Seen on my afternoon walk

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

Sadly another afternoon when the tide was right but the sky wasn't . For the moment a look at some shots I took last year when I had a chance to get close to the Liverpool bay/North Wales Burbo bank wind farm whilst under construction. Some of the regular visiting support vessels featured on these afternoon walks can be seen in these shots , particularly the jack up rig Friedrich Ernestine used to install the huge pillars which support the 65m high wind turbine. There is a 500m spacing between each pillar which allows for navigable access through the farm for small vessels . A new 69 turbine extension called Burbo Bank two is due to be started in 2015 .

Seen close up this construction project is impressive considering that this is one of the smaller off shore wind farms .

Dave Wooley

[CookieOldParticipant @cookieold]

Hi Dave , Amazing shots .

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

Thank you Cookie I only hope the sky become less grey in the coming days to make these walks more interesting but I wont bet on it.

Thanks for taking interest

Dave Wooley .

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

Dave,

Going back to an earlier photograph of the RNLI hovercraft, I was unaware of one in your area. I was aware of the one in Morecambe Bay, and another one in the South of England, but further research shows they have a total of four – Hunstanton, Southend on Sea, New Brighton and already mentioned Morecambe are their locations.

Thanks for showing the photograph. Very interesting.

Tony

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

Hello Tony yes the hovercraft has been stationed at Harrison Drive Beach Wallasey for about 4 years. The sand bars in Liverpool bay are at low tide quite extensive and like Morecambe bay can be hazardous . Hovercraft are ideal for these conditions but you certainly know when they are in operation , you can hear it before you see it .

I was away to day gathering material for a future Range Finder so no afternoon walk. but I do have a further two shots of the Hovercraft and a spot of wind surfing in the shadow of the wind turbines that where undergoing repair this time last year . At the time this proved to be an interesting spectacle ,and I couldn't resist a shot at dusk for good measure .

For Hovercraft fans I believe that there are plans afoot to introduce a Hovercraft service from Wallasey to link the North Wales coastal towns of Rhyl and Llandudno . There are also proposals to extend that link from Wallasey to Blackpool , Southport and Liverpool Airport with four additional craft. This reminds me of the original Hovercraft service in 1962 but suffered engine problems and was damaged by bad weather having to be withdrawn from service. This hovercraft was also featured on the front cover of Model Maker magazine of that year commemorating the world's first commercial hovercraft service

Dave Wooley .

Edited By David Wooley on 30/10/2014 21:43:09

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

Seen today on the Mersey the Stolt Kestrel a 3853 ton chemical /oil tanker and a regular visitor bound for Stanlow

Dave Wooley

[Dave_PParticipant @dave_p]

Great photos Dave, very interesting mix of traffic.

I had the opportunity to work at Dover coast guard recently and had a grand view of the channel but sadly didn't have my camera with me .

 

Dave P

 

Edited By Dave_P on 01/11/2014 06:41:53

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

Managed to photograph two of the Stolt tankers whilst on a Ship Canal cruise in 2013. Stolt Kite and Stolt Puffin at the Stanlow refinery.

Hope you don't mind me posting photographs on your photo thread, Dave.

Tony.

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

Hi David thanks for looking in . Yes the traffic on the Mersey is a mixed bag which includes just about as many different types of vessels that you can get . Dover coast guard station must be the world's busiest and it is a great pity that you didn't have a camera , for those interested in the 1;1 scale Dover is a wonderful place to be .

cheers

Dave Wooley

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

Hi Tony no problem I welcome impute on the thread . One of my favourite spots is the Boat Museum Ellesmere Port {For me little bit more than an afternoon walk} as you know this can give superb views of the marine traffic on the Manchester Ship canal . The other spot is Eastham locks .

Thanks for taking interest

Dave Wooley

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

From a mixed bag of vessels seen on the Mersey one afternoon in 2013 but can  any one shed some light on this one .

 

Dave Wooley

Edited By David Wooley on 01/11/2014 10:48:40

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

Todays walk was much more productive as the sun appeared just before high tide . .I missed getting the sail training ship Stavros S Niarchos entering the Mersey but managed to compensate with a shot as the vessel was making ready to swing into Gladstone lock . This was followed by the 57255 ton Atlantic Companion . more on this tomorrow.

Dave Wooley

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

More pictures of the tug handling of the Atlantic Companion

Dave Wooley

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Dave

This picture was taken by the Fort Perch webcam at New Brighton

Note the Wagtail getting in on the act!

