Comments (Newest First):

 

Post 5729

  Colette B, Dover

CRUISE VISITS
_____________

Wow! Some fantastic photos from the Sea News team, it’s been a ‘Super Busy’ week!

It’s great to see the photos of our brave RNLI in action battling against the seas and the hard working tugboats Doughty and Dauntless having a bit of fun. Also the super photos of a ‘Peloton’ of cyclists or ‘Grupetto’ as the Italians say, raising monies for the Royal British Legion ‘Pedal to Paris’ event

The shot of the Atlantic Kipper shows that she is certainly ‘Loaded to the Gunwales’and Mr B’s photos of the Brave Security Officer risking his life to save the young lad on Regatta Day, the pictures say it all

Well here we are again chaps with the first of many cruises in September ….. as coined by the singer Dinah Washington ‘September in the Rain’ but we have sunshine …. Hooray!

Tomorrow Sunday 2nd September Mickey takes the helm and brings Disney Magic into CT2 at the early hour of 04.15 to begin her 7 night ‘British Isles’ cruise. Her first ports of call are in the ‘Emerald Isle’ visiting Cork then on to my home city of Dublin, after which she pops over to Greenock and cruises down to Liverpool before returning to our shores on Sunday 9th September. She departs at 17.00 hours, T/R.

The following day Monday 3rd September MSC Orchestra (last seen here May 2014) arrives at CT2, 07.00 hours, Welcome Back! She calls in to Dover whilst on her 12 night One Way ‘Copenhagen to Genoa’ cruise.

Her ports of call after leaving Copenhagen were Warnemunde-Rostock, Goteburg, and Rotterdam before dropping anchor here. She then visits La Coruna, Lisbon, Gibraltar and Barcelona before her arrival in the Italian port of Genoa. She leaves us at 21.00 hours, PoC.

Then on Wednesday 5th September we have a ‘Double Whammy’!

Firstly, the graceful lady Boudicca arrives at CT1, 07.30 hours, visiting Dover for the last time this year. She starts her 14 night ‘Island Hopping to Suez’ cruise visiting the following ports Porto, Cadiz, Ibiza, Valletta and Heraklion (Crete) before arriving at the Jordanian port of Aqaba.

She will be busying herself over the next four months visiting such faraway and exotic places such as Abu Dhabi, Sri Lanka, India, Seychelles and Mauritius when we look forward to her return in February 2019. She departs at 18.00 hours, T/R.

A half an hour later, Costa Pacifica glides into CT2 at 08.00 hours whilst on her one way 13 night ‘Kiel to Marseille’cruise. Since leaving Kiel she has visited Amsterdam before arriving here, her next ports of call are Le Havre, Vigo, Lisbon, Tangier, Malaga, Barcelona and Savona before her arrival in Marseille on the French Riviera. She will be based in the Mediterranean until the end of November when she sets her course for the southern Caribbean Sea. She will be leaving us at 20.00 hours, PoC.

On Thursday 6th September we have an interesting visitor at CT1, Serenissima (last visited us in September 2016). At this present time we have her arriving & leaving at 00.00 hours we will update you with arrival & departure times as soon as we know. This Noble Caledonia cruise ship is really something special, being a smaller ship she reaches remote ports inaccessible to larger cruise ships.

She has a fleet of Zodiacs to get even closer, her full capacity of 95 passengers makes this unique ship even more special. This is a Debark only, the next cruise scheduled is a 10 night Valencia to Valletta cruise in the ‘Med’ on the 12th September.

Finally Sunday 9th September Disney Magic arrives at CT2, 04.00 hours to start her 11 night ‘One Way to New York’ cruise. Her ports of call are the Isle of Portland, Cork then across the Atlantic to Sydney (Nova Scotia, Canada), Halifax, Saint John (New Brunswick, Canada) before arriving at the ‘Big Apple’ New York on 20th September.

We say a fond farewell to our friends Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Pluto and look forward to their return in July 2019. ‘When You Wish Upon a Star’ ……

Back with more cruise calls very soon.


Saturday, 1 September 2018 - 12:03

 

Post 5728

  Sea News, Dover

Another one of those big cycling events arrived along the seafront on Thursday afternoon. This time it was the Royal British Legion event...Pedal to Paris. Heck of a trip that...its a long way to Paris never mind Tipperary,
of course ... a trip like that would be a breeze for yours truly...

We are probably not doing it justice here as the scale of it was enormous...
imagine being desperate for a cup of coffee and getting stuck in a queue on the ship behind this lot...but its all good fun and for an excellent cause.

