Comments (Newest First):

 

Post 1267

  PaulB, Sea News, Dover.

PORT INCIDENT - STATEMENT FROM THE PORT OF DOVER AT 10.15am
_________________________________________________________

Port of Dover can confirm that an incident has occurred this morning involving Dover Seaways making contact with one of the harbour walls.

All relevant emergency services are in attendance dealing with the incident.

Our first priority is to ensure safety of all those on board the vessel. Clearly we are very concerned for the well being of passengers and crew and we are supporting DFDS and emergency services in assessing any injuries to passengers and crew.The crew of the Dover Seaways ( SEE PIC OF SHIP IN POST 1190 BELOW ) and our own team have immediately put emergency plans into practice to ensure the safety of those on board. The vessel, Dover Seaways, is safely berthed in the Eastern Docks. We praise all concerned for their swift response.

Naturally the incident will be subject to our own internal investigation and that of the appropriate statutory authorities.

UPDATE @ 11.45am
___________________

Port of Dover can confirm that an incident involving Dover Seaways is ongoing. All relevant emergency services were in attendance but have now left the scene.

All passengers and vehicles have now been discharged from the vessel. A small number of passengers and crew were dealt with by South East Coast Ambulance Service at the scene. Four of those passengers were taken to hospital for further checks; none are believed to have suffered serious injuries.

Our first priority is to ensure safety of all those involved and we are supporting DFDS and emergency services in supporting passengers affected by this incident. The crew of the Dover Seaways and our own team have immediately put emergency plans into practice to ensure the safety of those on board. The vessel, Dover Seaways, is safely berthed in the Eastern Docks. We praise all concerned for their swift response.

LATEST: The emergency is now stood down. The ferry is resting at the outer wall east.


Sunday, 9 November 2014 - 10:42

 

Post 1266

  PaulB, Dover

Saturday morning around 8am and one of the tugboats awaits the arrival of the Costa Rican Star, a regular visitor here to Dover. The second tug is already out in the open sea helping with the arrival. And here we see the arrival below...just as the sun bursts through in dazzling style. The weather deteriorated pretty swiftly after this though and we were back in very windy blustery conditions.. The Costa Rican Star is just this moment leaving again as I write sunday 7.40am. No dazzling sunlight today alas to help her on her way..she heads for Antwerp.


Sunday, 9 November 2014 - 07:43

 

Post 1265

  PaulB, Dover

A couple of blustery weather pictures above there taken yesterday. Friday was indeed a dramatically rough day and the weather threw everything but the kitchen sink at us here in Dover. There were some delays on the ferries as you would expect but all and all the Port managed very well. Its early on in winter so no doubt there will be much more of this kind of weather to come. Very dramatic picture opportunities all day but.. Note for diary: don't run out of battery power when its needed most !

lol Brian you are wicked Stella and fry up in a Force 9 !!..

Saturday, 8 November 2014 - 06:19

 

Post 1264

  brian, dover

better to have a full English and washed down with a few pints of stella .

Friday, 7 November 2014 - 15:54

 

Post 1263

  PaulB, Dover

You wont be needing me to tell you at this juncture that it has been a rough ol' day, and its not over yet. The weather boffins tell us that there has been a Severe Gale 9 out there in the channel and I can well believe it. The sea is very rough indeed... rough enough to rattle Long John's timbers and no mistake. Not a day for a genteel crossing with the Pimms and cucumber sandwiches..


That's a terrific get that one in the post below Ed...the Ernest Shackleton well I never.
Just to add this extra picture here from a couple of days ago as I try to catch up with events. Its our old friend the Magellan Strait, yours truly was disappointed to miss it while in harbour as she would have turned about right under our noses. But here she is nonetheless heading off into the distance with quite a load..

Don't forget to check out those latest deals and ideas from DFDS...see post 1190.

Friday, 7 November 2014 - 15:12

 

Post 1262

  Ed Connell, Dover

Royal Research Ship "Ernest Shackleton" heading down the southwest lane past Dover this afternoon. Operated by the British Antarctic Survey as a research and supply vessel in the Antarctic.




Thursday, 6 November 2014 - 23:16

 

Post 1261

  PaulB, Sea News, Dover.

Fall in Love with DFDS Seaways’ Autumn Offers to France
- Save £10 on a return crossing from Dover to Calais
- Exclusive discount on entry to Nausicaà aquarium in Boulogne
___________________________________________________

Award winning ferry operator, DFDS Seaways, is offering passengers a range of short break offers on its Dover to Calais ferry service this Autumn.

