she entered, with the SPIRIT OF BRITAIN outbound in the distance.




Tuesday, 1 October 2019 - 01:14

 

Post 6560

  Del Styan, Norwich

I liked the P and O press release, but was interested in the " innovative? " bit. I guess the proof readers missed that.

Monday, 30 September 2019 - 23:09

 

Post 6559

  Sea News, Dover

P&O FERRIES TO INVEST IN €260M NEW GENERATION OF SUPER-FERRIES TO REVOLUTIONISE
TRANSPORT BETWEEN BRITAIN AND THE CONTINENT
___________________________________________________________________________________


P&O FERRIES has signed a contract with Guangzhou Shipyard International Ltd worth €260 million to deliver a new generation of ships on the English Channel.

Two new 230-metre super-ferries – the largest ever to sail between Dover and Calais – will be operational by 2023, with options to build two further vessels by 2024. The major investment will secure P&O Ferries’ position as the leading provider of transport for people and goods between Britain and the Continent.

Janette Bell, Chief Executive of P&O Ferries, said: "These will be the most sustainable ships ever to sail on the English Channel, providing the best ever customer experience and setting new standards for reliability and cost efficiency."

"Together with our freight and overnight routes on the North Sea, the new ships will offer customers travelling between Britain and Europe an unrivalled range of services connecting sea and land. They are designed to secure P&O Ferries’ position as a vital part of Europe’s transport infrastructure into the 2040s."

Robert Woods, Chairman of P&O Ferries, added: "This major investment in a new generation of super-ferries is a powerful testament to the commitment of DP World, our owner, to enable trade flows between Britain and Europe by providing first class shipping capacity for many years to come."

Major innovations of the new super-ferries will include:

• Cutting fuel use by 40 per cent through a combination of fuel and battery propulsion.

The relationship between the engines and the batteries will be like the relationship between the sun and a solar panel. All surplus energy generated by the engines will be stored in the battery. This will enable the engines to be run at the optimum level, with the battery charging when excess energy is being created and discharging when the ship requires peaks of power.

• The heat recovery system saves fuel which reduces the vessel’s carbon footprint.

The heat recovery system saves fuel and reduces the vessel’s carbon footprint by using a steam system to provide heating for ULSFO fuel heaters, fuel tanks, FO/LO purifier heaters and HVAC system reheating. In addition, a heat pump will be used for HVAC system preheating, domestic hot water, machinery rooms and technical spaces below deck 8.

• Future proofing anticipates the ‘zero carbon emissions ship’.

The ship is designed with the capacity to be carbon neutral in the future on the twin assumptions that there are more electric shore charging stations in ports and batteries. A double-ended design and two bridges on the ship, meaning that there is no need for it to turn around. The captain and senior officers will simply walk to the other end of the ship and navigate from the second bridge on the return leg. This will save seven minutes of time on both the outbound and return journeys and one ton of fuel, a sixth of the amount used on the entire 21-mile crossing.

• Outside deck areas to provide viewing platforms of the White Cliffs of Dover.

The ships are designed to provide unrivalled views of one of the most famous maritime landmarks in the world – the White Cliffs of Dover The vessel has in-built observation windows and there will be an outside deck area with 1,550 square metres of space – three quarters of the size of Trafalgar Square.

• Panoramic sea views for passengers.

The passenger decks 8 and 9 have been designed with double height windows running around the entirety of the middle of the ship. These will have the effect of flooding the interior of the ship with natural light and provide spectacular sea views.

• A power management system to close down parts of the ship when not in use.

During peak summer season the ship will carry 1,500 people. However, during off-peak sailings, up to two thirds of the ship can be closed and the power management system will use innovative? software to turn off the lighting and ventilation in empty areas as well as optimizing the utilization of engines, batteries and energy recovered from waste heat.

• Revolutionary new shape of hull for the English Channel and azimuth thrusters which increase manoeuvrability of the ship.

The hull will be far broader than that of the ferries they replace on the Channel, making it feasible to have two azimuth thrusters at each end of the ship which will improve the vessel’s manoeuvrability, help drive it through the water and eliminate the need to turn around in port.

The naval architects for the project are OSK-ShipTech A/S.

P&O Ferries is a leading pan-European ferry and logistics company, sailing 27,000 times a year on eight major routes between Britain, France, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Holland and Belgium. It operates more than 20 vessels which carry 8.4 million passengers and 2.3 million freight units every year.

