Comments (Newest First):

 

Post 5552

  Ted Ingham, Canterbury

Five from Ramsgate.
Low water at Ramsgate and the Dutch have arrived to continue working on the lock gates.
The swing gates and lifting bridge have arrived back from Holland fully refurbished.
The drop down gate has now been lifted and lowered onto the barge to be taken back for refurbishment.






Wednesday, 4 July 2018 - 18:23

 

Post 5551

  Sea News, Dover

Heavy Metal: yes indeed that's a shot above there of some of the serious heavy equipment working with the DWDR 'imported' sand... its all being levelled out bigtime as we speak. We will have some more pictures of the sand/equipment with cruise ships in the morning all being well...all delicately interplaying together these days.

PB

Wednesday, 4 July 2018 - 18:06

 

Post 5550

  Sea News, Dover

The early morning arrival of the magnificent BRILLIANCE OF THE SEAS.



There were no immediate ferries in view so yours truly was able to get the above shots of 'Her Brilliance' approaching the Port in the blinding early morning sun ( Monday ) ...all massive 90.000 tons of her. Great to see ships like this at the Port of Dover...in a word...brilliant!

She was still a fair way off in the pix above...and here she is now in the harbour...gliding gently across and turning...



I have enjoyable shots of her departure too but I have ermmm 'pushed the boat out' with the number of pictures above.

Well done Mike, nice inshore collection once again. Great info there below too... excellent ..

Ah shure Brian..on this day the 4th July, all I can do is quote that other fellow American...
"you cant please all the people all the time"


PaulB

Wednesday, 4 July 2018 - 06:09

 

Post 5549

  Mike J., Dover

A contrast in motor yachts - In the Tidal Basin on Tuesday morning [& still there Tuesday night] was the timber-hulled former Danish fishing vessel CLAUDA, now flying the Red Ensign.
She may still be carrying her original name & if so was probably built in Esbjerg in 1941.


Quite a contrast was the very smart GHAZAL that I noticed from St Martins Battery heading for the Western Entrance before coming down to the Tidal Basin.
She looks brand new & you can see the reflection of the water on her immaculate hull paint in the second photo & is probably on a delivery trip, but no further info.
A 'Ghazal' is apparently a short Arabic love poem.




Post 5028 was a rubbish photo of a mystery powerboat passing Dover a few days ago which has now been identified as the VSV [Very Slim Vessel] MARY SLIM, built in Cornwall in 2007 & capable of speeds in excess of 40 kts.
She called briefly at Ramsgate, but Sarah was elsewhere.
For more details & photos - Google ‘VSV MULTIMARINE’ & the website should come up top of the list.
An impressive craft.





Wednesday, 4 July 2018 - 01:35

 

Post 5548

  brian dixon, dover

over heard two American passengers moaning that there was nothing in dover. doh

Tuesday, 3 July 2018 - 13:15

 

Post 5547

  Sea News, Dover

Above there we have the Crystal Serenity moving away on..ermmm...let me see.. yes sunday evening... the time of the pictures is 18.10 as we see her head off northwards towards the land of the midnight sun...Norway and beyond. Two shots there fairly similar apart from the returning pilot boat.

And here goes the Seabourn Quest soon after, off to Ireland she goes with the pilot boat in close attendance. In the second picture we zoom in close to the pursuing pilot.. twas a busy sunday for the pilot, another busy day once again.



Nice shots below there Sarah. Ah yes ..can see there that the roving reporter roved over to Dover once again.

PB

EXTRA: will have pictures of the magnificent Brilliance of the Seas coming along soon.

Tuesday, 3 July 2018 - 06:34

 

Post 5546

  Sarah, Ramsgate

Sorry I did not see Mike's mystery craft, I had roamed over to Dover on Sunday.






Monday, 2 July 2018 - 23:10

 

Post 5545

  Sea News, Dover

EXPLORE EUROPE’S BEST FESTIVALS THIS SUMMER WITH DFDS
_________________________________________________________

Ferry operator reveals top festivals within easy reach across the Channel

Festival season is upon us - whether you’re planning a summer filled with electro beats, or the pomp and pageantry of a national celebration, ferry operator DFDS offers easy access to some of Europe’s best festivals for families, friends and everyone in between.

