Comments (Newest First):

 

Post 7344

  Sea News, Dover

There's an extra one there of the lingering Bolette under a more interesting sky as night falls on the Port. Balmoral has just left us at this point.... see also today's earlier post below.

Sunday, 6 November 2022 - 07:54

 

Post 7343

  Sea News, Dover

The Fleet's in.....
Yes the Fred Olsen fleet of Bolette and Balmoral. You can see Bolette in the foreground there with Balmoral behind over at Cruise Terminal Two under a gloomy sky. Bolette seems to be lingering in Port fairly permanently...so far she has been at both cruise terminals, followed by a weather-beating stint at the Eastern Arm, the pic above at Cargo Terminal WD4 and as of yesterday back over at Cruise Terminal One...dizzying manoeuvring....
Balmoral has now left us...off on a 14 day round trip to Norway searching for those elusive Northern Lights...

We will have another pic or two following shortly.

Sunday, 6 November 2022 - 06:40

 

Post 7342

  Sea News, Dover

Atlantic Reefer approaching the Port of Dover

Our ol' friend Atlantic Reefer approaching the Port of Dover earlier this week...coming in from the eastern side as we look across the eastern docks. Pictures fairly longish range but as we have been picturing 'Atlantic' for years ...worth including. Not as easy to get shots of the cargo ships now...they dont anymore do that ultra-convenient turn right in front of the 'observation tower'.....
Fast turnover at the cargo terminal these days so she fairly quickly moved on to Vlissingen.

Saturday, 5 November 2022 - 07:21

 

Post 7341

  Sea News, Dover

HMS Mersey off Dover
HMS Mersey patrolling right past the Port of Dover a few days ago in an effort to stem the huge crises re the migrant situation, we are on path for nearly 40,000 arrivals now this year ...all dangerously coming across the Channel in small dinghies. So clearly the Government's policy is both floundering in Westminster and seriously not working on the ground, and the use of the Royal Navy, sad to say, appears to have little effect.
Natalie Elphicke MP for Dover and Deal.......

Following concerns raised by residents living and working in Dover on safety and immigration, Natalie Elphicke, MP for Dover & Deal urged the Government to reconsider the location of the Immigration processing facility that is currently situated in the Port of Dover.

Natalie Elphicke MP said:

"
I am deeply shocked by the firebombing at the Dover migrant processing centre this weekend.

Tensions have been rising following an incident the previous weekend and the large numbers of illegal arrivals in recent weeks. The situation on the ground is concerning.

The Immigration processing facility has no place in a busy open port like Dover.

"

ENDS

See also posts below 7338 and 7339.

Thursday, 3 November 2022 - 07:50

 

Post 7340

  Sea News, Dover

Well we had some rough oul weather in Dover yesterday (Tuesday), but despite the 'orrible conditions the ferries mostly kept going. It is amazing how they do it. There were delays re-entering Port and so on, tugs needed, but all-n-all an amazing performance by all the ferry companies. The picture above was taken previously but it sums up the general nature of yesterday's working conditions.

The ferry shown is P&O's Spirit of France...

" Cancel that fry-up Fred! "

Wednesday, 2 November 2022 - 06:57

 

Post 7339

  Sea News, Dover

BORDER FORCE DEFENDER at DOVER

We want to give a thumbsup to the Border Force. These are difficult times yet they do a truly excellent job under very stressful conditions and it's all go...relentless too-ing and fro-ing in this direction and that, and most of all saving lives...
The picture above is another one from our Sunday burst and it shows, previously mentioned in post below, BF Defender, as the vessel makes its way out at pace to rescue/gather yet more migrants. While others are enjoying a leisurely sail all around them...the work goes on.

INCIDENT: We understand the attack on the Border Force migrant holding centre was carried out by a 66 year old man who drove all the way to Dover from High Wycombe, the best part of 120 miles, to throw three explosive devices at the Centre. According to reports he later took his own life. Always sad to see a loss of life. The incendiaries were not standard petrol bombs...they clearly had something else attached as the bangs were enormous...as mentioned previously.



