2012 Programme                (Updated 10th Feb 2012) 

Below is our programme for 2012. All dates for trips have been confirmed, but details of trips may be subject to further change.    

Saturday 28th January 2012 - Winter Social at Dover.

The start of another TSS year and a return of the Winter Social to Dover following the re-opening of the Churchill Hotel as the newly refurbished Dover Marina Hotel. The day dawned cold with a stiff breeze but with periods of bright winter sunshine.

An added attraction to the winter social this year was that it coincided with the arrival of P&O's new ferry Spirit of France at Dover for the first time following her delivery voyage from her builders in Finland. Her arrival was conveniently timed at 11am an hour or so before the commencement of activities at the winter social. She arrived on time which allowed several members to take photos of her in a nice period of sunshine, with the Dover tugs escorting her into the harbour.

Over 40 members attended to social which began with a pre-lunch drink (hot or cold!) in the bar, with time to catch up with old acquaintances. The excellent three course meal was served in our function room, the food being of a very high standard.

Lunch was followed by an interesting slide show given by Andrew Humphreys. the slide show started with a small selection of slides taken on early TSS trips, which brought back pleasant memories for several members present. The second half of the show concentrated on a trip that Andrew and his wife had taken to Australia and New Zealand, with of course emphasis on the maritime aspects of the holiday!

Following the slide show the organised part of the social concluded, but many members stayed at the hotel, some for the remainder of the weekend.

With thanks to Paul and Carol Mason for organising the event and of course to Andrew Humphreys for the excellent slide show.

The Dover Harbour Board's tug DHB DAUNTLESS dressed overall for the arrival of the SPIRIT OF FRANCE....

....as was the DHB DOUGHTY.

The SPIRIT OF FRANCE approaching Dover for the first time...

....and on her maiden arrival in the harbour.

We will have a table at the Portishead Ship Show where committee members will be in attendance.

Saturday 21st April 2012  - AGM & Solent Cruise

This year's AGM will again be held on the Blue Funnel vessel Ocean Scene at Ocean Village, Southampton.

Included in the day's activities will be a three course lunch, followed by the Annual General Meeting. 

At the conclusion of the AGM, we will set sail for a private harbour cruise on the Ocean Scene, covering the Southampton's Eastern and Western Docks and as far down Southampton Water as Fawley Oil Terminal. 

Southampton normally provides a good variety of shipping to photograph, including large container ships, general cargo ships and bulk carriers, vehicle carriers and of course cruise ships. The cruise ships Grand Princess and Queen Victoria are expected to be in port on the day. At Fawley Oil Terminal it is possible to see a variety of tankers and the occasional VLCC.

The route and coverage of the cruise will be subject to weather, tide conditions and vessel movements on the afternoon. 

Bookings currently being taken - 49 bookings so far.

Photos from our 2011 AGM Cruise.

APL ZEEBRUGGE at the container terminal.

One of the tankers at Fawley was the HOLMEN. 

INDEPENDENCE OF THE SEAS departing for Vigo.

MTS VISCOUNT in Empress dock.

28th April to 2nd May 2012 - Straits of Messina - Sun, Sea, Ships and Maybe Some Sparks!

With out partner, South Quay Travel, we have arranged a visit to Messina, one of the largest ports on the island of Sicily, due to it's non-stop ferry traffic. The busy strait is only 1.9km wide just North of Messina. A lot of shipping to and from Salerno, Naples, Civitavecchia, Genoa, etc. passes through this narrow waterway - including cruise ships, container ships, feeders, tankers of all types and sizes, general cargo ships, plus the ubiquitous ro-ros and local ferries (of which there are quite a few) and not forgetting a smattering of tugs and other vessels.

By crossing the Strait from Messina to Villa San Giovanni by ferry, it is possible to travel by train to the mainland port of Gioia Tauro, which does see visits from large container ships. There is also a ferry to Salerno, just South of Naples. However, if anyone chooses to make these trips, please advise the tour leader of your intentions and timings.

