Marie Maersk is pulled safely away from Felixstowe Berth 8 with two Svitzer tugs.
A while previous the pilot onboard the heavy load carrier Zhen Hua 23 swung her off Trinity 1 and swung again to go starboard side to Berth 9. Once they had made her fast he pilot transfered onto the Marie Maersk for her departure.
The pilot boards Marie and two Svitzer tugs which were pushing up on the Zhen Hua while she was making fast alongside. Tugs all finished with Zhen Hua 23, they go to stations on the Marie Maersk. Svitzer Deben makes fast centre lead aft and Svitzer Sky makes fast centre lead forward.
Both tugs ease the Marie Maersk off the berth into the channel. As the pilot comes ahead on both engines, Sky closes up to let go while Deben drops in astern. Sky stands by on the port quarter but the pilot said the quarter tug could be stood down near the Fort Buoy as Deben would be enough to steer Marie around the 90 degree Beach End.
Passing the Fort Buoy, the pilot gets the Deben to move out onto the starboard side for a full power indirect.
MSC London finishes cargo and the pilot boards via the gangway ready to depart Felixstowe for her next port of Antwerp with a draught of 12.1 metres.
As she was about to leave, patchy light rain began to fall but Felixstowe doesn't stop for rain. Both tugs, Svitzer Deben and Svitzer Sky make fast on the centre leads. Deben goes aft and Sky goes forward. Mooring gang in attendace, the forward lines are slackened so they could be released. Springs were the last to be released. Sky and Deben start off with an easy pull. Shortly after Sky increases to full power.
Steadily edging towards the channel, Deben eases up then drops in astern as the MSC London comes ahead on the main engine. Sky eases up and comes in to let go. The pilot asks the Sky to escort them passed the Fort buoy but stands them down as the ship was steering nicely with the Deben aft just incase they needed a bit of assisting.
Heavily laden OOCL Germany eases off Felixstowe Berth 8 with two 3212 Svitzer tugs. 24th March 2018
A very busy day for the Harwich Haven Pilots and Svitzer tugs as the port had a several ultra large movements. Deep draughted OOCL Germany was ready to depart Felixstowe Berth 8 to head off to Singapore via the Suez Canal. Two Svitzer tugs were ordered for the departure. Svitzer Kent makes fast centre lead aft while Svitzer Deben centre lead forward. Both tugs pull the OOCL Germany clear of the berth into the harbour.
As the OOCL Germany was only had about 6 knots the pilot had the svitzer Deben to push up on the port quarter for a push indirect.
*** Correction to the opening sequence of the video, Svitzer Shotley was made fast port shoulder and not starboard shoulder***
The Zhen Hua 23 sails from Shanghai on a 79 day voyage to Felixstowe with two ship-to-shore cranes . 4 Svitzer tugs assist her on to Trinity 1. 25th March 2018
The Port of Felixstowe welcomes the Zhen Hua 23 which was carrying 2 state of the art ship to shore gantry cranes from ZMPC's yard in Shanghai. The vessel left Shanghai on the 6th January, across the Indian Ocean towards the Horn of Africa as she could not fit through the Suez Canal with the cranes onboard. When she entered the Atlantic Ocean she stopped off at a port in Togo which we believe was for bunkers and then headed for Las Palmas, Gran Canaria for bunkers and stayed around there for about a week before getting on the move steadily heading north.
With a confirmed day of Sunday 25th March, the Zhen Hua picked up speed to around 10 knots occasionally up to 12 knots. The day did not look brilliant as fog was forecasted. And with how the weather at Felixstowe differs from the actual forecast anything could happen. The pilot which was going onboard the Zhen Hua had a decision to make, Was it safe to bring in the ship and what would be the tug order be?
At around 1500, the Harwich Haven pilot boarded the Zhen Hua 23 at the Sunk and immediatly ordered 4 tug for berthing. Two 3212 tugs to take the centre leads fore and aft and the smaller 2411's on the port quarter and port shoulder.
As I got down Shotley, the weather was poor with visability at about 1-2 miles so I wasn't expecting a brilliant video but as she started her turn at the 90 degree Beach End the fog lifted slightly to get some shots. Svitzer Deben made fast centre lead aft, Svitzer Sky made fast prt uarter, Svitzer Shotley made fast port shoulder and Svitzer Kent made fast centre lead forward.
The plan was to edge her straight onto Trinity 1 and then move her onto Berth 9 when it became available on Tuesday.
As thoughts passed through everyones minds, would 10 years previous happen again. The mooring gang and Zhen Hua's crew steadily egan to make the ship fast alongside with 10 lines each end with 2 chunky lines on the main deck to keep her alongside Trinity 1.
Port of Felixstowe welcomes another first call ship, the MSC Coruna. Svitzer Kent assists with berthing. 24th March 2018
Just recently, in the last couple of months. the Port of Felixstowe have seen a boom in first call vessels to the port. MSC Coruna was one of them. At 270.41 metres long and a breadth of 40.05 metres she has a maximum capacity of 5550 TEU.
The pilot requests just one Svitzer tug for berthing. With MSC Coruna approaching the harbour, Svitzer Kent heads to the Beach End where she makes fast centre lead aft for a port swing in the middle of the harbour and back up to Trinity 5.
