Comments (Newest First):

 

Post 6552

  Mike J., Dover

Further to Paul's excellent photo of the PIONEERING SPIRIT she was mentioned on post 1380 when she was called the PIETER SCHELTE. with a few details of her work,

The photo with the post is repeated here & you'll see one of the reasons why she is such an unusual vessel.


Since this photo, taken on her maiden voyage from Korea, she was acquired a lot more equipment & has been very busy with rig removal & pipelaying operations & is, I think, bound for Brazil, via Tenerife for bunkers.


Plenty of current Photos & further info if you google 'PIONEERING SPIRIT PHOTO'
An even larger vessel of the same type is under construction.


DEEP HELDER came in about noon in the drizzle & is currently on Cruise-1.

Wednesday, 25 September 2019 - 16:38

 

Post 6551

  Sea News, Dover

Following along from yesterdays picture of Baltic Klipper cutting through the 'convoy' ..here we are with another shot of the moment, see also yesterdays picture. Looking over the top of Baltic Klipper you can just see Emerald... to the right is the barge being towed by MTS Viscount...


In yesterdays post yours truly had the following picture of an approaching Baltic Klipper ready to go up on display but forgot all about it in the sizzling heat of the dynamic moment...
Camera looking across the top of a ferry with a solitary watcher...


But going back to the 'convoy'. The aforementioned (see post 6550) MTS Viscount paused to allow Emerald through and here she is below soon after arriving in Port. Although weather previously very gloomy... she just caught a sudden late burst of very red sunshine as she manoeuvred...


Emerald didn't linger long with us here in Dover and the following morning she was on her way again...the following two pictures capture her departure for Vlissingen...



Had a tip from Mike later yesterday about an intriguing vessel coming down the Channel... Pioneering Spirit...alas alas visibility was very poor as the large impressive ship passed us here. Had a stab at some pictures nonetheless and the following shot is more a computer image than a photograph.


PaulB

Wednesday, 25 September 2019 - 06:13

 

Post 6550

  Sea News, Dover

Busy scene above. The Baltic Klipper had just left the Port...pictures of her readying below. She had left the Port and had pulled out of view towards the cliff base. Yours truly saw another reefer, Emerald, coming almost at once. Thanks to a tip off from Mike, I was watching the approaching MTS Viscount and barge and suddenly from nowhere ( sort of ) the Baltic Klipper pulled right across through their midst as it were. Gave me a shock but I'm sure they knew what they were doing...

Anyway...there's the picture of the particular moment above there. It needed brightening up as the scene was getting quite dark... unfortunately looking at it now after uploading it looks too bright … unfortunate.

Two pictures below of the Baltic Klipper coming about in the bay...about to depart the Port.. just prior to the picture above...


Later....

Some time later, as she was held up with a lot of traffic.. MTS Viscount arrived towing the barge as shown. As mentioned, thanks to Mike for the info.

All pictures taken late on Sunday.

Brian yes, as you will probably see the Costa Mediterranea is in Port today...
like our American friends say..she is "a day late and a dollar short"
she was indeed scheduled for yesterday, but may have been held up with the weather or...


PaulB
Not a day for a picnic is it....

Tuesday, 24 September 2019 - 07:28

 

Post 6549

  brian dixon, dover

I notised that the costa ship was absent today.

Monday, 23 September 2019 - 19:15

 

Post 6548

  Sea News, Dover

Its the end of the day at the Extinction Rebellion blockade at the Port of Dover. The colourful flags of rebellion are fluttering seaward on the northerly breeze and one or two of the guys are relaxing...winding down. The symbolic straw bales lie to oneside, their job done for the day....

See also the pictures in the previous post below 6547.

We have been wanting/waiting to catch up with the Lady Rosebay, well here she is now...

Not entirely certain but this may have been a first visit to Dover.
She left us for Vlissingen a day or so later and is currently on her way to Paramaribo.
PaulB
ps: Pacific Princess in Port...

