Maritime Features

Photographic Miscellany – March 2015

Introduction

It’s been a while since I have posted a purely photographic post to the website but there is a reason for that. Earlier this year I managed to seriously sprain my left wrist at work which meant that I couldn’t hold a camera particularly well (shall we just say lots of wonky shots). Thankfully following treatment the wrist has recovered and now I am back out and about doing photography once more.

March has been quite busy and has seen me not only photographing in my home town of Dover but also in Portsmouth, Ryde and Poole. Infact in a weeks time (30th March 2015) I will be back in Portsmouth again, this time sailing with Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth to Caen before returning the following evening from St Malo on the Bretagne.

Please find below a selection of photographs and a video taken during my travels in the last month. Further photographic updates from our upcoming Brittany Ferries trip will posted in due course.


Dover, Kent

The weather here in Dover has gradually improved in the last couple of months and as the days draw out the Spring sunlight has certainly been good for lifting the mood. A number of trips have been partaken to the Prince of Wales pier and on each occasion there has been a shipping movement through the Western entrance. This practice appears to be more common place nowadays when there is congestion at the Eastern entrance.

The Pride of Burgundy approaches the Western entrance

The Pride of Canterbury and the Dover Seaways seen at Dover

The Spirit of Britain approaches the Western entrance from Calais

The Spirit of Britain approaches the Western entrance from Calais

The Spirit of Britain approaches the Western entrance from Calais

The Spirit of Britain passing through the Western entrance

Wide angle view of the port. From left to right, Pride of Canterbury, Dover Seaways, Berlioz and the Spirit of Britain

The Berlioz arrives from Calais via the Eastern entrance

The Berlioz swings in the bay and goes astern to her berth

The Pride of Canterbury gets underway for Calais as the Spirit of Britain awaits her berth

Old and new liveries, the Pride of Canterbury gets underway for Calais as the Spirit of Britain awaits her berth

The Spirit of Britain heads for berth 9 at the Eastern docks


Portsmouth, Hampshire

With a few days off work and an invite to be in Poole on the 19th March we decided to leave a day early and take the scenic route from Kent to Dorset. With a hotel booked in Christchurch we headed to Portsmouth before crossing to Fishbourne with Wightlink on the St Clare. After a few hours on the Isle of Wight which included a visit to Ryde we then headed to Yarmouth and crossed to Lymington on the Wight Sky.

The Mont St Michel arrives at Portsmouth from Caen

The Mont St Michel arrives at Portsmouth from Caen

The Mont St Michel arrives at Portsmouth from Caen, she is seen passing the soon to retire Wightlink vessel St Helen

Departing the berth at Portsmouth for Fishbourne

The Wight Light is seen passing through the entrance to Portsmouth with the Wight Ryder 1 hot on her heels. Originally built for the Lymington to Yarmouth route the Wight Light will replace the St Helen which has seen 32 years service from Portsmouth to Fishbourne.

The Wight Ryder 1 arrives at Portsmouth from Ryde

The Island Express arrives at Ryde from Southsea


Poole, Dorset

On the 19th March we were invited by Condor Ferries to join them for a shakedown cruise on their new vessel the Condor Liberation from Poole. As an article detailing the new ship and its facilities is currently in production for the website I won’t go into any details (you will have to wait for that 🙂 ) but I will say it was a very enjoyable day and my thanks goes to Condor Ferries for the opportunity of experiencing the new vessel before she enters commercial service.

The RNLB Derek Bullivant (13-08) is seen here on trials in Poole Harbour. She is one of the latest vessels of the Shannon Class and will be based at Loch Swilly in Ireland

The RNLB Derek Bullivant (13-08) is seen here on trials in Poole Harbour. She is one of the latest vessels of the Shannon Class and will be based at Loch Swilly in Ireland

The RNLB Derek Bullivant (13-08) is seen here on trials in Poole Harbour. She is one of the latest vessels of the Shannon Class and will be based at Loch Swilly in Ireland

Looking out across the bow of the Condor Liberation as we head through Poole Harbour

Brownsea Castle seen from the sundeck

The Sandbanks chain ferry Bramble Bush Bay seen loading ready for another transit of the harbour entrance at Poole

The Sandbanks chain ferry Bramble Bush Bay seen loading ready for another transit of the harbour entrance at Poole

The Sandbanks chain ferry Bramble Bush Bay seen loading ready for another transit of the harbour entrance at Poole

Old Harry Rocks, Poole, Dorset

Old Harry Rocks, Poole, Dorset


All photographs on this page were taken with a Canon EOS 550D and Canon EOS 700D. All Photographs are the © Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos) 2015, All rights reserved.

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.

4 Comments

  1. Hello Ray, great photo’s specially those from Dover, the good memories will come back again, ha ha but also those others and what about your scenic trip from Kent to Dorset I will admitted intimately, because I had drove many times to Sherborne in Dorset a food retailer called Hunts Food service and to Devon and Millbrook, Cornwall, B3247, so great and wonderful drive but also in the evening or at night, small roads and so on, but the peacefully silence was overwhelmed.
    Your background picture of the white cliffs of Dover is great, I had made also from the DFDS ferry a panorama picture when I left Dover heading for Dunkirk on may 28, 2011.

    Well you have made me curious about that new vessel……………..ha ha we can’t wait RAY!!!

    Have a nice day and hope for better weather because the sun was more off than on today and extreme cold, but I promises you in about two weeks time we have splendid weather I feel it!!

    Grt. Henk.

    1. Hi Henk,

      Thank you for your kind words (as always). I always enjoy visiting Dorset, a beautiful part of the country. I have to admit that I haven’t been to Cornwall for years so I will have to add that to the list.

      Thank you for sending your panorama in to me, its a great shot.

      In regards to the new Condor Ferries vessel she is very impressive and we had a very enjoyable day onboard. I have now collected all the photos required and I hope to have an article about the ship on the website by the weekend 🙂

      All the best
      Ray

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