Friday, 29 March 2024

WWW.DOVERFORUM.COM/SEA-NEWS
Sea Pictures from Dover.

Sailing Ships just off Dover: Europa above and De Gallant below...


We have 340 plus pages below now...use our own SEARCH ENGINE just below to help you trawl through. All pictures are the copyright of the owners.
Editor: Paul Boland - dover7@msn.com
Search Sea News:
Comments Page:   1   2   3   ...   212   213   214   215   216   ...   340   341   342
Comments (Newest First):
 
Post 3029
  Sarah, Ramsgate
Plenty of Windfarm vessel activity here at Ramsgate tonight.

Smeaton Array



Vattenfall Tornado



CWind Artimus



CWind Endurance



CWind Alliance



In the background is Ramsgate Lifeboat "Esme Anderson" on exercise. Smiley

Tuesday, 5 April 2016 - 22:47
 
Post 3028
  Sea News, Dover

Above we have the early early DFDS ferry approaching us from Dunkerque a couple of mornings ago...coming out of a blazing sun, a blazing sky. Not sure which ferry it is but...lets see, either the Delft Seaways, The Dunkerque Seaways, or the Dover Seaways...you pays your money you takes your choice.
Smiley

I have been asked to show some pictures of the horses from the demonstration on Saturday if possible...fortunately yes I have some pictures and here they are below. Magnificent horses aren't they..beautifully groomed and clearly well looked after. See also 2572.




I am running a tad behind schedule with this one below ( it dates from last week ) but it is still ultra relevant..

From your MP Charlie Elphicke.

My campaign for better transport and to clean up our filthy roads
_____________________________________________________

Dear Mr Boland,

Transport has always been important to our community, with much of Britain's international trade shifted through our port. The ferry companies are major employers for people living in our community. We have major roads in the A20 and A2 and rail connections to London that get us about and to work.

Transport is our strength as well as a major source of employment. Yet it also presents real challenges, particularly at the moment. We are seeing through port reform with the appointment of community directors. Increasing port traffic is placing greater pressure than ever on our roads. We had problems with the A20/M20 being at a standstill last summer during the Sea France strike. We frequently suffer gridlock in Dover. Our roads are filthy and disgusting. On top of this, the Dover sea wall failed, taking our major rail line out of service.

This week I met with the Transport Secretary to press the importance of making improvements. The port and ferry companies, along with the Highways Agency, need to take more responsibility for the rubbish on our roads. They need to understand that routing port traffic via the A2 causes tailbacks on the Jubilee Way and cuts Dover off. This makes it hard for people to go about their business and get to work. Port traffic should go only via the A20/M20.

The Operation Stack lorry parks on the M20 will make a real difference. Yet they will take two years to build. So we need to make sure the TAP system works properly to stop Dover suffering gridlock and ensure the TAP speed limit is made variable.

The situation is made worse by the port undertaking major works to change the roundabouts in Dover to traffic light junctions. The Department for Transport and Highways officers have asked the port to have a plan to avoid gridlock in Dover at peak times like over Easter. This matters as the Easter period will be a real problem if not properly managed. This will be a major test for the port management.

Finally the sea wall railway line repair is a big project. It will cost a very serious amount of money. It seems likely that the railway line will take until the end of this year to repair and bring back into service. Network Rail should be in a position to say clearly exactly how long very soon. This has been very hard for rail passengers.

At the moment we have big transport challenges. Yet the railway line will be repaired and the lorry parks will be built. This will be a collective investment of up to £350 million to improve transport in our community. Once these works are complete we should have a secure rail line and see the back of Operation Stack. With port reform and better collaborative working to clean up our roads, this should mean we will have stronger and more reliable transport networks for Dover and Deal over the longer term.

ENDS


* *

Thanks to Charlie for the above.
Thanks also to my roving correspondent Sarah H for the comment below. Glad you liked the lifeboat pictures Sarah. Will always watch out for more of the same...there should be more opportunity now that the days are getting longer. PB.



Tuesday, 5 April 2016 - 06:52
 
Post 3027
  Sarah, Ramsgate
Loving the Lifeboat photos Paul SmileySmileySmiley

Monday, 4 April 2016 - 09:13
 
Post 3026
  Sea News, Dover
Nice to get back to the norm after the rather grisly previous post...and here we are with some pictures of Dover Lifeboat in action on Friday evening. Pictures taken in a late watery sunlight. You can see her powering off in a fixed direction, so presumably on a serious callout rather than an exercise.

Zooming in for a close-up below as she moved towards exiting the harbour...


Also in at the weekend was Hellas Reefer...no pictures of her this time as the comings and goings were not camera friendly.
But here's a pic from a previous visit...