Kick starting the season with France’s national celebration, Bastille Day (14th July), in Paris is a must. Make the most of the road trip from Calais (around 3 hours) by stopping off en route in historical Arras, or picturesque Lille and arrive into the capital a day early to soak up the atmosphere. This will allow you to start the day with the locals and find the best spot on the tree-lined Champs-Elysees to marvel at the grand military parade before the French President leads a march running from the Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde. You’ll also spot fighter jets flying overhead in formation – a sight not to be missed. To end the day on a high the spectacular annual firework display at the Champs de Mars, in front of the Eiffel Tower is simply magnificent.

If day-to-day parenting duties have you thinking your days of attending music festivals are long gone, think again. Or if you and your friends are simply looking to head to a music festival in the sun without the hassle of flying with all your gear, Rock en Seine (24-26 August) is the festival for you. Located just outside Paris, a 2 hour drive from Dieppe, with camping on-site, think Glastonbury but further south! This 120,000 strong festival offers an eclectic mix of rock, power pop, electro and folk music. This year, confirmed artists include 30 Seconds to Mars, Liam Gallagher, Macklemore and Charlotte Gainsbourg.

For those wanting to let their hair down listening to the world’s top DJs and dancing from morning till night, Mysteryland (24-26 August) is the leading electronic music festival in The Netherlands. With sets from over 300 artists including the likes of Alesso and Fatboy Slim spread over 17 different stages you won’t be short of entertainment. Based in Haarlemmermmer just a short 45 minute drive from Amsterdam, festival goers can opt for day tickets and stay in nearby hotels or camp on-site for the entirety of the weekend.

Mysteryland also boasts chill out spaces for meditation and yoga, art installations and food courts catering for your every whim.

With a line up including Tom Jones, The Roots and Jef Neve, the Gent Jazz Festival is perfect for those wanting a more laid-back festival experience. Located in Bijloke, just a 90 minute drive from Dunkirk, you will find some of the world’s biggest jazz names here as well as discovering some new favourites. The festival runs from 29th June to 8th July and accommodation deals can be found in hotels across the city.

Finally, if a foodie feast is what you’re looking for the Haarlem Culinair festival (2-5 August) is the one for you. The event draws over 70,000 food enthusiasts to the beautiful Grote Markt square in Haarlem which is just a short 40 minute drive from Amsterdam. Delight your taste buds with sustainable and responsibly sourced dishes from the charcoal oven at Fortuyn, try something new at the Bistro Bar Indonesia and even experience your first Michelin starred restaurant by visiting Ratatouille Food & Wine. You can also enjoy speciality beers and wines whilst listening to live music on the square – the perfect way to while away the hours.

Holland’s Summer Fiesta: In celebration of Holland’s vibrant summer festivals DFDS are offering Newcastle-Amsterdam Mini Cruise breaks from £65 per person for 2, Cruise and Stay breaks from just £69 per person for 2 and Hotel Breaks from £114 per person for 2 for passengers travelling between 10th July and 1st October.*

DFDS operates daily sailings on all routes between Dover-Dunkirk (from £35 each way for a car with maximum of nine people), Dover-Calais (from £39 each way for a car with maximum of nine people), Newhaven-Dieppe (from £54 each way for a car and 2 people) and Newcastle-Amsterdam.

For more information or to book a crossing visit: www.dfds.co.uk

ENDS

Dunkerque Seaways and Cote des Flandres.

Many thanks to the team at DFDS for all the info once again. A comprehensive survey there of all the continental happenings.
Great info..


* *

A couple of pictures here now of the Lombok Strait arriving with us here at the Port of Dover on Saturday evening at approx. 18.00 hours...looking immaculate, one wonders if she has been for a redo/refit. The second picture shows Doughty back in rear-end action after her absence...her temporary replacement Wulf7 no longer with us now.



