Foreword
Hello,
I apologise for the lack of personal updates and I will admit that my involvement with the website has changed significantly in the past 12 months, I am now more of a website manager making sure the site is operational and updated from a technical standpoint rather than posting my own content. Have no fear I am not completely turning my back on maritime photography or the website as I do still enjoy it, its my escape, always has been, always will be.
Due to the amount of hard work put in by all on this site I would never wish for it to disappear as it has been a part of our lives for a long time, in the case of myself and Nigel it’s around 11 years, which is a scary thought! To that purpose the site will remain open!
Myself and Paul Cloke have recently returned from a brief trip to Normandy and Brittany with Brittany Ferries and some photographs from that trip will follow shortly. Unfortunately there will not be a ‘big’ trip this year.
Right having probably bored you all to death by now it just leaves me to thank Nigel Thornton and Paul Cloke for keeping the tires of the website and FB group turning. People may think of this as my site but it isn’t and it wouldn’t be where it is today without the tireless work of the team.
All the best
Ray Goodfellow
Portsmouth-Caen-St Malo-Portsmouth
As an early birthday celebration (thank you once again Mr Cloke) and in what has become pretty much a yearly event we boarded Brittany Ferries ‘Normandie‘ on Saturday 16th July for her 0815 sailing to Caen. Â Upon arrival in Caen we headed for the Breton city of St Malo where we had a very enjoyable overnight stay in the old walled city. Once again we acquainted ourselves with the fantastic food and the great French hospitality for which this area is renowned for.
On Sunday 17th July we boarded the boarded Brittany Ferries ‘Bretagne‘ for her 1030 sailing to Portsmouth. The weather over the course of both days was absolutely fantastic and I think it is reflected in the photographs. The weather was certainly a lot better from when we were in the region just a few months earlier, that time we were greeted with rain, fog and gales!
Following the tragic events in Nice the French Nation observed three days of mourning and all flags were flown at half mast
The Commodore Clipper seen on her berth in Portsmouth
The River class patrol vessel HMS Tyne (P281) seen alongside at HM Naval Base (HMNB) Portsmouth
The Hunt class mine countermeasures vessel HMS Ledbury (M30) seen alongside at HMNB Portsmouth
The former Invincible class aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious (R06) is seen being decommissioned before she departs for scrapping
The Type 23 Frigate HMS Richmond (F239) seen alongside at HMNB Portsmouth
The River class patrol vessel HMS Severn (P282) seen alongside at HMNB Portsmouth
Two Type 45 destroyers, the HMS Dragon (D35) and the HMS Diamond (D34) seen alongside at HMNB Portsmouth
Beautifully sunny at sea on the Normandie with barely a cloud in the sky
The Mont St Michel seen passing us mid channel heading for Portsmouth
The bewitching hour, sunset as witnessed from the walls of the Intra Muros at St Malo
The bewitching hour, sunset as witnessed from the walls of the Intra Muros at St Malo
Sunday the 17th July was another glorious day, here the Intra Muros is seen from the focsle of the Bretagne
The flag of Brittany, the Gwenn ha du also seen flying at half mast on the Bretagne
The Corsaire de Dinard is pictured leaving St Malo for Dinard
The Corsaire de Dinard is pictured leaving St Malo for Dinard
The Intra Muros as seen from the focsle of the Bretagne
The standard Bretagne bridge shotÂ
The former Dover vessel SpeedOne (045) seen here as the Condor Rapide in her latest Condor Ferries livery at St Malo
The former Dover vessel SpeedOne (045) seen here as the Condor Rapide in her latest Condor Ferries livery at St Malo
Departure from St Malo
The former Dover vessel SpeedOne (045) seen here as the Condor Rapide in her latest Condor Ferries livery at St Malo
Departure from St Malo
Departure from St Malo
I have heard of the expression ‘as calm as a mill pond’ many times but have experienced it very rarely, somewhere off of the coast of Jersey and Guernsey we certainly experienced this, it was hard to work out where the sea ended and the sky started
The B Gas Linda and the Pur-Navolok seen at the St Helens anchorage, off of the Isle of Wight
The Wight Ryder II gets underway from Portsmouth heading for Ryde on the Isle of Wight
The St Cecilia and the Wight Sun seen at Portsmouth Gunwharf
The preserved vessel HMS Warrior
The Gosport ferry Harbour Spirit seen crossing the entrance to Portsmouth harbour
Two Type 45 destroyers, the HMS Dragon (D35) and the HMS Diamond (D34) seen alongside at HMNB Portsmouth
A close up of the bow of the HMS Dragon (D35) showing her distinctive Dragon emblem
I think I may have turned into a flag photographer during this journey 🙂
The former Invincible class aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious (R06) is seen being decommissioned before she departs for scrapping
The Type 23 Frigate HMS Iron Duke (F234) seen alongside at HMNB Portsmouth
The Commodore Goodwill seen alongside at Portsmouth in her new livery
All of the photographs featured in this article were taken with a Canon EOS 550D and a Sigma 18-300mm lens.
This article and all photographs featured are the copyright © of Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos) 2016, All rights reserved. Images posted in this article may not be reproduced or shared without permission.