Together with its logistics business, P&O Ferrymasters, the company also operates integrated road and rail links to countries across the continent including Italy, Poland, Germany, Spain and Romania, and facilitates the onward movement of goods to Britain from Asian countries via the Silk Road. P&O Ferries is part of DP World, a leading enabler of global trade and an integral part of the supply chain.

ENDS



Many thanks to P&O Ferries for the above. We have had a slight delay in getting it up on display due to 'a technical issue'.

* *



Some pix above there of bunker ship Sikinos both a-comin' and a-goin' on friday ...you will have noticed that she is almost identical to Andros which we photographed a day or so earlier...see below. The sea had got considerably rougher by the time she left us as you can see in picture 2. She was doing some queasy rolling there.... heavens! She had been servicing Saga Sapphire, we will have pictures of Saga to follow soon.

PaulB



Monday, 30 September 2019 - 07:09

 

Post 6558

  Sea News, Dover

Boudicca:
Some pictures now of the departing Boudicca from the 26th which was...ermm..Thursday evening. The ship was off on a 7 day round trip to the waterways of Holland and Belgium. Quite exciting and not too far which might be a blessed relief for some in this rough oul weather....which continues as we speak..
Boudicca with tug and pilot boat in attendance.

Boudicca leaving via eastern exit.

* *

The picture above showing the traffic backlog was taken before yours truly realised there was a 'bomb scare' incident at the Port. At the time the picture was taken it was assumed it was a weather related delay.. (that's Luzon Strait loading up there)

So see Mike's excellent news coverage below...don't miss those pictures

PaulB

See Below

Sunday, 29 September 2019 - 07:40

 

Post 6557

  Mike J., Dover

Saturday’s ‘incident’ which I’m sure has been widely reported.

About 0600 a ‘suspicious object’ was reported on a ferry in Dover.

I was on the cliffs about 0930 & presumably the ferry involved was the PRIDE OF CANTERBURY who was on No.8 berth with a police vehicle blockiing the bottom of the loading ramp along with many other emergency vehicles nearby.
Adjacent No.9 berth was unoccupied.



I noticed the SPIRIT OF BRITAIN berthing on No.3 berth with the PRIDE OF KENT already on No.2.
These are normally DFDS berths & one DFDS vessel was waiting off the port.

In the short time I was there I saw little activity at berths 8 & 9 with the travelling public seeming to be confined to the café area by large numbers of hi-vis jackets.


After walking along the cliff to get a photo of the unusual sight of P&O vessels on 2/3 berth I noticed a string of lorries crossing from the P&O freight parking areas across to 2/3 berths & being loaded aboard the PRIDE OK KENT so by then the port was working as much as possible.


Inevitably there was congestion in the docks, Jubilee Way was very slow-moving downhill & I heard on the car radio that operation TAP was effect with A20 freight traffic being temporarily held at the Aycliffe roundabout.


I later heard that the incident was declared over at 1023 altho’ understandably delays would remain for a while until the traffic was cleared.

Back in Dover & looking at AIS this evening the port seems to be running normally again.

All the information about the problem was heard was from the radio & internet who were reporting similar but not identcal versions of the incident.
Looking at BBC Kent internet news his evening the BBC didn’t seem to have heard of the incident at all !




Sunday, 29 September 2019 - 00:44

 

Post 6556

  Sea News, Dover

Bunker ship Andros battling her way towards the Port in the rough conditions of Thursday morning...she was coming our way to service the already-in-Port Boudicca.
The picture below captures the bleak weather when seen on the big screen but loses a bit in the restricted size we have here...
These smaller bunker vessels very rarely need assistance from a tug, but once again the rough conditions played a part here.


The Spirit of Discovery departs .. later that day..Thursday..
The Spirit of Discovery ... currently touring Norway...
Will have some extra shots of Boudicca to follow in due course.


Finally as promised, hopefully a better view of the Shetland trawler as seen early in the week with Pioneering Spirit as backdrop...LK985 Copious...


Nice collection below from Mike there. Great stuff! Don't miss those...

PaulB

Saturday, 28 September 2019 - 05:07

 

Post 6555

  Mike J., Dover

Arrivals & departures - Noon Wednesday with DEEP HELDER crossing the bay & passing the SPIRIT OF BRITAIN before berthing on Cruise-1 to pick up equipment.
She was only alongside for about 12 hours before returning to work in the Thames Estuary.


Departure of BOUDICCA for Amsterdam Thursday evening.


I thought that I was nicely set up for her crossing the bay to leave via Eastern but the arrival of the DUNKERQUE SEAWAY put paid to that plan . . . .