Bob

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

Hi Bob good to hear from you . The wagtail smart little bird and at this time of year you see lots of migratory birds landing on the sandy flats of the North Wirral coast line , followed by an equal number of twitchers . I was out at first light walking the beach just before high tide , there was plenty of traffic entering the river but on one of those rare occasions I didn't have my camera . The light was perfect and not a single wagtail to be seen. .

Thanks for taking interest

Dave Wooley

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

This one is for BOB from the Dave Wooley web cam or back of the house shot at first light this morning and for good measure not a wagtail in sight . At high tide the container ship MSC Sandra bound for Montreal..

Dave Wooley

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

Yesterday evening at low tide the light was good enough to get a reasonable picture of the regular Liverpool /Dublin "Sea Truck" entering the Mersey .

Dave Wooley

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Thanks Dave

Seen this one lately?

Bob

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

A fine picture Bob of a fine ship , I missed that one for some unknown reason Yesterday evening I took this shot of the fading sunset over the Snowden rage of mountains which shows Leasowe lighthouse to the left of the picture . A lighthouse that warned ships entering the Mersey of the hazardous sand banks years before our old friend the GE sailed the Mersey and well before New Brighton existed. . Built in 1763 on cotton bails as a foundation and is the oldest brick built Lighthouse in Britain .

Taken yesterday afternoon and looking more to the future Peel holdings are developing Liverpool 2 a 300m deep water container terminal by the existing Seaforth terminal which should be ready by the end of 2015 .

One last shot of the day was a more mundane working vessel , small and rather interesting.

Dave Wooley

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Nice one, Dave,

i've never understood why the Leasowe Lighthouse is so far inland?

Do you know, there is a webcam on the lighthouse and shows the 360 view

And if you want to frighten yourself, there is also a live webcam, looking down the stairs…….All through the night!

It's quite scary……..Ideal for Halloween!

Bob

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Nice one, Dave,

i've never understood why the Leasowe Lighthouse is so far inland?

Do you know, there is a webcam on the lighthouse and shows the 360 view

And if you want to frighten yourself, there is also a live webcam, looking down the stairs…….All through the night!

It's quite scary……..Ideal for Halloween!

Bob

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

Hi Bob I have a confession I have never set foot inside the tower even though I live quite close . So you have seen much more than me , albeit via lighthouse cam. One day I'll venture up those winding stairs . The sun set along this coast are stunning when the weather allows . All my past sun set shots have some sort of vessel in the picture , the one above can qualify as it has a maritime theme with some history. I remember going out on the Holyhead life boat with Les Jones and it was he with his vast knowledge of our coast that made me so aware of all the ships that have come to grief over the years. It's been said that at one time it was the most dangerous passage in British waters. Mind you when you have local wreckers giving false lights to tempt ships onto the sand banks just so they could help them selves to the booty and dodge the revenue men , even the local vicar was in on wrecking spree. Hard to believe when you see pleasant seascapes of the Wirral coast that wrecking was a local industry albeit an illegal one.

To nice a place to go a wrecking

Dave Wooley

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Dave

Les Jones said he could get me on the Holyhead Lifeboat, but being a wimp myself, he had no chance!

I couldn't face it……H & S is too engrained

Les has gone now to the great pond in the sky….RIP

Hope to see you at Warwick?

Bob

PS Here yer go!……Super webcam here………

http://www.wirralcam.org/home.shtml

Enjoy!

 

Edited By Bob Abell on 06/11/2014 19:55:36

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

Hi Bob always good to hear from you . Yes it was a blow to us all when Les passed over not only was he an outstanding model maker but he was a one of those people that would always lend a hand and give advice when asked. I hope to get to Warwick on the Saturday but it all depends on the weather as I am committed to the IPMS International at Telford on the Sunday . There is so much at Telford I get modellers indigestion visually feasting on endless displays of models , vendors , book stalls and the real thing .

Thanks for taking interest Bob

Dave Wooley

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

Dave,

Going off thread, I recently bought Martin Easdown's book – Piers of the Lancashire Coast. It was interesting to read about this coast, but the most fascinating item was the New Brighton Tower. Having lived in the NW region and never having heard of the tower, which was taller than Blackpool Tower. Building completed approx. 1900 and demolition completed in 1921.

**LINK**

Tony

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