Maritime Features

A Weekend in Portsmouth

A Weekend in Portsmouth

Foreword

I mentioned in my previous website update that I was planning a weekend break to the South Coast city of Portsmouth. Well I went, I saw and I conquered the sights, that’s a small reference to me and tall structures!

I was originally only due to spend one night in the city but I enjoyed it so much that I managed to find a cheap hotel deal and stayed an additional night. W

Although I have sailed from Portsmouth countless times I haven’t stayed in the city since I was about three years old (that would be 35 years ago, that’s a scary thought indeed!) The aim of my visit was to do some of the tourist sights and just enjoy some time away from work.

On the Saturday I had afternoon tea at the Spinnaker Tower followed by a night out with some friends in Southsea which consisted of a few pubs followed by some traditional English Saturday night food, yep, you’ve guessed it, a Curry 🙂

On Sunday I headed to the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard with some friends to spend the day exploring. Our tickets not only gave us access to all the attractions within the dockyard but also gave us the opportunity to go on a harbour cruise with Blue Funnel cruises. The tour was excellent and the commentary was very interesting, well done to Dan who was providing it on the day of our tour.

Monday morning was spent at the harbour near to the Spice Island Inn photographing some of the ships I had missed the previous day before an uneventful journey back to Kent.

Myself and Paul Cloke will be back in Portsmouth again on the 24th-26th June 2017 for a whistlestop trip to Normandy. We will be sailing with Brittany Ferries Economie to Le Havre on the Etretat at 23:30 on the 24th June and we will be returning via Cherbourg at 12:30 on the Normandie Express on the 25th June. Following this we will be in Portsmouth until the evening before embarking on the Mont St Michel for an overnight crossing to Caen. Upon arrival in Caen we will check in for the Mont St Michel’s 0830 return crossing back to Portsmouth, hopefully arriving back in Portsmouth around 13:00 on the 26th June .

Once again I am hoping to have some photographs from this trip to post upon my return.

Anyway, I am sure I have waffled to much already, enjoy the photographs 👍

All the best,

Ray


Saturday 3rd June 2017 – Southsea, Gunwharf & the Spinnaker Tower

The 2001 built ‘St Clare‘ seen departing from Wightlinks Gunwharf terminal heading for Fishbourne on the Isle of Wight. This photograph was taken from the Millennium Walkway which runs from Southsea seafront to Portsmouth Harbour Station

The 1987 built ‘St Cecilia‘ inbound to Portsmouth Gunwharf from Fishbourne, photograph taken from the coastal path near to Penny Street

The second floor of the Spinnaker Tower is the next stop on my journey for afternoon tea

For those of you that know me, you know I am not good with heights……… Don’t look down!

Taken from the Spinnaker Tower looking out over the entrance to Portsmouth harbour and out towards the Isle of Wight and the Solent (Phone Photo)

The 1987 built ‘St Cecilia‘ outbound from Portsmouth Gunwharf to Fishbourne

The 1990 built ‘St Faith outbound from Portsmouth Gunwharf to Fishbourne

Brittany Ferries vessel ‘Mont St Michel‘ seen departing from Portsmouth on her 14:45 sailing to Caen (Ouistreham) 

Brittany Ferries vessel ‘Mont St Michel‘ seen departing from Portsmouth on her 14:45 sailing to Caen (Ouistreham) 


Sunday 4th June 2017 – Round Tower, Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth

The ‘St Clare‘ seen entering Portsmouth harbour on a gloriously sunny Sunday morning

The 2009 built catamaran ‘Wight Ryder II‘ seen departing Portsmouth for her 22 minute crossing to Ryde on the Isle of Wight

The 2009 built catamaran ‘Wight Ryder II‘ seen departing Portsmouth for her 22 minute crossing to Ryde on the Isle of Wight

Brittany Ferries vessel ‘Mont St Michel‘ seen departing from Portsmouth on her 08:15 sailing to Caen (Ouistreham)

Brittany Ferries vessel ‘Mont St Michel‘ seen departing from Portsmouth on her 08:15 sailing to Caen (Ouistreham)

Brittany Ferries vessel ‘Mont St Michel‘ seen departing from Portsmouth on her 08:15 sailing to Caen (Ouistreham)

Brittany Ferries vessel ‘Mont St Michel‘ seen departing from Portsmouth on her 08:15 sailing to Caen (Ouistreham)

Brittany Ferries vessel ‘Mont St Michel‘ seen departing from Portsmouth on her 08:15 sailing to Caen (Ouistreham). This view clearly shows the additional funnel which was added to accommodate her exhaust gas ‘scrubbers’ 

A glorious Sunday morning sees the ‘St Faith‘, ‘Wight Sun‘ and ‘Wight Ryder I‘ at rest at Wightlinks Portsmouth pontoon

The Tall Ships Youth Trust (TSYT) 200ft Brig (a ship with two square-rigged masts) ‘Stavros S Niarchos‘ seen berthed at Gunwharf Quays. She was built by Appledore Shipbuilders, Devon in the year 2000. She is primarily designed to provide young people with the opportunity to undertake voyages as character-building exercises, rather than pure sail-training. She is also used for adult voyages and holidays, which help subsidise the operation of the ship. If you look closely at the top of her forward mast you will see the Stena Line house flag!

