CARDIFF - Fri 12th Nov 2010

HMS Manchester was due to arrive today.  It was a real November day - leaden skies and a S Westerly gale blowing in the channel.  I arrived at the beach in time to see Manchester heading back out to sea and the 2 tugs sent to assist her rushing back towards Cardiff.  I suspect that the strong winds would have made locking and berthing quite difficult.  Though why she went back out to sea rather than anchor in the sheltered Cardiff Pool is anyones guess.  For some reason I didn't manage to get down to see her once she had docked, so the only photo I got, was of her just before she disappeared around Lavernock Point.

Name                                   Flag                 Year      Tonnage       LOA       Beam
HMS MANCHESTER           UK                  1980         5200disp      141        15

HMS Manchester

A Type 42 Destroyer.  Commissioned 1980, decommissioned Feb 2011.


HT CUTLASS                     UK                      1984         287gt           30          9

HT Cutlass

SVITZER BEVOIS                UK                    1985         250gt            29         9

Svitzer Bevois

CARDIFF - Sat 7th Nov 2009

Name                                   Flag                 Year      Tonnage       LOA       Beam
PAVO J                               Antigua              2007       11182dwt      140         22

                                                                     Pavo J
Pavo J on charter to Borchard Lines for their weekly container service to the Mediterranean.  Assisted by......

SVITZER BEVOIS           UK                       1985        250gt             29               9

                                                                   Svitzer Bevois
Currently (April 2011) based at Avonmouth

SOUL SOUND                   Malta              1983         1876dwt         78        13.8

                                                                 Soul Sound
Having just departed Cardiff on her regular run to Warrenpoint on Carlingford Lough N.I. Photographed rounding Lavernock Point.

WILLENDEAVOUR                UK                  2007         92net            22            9

                                                        Willendeavour
Williams Shippings Multi Cat workboat Willendeavour on the lay-by berth outside Penarth Marina. She had been supporting a jack-up rig that had been working just off the Hinkley Point Power Station.