Tuesday, 1 November 2022 - 06:49

 

Post 7338

  Sea News, Dover

BORDER FORCE vessel VOLUNTEER
A hectic weekend for Border Force. A number of their boats zipping back and forth continuously as it's been a very busy time for illegal crossings...hectic is the word. The pictures show Border Force Volunteer pictured yesterday Sunday.

INCIDENT: Shortly after these pictures...three loud bangs, and they were loud as all the Port's seagulls took to the sky in frantic unison, were heard coming from the direction of the Border Force Migrant Holding Centre...at western dock area of Port. Smoke was rising. The centre was attacked by an individual, we understand, with three explosive hand-thrown devices. There was one death, reports are suggesting it was the individual with the devices.



We also got pictures of Border Force Defender and Border Force Hurricane along with the pix shown of BF Volunteer, all powering in and out in a space of 20 minutes.... it was like that much of the weekend.



Monday, 31 October 2022 - 06:38

 

Post 7337

  Sea News, Dover

Durable: A picture of the cable-laying vessel Durable below as she arrives and makes her way to cargo pier WD4 here in Dover. Not the most exciting shot alas, we were hoping for a better one in due course, but she has left us now. The ship stayed at WD4 for a time, then moved across to WD5. Very similar vessel to Responder which we pictured relatively recently... Responder can be found via our Search Engine above...

Durable : pictured 26th October 09.27

Sunday, 30 October 2022 - 15:00

 

Post 7336

  Sea News, Dover

Sunrise Dover
Some terrific sunrises this time of year and here we have two shots from Thursday morning this week...very early obviously. We have lots of birds flying inland that hour of the morning, but the bird above caught us out...well almost...coming in so close to the 'observation tower' it almost knocked yours truly's cap off...cheek of it!

A few minutes later the sun came up...tried to capture it as a whole but no.... but however just about caught the early ferry. Pride of Canterbury.


Friday, 28 October 2022 - 15:44

 

Post 7335

  Sea News, Dover

AIDAmar: Following on from yesterday's post and all the drama...here we see the ship just about 15-20 minutes later, the weather has eased enormously and even a little vague late sunlight has filtered through...the tugs have helped her turn gently in the harbour and now she moves stern-first towards the Eastern Arm of Port.

Thursday, 27 October 2022 - 08:00

 

Post 7334

  Sea News, Dover

Large cruise ship AIDAmar being moved off Cruise Terminal Two over to the Eastern Arm here at the Port of Dover on Sunday.

Yes, but as they moved the ship, guess they picked the wrong moment, one heck of a squall broke out..lightning, more lightning and yes almost continuous lightning with strong winds and driving rain. It became very dark so it actually looks much later in the photograph than it actually was, but no it was just 17.10 (ten past 5pm)...it was a bit tricky trying to get the pic. The squall however (squall...if that's what it was?) lasted just 20 minutes...and they got the ship over to stay at the Eastern Arm where it remained for a couple of days on account of the weather. The rough weather came back overnight in extended form.

Wednesday, 26 October 2022 - 08:10

 

Post 7333

  Sea News, Dover

Following along from yesterday's post, that's the actual Herbeira above there as mentioned...you can see her there just exiting the Port in the choppy conditions as shown yesterday, and you can just make out her cargo of trucks there...used trucks we believe.. as she heads off.
The picture below from a former time gives a better look at the pilot boat, inside the Port this time... Dovorian is its actual name...
The Pilot Boat Dover

Tuesday, 25 October 2022 - 07:56

 

Post 7332

  Sea News, Dover

A couple of rough oul shots there of the pilot boat in rough oul conditions. The boat was accompanying cargo vessel Herbeira out of Port here and as you can see it experienced choppy conditions as it made its not-so-merry way close to Herbeira. Pictures were taken a few days ago...let me see...yes on Wednesday last week. We will follow with a pic of Herbeira shortly and indeed the Pilot Boat ( in near normal conditions...)