With the mild weather and vivid colours of Autumn in full splendor, now is a great time to make a pre-Christmas break to cities, such as Boulogne, on the northern coastline of France. The leaves are not the only things that are falling at the moment, as passengers can bag a £10 saving on return crossings from Dover to Calais if you return more than five days after your departure. This offer must be booked by the 30 November for travel any time before 17 December, for a car and up to nine passengers using offer code ENAUS.

Boulogne-Sur-Mer
If you’re looking for inspiration on where to visit in France, then Boulogne-Sur-Mer could offer the perfect escape. One of the most famous tourist destinations on France’s northern coast, this popular bustling port and fishing town is just 22 miles from the Calais port. Dubbed the "City of Art and History", Boulogne is home to some striking architecture, including a 13th century castle and the city’s belfry, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
As an extra treat, DFDS Seaways passengers can also take advantage of our exclusive €8 discount off entry for couples or families into Nausicaà, France’s largest aquarium and Boulogne’s most popular tourist attraction.

Nausicaà
Nausicaà is home to more than 35,000 animals from over 1000 different marine, land and freshwater species. There are more than 50 aquariums and pools in Nausicaà, and all of the signs and exhibitions are in English as well as French so you can learn as much as possible from your visit.
The €8 discount is available for all DFDS Seaways passengers who book our £10 off Autumn offer, or one of our fixed price short break crossings detailed below. All you have to do is print off your booking confirmation and present it at the Nausicaà reception.



Short break offers:
· Day trip from Dover to Calais for £19 each way for a car up to nine passengers. Book by 30 November using offer code EDAYCB. You must return the same day, on or before the last crossing to take advantage of this offer
· 3-day fare from Dover to Calais for £24 each way for a car and up to nine people. Book by 30 November using offer code E3DAYCB. You must return on or before the last crossing 3 days after your departure.
· 5-day fare from Dover to Calais for £28 each way for a ca and up to nine people. Book by 30 November, using offer code E5DAYCB. You must return on or before the last crossing five days after your departure.

Dover-Calais
Our ferry from Dover takes just 90 minutes to arrive in Calais, meaning you can get straight onto the road and continue to your destination. The port is conveniently located with easy access to transport and motorway links to the rest of France, plus with 20 daily sailings between Dover and Calais, you can be sure to find a crossing at a time that suits you.

The crossings on our route from Dover to Calais are short, but there is still plenty to do onboard to keep you busy. While you sail why not relax in our onboard bar and catch up on the latest news or sports, have a bite to eat at our self-service restaurant or cafe or just enjoy the view from our outdoor deck area? With our dedicated children’s area, there is plenty for everyone to see and do.

To find out more information, visit www.dfds.co.uk, or telephone 0871 574 7235.




- ENDS –


Many thanks to DFDS for the above information. Great ideas there for colourful autumn travel. Don't forget to quote the offer codes when booking.
Yours truly often enjoys the best of Boulogne and surrounding coastline and for years one couldn't keep ones daughter away from the dazzling delights of Nausicaa. We took that picture of the shark there several years ago and it looks just as menacing to this day !




Thursday, 6 November 2014 - 07:04

 

Post 1260

  PaulB , Dover

RESCUE







Just before lunchtime on Tuesday this young lad featured here dropped a dinghy, with the help of a friend, into the water from the small pier. It looked precarious to say the least as he tried to get onboard. He managed to do it, but a short time later in the swell was swepped into the troubled waters at the corner as shown.. and couldn't get out. Fortunately some of the experienced seasoned guys in the larger boats out in the harbour recognised there was a dangerous situation taking place. First on the scene was a boat which is I understand usually involved in the channel swimming, then shortly afterwards the harbour patrol guys arrived...as you can see in the pictures above. The upshot was that they managed to get a tow to the dinghy..pull him free from the treacherous corner and it all ended safely, but looked a dangerous situation for a while.

Tuesday, 4 November 2014 - 15:20

 

Post 1259

  PaulB, Dover

The two pictures above are once again from Sunday, we have an over abundance of pictures at the moment so bear with..its taking a while to get everything on show. These pictures above show one of the P&O Spirits, probably the Spirit of France , battling its way over to Calais on sunday afternoon. I was trying to get pictures of this ship when out of the blue, the misty blue, came a warship right into the picture. Not sure whose navy ?? as nothing showed on the Channel Traffic System ( see top of Dover.uk.com our sister channel ). You can see how rough the sea was at the time and it continues to be turbulent. Pictures are a bit grainy sadly as taken at very long range and in poor conditions but worth showing.

Below we have both tugs from yesterday Monday. The ferries were needing help and the tugs were delivering in the very strong winds. You can see them here nestling together between jobs as the strong winds whip across the harbour right to left, west to east.