The Tall Ships Youth Trust (TSYT) ‘Stavros S Niarchos‘ seen berthed at Gunwharf Quays as the ‘St Clare‘ departs for the Isle of Wight

The Tall Ships Youth Trust (TSYT) ‘Stavros S Niarchos‘ seen getting underway from Gunwharf Quays with the assistance of the tug ‘SD Suzanne

The Tall Ships Youth Trust (TSYT) ‘Stavros S Niarchos‘ seen getting underway from Gunwharf Quays with the assistance of the tug ‘SD Suzanne

Blue Funnels ‘Jenny R‘ seen crossing Portsmouth Harbour on the Water Bus service from the Museum of Naval Firepower at Gosport to the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

Blue Funnels ‘Jenny R‘ seen crossing Portsmouth Harbour on the Water Bus service from the Museum of Naval Firepower at Gosport to the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard


Sunday 4th June 2017 – Historic Dockyard & Blue Funnel Harbour Cruise

HMS Warrior was a 40-gun steam-powered armoured frigate built for the Royal Navy in 1859–61. She was the lead ship of the Warrior-class ironclads. Warrior was the first armour-plated, iron-hulled warship, and was built in response to France’s launching in 1859 of the first ocean-going ironclad warship, the wooden-hulled Gloire. Warrior conducted a publicity tour of Great Britain in 1863 and spent her active career with the Channel Squadron. She was made obsolete following the 1871 launching of the mastless and more capable HMS Devastation, she was placed in reserve in 1875, and was “paid off” (decommissioned) in 1883.

She subsequently served as a storeship and depot ship, and in 1904 was assigned to the Royal Navy’s torpedo training school. The ship was converted into an oil jetty in 1927 and remained in that role until 1979, at which point she was donated by the Navy to the Maritime Trust for restoration. The restoration process took eight years, during which many of her features and fittings were either restored or recreated. When this was finished she returned to Portsmouth as a museum ship. Listed as part of the National Historic Fleet, Warrior has been based in Portsmouth since 1987.

The figurehead of the HMS Warrior was destroyed in the 1960s, work on restoring it began in 1981 using photographs of the original as a guide. The 12-foot (3.7 m) work-in-progress was displayed at the 1982 London International Boat Show with the carvers still at work. Before it was finished in mid-1983, the figurehead appeared on the BBC children’s television programme Blue Peter. For much of 1984 it was displayed at the Main Gate of the Portsmouth Royal Dockyard. It was mounted back on the ship on 6 February 1985

HMS Victory is a 104-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, ordered in 1758, laid down in 1759 and launched in 1765. She is best known for her role as Lord Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. After 1824, she was relegated to the role of ‘harbour ship’. In 1922, she was moved to a dry dock at Portsmouth and preserved as a museum ship. She has been the flagship of the First Sea Lord since October 2012 and is the world’s oldest naval ship still in commission. She is currently undergoing a massive restoration

HMS Warrior viewed from the tour boat ‘Solent Cat

HMS Ledbury (M30) is the oldest of the eight Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessels, she was commissioned in June 1981. She is Britain’s oldest operational warship with 36 years’ service. Ledbury is attached to the Second Mine Countermeasures Squadron, based in Portsmouth

Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessel ‘HMS Ledbury (M30) berthed ahead of the Type 45 destroyer ‘HMS Daring (D32) at Her Majesty’s Naval Base (HMNB) Portsmouth

 Type 45 destroyer ‘HMS Daring (D32) at HMNB Portsmouth with Tank cleaning lighter TCL 1905 alongside

Following nearly 43 years service the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) tanker ‘Gold Rover(A271) now devoid of her name and pennant number is seen being decommissioned at HMNB Portsmouth

The Damen designed and built ‘ASD Tug 2009’ tug ‘SD Suzanne‘ seen heading out of Porchester lake to assist the departure of the mine countermeasures vessel ‘HMS Ledbury‘ (M30)

The Damen designed and built ‘ASD Tug 2009’ tug ‘SD Suzanne‘ seen heading out of Porchester lake to assist the departure of the mine countermeasures vessel ‘HMS Ledbury‘ (M30)

The Type 45 Destroyer ‘HMS Duncan(D37) seen alongside HMNB Portsmouth 

The Type 23 Frigate ‘HMS Westminster(F237) alongside HMNB Portsmouth

The Type 23 Frigate ‘HMS Westminster‘ (F237) alongside HMNB Portsmouth

The Damen-built ART (Advanced Rotortug) 80-32 tug ‘SD Tempest‘ was constructed to support the new Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers. Delivered to Serco in January 0f 2017 she has enhanced maneuverability and a 80 Tonne ‘Bollard Pull’ to to support the two largest ships ever commissioned for the Royal Navy, which will be based at HMNB Portsmouth

The 2010, Damen built ‘ATD Tug 2909’ class tug ‘SD Bountiful‘ seen at HMNB Portsmouth

Old meets new, HMS Bristol (D23) and HMS Duncan (D37)

The Condor Ferries freight vessel ‘Commodore Goodwill‘ seen loading at the International Ferry Terminal

HMS Bristol (D23) is a Type 82 destroyer, the only vessel of her class to be built for the Royal Navy. Originally intended as the first of a class of large destroyers to escort the CVA-01 aircraft carriers projected to come into service in the early 1970s, Bristol turned out to be a unique ship: the rest of the class were cancelled with the CVA-01 carriers in the 1966 Strategic Defence Review. Following a long career which included the Falklands War, she was converted into a training ship in 1987 and continues to serve in that role.