We had some very rough weather overnight here in Dover...storm force we believe...large cruise ship AIDAmar remains in Port, unusual, but they moved her over to the Eastern Arm to get max shelter where she remains at the time of writing...

Monday, 24 October 2022 - 07:57

 

Post 7331

  Sea News, Dover

Just nipping back to Thursday evening to show this one...yes it's the magnificent monster drilling platform called .. Deepsea Bollsta, Stavanger. You can see the giant platform above moving south past Calais in the late-in-day sunshine, yes you can just see some of the industrial area of Calais in the background. We see quite a few platforms moving north/south but this one looked a bit special...and the visibility was reasonable...!

AIDAmar in Port here today from very early...

Sunday, 23 October 2022 - 06:59

 

Post 7330

  Sea News, Dover

Fred Olsen Bolette

Bolette, pictured in the dark on Friday night, last night as we write ... beginning her move away from Cruise Terminal 2. Time of shot approx 6.30pm... there was still a tiny amount of light in the sky which helped with the pic.

She is off on a short one.... just 5 days to Amsterdam and Antwerp. Fresh weather but its mild...



Saturday, 22 October 2022 - 06:32

 

Post 7329

  Sea News, Dover

AIDAluna above arriving here in Dover yesterday (Thursday 20th Oct) in miserable conditions...rain wind gloom...we had to brighten the picture up considerably. We couldn't improve things picture-wise as the ship left last night in the pitch darkness. She is on a huge 27-day cruise...from Kiel in Germany to Montego Bay with many exciting stops en route.

Below from a few days ago, a shot of the Spirit of Discovery moving off...she is also on a lengthier one...15 days from Dover to the Canaries but returning to Southampton this time we understand...
Spirit of Discovery

Politics has gone madddd...Lizzie Trustless has fallen on her sword...

Our resident sleepy poet, usually slumbering pointlessly in the corner, has rattled this one out...

"
Our recent PM was shambolic
she gave us a word..Trussonomic
But we wont rue the day
she goes far away
And we return to a true economic

"
So there.....



Friday, 21 October 2022 - 07:31

 

Post 7328

  Sea News, Dover

This picture was taken yesterday morning very early. It was still pitch dark in the port as you can see, but above said port the sky was/is sizzling with glorious colours. No sun yet but a dazzling dawn sky with birds hanging in the strong easterly wind....
You can just make out piers Dover8 and Dover9 there with ferries alongside...

Thursday, 20 October 2022 - 06:16

 

Post 7327

  Sea News, Dover

AIRBORNE at Dover...!

HANGING AROUND.....

We have photographed this fascinating gadget before..we dont even know what it's called, but it always makes for engaging and yes even fascinating pictures. A hi-flying female in action above there with male support from the jetski below.
Pictures taken last week Dover Beach....
UPDATE: We now understand the activity is called Hydro-Flying or indeed Flyboarding...so there we are..

Tuesday, 18 October 2022 - 07:17

 

Post 7326

  Sea News, Dover

AIDAaura: Following along from the post number 7319 further down the page, there above we have another shot of the early, very early, arrival of AIDAaura from a short while back (see 7319). It's a bit quieter at the moment so we were able to work on the picture a bit...it was way too dark and so there we are above, fully restored so that all can see..ermm hopefully.....
Also worth reminding so dont forget, we have 339 pages currently available to explore... see the blue band above..

Monday, 17 October 2022 - 07:32

 

Post 7325

  Sea News, Dover

This picture above was supposed to go up before the one in the post below. Yours truly used a new method called Trussonomics to reach the right calculation but obviously got it wrong.... one now has to do a u-turn doesn't one!

Yes it's the Spirit of Discovery in the distance moving south... well she appears to be moving south on a short trip but information appears to show she went to Rotterdam and Zeebrugge....but ...
Pictured murky evening Oct 11 (Tuesday)

Saturday, 15 October 2022 - 15:31