Brave effort with the mystery craft below there Mike. Intriguing.

Thanks too Mike for all that welcome info on the 'newly pink' SUVA. Great info there from our 'inshore correspondent'. Yes indeed its a great and worthy cause..a well done to Neil Streeter and to all those who raised the cash...a substantial amount of money raised there. Pink picture 5018, added info 5027.


PaulB

Also ....As we saw in ColetteB's list we had a 'double whammy' of cruise ships yesterday...will have some pictures following along in due course of Seabourn Quest and Crystal Serenity.
EXTRA: the fabulous Brilliance of the Seas arriving...



Monday, 2 July 2018 - 06:25

 

Post 5544

  Mike J., Dover

Just before 1600 on Sunday afternoon this sleek powerboat passed Dover at some speed, heading north.

I had only my toy pocket camera with me & this photo has been cropped until the pixels squealed.


Sadly it was not transmitting on AIS & remains unidentified.

Did anyone see it & get a better shot ?

Perhaps it went into Ramsgate & Sarah has it 'in the bag' ? ?



Monday, 2 July 2018 - 00:47

 

Post 5543

  Mike J., Dover

Post 5018 - pink channel swim escort vessel SUVA.

SUVA has been painted pink in support of Cancer Relief charities, pink being the ‘theme colour’ of the Breast Cancer charity.

A very nice gesture by the owner. Neil Streeter, who promised to paint SUVA pink if £30,000 could be raised for cancer charities & this amount was reached during 2017.

This information from SUVA's website - well worth a look & charities well worth supporting.

Sunday, 1 July 2018 - 09:19

 

Post 5542

  Sea News, Dover

DOVER MARINA OPEN DAY
_______________________

This Sunday (July 1), Dover Marina will be staging an exciting day of maritime fun.

Hosted on Crosswall Quay (off Snargate Street), from 10am until 4pm, the free-to-enter day of nautical entertainment will feature sailing taster experiences from Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club and an opportunity to paddle the famous Bronze Age Boat.

The port's Safety and Environmental Team will be giving youngsters the chance to win a private port tour, boat trip and cuddly Sammy the Seal - plus a £50 Cullins Yard voucher for their parent or guardian.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service will be on hand to talk about safety and provide visitors with a close-up look at one of their engines.

And the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) will be opening its Dover Station, shop and rescue vessel to the public. The RNLI will also be offering free lifejacket safety checks for boaters.

All of this and a host of other marine based exhibitors, food and drink, exciting activities and entertainment will be on offer.

The event is being held in partnership with the RNLI and is a fantastic opportunity to bring Dover’s boating community and industry experts together for a day that celebrates all things maritime.

Free parking will be offered in the Harbour House car park on Cambridge Terrace 9am – 5pm for Marina Open Day visitors.

So whether you’re an experienced mariner, budding sailor or just looking for a fun day out – there will be something for everyone at this year’s Dover Marina Open Day.

ENDS

Good luck to all at the event above...
Here's a fab shot from the files to mark the occasion...it was sent over to me by the RNLI guys...oh I dunno 3/4 years ago...great picture.


FIVE MEN IN A BOAT: yes these guys below were doing a little light sailing a few days ago in the gentle but hot hi-summer conditions..... it all looks totally cool out there. As we say in all the best places, they were...
"just chillin' "



Lol Del so true, but one doesn't like to boast!

Great cruise info and summary below there Colette. Well done with that...keeps us all up to speed. Boudicca has just drifted in behind me as I write. Huge thanks once again.

Cracking pix again Sarah..right in close. I think you can walk on water...someone else in the past was able to do that, now who was that...sez he scratching head


PaulB



Saturday, 30 June 2018 - 06:24

 

Post 5541

  Del Styan, Norwich

Fantastic shots of Calais. Looks like next door. What a long lens you must have. Ho Ho!