Saturday, 28 September 2019 - 00:36

 

Post 6554

  Sea News, Dover

Tugs at Dover


We are featuring the tugs here at Dover today. The top two shots show both robust vessels lending a helping hand to the Baltic Klipper a few days ago...out there night and day they are, and in all weathers. They're in action right now as we speak and its 05.56 as yours truly glances at the ever ticking clock..time waits for no....etc etc.. Yes the tugs are out there right now pinning the breakwater to its position..

Just to add these two extra ones from former times...
from 2016 and 2014 respectively..




Following along from the Extinction Rebellion protest (6547, 6548) ....
here comes Charlie


Protecting our environment
__________________________

Protecting our environment for future generations is vital if we are to survive as a species. That’s why I have always been passionate about action on climate change.

Much has been achieved in recent years, yet there is much more to do. And we need to go harder and faster to get there. What won’t help is people gluing themselves to the A20 in order to block the route to our port. This caused massive disruption and just made life harder for people to get about.

It was a cheap publicity stunt – by yet another protest group seeking to exploit Dover’s important role for the nation. And it was counter-productive. The slow-moving traffic chuffed up more pollution, while local businesses were harmed and days out for families who work hard the rest of the week were ruined.

Yet the saddest thing of all is that this country has never needed mass protest to get the change we need. And we are already leading the way in the fight for a cleaner planet.

We’ve cut CO2 emissions by 3.7% a year – more than any other major industrialised country. It’s been so successful that they are now at the level they were in 1888. Since I became an MP, CO2 emissions have fallen by a quarter. Renewable electricity generation has quadrupled. Electricity generated from coal has fallen from almost 40% in 2012 to our first coal-free day since the industrial revolution.

Fully-clean electricity now gives us over half our total. We’ve also been cutting down on the plastics and micro beads that harm flora and fauna. Anyone who has seen Blue Planet knows how sea life, from the humble seahorse to the great whale, is greatly impacted by our actions.

This country will also host the next round of global climate change talks next year. This is perhaps most important of all – because I do recognise there is so much more to do on a wider scale if we are to properly protect our planet for our children and grandchildren.

I want to see us build a land powered by renewable solar electricity. From solar panels on our roofs, not solar farms in our fields. These should not simply be tasked with powering our homes. They should power zero-carbon electric cars too. With advances in battery technology, it’s no longer some far-off dream.

This is the future that now lies before us, that I hope will be the step change in the next decade to cut CO2 emissions even further. Environmental enterprise should be part of a wider rebirth of exports in this country – as we become a free-trading, global nation again. That way we can have strong economic growth, rising prosperity and preserve and protect our environment too.

Much has been achieved in the battle against climate change. Yet we need to go much faster. We should aim to dump petrol, diesel and coal for good – building a zero-carbon Britain as the beacon for a cleaner planet.

Charlie Elphicke MP for Dover and Deal


PB
Working on a closer study of that Shetland trawler... will get that up shortly...
also coverage of yesterdays excitement Andros, Boudicca, Spirit of Discovery..even though its late September its all still happening



Friday, 27 September 2019 - 06:02

 

Post 6553

  Sea News, Dover

Following along from Mike's post below and indeed my earlier picture further below, here is another pic of the Pioneering Spirit but this time only as backdrop. I had been photographing the ship some minutes earlier, and then after a short break went back for another go as the clarity was nigh impossible. And there we are... from nowhere as it wasn't there earlier...we have the trawler LK985. Call it a magnificent manifestation!

But yes there she was .. all the way from Shetland and called Copious. Hopefully I have all that right...Google it anyway for further clarification.

A flat sort of picture below of the Pacific Princess from a few days ago...just want to catch up with this one.
Pacific Princess currently on a 14 day roundtrip calling at St Petersburg in Russia also Talinn, Stockholm, Helsinki etc..very nice.

Hard to imagine the sun ever shines looking out the window today...but in the pic below of the magnificent Costa Mediterranea...she is all aglow in the gorgeous late evening gentle light..a hint of late sun here..pictured on Tuesday..
Costa Mediterranea… came in the pitch darkness, left in the pitch darkness. There we are somewhere in between.Costa Mediterranea on a 10 day one way cruise...highlights include Lisbon, Cadiz, Barcelona, Marseille...

See also Mike's post below...

PaulB
In port today Boudicca and Spirit of Discovery

Thursday, 26 September 2019 - 07:35