Sea News...
- Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
5 May 2013 19:07228254it is quite foggy at the moment,shame though. - 5 May 2013 19:11228258great pictures all round there - nature providing a great background to our man made liners.
- 5 May 2013 19:27228266it's not all about the glamorous cruise liners, ferries, containerships and dredgers, much fun was being had today with much smaller craft.
- 5 May 2013 20:13228285Superb coverage all round of the comings and goings of Dover's cruise ships and the hype of activity in the harbour over the last couple of weeks with brilliant photos and information
Well done everyone 
I myself have just returned from a very different kind of cruising over the last week, cruising down the river Vltava in Prague and what a magnificent cultural city it is too. This was my first visit there and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Now back to our cruise schedule over the the next couple of weeks here in Dover starting with tomorrow bank holiday Monday when the familiar Braemar arrives once again at CT1, TR. Then on Tuesday 7th May the MV Empress arrives at CT1, PoC.
Two cruise ships on Wednesday 8th, the Albatros, CT1, PoC & the AIDAStella once again returns to CT2, PoC.
Three cruise ships on Thursday 9th starting with the Emerald Princess CT2, PoC, then the Artania at CT1, PoC. & the third one is the Princess Daphne, AP3, PoC.
No ship on Friday but on Saturday 11th May, the Ryndam returns to CT1, TR.
A complete rest then until Thursday 16th May when the first Costa for this season cruises into Dover in the shape of the Costa Liminosa at CT2 with a PoC.
No ship on Friday but on Saturday 18th the Ryndam returns again to CT1, TR, ending the week on Sunday 19th May with the first Celebrity this season, none other than the beautiful Celebrity Constellation, CT2, PoC
- 6 May 2013 07:49228310Great pictures and info all round guys. Great stuff. Yes as Howard says the seafront was alive and looking great yesterday..people went delirious with joy at the presence of that rare commodity..bank holiday sunshine...they came out in numbers and no mistake. There weren't huge numbers on the beach itself as there was a bit of a breeze but lots were promenading along the prom prom prom but alas no band was going didley om dom dom..but you cant have everything lol
Even yours truly went strolling at gentle pace. Took the following picture on the humblest of little pocket cameras (HP) which just fits in the pocket. Only downside with the thing is that you cant see the screen in the bright sunlight..there must be a solution but i havent found it yet ! grrrr
As you can see, Dover is the place for romance especially when you have the splendid exotic backdrop of the cruise liner fantastico.
Will add another picture of the MSC Poesia tomorrow on the old frontpage blog. By the way the top picture currently showing on that page was again taken with the little Hewlett Packard...so there ye have it..email: dover7@msn.com - 6 May 2013 10:17228319Another view of MSC Poesia
As Paul said, the tugs were stirring up a lot of silt whilst assisting the Star First to berth.
This was due to it being low water, the high water tide mark can be seen on the Eastern Arm.
A view of berth ED6 awaiting installation of the new portal and linkspans following the contractors going into administration.
- 7 May 2013 12:55228448The Empress alongside CT1 today.
- 8 May 2013 06:53228555Glad you got the Empress Ed. Good to see all those pictures. Good info there too re the silt being gurgitated up..didnt know that as some days it happens more than others..now know why..( see also previous page pix )
The great influx of liners continues with the return of the AIDA Stella today, so once again expect to see welcome visitors around the town. Visibilty isnt very good today so pictures limited in scope. Much prefer the visibility as shown in the picture currently on the old doverforum frontpage...sharp and crystal. (See blogs link at top of page) But here we go anyway...
Wasn't sure if it was worthwhile putting this picture up but there we are...murky. There are clearer pictures of the ship itself earlier in the thread.
Also due in again today is the Albatross.. see Colette's list above there...with THREE more liners due in tomorrow. That's got to be the first triple header for some time so we can watch for that.
email: dover7@msn.com - 8 May 2013 15:12228606a little bit brighter this afternoon.