Its a very well organised event..support vehicles, support crew, support motorcycles and so on...


And support medical staff. These cyclists below endure some physical torture as the Roadside Therapy team swing into top gear.
Ouch!


A mundane shot of the departing Cornelis Vrolijk below. As Mike said she headed north leaving us here at 17.20 … also on Thursday. In the foreground two of the Holyhead Towing support vessels work on the extended arm...Afon Lligwy and Llanddwyn island, almost joined together as they work.

PaulB

Saturday, 1 September 2018 - 07:29

 

Post 5727

  Sea News, Dover

Just catching up now on the approach and arrival of the Atlantic Klipper on the 29th …





There is so much going on we can hardly keep up with it all... Yikes!
See also the post below re AIDAaura...yours truly was burning the midnight oil there...

PaulB

Friday, 31 August 2018 - 06:45

 

Post 5726

  Sea News, Dover

Yes indeed AIDAaura lingered unusually for a couple of days. The picture below shows her here at Cruise Terminal 1 on the second day partially obscured by the all-new cargo building. She left for Dublin last night with all lights a-blazin' so it looks like all normal service is restored.



Excellent collection of pictures and info below there Mike of our ol friend Cornelis Vrolijk and of AIDAaura. Very enjoyable

Thanks for the info Brian.

PB

Friday, 31 August 2018 - 03:50

 

Post 5725

  Mike J., Dover

The AIDA AURA finally sailed at 2100.
She has cancelled her Fishguard call & is heading straight for Dublin.

The CORNELIS VROLIJK sailed at 1700.
My predictions about fishing off West Africa were totally wrong - she is currently heading up into the North Sea with her AIS coyly giving her destination as ‘SEARCHING FOR FISH’



Thursday, 30 August 2018 - 23:40

 

Post 5723

  brian dixon, dover

still there as I type Mike, it seemed strange to see it still there this morning. no sign of it moving off at the moment.

Thursday, 30 August 2018 - 19:20

 

Post 5722

  Mike J., Dover

Thursday morning & another visit of the deepsea trawler CORNELIS VROLIJK FZN, coming down from Scheveningen & in Dover probably for a crewchange & stores whilst en route for the fishing grounds - I think that she usually fishes off West Africa.
Like a lot of big fishing vessels today she’ll contain a complete fish-processing & freezing plant.



The VROLIJK used to be Dutch-flagged but has transferred to the British flag, presumably to take advantage of British fishing quotas - she unloads her catch in the Netherlands.
The ‘H’ on the bows indicates that her fishing registration port is Hull, painted over you can see the ‘SCH’ for Scheveningen when she was Dutch-registered.


An unexpected sight on Cruise-1 was the AIDA AURA who was supposed to sail Wednesday night.
I noticed tour buses arriving & passengers walking ashore AT 0900 so there was no immediate prospect of her sailing.
An overnight delay for cruise ships is most unusual - there must be a major problem aboard.




Thursday, 30 August 2018 - 15:09

 

Post 5721

  Sea News, Dover

Just a small round-up now of some of the recent cruise visits...just a couple of ships here this time. Top shot shows Saga Pearl reversing out of Port on Saturday evening. Then followed by a couple of shots of the Disney Magic on Regatta Day Sunday. Yours truly was hoping to get better shots of the Disney Magic as she left us, but as we all know the weather went 'to hell in a handcart'. She had arrived around 4am, too early to do anything.


THE DISNEY MAGIC
Early above...a bit later below...


That's the Police Patrol boat in the bottom shot there and you can also see Sikinos next to the Disney Magic as brilliantly featured by Mike a couple of posts below. Look at that sky...the rough weather was coming our way..

PaulB



Thursday, 30 August 2018 - 05:59

 

Post 5720

  Sea News, Dover

The final flurry of photos from the Regatta...
Not only did we have a great sizzling display from the Lifeboats but also too from our regular Tugboats Doughty and Dauntless. Perhaps not quite as ...ermmm...sizzlingly fast, but quite a watery spectacle and hugely enjoyable. And here they are....




This one below from a different camera...different colour balance..


As promised a final wider shot of the Walmer Lifeboat as she powers along at considerable speed. Go lifeboat go...


Entertaining post below from Mike - nice pictures and words. Don't miss that...

Nice collection from Sarah just below that too. Dont miss those either.
Hope you didn't get too wet and windswept Sarah
"Once again...the Ramsgate roving reporter roved over to Dover" I forgot to put that line in earlier..