Monday, 23 September 2019 - 06:05

 

Post 6547

  Sea News, Dover

Dover Port Disruption

We were expecting a massive scale protest from Extinction Rebellion yesterday saturday but the numbers on the demonstration were relatively small. I say that in comparison to previous demos we have seen here. However they got the job done as there was for a brief time some considerable disruption to the traffic. It didn't last too long and a moderate flow continued. You can see in the pictures how several sections were blocked off by the police to allow the demonstration to take place. In fact and in reality there were more police officers than protesters. 10 people were arrested we understand.






Excellent pictures and info below Mike. Great stuff!
Jan glad you enjoyed the flying machines plus

PaulB

Sunday, 22 September 2019 - 07:08

 

Post 6546

  Mike J., Dover

No-one seems to have come up with the Dover connection for the Woolwich ferry [post 6539] so I had better reveal all.

One of the two new ferries built in Poland & in service since early 2019 is called the DAME VERA LYNN who is forever connected with Dover with her wartime song "White Cliffs of Dover" & the unforgettable line "there’ll be bluebirds over the White Cliffs of Dover"

The connection ?

Dame Vera, who is still with us at the amazing age of 102, was born in East Ham, just a mile or two from the northern landing place of the ferry, so is very much a ‘local lady’for the Woolwich ferry services.




The name of the second ferry, the BEN WOOLACOTT, has a sadder origin, being named after a young seaman who lost his life in an accident aboard one of the earlier ferries in 2011.

Both ferries are normally in service during the week [no spare ferry these days] but only DAME VERA LYNN was working the weekend service when I crossed on 21/4/19.

While waiting for your ‘masterphots’ you can amuse yourself by photting departing aircraft from London City Airport
I decline to say how many times I messed up the photo . . . .





Sunday, 22 September 2019 - 01:06

 

Post 6545

  JanT , Dover

Thank you Mike J for the second Bridge picture,I check out Qualter Hall they been around since 1860 a very impressive History.

And great array of helicopter pictures and the stealth plane looks like something out of Star Wars.


Saturday, 21 September 2019 - 09:26

 

Post 6544

  Sea News, Dover

The 'airborne' pictures now as promised...

This Chinook helicopter roared by a few days ago..often hear them rattling through but generally they are a tad behind the 'observation tower' .. but this one did a run over the harbour. Yours truly didn't spot the chap on the rear platform until later, when looking at the pix on computer...and here we are below..
The shot below is very poor quality but thought I would show it anyway as it shows the airman's legs dangling over the edge of eternity...Yikes!!
...


A Chinook pic below from a former time which gives a better view..


This looks like a Stealth Bomber below to me...would expect a Stealth machine to make one heck of a roar but no this guy was very quiet..almost didn't see it.... look at the way the mist/vapour rises from those stealth wings..


Yours truly just has a small slot for air shots before the window frame kicks into play...you can see that just about to happen below... but the pic gives you the general gist...


Just to say a fond farewll to the Disney Magic...here she is leaving for the final time this year...on a cruise that ends in New York. Golly gumdrops the hotels and indeed taxi drivers had a bonus/bonanza with Disney.... as they say in all the best movies...
"come back soon"
Disney Magic departs Dover.


PaulB
The Port of Dover and its local residents are facing disruption today..

Saturday, 21 September 2019 - 07:37

 

Post 6543

  Sea News, Dover

Following along from Mike's report and pictures of the clifftop rescue yesterday around midday … in fact time of the following pictures 13.08...as stated somebody 'fell over' the cliffs and the appropriate rescue teams kicked into action. You can see the Coastguard helicopter in the following pictures doing the necessary...and you can see one of the crew being lowered. Pictures obviously long range so not ideal quality...





Just catching up with the departing AIDAcara on the recent gloomy evening ( Monday). You can see her departing here from the new berth/pier WD4. Was intending to upload these pictures yesterday with an added departing Disney shot but Mike and Teds pictures were great so left them in top slot. Catching up now. Will add the farewell Disney shot later.



And this one taken a wee bit earlier just prior to the off...


Brilliant work in the posts below from Mike and Ted. Cracking shots all round. Great Ramsgate ones from Ted, ace work Ted... and great Bridge pictures from Mike...hugely enjoyable. Well done re helicopter too Mike.