(We understand the Lifeboat was called out on Friday evening to tow in a disabled yacht - Thanks to Mike for info )

Monday, 4 April 2016 - 06:47
 
Post 3025
  Sea News, Dover
Some pictures of the latest demonstration on saturday...
the whole area was shut down...the main highway to Port closed from 1pm until 4pm although access was still available this time via Jubilee Way...




A huge presence by Police this time. Much bigger than on previous occasions with regular police patrolling the ongoing situation and riot police waiting in the wings as it were.. along the seafront. There were a fleet of ambulances too also along the seafront, all waiting in case of trouble. There were arrests too...handcuffed individuals, some female, were marched towards the detainee vehicles along the seafront. I have pictures of these individuals but for legal reasons its probably best not to use them...will leave it with those above.
PaulB.




Saturday, 2 April 2016 - 16:11
 
Post 3024
  Sea News, Dover
Yours truly was trying to photograph the arrival of the Esmeralda yesterday (the bells, the bells!) but was overwhelmed..not by the ship itself, but by the dramatic jet streamed sky. It was astonishing for a short time. Turner himself couldn't dream that one up. No jets in his day of course but you get my drift.
Time of picture 07.30 yesterday morning.
Three cargo ships in the past few days. Lady Racisce, Italia Reefer and our old favourite Esmeralda ( I think Esmeralda came twice...headscratcher..Smiley )

At 18.00 yesterday the Braemar set off for Stavanger in Norway...looking good. You can see the pilot boat right next to the Braemar and exit door open.
Go pilot!
Gorgeous day yesterday, lovely day for a trip to Stavanger for sure. PaulB.


Some demonstrations are set to take place in Dover today...marches due to start at 1pm Dover Priory.
There are rival factions. May be wise to adjust your journey times accordingly. Remembering posts 2357, 2385.



Saturday, 2 April 2016 - 06:32
 
Post 3023
  Sea News, Dover

P&O FERRIES JOINS FORCES WITH VIIA TO PROVIDE NEW RAIL-SEA LINK BETWEEN SPAIN, FRANCE AND BRITAIN
____________________________________________________________________________________________



P&O Ferries announces today that it has reached agreement with the French rail operator VIIA, a subsidiary of SNCF, to provide transport across the English Channel for unaccompanied freight arriving on a new train service between the Franco-Spanish border and Calais, named VIIA Britanica.

The new intermodal service, which will provide a direct link to the UK for exporters in the Mediterranean, carried its first unaccompanied road trailers early this morning. The potential of the rail service between Le Boulou, on the Franco-Spanish border, and Calais is estimated to be 40,000 units per year.

The port of Calais last year installed a new €7 million intermodal rail terminal specifically designed to transfer freight units from the trains onto cross-Channel ferries.

Janette Bell, Chief Commercial Officer at P&O Ferries, said: "This initiative is a prime example of the need for seamless rail and sea solutions to ensure that goods can access the United Kingdom from all corners of the continent."

"London is the biggest city in Europe and Britain’s economy is continuing to grow. There are a significant number of exporters of fruit, vegetables and components for production lines who will benefit from this direct link between the Mediterranean and mainland Britain."

VIIA Britanica will initially run one round-trip six days per week between Le Boulou and Calais, using trains that will traverse the length of France to connect the two intermodal terminals in 22 hours. The trains have the capacity to carry 40 units each and frequency is expected to increase to two round-trips per day later in the spring.

P&O Ferries announced in January that it had carried more freight between Dover and Calais in 2015 than in any previous year in its modern history. The ferry company also operates intermodal continental hubs at Zeebrugge and Europoort and has its own logistics division, P&O Ferrymasters.

P&O Ferries is a leading pan-European ferry operator, sailing on eight major routes between Britain, France, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Holland and Belgium. The company operates 20 vessels which carry more than 10 million passengers, 1.6 million cars and 2.2 million freight units every year.


ENDS


* *


Many thanks to P&O Ferries for the info above. Always welcome.
A couple of pictures below now of HMS Blazer leaving the Port a couple of days ago...cutting quite a dash!



Yes indeed Ed got quite a special set of pictures below there. Well done Ed once again. Ace man! Smiley
And speaking of all things train....the release above arrived just at the right time.
We have had great sets of pictures from all the team recently.
The cruise ship Braemar is in with us today. PaulB.


Smiley

Friday, 1 April 2016 - 06:51
 
Post 3022
  Howard McSweeney, Dover
I can only echo previous comments and add that the shelf life of our super ferries will still beat the opposition overall despite weather conditions on the channel.

Thursday, 31 March 2016 - 22:33
 
Post 3021
  Gavin, Dover
Excellent photos Ed, right place, right time

Thursday, 31 March 2016 - 20:14
 
Post 3020
  Sea News, Dover
Wow! a cracking set of pictures there Ed. A real scoop for sure. The train not taking the strain this time Smiley ! PB.