Friday, 29 June 2018 - 23:18

 

Post 5540

  Colette B, Dover

CRUISE VISITS
____________

A great variety of photos as always from the Sea News team, some great action shots of our brave RNLI on Walmer’s Lifeboat Day & also good to see the return of the ‘Leonard Kent’ to Margate, Well Done Sarah!

Calais shimmering in the heat, the swimming support vessel ‘Suva’ looking ‘Pretty in Pink’, a cormorant basking in the sun and a dog all packed ready to go. The Spirit of Britain sailing in from Rotterdam all spruced up in her fine new livery and the Viking Princess battling against the surf. Not forgetting the lady waiting for her cruise with some balloons and one or two items of luggage

As promised here are the first cruise calls for the month of July and we start off with a ‘Double Whammy’.

On Sunday July 1st, Crystal Serenity arrives at CT2, 06.00 hours to start her 14 night Round Trip ‘Into the Midnight Sun’. She will be calling at the Norwegian ports of Bergen, Flam, Geiranger, Gravdal, Tromso, Honningsvag, Olden and Stavanger before returning to Dover on Sunday 15th July (St Swithin’s Day, let us hope it doesn’t rain, as the old lore says: if it rains on St Swithin’s Day it will last for 40 days & 40 nights)
She leaves us at 18.00 hours, T/R.

Then at 07.00 hours, Seabourn Quest drops anchor at CT1, ready to pick up her passengers for a 15 night Round Trip ‘Gems of the Irish Sea & the Hebrides’ cruise. Her ports of call are Portland, Tresco Island in the Scillies then calling at the Irish ports of Cork, Glengarriff, Foynes, Galway and Killybeggs. She then pops over to Scotland to visit the Isle of Mull back over to Belfast, Dublin, Holyhead and Waterford before returning to our shores on Monday 16th July. Now that sounds like a Grand cruise
She departs 17.00 hours, T/R.

The following day Monday 2nd July once more Royal Caribbean’s ‘Brilliance of the Seas’ calls into CT2, 08.00 hours. She is on her 12 night Round trip British Isles cruise from Amsterdam. She visited the following ports, Edinburgh, Invergordon, Greenock, Dublin, Holyhead, Guernsey and from Dover she returns to dear old Amsterdam. She leaves at 16.00 hours, PoC.

Then on Wednesday 4th July Pacific Princess arrives at CT2, 06.00 hours for her 14 night ‘Scandinavian & Russian Collection’ Round Trip. She will be calling at Copenhagen, Tallinn, St Petersburg, Helsinki, Stockholm, Riga, the Kiel Canal and Amsterdam returning to Dover on Wednesday 18th July. She leaves us for this magnificent cruise at 17.00 hours, T/R

Finally on Friday 6th July Saga Pearl ll calls at CT1, 08.00 hours for a 6 night cruise to the ‘Scenic Summer Fjords’ Her ports of call in Norway are Flam then cruising along the Sognefjord calling at Stavanger, Geiranger and Bergen returning to Dover on Thursday 12th July. She departs 16.00 hours, T/R.

Be back with more calls real soon



Friday, 29 June 2018 - 23:11

 

Post 5539

  Sarah, Ramsgate

Margate get their lifeboat back, they bring Relief Lifeboat "Lady of Hilbre" back to Ramsgate to swop it for their Lifeboat "Leonard Kent" now ready to go back on service.











Friday, 29 June 2018 - 08:54

 

Post 5538

  Sea News, Dover

Some fairly extraordinary pictures now of Calais shimmering in the heatwave far distance. Pictures from a few days ago (25th). Yours truly has been looking across the channel from the 'observation tower' for some considerable years and have never quite seen Calais like this...so ...tried to capture the experience with the camera and here we are..

The ferry makes its way to a clearly visible Calais...mirage and all..

Then unscheduled.. Wulf7 creeps into the edge of picture. Wulf was making its way back to Germany..perhaps in time for the recent World Cup match ( but oh dear - it didn't go well in the World Cup!) while Calais grows ever more prominent in the distance..

There goes the Wulf while the Spirit comes our way. Calais looks amazing there. Ahhhh summer days...