Thanks too to Steve P for the info on the European Seaway. Info always welcome Steve..

Thanks to Mike W as well. great info there too Mike..very welcome.

Yes Jan the bridge is striking. Mike has the details below..as mentioned its a Qualter Hall design and manufacture. I enjoyed those pix of it by Mike for sure...

PaulB
PS: am aiming to have more but different 'airborne ' pictures tomorrow..still need sorting..

Friday, 20 September 2019 - 06:14

 

Post 6542

  Mike J., Dover

JanT - glad that you liked the bridge pix, here’s another one.


You asked about the designer - this from the DHB/DWDR website -


. . . . . . The bridge, designed and manufactured by Qualter Hall has been installed by Qualter Hall on behalf of VSBW - a joint venture comprising Volker Stevin and Boskalis Westminster – who are responsible for the marine and bridge civils contract for the DWDR development . . . . .


Qaulter Hall have worked in Dover before on berth rebuilds & have been involved in all sorts of worldwide projects, some of which can be seen on their website.

Just google 'qualter hall'




Right time, but the wrong place !
Thursday morning I was partway up the cliff path when the Coastguard helicopter apeared & hovered by the cliff edge, looking to be over Langdon Hole, just east of the Coastguard Station.

Any walkers up there would have had a grandstand view as the winchman was lowered & then the ‘action’ drifted out of my sight.




A report later seen on ‘Kent Live’ gave an excellent view of Langdon Hole & confirmed that someone had fallen & that the casualty had been recovered & landed to the care of paramedics.
No further details.

More excellent work by the Coastguard, no doubt their Cliff Rescue Team would also have been in attendance.




I’ve just heard that the former DHB dredger ADMIRAL DAY passed Dover last night after working at Sheerness & is now bound for Fleetwood.
She still carries her original name & last time I saw her still had the DHB crest on the front of her accommodation & had been treated to a new crane.
Thanks Andrew !




Friday, 20 September 2019 - 01:30

 

Post 6541

  Mike Waight, Wiltshire

Re photos of SOLENT GUARDIAN - Briggs Marine (Head Office and base at Kirkcaldy, Fife) have fingers in lots of pies including being sub-contracted to Serco-Defence for all MOD owned Mooring & Navigation Buoy work in UK waters. They are also reported to be bidding for the Babcock towage contract for the non-tidal basin work at Rosyth.

Thursday, 19 September 2019 - 14:21

 

Post 6540

  JanT , Dover

Mike love the picture of the Bridge I have to say when I drive over it, the design really fascinates me I guess creativity comes in all shapes and sizes.
Do we know who actually designed the Bridge.

Thursday, 19 September 2019 - 08:26

 

Post 6539

  Mike J., Dover

Tuesday afternoon I walked across across the new bridge & noticed that the outer lock gates were open altho' the entrance from the Wellington Dock was still buoyed off to prevent trips thru the channel.


I stopped for a photo & was eyeing up other angles when there was a tinkling of bells & the barriers started to descend.

The Bridgemaster courteously allowed me to leave the bridge deck before he started raising it & then immediately lowered it allowing the surprising amount of cars that were waiting to cross the bridge.

Interesting shapes -



In the Werllington Dock was the survey vessel SOLENT GUARDIAN who normally lives in Chatham Dockyard.



With the sun being where it was she wasn't in the best spot for photos, but some better ones can be seen on post 3782.

She is operated by Briggs Marine who operate many different types of craft, including the two new[ish] Woolwich Ferries, one of which has a Dover connection - anyone know what it is ? ?

She left Dover at 0400 Wednesday & is now in Lowestoft,


Paul often grumbles about Sid the Seagull blundering into his photos - at least there's only one Sid - while photting the departure of the Newhaven lifeboat on Tuesday afternoon I had trouble with Percy the Pigeon who had brought all his mates along with him . . . . . . .