Thursday, 31 March 2016 - 15:31
 
Post 3019
  JanT, Dover.
Well what can you say, great pictures there Ed,Smiley showing even Euro star travels by ferry.

Thursday, 31 March 2016 - 10:24
 
Post 3018
  Ed Connell, Dover
Some photos of a Eurostar power car which we carried across to Dunkerque on the Delft Seaways on Tuesday night. This is one of the generation which are in the process of being replaced so possibly it was on its way to a museum on the continent. One has been preserved at the National Railway Museum in York.







Thursday, 31 March 2016 - 10:00
 
Post 3017
  Sea News, Dover
French Industrial Action in Calais
___________________________

The Port of Dover advises its customers and the local community of industrial action in Calais today until 2145hrs BST as a result of a National Day of Action in France. We understand this period of industrial action does not affect Dunkirk.


The Port of Dover remains open for business with services continuing to operate to both Calais and Dunkirk. However there is potential for disruption to ferry services and to the approach roads in Dover. Therefore it is advisable to allow plenty of time for your journey.

Customers are also advised to contact their chosen ferry operator before travelling and consult the Port of Dover website (www.doverport.co.uk/travel) or Twitter account (@PoD_travelnews) for the latest information.

DFDS Seaways
Freight: +44 (0) 1304 874001 Tourist: +44 (0) 871 230 0440
Twitter: @dfdsukupdates


P&O Ferries
Freight: +44 (0) 1304 863 340 Tourist: +44 (0) 8716 64 64 64
Twitter: @POferriesupdate


Thursday, 31 March 2016 - 09:42
 
Post 3016
  Sea News, Dover
The Cote des Dunes in breath-taking action in the stormy weather of a couple of days ago. The sea is crisp and bright but oh so rough... not ideal atmospherics for the teeth-chattering rubber legged landlubber..but at least the sun was shining.
SmileySmiley

And keeping on with the kids theme...here below we see and almost hear the squeels of excitement as the young kids dodge the exploding surf. That's always a great pastime on the seafront on rough bright days.


Great coverage below Colette there of the kids seafront race. Nice pictures for sure...capturing the atmosphere. Well done with those. Excellent. Everyone got a goody bag too....I thought of entering myself but just missed the (under 14) upper age limit.
Smiley

Well done Brian for lending a hand.

Great pictures below from our roving reporter of the comings and goings at Ramsgate Harbour. All the windfarm vessels and the lifeboats and so on.
Ace work from Sarah there.
As Vic said ...there is a lot of wind out that way!

Glad Ed was able to get those cargo shots at the DCT...was hoping to get pictures of those vessels Ed but wasn't able to in the end...so ..great stuff!

Smiley

Thursday, 31 March 2016 - 05:16
 
Post 3015
  brian, dover
that's ok Colette,nice to see you and catch up.i hope your ankle heels fast.and mr b gets over his teething troubles.............Smiley

Wednesday, 30 March 2016 - 14:39
 
Post 3014
  ColetteB, Dover
Watch out for the Braemar this coming Friday, 1st of April (April Fool's Day). She will be back at CT2, TR. I will post more of April cruises next week Smiley

The Port of Dover's first ever 'Eggcellent' Easter Mile race along our award winning seafront went off to a flying start yesterday, with little ones as young as three taking part. They did themselves proud, all finished and were awarded with a Medal and well deserved Goody Bag. It was a Blustery Day but that didn't spoil the fun. There were Wonderful Easter Bonnets aplenty flying in the wind.

Good to see you there Brian, thanks for the Easter Egg Smiley

Here are a few photos from the day.

The Gathering

Ready! So Says Port of Dover's Barbara Buczek

Steady!

Go!

Young Owen Burton, one of the Winners, proudly holding his Award aloft





Wednesday, 30 March 2016 - 14:29
 
Post 3013
  vic matcham, Dover
With all the wind we are getting the wind farms must be on overtime,Smiley

Tuesday, 29 March 2016 - 20:34
 
Post 3012
  Sarah, Ramsgate
As were the Lifeboats. Our Lifeboat was called out & the Relief Lifeboat was taken out of the water.

Esme Anderson



Margaret Jean



Tuesday, 29 March 2016 - 19:24
 
Post 3011
  Sarah, Ramsgate
As were the Windfarm vessels.

Seacat Vigiilant



Seacat Endeavour



Vattenfall Tornado



Tuesday, 29 March 2016 - 19:18
 
Post 3010
  Sarah, Ramsgate
Our Pilot Boats were in action.

Estuary Élan



Estuary Élite



Estuary Escort



Tuesday, 29 March 2016 - 19:13
Comments Page:   1   2   3   ...   212   213   214   215   216   ...   340   341   342