Yes Barry it was a rough arrival for Elvira. Thought at one time we might be losing one or two of those containers as it really was bad...but all was okay in the end.

Tuesday, 4 November 2014 - 06:31

 

Post 1258

  Barry W-S, Dover

Great Photo PaulB of the container ship battling against the storm, seeing these pictures of maritime vessels ploughing through the waves makes me glad that I am on terra firma.

Monday, 3 November 2014 - 12:42

 

Post 1257

  PaulB, Dover

Woe! its a rough day and no mistake. It is just after 6am as I write and its no weather for picnicking. It was getting this way yesterday sunday as you can see in the following pictures. First one shows cargo reefer Elvira approaching the harbour in very rough seas indeed. Most definitely gale force winds on show here...not an entrance for the fainthearted..its a tough game for sure..
This picture above was taken about mid-day sunday.

The following pictures were taken earlier in the day yesterday sunday..it was still early morning with the sun bursting into play and 'twas fairly rough even then, rough enough for the ferries to need assistance from the tugs, but of course it got worse later and is still bad. Here we see Dauntless leaping into action...




Monday, 3 November 2014 - 06:28

 

Post 1256

  PaulB, Dover

Our old friend Tugboat Doughty is back in the thick of the action again. She was away for a refit we understand but here she is again back in the fray. The top picture shown here was actually taken just before her refit...it dates from roughly about two weeks ago as she battled across the harbour in the strong winds then...the other two pictures below are from yesterday as she dealth with the arrival of a regular visitor and another one of the 'Star' ships...this time the Caribbean Star.



Strong blustery winds again today whipping across the harbour with at least one tugboat assisting the ferries. The Caribbean Star pictured above only arrived here in Dover yesterday but has already long since departed. Brilliant fast work once again by the team at Dover.

Sunday, 2 November 2014 - 07:26

 

Post 1255

  PaulB, Dover

While we are talking about vegetation in general its worth mentioning too that all the seafront flowers have now been stripped away down along by the Gateway and around the Memorials. The lovely flowered Norwegian Flag for example is no more, but no doubt will return again in all its glory in the spring next year. This gives me an excuse to use this picture..a purposely soft focus picture of the colours surrounding the new Royal Norwegian Navy plaque. When we did pictures of the unveiling back in early September (post 1052) I don't think we managed to get one up on here of the actual plaque itself...so here we are now. We also have a sharp version in reserve should anyone prefer.


All fairly quiet at the moment generally.


Saturday, 1 November 2014 - 07:44

 

Post 1254

  Mike J., Dover

I hope that the 'stays' [good nautical term!] don't cause the top of the tree to snap off in a strong gale !

Perhaps that's the reason why trees have never become established along the seafront.

If you take a walk along the clifftops, particularly close to the edge of the cliffs, you'll see that the bushes have been 'shaped' by the mostly southerly & southwesterly winds.



Friday, 31 October 2014 - 10:06

 

Post 1253

  PaulB, Dover

Many of the trees along our lovely seafront had long since adopted the position above, instead of leaping skywards as you would expect, they were kinda leaping towards Margate..so that would never do ! The horrendous storms of last winter rendered them more than a tad weatherbeaten. Yours truly quite liked them like that, as it showed something of a storm force character, but ones family members have often cried over their Pinot Grigios in the Dover Marina Hotel when gazing at the 'poor bent tees'. The good news now is the trees are restored to the erect position and are leaping skywards once again ...and now fully reinforced with 'stays'.. (not sure of the correct gardeners term there but the trees are now supported fully). A team came during the week complete with a JCB thingy and now all trees are restored to the perpendicular. No pictures yet of the re-aligned trees but watch this space in due course...




Vic the good news now is that all seem to be pulling together re the Port. so we can all drive forward hopefully in top gear. All seems more optimistic now than it has been for a long time.

Nice pictures below Mike. Its amazing what turns up in Dover Harbour ..never a dull moment. Nice story about it snaking all the way to Switzerland.

Friday, 31 October 2014 - 08:15

 

Post 1252

  vic matcham, river

Nothing to do with the election next year then ( see post 1179 ),What the D.H.B. is doing had nothing to do with Dovers MP if he had his way it would have been sold off to a group call the Dover Port or wording of that kind, putting a rope round the neck of the port for a 100years paying ofF a loan. But port stayed a Royal Port after all now it can look forward and move ward in the safe hands of the D,H,B.


Thursday, 30 October 2014 - 17:10

 

Post 1251

  Mike J., Dover

Inshore survey vessel HMSML [Her Majesty’s Survey Motor Launch] GLEANER was berthed in the Tidal Harbour on Thursday afternoon.