- 9 May 2013 02:42228694A dreadful incident occurred yesterday when a containership demolished the port control tower in Genoa.
http://gcaptain.com/jolly-nero-incident-photos-port/
http://gcaptain.com/jolly-nero-containership-slams-into-genoa-pilot-tower-in-italy/ - 9 May 2013 06:48228698Yes it was a truly dreadful incident..up to 9 people feared dead now. The pictures above show how the harbour-side buildings were completely demolished in no uncertain terms. I understand that in one case 3 people were in a lift and the whole thing went into the water in an instant. They had no chance. Shocking...it goes to show that with the sheer size of some of these vessels if they hit anything its going to be bad. Reluctant to say it but Italy doesnt seem to be doing very well on a safety level in recent times..but perhaps they have just been unlucky.
* *
Today we have a true stunner into harbour. Totally enormous approaching 114,000 tons in size...so if my rough and ready calculations are correct this is the biggest one of the year...so far. In the words of that well known English classical ditty of wide renown
"...oh oh oh wot a whopper !"
I give you,,,The Emerald Princess
Huge..a must see for aficionadoes. Well done Dover. They keep right on coming.
It was already tied up in situ before 6,15am when i returned from the land of Nod!
and...
The Artania is arriving as we speak...busy day down here in the harbour already.
email: dover7@msn.com - 9 May 2013 12:58228737Indeed, what a whopper she is but still so so elegant
- 9 May 2013 13:02228740More photos of Emerald Princess and Artania in Dover today:
- 9 May 2013 13:32228745the sea looks a bit lively in those photos ed, magnificent vessels but would be nice to see that one operated by disneyworld make a return visit.
- 9 May 2013 15:15228756Here's one just for you then, Howard. Disney Magic with a dredger, what more could you ask?
This is Disney Magic and David Church in Dover in 2010.
- 11 May 2013 13:01228963Ryndam entering this morning.
- 12 May 2013 06:59228996Excellent one of the Ryndam there Ed...terrific that you can get the non-standard views above there.
Not one of Gods glamourous ships the Ryndam it must be said, so its hard to make it look interesting. It is probably down to the unfashionable black in the age of extravagant colour. I stuck a yacht in front of it yesterday...
Having said that it is probably just about the right size for a more intimate type of cruise in that you might see the same people twice.
Have added a spectacular close up of the yacht onto the old frontpage blog..all taken yesterday.
http://www.doverforum.com/letters/
There ye have it..email: dover7@msn.com - 12 May 2013 13:23229021Ah! the lengths one will go to, to make the Ryndam more pleasing to the eye ........ stick a yacht in front of it, it works
Love the bigger pic of said yacht on the old front page, spectacular indeed - 12 May 2013 15:47229031lol! yes the Ryndam needs all the help it can get in the looks department.
Yes that shot of the yacht is spectacular ( on old homepage now, see blogs at top of page or click link in post 497 ) but its not all glamour down here on the sea.
Look at these following pictures taken later yesterday when the weather had changed to rough and grim.This yacht is out in the channel...not in the harbour.
Conditions were so rough that I couldnt hold the camera steady nor hold the window open so the quality not great but you can see and feel the struggle....
Speaking as a confirmed landlubber with extra concrete in me boots on days like that shown above..but isnt it foolhardy for these guys to be crossing the channel in conditions like that shown above (pix taken later yesterday). We saw only a day or two ago didnt we that an Olympic sailor lost his life.. so nobody is immune. It just strikes me as madness but there we are.email: dover7@msn.com - 12 May 2013 17:08229042Scary stuff, what are these guys thinking, hope they were okay & got to their destination safe albeit shaken & stirred
Yes,such an awful tragedy re Andrew Simpson affectionately known as 'Bart'. He was only 36 yrs old & an Olympic gold (Bejing) & silver (GB,Weymouth) medal winner with his lifelong friend & fellow sailing partner Iain Percy. He left a wife & two young children.