The Type 23 Frigates ‘HMS Richmond(F239) and ‘HMS St Albans(F83) alongside at HMNB Portsmouth

Brittany Ferries ‘Normandie‘ seen loading at the International Ferry Terminal for her 14:45 sailing to Caen (Ouistreham)

HMS Bristol (D23) is a Type 82 destroyer, the only vessel of her class to be built for the Royal Navy. Originally intended as the first of a class of large destroyers to escort the CVA-01 aircraft carriers projected to come into service in the early 1970s, Bristol turned out to be a unique ship: the rest of the class were cancelled with the CVA-01 carriers in the 1966 Strategic Defence Review. Following a long career which included the Falklands War, she was converted into a training ship in 1987 and continues to serve in that role.

Brittany Ferries ‘Normandie‘ seen loading at the International Ferry Terminal for her 14:45 sailing to Caen (Ouistreham)

Brittany Ferries ‘Normandie‘ seen loading at the International Ferry Terminal for her 14:45 sailing to Caen (Ouistreham)

Brittany Ferries ‘Normandie‘ seen loading at the International Ferry Terminal for her 14:45 sailing to Caen (Ouistreham)

The Type 45 Destroyer ‘HMS Duncan‘ (D37) seen alongside HMNB Portsmouth 

The ex Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) tanker ‘Gold Rover‘ (A271) with the Type 45 Destroyer ‘HMS Daring‘ (D32) astern at HMNB Portsmouth

The Hunt-class Mine Countermeasures vessel ‘HMS Ledbury(M30) seen departing Portsmouth

The Hunt-class Mine Countermeasures vessel ‘HMS Ledbury‘ (M30) seen departing Portsmouth

The ‘SD Suzanne‘ seen returning to her berth after assisting the departure of the mine countermeasures vessel ‘HMS Ledbury‘ (M30)

The Gosport ferry ‘Spirit of Gosport‘ gets underway from Portsmouth harbour station to Gosport on the other side of the harbour, saving a 16 mile drive!


Monday 5th June 2017 – Near the Spice Island Inn, Portsmouth

The ‘Wight Sun‘ heading to her berth at Gunwharf as the Brittany Ferries Highspeed vessel ‘Normandie Express‘ departs Portsmouth for Cherbourg

The Brittany Ferries Highspeed vessel ‘Normandie Express‘ seen departing Portsmouth for Cherbourg

The Brittany Ferries Highspeed vessel ‘Normandie Express‘ seen departing Portsmouth for Cherbourg

The Brittany Ferries Highspeed vessel ‘Normandie Express‘ seen departing Portsmouth for Cherbourg

The Condor Ferries vessel ‘Commodore Clipper‘ seen departing Portsmouth for the Channel Islands

The Condor Ferries vessel ‘Commodore Clipper‘ seen departing Portsmouth for the Channel Islands

The Condor Ferries vessel ‘Commodore Clipper‘ seen departing Portsmouth for the Channel Islands

The Type 23 Frigate ‘HMS Westminster‘ (F237) seen departing a rather grey and windy Portsmouth harbour. She is being escorted by the tug ‘SD Bountiful

The Type 23 Frigate ‘HMS Westminster‘ (F237) seen departing a rather grey and windy Portsmouth harbour

The 2010, Damen built ‘ATD Tug 2909’ class tug ‘SD Bountiful‘ seen escorting the Type 23 Frigate ‘HMS Westminster‘ (F237) from HMNB Portsmouth

The Damen built ‘ASD 2509’ tug ‘SD Independent‘ seen assisting the departure of the Type 23 Frigate ‘HMS Westminster‘ (F237)

The Type 23 Frigate ‘HMS Westminster‘ (F237) seen departing a rather grey and windy Portsmouth harbour

The pilot launch ‘SD Solent Racer‘ seen departing Portsmouth in the company of the Type 23 Frigate ‘HMS Westminster‘ (F237)

The Type 23 Frigate ‘HMS Westminster‘ (F237) with her white ensign at half mast as a sign of respect to those who lost their lives in London on Saturday 3rd June

The Type 23 Frigate ‘HMS Westminster(F237) seen departing a rather grey and windy Portsmouth harbour


All photographs on this page were taken with a Canon EOS 700D mounting a Sigma 18-300mm lens.

I would like to remind you that the photos on this page may not be used without prior permission. If you require high-resolution non watermarked copies of any of my photos for your own private collection or for publication please free to get in contact to discuss your requirements.

All photographs, unless otherwise stated, are the © copyright of Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos) 2017, All rights reserved

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