Global Horizon photographed being loaded with scrap metal in Liverpool Docks on 27 March 2015.

She was built by the Shin Kurushima Dockyard as Yard Number 5687 in 2010, her keel was laid on 4 June 2010, she was launched 24 September 2010 before being completed on 15 December 2010.

GT = 21,192, NT = 11,615 and DWT  33,633Overall she is 179.990m long with a 28.2m moulded beam and 10.101 Summer draught. 

Cargo capacity of her holds is 44,038m3 

She is powered by a Kobe 2SA6CY (6250kW) diesel engine.

Owned by Sun Alliance SA she is managed by Kobe Ship Management.



MMSI - 355998000
REG - PA, Panama
IMO - 9553012
Call Sign - 3FCW4
Bulk Carrier
Built - Shin Kurushima, Onishi, JP
Yard No. - 5687
L 180m W 28m
GT - 21192
Year - 2010
Liverpool, 27 March 2015

 

Crude Oil Tanker Eagle Sapporo photographed at Tranmere on 9 May 2013. 

She was built by Mitsui at Chiba in Japan as Yard Number 1696 in 2008 and is 246m long with a 42m beam, the vessel is the 11th Aframax tanker in the series from this yard with a cargo tank capacity of 128,000m3 and a deadweight of 110,400tons. 

The vessel was completed and handed over to Maybaru Shipping & Trading Pte Ltd, Singapore on 10 December 2008.  

Equipped with a B&W 7S60MC (14478kW) she has a top speed of 14.5 knots. 

The vessel is one of 13 Aframax Tankers in a fleet of approximately 87 different vessels operated by MISC. MISC were incorporated in 1968 as a venture between the Malaysian Government and a group of private entrepreneurs.

MMSI - 351115000
REG - PA, Panama
IMO - 9387255
Call Sign - 3FG07
Crude Oil Tanker
Built - Mitsui, Chiba, JP
Yard No. - 1696
L 246m W 42m
GT -59671
Year - 2008
Liverpool, 9 May 2013

Bochem Oslo photographed in Liverpool Docks on 18 March 2015.

Up to May 2013 she was called Jbu Oslo.

Built in Kitanihon Japan in 2010 as Yard Number 506 she is 170.17m long with a 26.6m beam and 11.37m draft.

Owned by Hak Maritime of Panama she is commercially operated by Hansa Tankers AS who are headquartered in Bergen, Norway. The Company was established in May 2010 as an independent pool for stainless steel tonnage. The fleet has grown from an initial 3 vessels to 21 today. In 2012 Hansa Tankers established the Midgard partnership for ownership of six vessels.

NT = 9480, DWT =  33655 & GT 19910

Tank capacity @ 98% excluding slop tanks =34478.193m3 +  2686.717m3 slop tanks @ 98%.

She is powered by a single Akasaka 6UEC52LS 2 stroke, single acting, in line 6 cylinder diesel engine (7980kW, 10850hp) which gives her a maximum speed of 16.2 knots.

MMSI - 372066000
REG - PA, Panama
IMO - 9420710
Call Sign - 3EWI5
Chemical / Oil Products Tanker
Built - Kitanihon, Hachinohe, JP
Yard No. - 506
L 170.17m W 26.6m
GT -19910
Year - 2010
Liverpool, 18 March 2015

Old Mill Brook photographed on 22 March 2015.

This small stream meanders through fields in a roughly North-East - South-West direction for about a mile before emptying into Shackerley Brook. 

In the 19th Century these fields were largely covered in collieries and mine workings but the area has since been reclaimed by farmland.

At the point where I crossed the stream and took the photograph the stream hits a wall of sandstone about a metre high and is turned sharply East, a few sandstone boulders had also been washed out of the embankment and exposed.  

Just South of here the Roman Road from Manchester to Wigan would have crossed this stream, although nothing now remains of the road apparently up to the 17th Century the line of the road could be traced. Whether the road crossed the stream by a bridge or road is also unknown, bearing in mind the road was a military highway connecting the forts of Manchester and Wigan and ran through potentially hostile countryside (at first anyway) which would have been heavily wooded with oak and other native species I suspect a simple stone bridge would have been constructed.

Liverpool Pilot Vessel Skua photographed on 18 March 2015.    

She is an Interceptor 48 Pilot and was built be Safehaven Marine, the vessel was delivered to the Port of Liverpool in April 2010 and was the second of Safehaven Marines Interceptor 48 pilot vessels to be built.

Skua is powered by twin Volvo D12 500hp engines and twin Disc 5114 SC quick shift gearboxes providing the vessel with an operational speed of 24kts.

The vessel is 14.5m LOA, with a 4.3m beam and 18,000kg Displacement.