Excellent pictures and info below Patrick.. yes there's a lot of sand now for sure. Nice enjoyable shots and the info is always very welcome.

PaulB

Friday, 29 June 2018 - 06:02

 

Post 5537

  Patrick, Marine Parade

Sand, sand, and more sand. Where's my bucket and spade?




Thursday, 28 June 2018 - 16:08

 

Post 5536

  Patrick, Marine Parade

Following the earlier departure of the sand dredger 'BARENT ZANEN' yesterday saw the exit of the floating pipeline from the outer harbour being towed back to Rotterdam by the tug 'Dutch Pioneer'. The pipeline was used by the dredger to discharge sand taken from the licensed Thames grounds into the new DWDR infill area which includes the area around the new Refrigeration Cargo Terminal (RCT) being constructed on the old hoverport site, and the (also under construction) marine curve extending into the outer harbour that will be eventually the new home for the Dover Lifeboat and DHB tugs.







Thursday, 28 June 2018 - 16:04

 

Post 5535

  Sea News, Dover

MAN'S BEST FRIEND CAN TRAVEL TO EUROPE FOR FREE THANKS TO SUMMER HOLIDAY OFFER FROM P&O FERRIES
______________________________________________________________________________________________________


DOG lovers will be able to take their pet on holiday to the continent for free this summer thanks to a package of great value offers from P&O Ferries. Provided that the pet meets the EU's travel requirements, P&O Ferries' customers can claim their free ticket when they book a Dover-Calais crossing.

And it's not just dog lovers who can take their pet with them to France, Spain, Italy or beyond.
The offer also applies to cats and even ferrets.

Sarah Rosier, Head of Sales and Marketing at P&O Ferries, said: "We always ask ourselves what more we can do for our customers and we know how many of them love to take their pets with them on their two weeks' away. So this year we thought we'd give them a helping hand by letting their dog or cat travel free."

"We also have other great offers available. Customers can choose a £20 fuel voucher, a complimentary day trip to France for future travel or upgrade to our Club Lounge for free when they book a long break on our Dover Calais route by 8th July."

"We have been voted Britain's favourite ferry company at the British Travel Awards for ten consecutive years and with these generous offers we hope that we can keep that run going. Our aim is nothing less than to re-imagine ferry travel for our customers and think what we can do for them beyond the ferry."

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 annually.

Together with its logistics division, P&O Ferrymasters, the company also operates integrated road and rail links to countries across the continent including Italy, Poland, Germany, Spain and Romania. P&O Ferrymasters also owns a rail terminal in the Romanian city of Oradea, which facilitates the onward movement of goods to Britain from Asian countries via the Silk Road.

ENDS

Just adding this extra doggy picture sent in to us by P&O FERRIES in the past....who can resist..?? woof !

Adding too .. the latest picture of the freshly redesigned/repainted Spirit of Britain. Looking good!


Many thanks to the team at P&O Ferries for the latest info.

PaulB



Thursday, 28 June 2018 - 06:08

 

Post 5534

  Sea News, Dover

The Luzon Strait heading for Vlissingen with a full load...


Yes there we have the Luzon Strait turning slowly in the harbour before her departure for the Netherlands in the blazing heat of a couple of days ago (Monday), she was off to Vlissingen ably assisted by tug Wulf7. Since then we have had two further visitors at the Dover Cargo Terminal...cargo/reefer Elvira which came into port almost immediately after the Luzon departure, and then surprisingly following Elvira.. the Maersk Connector once again. Never a dull moment...

Pink Glow : I almost couldn't believe this one below...don't think I've ever seen a vessel almost entirely pink before...no doubt there's a reason. Its the swimming support vessel Suva which we have featured previously...you would certainly see this one coming.
Pictured last week...

This pic below shows what she used to look like....


PB

Wednesday, 27 June 2018 - 05:54

 

Post 5533

  brian, dover

didn't know harry hill worked for dfds, times must be hard. lol

Tuesday, 26 June 2018 - 08:13