Built in 1983 & said to be one of the smallest vessels commissioned into the Royal Navy she also has the rare distinction of being the only Royal Naval vessel to have visited Switzerland, going up the Rhine to Basel in 1988.








Thursday, 30 October 2014 - 15:53

 

Post 1250

  PaulB, Sea News, Dover.

A PEOPLE's PORT IS RISING AT THE DOCKS says MP Charlie Elphicke
_______________________________________________________


Last week the New Ports Minister John Hayes visited the Port of Dover. He saw the progress that has been made over the last few years and the real change we have made together. It's important to remember that back in 2010 our port was about to be sold off. The previous Government planned to sell it to the French or whoever. When I was first elected all that was needed was the flick of the Minister's pen and it would all have been over.

Since that time we've come a long way. The battle against privatisation brought together the community, port workers and trades unions. It saw the foundation of the People's Port Trust with a plan to buy the port if the sell off was to go ahead. A referendum was held in Dover. The result was emphatic on a higher turnout than had been seen in the previous elections for the district council. Finally I took the battle to Parliament and defeated the Government in a key Parliamentary vote. After that Ministers decided that the sell off would not go ahead. Dover's port would be Forever England.

That was a great victory. Yet there was more. The campaign to save the port highlighted three serious problems. First the port needed to be able to raise money for investment. We need a great modern port fit to beat the competition from the Tunnel. Second people felt the port did nothing for the town. There needed to be a community fund to benefit our community. Third there needed to be a closer partnership between the port, port users and the people.

Things had to change. Business as usual was not an option. So some six months ago the previous Ports Minister, Stephen Hammond, visited Dover to set out his plan. The port would have new powers to raise the investment it needed to modernise and grow. Already the harbour revision order for this has been passed. Port management have also set out an ambitious plan for the Western Docks Revival with hopes to create 600 new jobs. A community fund would be set up which is now happening. It will help provide support for the skills, training and life chances of our young people. Finally he said there would be community directors. The first of these is currently being appointed.

The new Ports Minister was deeply impressed by what he saw. Much new investment is being made. There are plans for more. We've already seen demolition ahead of the Western Docks Revival. We have the area around the Marine Station in our sights. Alongside the moves to get Burlington House down many of the building blocks for the greater future of Dover are now in place. The next stage is to see through this change and transform our town.

ENDS


Charlie Elphicke is of course MP for Dover and Deal. Charlie sends out regular Newsletters and when they relate directly to the Port we are happy to reproduce on our Sea News pages even though we don't specifically do politics on these pages here. Charlie has been more involved with the team at the Port in recent times as all can see in our regular press releases.
More on the aforementioned ministerial visit in the earlier post number 1160 below.




Thursday, 30 October 2014 - 07:10

 

Post 1249

  PaulB, Sea News, Dover.

Another nice deal with free wine......enjoy



Free Magnum of Wine for the first 600 MyFerryLink bookings for outbound travel in November
___________________________________________________________________________

Issued 28 October 2014: With Christmas just around the corner, Dover-Calais ferry operator MyFerryLink is giving its customers an early present of a magnum of red wine for the first 600 bookings made between now and 29 November 2014.

With any duration fares starting from just £35 each way for a car and up to nine passengers, travelling by ferry is a great option for those planning to take a pre-Christmas break and stock up on their favourite French delicacies or for those visiting friends and family over the Christmas period.

As well as low fares, the first 600 MyFerryLink bookings will receive a free magnum of Petites Folies wine as a gift. This offer is available for all bookings made by 29 November 2014, for outbound travel between 1st to 30th November 2014 and return travel at any time in 2014.

To book, visit www.myferrylink.com and quote ‘WINE’ or call 0844 2482 100

Ends

PLEASE NOTE: THIS OFFER DOES NOT APPLY TO DAY TRIPS.

The Berlioz looking good.


* *

Although it is getting later in the year, there are still fantastic trips to be had on calm seas under big skies....both of which you can see in this recent picture..
We like our Big Sky pictures




Wednesday, 29 October 2014 - 06:53

 

Post 1248

  PaulB, Sea News, Dover.

SAILBOAT SPECIAL
Saturday was a hugely exciting day for these little sailboats in Dover Harbour. The Sea Sports Centre was buzzing. There must have been something like forty boats whizzing this way and that out on the water. Tremendous colourful excitement for all the kids of all ages. Lots of safe monitoring too with much whistle blowing from the RIBs dashing hither and tither. To tell the gospel truth yours truly does not fully understand the whole procedure but just to say that everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves greatly and that these boats add a super colourful exciting content to any day out on the water. Great fun was had by all.



A special pictorial tribute post to the whole team at the Sea Sports Centre.



Tuesday, 28 October 2014 - 06:50