PaulB

Wednesday, 29 August 2018 - 06:01

 

Post 5719

  Mike J., Dover

Splendid selection of Regatta photos from Paul & Sarah - many thanks.
Paul’s photos taken from the comfort of the ‘observation tower’ with Sarah at sea level getting extremely waterlogged in the driving rain but taking excellent photos - there’s dedication for you !

The DOUGHTY’s fire monitor would have made short work of the fire on the yacht [& probably the yacht itself] while the lifeboat’s efforts looked like a garden hose.in comparison. [Joke].

With Paul’s rescue sequence [I thought that photo No.4 was good enough to win awards, telling the whole story in a single photo] the marine side of the ill-fated Regatta has been very well covered, Thanks again.

& now to something much less exciting - the tanker SIKiNOS is a regular visitor supplying bunkers to cruise ships, most recently last Sunday to the DISNEY MAGIC

On 6/8 she ‘attended’ the VIKING SKY & I caught her leaving.
As she swung she recovered her ‘Yokos’ - the nickname for the floating fenders first introduced by the Yokohama Rubber Company in the 1950s.




DHB use a lot of similar fenders on the Admiralty Pier & the Eastern Arm, secured by chains.





Wednesday, 29 August 2018 - 00:46

 

Post 5718

  Sarah, Ramsgate

Sorry Paul I'm going to sneak a few more in

Dover & Walmer Lifeboats



Walmer Lifeboat



Maritime Skills Academy also did a display





Tuesday, 28 August 2018 - 12:40

 

Post 5717

  Sarah, Ramsgate

Great photos Paul, I'm loving them I too was at the Regatta a few photos to share.

Director & Dovorian



DHB Dauntless



DHB Doughty



Dover Lifeboat putting out the fire!



Dover Lifeboat & Walmer B Class Lifeboat



Tuesday, 28 August 2018 - 12:34

 

Post 5716

  Sea News, Dover

Now as promised further Regatta Day fast-fast action from the Dover Lifeboat team..
Hold on to your hat!!...its the LIFEBOAT SPECIAL









Now that was a fast paced collection...yours truly was dizzy after that dizzyfying (if there is such a word!) display. The weather was rough by then and many people had departed the weather-beaten seafront...but many had also stayed to enjoy the annual spectacle put on by the Lifeboat guys. All experienced guys I know but those fast paced manoeuvres even had those guys hanging on....

The smaller B-Class Lifeboat above there is from Walmer I understand. Fab guys - will have a wider shot of that last pic tomorrow all being well.

Will pin this one too until this evening out of admiration and respect for what they do.
Will have more Regatta pictures in due course...the tugs etc... but this is the last pinned one from the event.
Pinned NOW UNPINNED.

* *

Thanks for all the cruise info plus below there Andrew, well done with that - yes indeed re the Security chap.
Glad you got down early to enjoy some of the event Barry before rain stopped play. Yes re Security guy..

PaulB



Tuesday, 28 August 2018 - 07:04

 

Post 5715

  Andrew, Broadstairs

In my last post (5174) I hoped the forecast Regatta weather would not dampen spirits, but the torrential rain and strong winds were too much for the stoutest of hearts, however, that was not so for the brave Security Officer who plunged into the sea to help the two boys in difficulties; he is to be congratulated along with Paul for capturing the moment in a dramatic photograph.
During the weekend I attempted some ‘pixel popping’ as Paul calls it, on the photograph with the three cruise ships to ascertain their precise names, but without success. However I can confirm that at Cruise 3 is the ASTOR, Cruise 2 is the tricky one and could be either MSC ARMONIA or more likely due to the length of the name, sister ship MSC SYMPHONIA, later in life the Symphonia had an extra radar dome fitted aft of the funnel but I believe I am correct in thinking that in 2008 it was difficult to tell them apart; finally Cruise 1 has the ever faithful BALMORAL. Thanks Colette and John for knowing your ships without the aid of technology


Monday, 27 August 2018 - 23:10

 

Post 5714

  Barry WS, Dover

It is amazing to see that the Security officer jumped into action so quickly & saved the young lad from the rough seas, Well Done!
Terrible weather for Regatta Day, I felt sorry for everyone involved, we braved it as long as we could but had to beat a hasty retreat as the stall holders were dismantling & packing their wares away

Monday, 27 August 2018 - 10:33

 

Post 5713

  Sea News, Dover

REGATTA DAY: Can you believe that weather. The Regatta was destroyed by the worst weather we have had all summer...of all the days to pick to do its worst, the weather picked Regatta day. A great shame, as lots of colourful stalls and tents/marquees/gazebos, classic cars etc etc had come by startime 10 am. By 12 midday the squally winds were starting to hit and these very tents etc began to lift from their moorings. The wind got stronger and people started to pack up their tents as the rain pelted down.

