Windy Weather !

23 June 2008

Everyday Drama amongst the Sailing Folk.
This is not as dramatic as you might think at first, as it's an everyday occurrence down with the rough tough sailing guys in the harbour. But when its windy, like it has been this week, they do some spectacular purlers into the water. A strong gust tipped this chap over in picture on left. He then became separated from the boat while trying to right it, a task that proved extra difficult in the strong breeze.
However he was soon re-acquainted with his watery steed. He couldnt seem to get the thing the right way up so hung on for 'dear life' onto the protruding keel bit. Until the cavalry came..and right on cue here come the cavalry in the picture on the right, and soon all was well. There are a number of safety fast boats like this always on hand to help out those in a spot of bother.
The Spectacular Lifeboat

Picture by Paul 'Scotchie' Wells. The picture above is one of my very favourites. It was taken by Scotchie a year or two back at the Regatta and because it's been shot from such an unusual viewpoint, well it makes the picture that bit extra special, looking towards the seafront rather than away, which is the norm. I put this up today as a gesture of support and respect to the great Lifeboat crews of today and the past. Some of you will have seen that we have been chatting to Diane from Maxton on the OPEN LETTERS PAGE. Diane was a crew member in fairly recent times and found it an exhilarating experience to say the least. Diane has been reflecting on the legendary crew members of recent years. You can see them doing a 'flypast' in the picture above and taking a well earned bow.

Sunday 22 June: Yes we're all very used to windy weather here in Dover. We get gales aplenty, but it is somewhat unusual nevertheless to be suffering fairly fierce winds in the height of mid summer. On the Doverforum windforce Guess-o-matic, it read force 7 or so. It may even have been more. But it was a beautiful sunny day and with the dramatic blue blue seas, some of the views were spectacular. Our many visitors will have enjoyed the colourful spectacle. Travellers on the ferries however may have experienced a more turbulent journey than they were anticipating. Much rolling and swirling and too-ing and fro-ing was 'de riqeur'. Chefs employed to do the full English fry-ups will have been standing idly by.

The long range picture above ( by Nikon) shows Norfolkline's Maersk Dover finally making it to harbour after an exhaustive battle down the channel, much to the pleasant relief of passengers. Ah! dry land!

Below the beautiful Norwegian Jewel slips out of the harbour and into the fray using the unusual exit and helped as you can see by the hard working tug boats. Are these large vessels immune, or fairly immune, to the vagaries of the sea? Do the passengers suffer the same seasick rigours as the lowly ferry traveller!? There are more pictures on the Cruise Liner thread in from Ed Connell.