First of the 2012 cruise ships
- 17 September 2012 16:43191886As we speak the two ships still in the harbour,in the afternoon sunshine and the sea in the back ground, has that autumnnal look about it.
- 17 September 2012 16:47191888#521 - think this answers the question:
[URL][/URL]
A new Griffon 8000 hovercraft heading to Felixtowe to be shipped out for the Indian CoastguardBeen nice knowing you :) - Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
17 September 2012 19:12191927saga ship now gone,the other still parked up lights blazing. - 18 September 2012 08:18192009Well done with that info there Paul..well found link that one. How do ye do it. Great stuff! That looks to be the very one. A terrific machine...it was really belting by. A chap could make some real money taking tourists for a run on that one.
Today in autumn light, the large and colourful AIDA Mar returned..here she is a few minutes ago coming in...
These pictures are taken on an old Nikon, as were the very recent ones just over the page, which seems to shoot a tad green in its old age. My new camera has had to go back to the menders with dust on the processor..the keen eyed might have noticed a bit of a difference. Will try to correct this inclination towards green by gently tapping it later with a hammer .. one hefty swipe and all will be fixed!email: dover7@msn.com - 18 September 2012 08:47192023I don't know what model you are using Paul but if it's a Nikon DSLR, and you have the instruction book, try a manual white balance adjustment using a bit of grey card. That should sort it out.
- 18 September 2012 13:59192083cracking pictures of the aida mar, i took a few in much clearer conditions but don't come close to those.
- 19 September 2012 07:55192142Thanks guys..have made an attempt at adjusting the colour balance John so hopefully things will improve in the short term until I get my main one back from the manufacturers. Looks like the old resusitated camera was suffering the effects of mal de mer in those shots above. They were nice pics but all went a tad green!
But the autumn tail of summer is still wagging as there are two more cruise liners in today. The smaller but very sleek Astor..not sure, has that one come here before? And the Empress also in. These ones are not our usual regulars so a wee bit different today. Here is a pic of the Empress as she slid slowly across the harbour guided by the tugboat just a few minutes ago...light behind her so not ideal.
Just come back to add a picture of this guy..
We live together on the top floor..he knows me and I know him..but it's just platonic, we're just good friends !
Here he is watching me taking the pictures in complete comfort...email: dover7@msn.com - 19 September 2012 13:42192199today's visitors in the early afternoon sun.
- 19 September 2012 14:01192204In answer to Paul's question; although not a frequent visitor, Astor is operated by Transocean Tours and has been here on a number of previous occasions. The distictive funnel may look familiar - this is because she's of similar design to the old Astoria which was later sold to Saga Shipping to become firstly Saga Pearl 2, and then Quest for Adventure.
Here's Astor in 2008.
- 19 September 2012 14:26192210Loving the photos today especially the one of Oscar the seagull, no such mal de mer for him, he's obviously very content watching his master at work, looks like you're keeping him well fed as usual MrB
Hopefully you will get your camera back soon Pauli, I'm feeling somewhat green myself looking at your pix above
- 22 September 2012 06:57192563The morning has an altogether much colder feel and look to it. The Braemer and the Seabourn Pride are in...I think its the Seabourn Princess anyway but I cant see the name as I write.
Here is a picture of The Braemer arriving with HMS Kent just beside it but almost camouflaged out. Had to brighten the picture in order to see the HMS Kent at all, but it sort of made The Braemer too bright.
The breeze is blowing the sea away from me as I take the picture which means its coming from the north..brrrr! It gives it an unusual bitty look..looks cold. Wonder if there will be many swimmers today.
Just come back to add this picture..the lighting has changed but still tricky, look at the long shadows of HMS Kent, but since the earlier shot the helicopter seems to have emerged from the innards..maybe we will see it fly.
email: dover7@msn.com - 23 September 2012 19:35192755I'm liking the shots above there Paul, at this time of year the lighting is prone to change rather quickly casting very interesting shadows. It was the Seabourn Pride yesterday, a beautiful ship but with very expensive cruise prices. You would have to dig deep into your bank balance to cruise on this one
Tomorrow, Monday 24th September, we see the AIDAMar return for a PoC.
We have two cruise ships in on Tuesday, the Black Watch, TR, and the Amadea PoC, I'm sure either John/Ed will fill us in on this one.
Wednesday, 26th, we see the Sapphire again, TR.
Then no ship until Sunday the 30th, when the Nautica, TR, arrives which we last saw here in July - 23 September 2012 20:43192762thanks for the update colette, hopefully they will be greeted by more clement weather than today.
- 24 September 2012 07:06192799Ah...I think I called her the Seabourn Princess earlier but it should be the Seabourn Pride...will change it shortly above.
Here is a picture of her departing the other evening as it was getting a bit dark but with a last bit of late sun.
Just as I speak and as LIVE as we can make it..this HUGE ship is outside the western entrance..lingering.
What it is doing in so close is anybody's guess. But very very big. Wouldnt fit in our little harbour!
Yes AIDA Mar in as scheduled. Pictured previously a number of times.email: dover7@msn.com - 24 September 2012 07:39192801I saw a couple of them the other day Paul - out in the distance - same kind of silhouette, I'm sure.
Huge great things, hope they're stable in bad weather. Probably German exports.
Roger - 24 September 2012 08:45192809medite shipping corporation i believe, ed will confirm if correct.
- 24 September 2012 10:50192825Thanks Howard.
MSC was founded in 1970 as a private company by Gianluigi Aponte when he bought his first ship, Patricia, followed by Rafaela, with which Aponte began a shipping line operating between the Mediterranean and Somalia.
The line subsequently expanded through the purchase of second-hand cargo ships. By 1977, the company operated services to northern Europe, Africa and the Indian Ocean. The expansion continued through the 1980s; by the end of the decade, MSC operated ships to North America and Australia.
In 1989, MSC purchased the cruise ship operator Lauro Lines, renamed to Mediterranean Shipping Cruises (MSC Cruises) in 1995, and subsequently increased the cruising business.[4]
In 1994, the line ordered its first newly constructed ships, which were delivered beginning in 1996 with MSC Alexa. They were built by Italian shipbuilder, Fincantieri
Fancy that.
Roger - 24 September 2012 16:56192880The MSC containership was probably dropping off an over-carry pilot due to the rough weather. I suspect the weather was also the reason that HMS Kent left early on Sunday. Her berth on the Prince of Wales Pier would have been very exposed in those sort of wind conditions.
- 24 September 2012 17:43192892The MSC ship is out from Antwerp which is MSC's North European Home Hub, she looks like one of the 13,800 TEU class vessels. I'll check it out and confirm. I reckon that you're right Kevin, had to bring a pilot over to Felixstowe this morning for one of my vessels heading for Antwerp next because sea conditions over there were too bad for the pilot launch and the wind was too strong for the helicopter.
- 24 September 2012 17:46192893Yes saw the MSC containership this morning certianly was big,very choppy today so not a day for being at sea.(more than a force 8)