The stallholders began to go home. The classic cars followed and pretty soon the seafront was looking tired and barren..a great pity when you consider the effort put in by everybody involved.

While all the above was happening there was a....

REGATTA DAY RESCUE: In the stronger winds the sea was getting very rough. A small band of boys were jumping in the water from the jetty or small pier. They looked very small in the raging surf. There was the usual squeeling and excited shouting from the boys as often happens, its part and parcel of the frivolity...however this time...the squeeling wasnt frivolous, as one of the boys was in trouble.

When regularly hearing this exciteable noise is the norm, you dont even notice when it turns to something else.

However...The security men in their fluorescent coats manning the concrete barrier ( another sad sign of the times )...spotted the situation straight away and sped into action. Such a brilliant response.

They ran down the jetty, the leading man whipped off his fluorescent jacket and his walkie talkie and leapt straight into the strong surf as one young lad was in deep trouble and another young lad was trying to save him. The security man now in the water came to their aid...and you can see this unfurl in the pictures below as the exhausted boys get further help from another security man too …

1. Security man grabs hold of boy in the raging surf.

2. He grapples through the surf to reach the beach.

3.Second security man waits to lend a hand.

4.Second security man helps them out of water while second exhausted boy lies on beach.

5. Fortunately they all walk away later... exhausted but safe.

Brilliant work by the security guys and particularly so by the chap that plunged in.


Pinned
I will pin this in an effort to draw attention to the near tragic outcome here...young lads and indeed young girls should not jump into rough seas. Something they regularly do. In fact it would be ideal too if they had some supervision. A jolly time can so easily become disastrous.Now Unpinned.

PaulB

* *

Exciting post below there Mike...hugely enjoyable pictures and words. Great stuff!

Thanks to Brian and Del for the info re the Pacific Princess.

Well done to John and Colette for having a go naming the cruise ships. I didn't dare...

We will have pictures of the Lifeboat and Tugboat displays coming over the next couple of days...all being well.

Monday, 27 August 2018 - 05:59

 

Post 5712

  brian dixon, dover

it was 3 fishermen del, the other 2 where later found floating face down and recoverd by h.m. coastguard.

Monday, 27 August 2018 - 05:21

 

Post 5711

  Mike J., Dover

Re Andrew’s post 5174 - the hovercraft had arrived in Dover a few days earlier & was being used in a programme about the closure of the Dover hovercraft service in 2000.

A couple of former Hoverspeed stewardesses were interviewed & taken for a trip.

I remember the cameraman rigging a camera on a precarious looking pole for ‘selfie views’ of the craft underway as the budget obviously didn’t run to an escort vessel - it worked quite well actually when the programme was broadcast.

An attempt was made to head out to sea but was abandoned due to ‘lively’ sea conditions encountered soon after leaving the Eastern Entrance.
Of course the much larger Hoverspeed SRN4s could have kept going.

I’ve only seen a hovercraft in Dover once since then when I noticed H187 four years later in the abandoned hoverport on 23/2/12.


H187 was built for the Indian Coastguard at Griffon’s works at Southampton & was on passage to a European port to be loaded aboard ship for transport to India.
A type 800TD apparently & larger than than the one on the beach.


I tried for a closer view but was refused entry at the gate by Security who first looked at me as though I was bonkers & I was told ‘Hovercraft stopped running years ago, Mate, you'll have to catch a ferry' & were quite surprised when I told them that one had sneaked in unawares behind them - their ‘patrols’ round the hoverport must have been pretty sketchy !

What a shame about the Regatta & the weather - Saturday’s weather would have been perfect & Monday isn’t supposed to be too bad.
Very disappointing for the public & disastrous for the stallholders.



Monday, 27 August 2018 - 00:53

 

Post 5710

  Del Styan, Norwich

I see that yesterday the Pacific Princess rescued 2 fishermen off my coast here in Norfolk, so give them a special welcome from me!

Sunday, 26 August 2018 - 23:17

 

Post 5709

  John Hendy, St Mary's Bay

I would have opted for the Astoria, MSC Symphonia and Balmoral.

Sunday, 26 August 2018 - 15:08