She has a seating capacity for seven pilots and two crew. Five air suspension pilot seats are fitted in the main cabin with a further two in the forward cabin, which is fitted out with a full galley and separate WC.

MMSI - 235085801
Call Sign - 2EKC7
Liverpool, 18 March 2015

Veteran Svitzer Marine Mersey tug Ashgarth photographed assisting crude oil tanker Hilda Knutsen towards the Tranmere terminal on 20 March 2014.

She was built by Kanagawa in Kobe Japan as Yard Number 379 in 1992 and is 36.5m long with a 9m moulded beam and 3m draught.

GT = 307 and NT 92.

Powered by twin Daihatsu diesel engines (1,800hp each) she has a maximum speed of 14 knots, bollard pull ahead is 55t and astern 49t.

The vessel is equipped with a variety of fire fighting equipment including a dry powder monitor and three foam / water monitors.

Owned by Svitzer Marine she was up to 1998 called Senho Maru.

MMSI - 232003529
REG - UK, Liverpool
IMO - 9057886
Call Sign - MYYT5
Tug
Built - Kanagawa, Kobe, JP
Yard No. - 379
L 36.5m W 9m
GT - 307
Year - 1992
Liverpool, 20 March  2013

Pomona Docks photographed from the Metrolink tram on a grey overcast 11 February 2015, these docks formed a key part of the Port of Manchester from 1894 until it closed in 1982. The docks were a destination for both coastal and ocean-bound ships and were built on the site of the former Pomona Gardens and Zoo, due to their size many larger vessels had to use the main docks on the other side of  Trafford Road bridge located just to the South of where I took the photograph.

Plans were originally drawn up for five docks in this area although only four were ever completed, the site of the proposed No. 5 dock was to the left of the photograph opposite the dock entrances, work on this dock was largely completed, with the dock being excavated and the retaining walls built  before work was abandoned and the dock filled in again.

No. 1 dock became the regular discharging point for the Coopers sand boats, another of the early users of the docks was Fisher Renwick who launched a  regular service to London in 1892. Another visitor from the early 1950's until the 1970's were the Guinness ships carrying Guinness in barrels and steel containers ready for bottling, these ships were frequent visitors returning empty to Dublin, this operation ceased when Guinness moved their operations to Runcorn.

During the 1960's in attempt to increase trade a heavy-lift berth was set up in No. 3 dock, together with Ro-Ro facilities for ships designed for transporting   heavy loads.

A connection to the Bridgewater canal was built at Hulme Lock, up-river from the docks and this was extremely busy for many years with a great deal of cargo being discharged from the bigger vessels into barges for onward transmission via smaller canals.  

It is hard to believe that this was once a hive of activity with ships of all shapes and sizes being loaded and unloaded, today no buildings, cranes or anything else for that matter survives.

This photograph was taken in April 2011 from a very narrow sandy beach on a small island located about an hour South of Langkawi in Malaysia, we reached the island by a very quick dive boat which was probably travelling at 20 to 30 knots.

The isIand looked largely inaccessible being shear cliffs on all sides topped by trees and vegetation.

I spent the whole day snorkelling here in both the shallow and much deeper crystal clear water.

The young sharks proved friendly although I did see some much larger examples further away from the beach in much deeper water which did make me catch my breath.

A tropical island, very warm water, a multitude of fish - This was a great place to go.

Vehicle carrier Autoprogress passing me on 31 October 2014.

I took the photograph on holiday from my favourite vantage point at the end of the esplanade in East Cowes.

She is a regular visitor to Southampton and I have seen her before on a number of occasions whilst on holiday.

GT = 11591, DWT = 4442 & NT = 3829.

Built by the Frisian Shipyard in Welgelegen, The Netherlands in 1998 as Yard Number 507 she is 125.5m long with a 18.0m beam and 6.213m Summer draught, her keel was laid on 25 March 1997 and she was launched on 19 January 1998.

She has a top speed of 20 Knots and is powered by two Warlsila Vasa 12V32E (9440kW) Diesel Engines.

In total she has 6 car decks totalling 9890m2 able to accommodate 1220 vehicles.

She is owned/operated by UECC (United European Car Carriers) who were formed in 1990 and are co-owned by NYK and Wallenius Lines, they transport approximately 1.5 million cars and vans annually via 70 different European ports, they are headquartered in Oslo.

MMSI - 2558015780
REG - PT, Madeira
IMO - 9131967
Call Sign - CQQF
Vehicles Carrier
Built - Frisian SY, Welgelegen, NL
Yard No. - 507
L 125.5m W 18m
GT - 11591
Year - 1998
East Cowes, 31 October 2014