December 10th 2022 ~ Port of Rotterdam 2018 Panorama ~ with Neil Davidson ~
A private cruise around Europe's largest port - and a look at a vibrant city.
Neil took an 11-hour group charter specifically to photograph Rotterdam shipping in June 2018 and shares a selection with us. Our “tour” includes the Maasvlakte (I and II), Botlek and Waalhaven complexes giving us views of tankers Celsius Eagle, Evinco, Minerva Georgia & British Cormorant … containerships Seaspan Zambezi, CMA CGM Marco Polo, MSC Atlantic & Maersk Gibraltar … heavy lift ship Zhen Hua 24 … bulkers Linda Oldendorff, Zola, Harvest Frost & Golden Endurer … as well as tugs, reefers, offshore support vessels, the ss Rotterdam - and a taste of the city itself. Enjoy your tour!
Neil Davidson spent his entire working career in the port and shipping industry and has been a member of the World Ship Society for over 40 years. Neil’s photographic image collection and research provides an insight to a wide range of shipping.
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FOR OUR WINTER EXTRA ON 10TH JANUARY CLICK THE LINK ABOVE
January 14th 2023 ~ Favourite ferry trips from the Golden Era in Scandinavia 1985-1999 ~ with Bill Mayes ~
Our much-travelled WSS & OLS director shares more scanned images of ferry journeys in Norway, Sweden, Finland & Denmark.
Bill moved from prints to transparencies during 1977 and ultimately amassed a collection of over 60,000 slides. Triggered by the pandemic lock-down, Bill has been scanning these images and we get to see a selection of shipping travelled on and spotted over 15 years of Scandinavian trips. The late 1980s was the peak of the great Baltic race between Silja and Viking and the timing of these trips was perfect to capture that. We will also see the end of an era with Danish State Railways ferries.
Bill Mayes is well known as the Chairman of the Ocean Liner Society, a director of The World Ship Society and a regular contributor to Sea Lines and Ships Monthly. He has amassed a huge “back catalogue” of voyages worldwide and a wealth of knowledge specialising in cruise ships and ferries. A good and longstanding friend of WSS Dorset.
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February 11th 2023 ~ Firth of Forth Shipping ~ with Iain McGeachy ~
A whistle-stop tour of the firth’s harbours and the wide variety of shipping visiting in recent years.
Iain has been maintaining a super photographic diary of shipping around the Forth estuary for several years. This review of the period from 2020 to the present includes reference to the effects of Covid and the war in Ukraine. Covid brought the layup of the Fred Olsen fleet as well as two P&O ferries, while the war in Ukraine has meant an end to imports of grain and a major change to oil exports from Hound Point. Meanwhile container traffic, agribulk, oil products/LPG, off-shore and naval movements continue – including the recent arrival of HMS Prince of Wales - to the major ports of Grangemouth, Leith and Rosyth as well as the other harbours and terminals found on the Forth.
Iain McGeachy is branch secretary at WSS Firth of Forth where he presents regular talks and newsletters. He’s also a frequent contributor of articles and accompanying photographs for Ships Monthly.
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March 13th 2023 ~ Broadening my Horizons ~ with Ann Haynes ~
Travel memories and ships spotted on Ann’s 2012 OLS cruise departing from Marseilles in the south of France.
In May 2012 Ann joined fellow passenger ship enthusiasts aboard Horizon, then sailing with Pullmantur Cruises in France (Croisieres de France). The week’s ship-spotting encountered a wide variety, including Napoleon Bonarte, Piana, MSC Divina, Atlantic Star, Club Med 2, QE2 and Amerigo Vespucci – providing a great background for Ann to share a selection of her photo collection with us – and there’s a surprise homecoming when Ann lands back in London!
Ann Haynes early career as a Purserette with Union-Castle Line started her lifelong interest in ships as a member of the Ocean Liner Society. Ann has presented talks to WSS branches in the UK and North America. We all enjoyed her talk in 2020 and it’s great to be able to welcome her back.
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Our 2023 programme continues with ...
April 8th 2023 ~ Doctor at Sea ~ with William Cremin ~
Stories of the ships and medical challenges encountered whilst serving as the medical practitioner onboard.
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May 13th 2023 ~ Visions of the Nineties ~ with Steve Pink ~
A class of six RCCL cruise ships delivered 1995-98 … if 1988 saw their first “megaship” – what came next?
When Royal Caribbean’s 73,000 ton, 2,276 passenger Sovereign of the Seas entered service in 1988 it was hailed as a new "megaship" concept and introduced resort-style cruising to the US market. Entering the nineties the group targeted worldwide cruising by initiating “Project Vision” – similar tonnage, lower passenger capacity, larger cabins, more balconies. Steve tells the story of the project and the six ships delivered from 1995’s Legend of the Seas to the eponymous Vision of the Seas.
Steve Pink is branch secretary and events organiser at WSS - Dorset and a member of the Ocean Liner Society. A Nautical Studies graduate with a background in passenger shipping, ferries and cruising - Steve also acts as editor & promoter for ~Ships~Dorset~ facebook group and website content.
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