Thursday, 19 September 2019 - 01:52

 

Post 6538

  Ted, Canterbury

"Three from Ramsgate"
For those on a walkabout around Ramsgate Harbour may be wondering what the two very large pontoons are doing moored against the East Pier.
Well, they are part of the redundant jetty that was built at Wallasea Island for the Crossrail/RSPB Project.
Wallasea Island jetty completed for Crossrail helped the RSPB shape Europe’s largest new nature reserve.
The jetty, constructed by BAM Nuttall, comprises two 800 tonne steel pontoons, each 15 metres wide, and is able to accommodate two 90 metre, 2,500 tonne ships simultaneously. At peak, two unloading machines per pontoon serviced four ships and unloaded up to 10,000 tonnes of material over a 24 hour period.The jetty received in the order of 4.5 million tonnes of material excavated during Crossrail’s tunnelling operations in London.
The last shipment of soil to Wallasea Island was completed in April 2015.
1528 shipments have delivered 4.5 million tonnes of excavated material.
To see how the Island looks today. Google RSPB Wallasea Island.


From my previous posting the vessel Zeeland has now almost completed refit.


Wednesday, 18 September 2019 - 18:15

 

Post 6537

  Steve P, Dover

Noticed the broken European Seaway being towed from Dunkerque yesterday afternoon. Heading north so presumably to a Northern European shipyard for repairs (and not south to retirement on a Turkish beach!).

Her AIS is off, but you can follow the progress by looking up tug 'Fairplay 33' which was handling the job.

Wednesday, 18 September 2019 - 14:50

 

Post 6536

  Sea News, Dover

Atlantic Klipper




Some pictures above there of the departing Atlantic Klipper on a very early sunday morning.. 06.50 in fact and in the striking early-morn colours she is away to Bridgetown in Barbados to no doubt collect another cargo of super exotica for European consumption..... across the Atlantic she goes - bon voyage! Another reefer..called Lady Rosebay.. came in to port soon after. A new one on me, will have pix in due course..

While taking the previous pictures of Atlantic Klipper, right behind the camera as it were, the full moon was shining down on us at the same time...

The Moon over Western Heights Dover...

Added extra...
Costa Mediterranea early morning.

Great collection below Mike ...cracking stuff !

Really great to hear from you Jeremy. Wow that was quite a move..from Dover to Lincolnshire. Hope its all going very well for you up there. Thanks for all your excellent pictures in the past...you got some good scoops I remember. Glad you are still looking in and enjoying it all...

PaulB
ps: cruise ship Marina in port today...

Wednesday, 18 September 2019 - 07:09

 

Post 6535

  Mike J., Dover

Newhaven’s ‘Severn’ class 17-21 DAVID & ELIZABERTH ACLAND came into Dover on Monday morning to use the boat-lift & AIS showed her still in the boatyard on Tuesday morning, but by the time I got down there early afternoon she was afloat by the boathouse, her place taken by CITY OF LONDON receiving new anti-corrosion ‘anodes’ & a lick of underwater paint.



I was chatting when we heard that 17-21 was about to sail, so I scuttled round to get her sailing.
She had only a ‘run crew’ so wasn’t SAR-capable.









Wednesday, 18 September 2019 - 03:18

 

Post 6534

  Jeremy Ward, Holton-Le-Clay, Lincolnshire

Still enjoying all the posts on here even though I have moved to Lincolnshire. Sorry can't post any photo's of Dover anymore. All the best to everyone at Doverforum.

Tuesday, 17 September 2019 - 18:22

 

Post 6533

  Sea News, Dover

Another three cruise ship day on Monday...two days in a row the Port has had three cruise ships all at once. Exciting times for sure...

AIDAcara takes up first and early position at the new pier/berth WD4 on a gorgeous gently coloured morning...

Then the huge Costa Mediterranea arrives...she looks small in that shot above but not so...

Then Costa Mediterranea moves slowly astern onto Cruise Terminal 2...elegantly done of course...

Costa Mediterranea settles in at Cruise Terminal 2 with AIDAcara in the foreground at new pier...

Saga Sapphire slips in between the early pair.. so we have a triple whammy with added tug for good measure. Busy days...

We have a backlog of pictures of all sorts, will try and get round to it all, what will today bring?...

PaulB



Tuesday, 17 September 2019 - 06:05