Suitability for spouses/partners etc - bus and train connections to other parts of the island are available from Messina and we are advised that these services are reliable and comfortable. Trams service the local waterfront. There is a lot to see in the vicinity and regular tourist trips are run to many places of interest, including of course the active volcano Mount Etna. So who knows, with Stromboli just off the North coast and Vesuvius on the mainland, we might see a few sparks!

Flights will be by British Airways from Gatwick to Catania.

28/4/12 - BA flight from London Gatwick to Catania - depart 15:50 arrive 20:00; transfer to the 4 star Hotel Jolly dello Stretto.

29/4/12 to 1/5/12 - Breakfast at Hotel - Day at Leisure

2/5/12 - Breakfast at Hotel - Day at Leisure; transfer to Catania for BA flight from Catania to London Gatwick depart 20:45 arrive 22:55.

Bookings are currently being taken - 16 bookings so far. 

Thursday 17th May 2012  - Thames and Medway Cruise (Midweek)

The ever popular cruises on the Princess Pocahontas provide excellent opportunities to photograph all type of shipping in the River Thames and Medway.

The cruise will start and finish at Gravesend and will cover the River Thames as far upriver as the Dartford Crossing taking in the ro-ro facility and tanker berths at Purfleet, Northfleet Container Terminal, Tilbury Grain Terminal and the other various berths on the River Thames. Downriver we will proceed past the London Gateway construction project and the oil terminal at Coryton. Vessels in Southend anchorage are also normally covered. 

In the River Medway we cover Thamesport, Sheerness and the Isle of Grain LNG terminal.

The cruise also includes a ploughman's lunch.

The route and coverage of the cruise will be subject to weather, tide conditions and vessel movements on the day. 

Bookings being taken - 46 participants so far.

Photos from our May Thames and Medway Cruise in 2011.

MSC ANTARES inward bound for Northfleet.

NST ANTARES in Southend Anchorage.

YEOMAN BRIDGE at Thamesport.

Cobelfret's new AMANDINE at Purfleet following her naming ceremony. 

Photos from our June Solent Cruise in 2011.

The MSC OPERA at berth 104, Southampton.

HMS DARING at Portsmouth.

MARE NOSTRUM shortly after her arrival at Fawley Oil Terminal.

CELEBRITY ECLIPSE departing at the end of our cruise.

Our Solent Cruises on Blue Funnel's Ocean Scene are always well supported by our members. The private cruise covers both Portsmouth and Southampton harbours where a wide variety of shipping can be observed and photographed at close quarters. Lunch is also included in the cost of the cruise.

At Southampton we cover the Eastern and Western Docks, including the busy container terminal, general cargo and bulk berths, ro-ro facilities and of course the four cruise terminals. The cruise ship season will be well underway at this time of the year and P&O's Azura and Oriana will be in port as well as the Celebrity Eclipse and Grand Princess.

In Southampton Water we cover the Fawley Oil Terminal and BP jetty at Hamble where a variety of tankers can normally be seen. Via the North Channel in the Solent we will visit Portsmouth Harbour, where naval vessels, reefers, cross channel ferries and the occasional cruise ship can be seen.

We normally proceed back to Southampton in order to see the late afternoon procession of cruise ship departures.

The route and coverage of the cruise will be subject to weather, tide conditions and vessel movements on the afternoon. 

Date confirmed.

Sunday 24th June 2012 - Rotterdam and Europoort Cruise on Partyschip Diane.

The 10-hour, ‘Diane’ Rotterdam and Europoort cruise is always one of the highlights of the TSS year for many people. The cruise is held in June to maximise daylight hours for ship photography and hopefully to ensure that the weather is reasonable. 

The cruise covers all of the Rotterdam and Europoort complex, including the container terminals, tanker terminals and bulk berths at Europoort / Maasvlakte, the many tanker terminals in the Caland Canal, Botlek Harbour, the old harbours closer in to the centre of Rotterdam including Maashaven, Eemshaven and the various harbours on the Northern side of the river including the ship repair facilities at Schiedam.

A buffet lunch is also provided.  

Many participants arrive in Holland a few days earlier, extending their stay around the Diane cruise to make a longer break in Holland.

Bookings being taken - 27 participants so far.

Photos from our 2011 Diane Cruise.

StenaBulk ICE tanker STENA ATLANTICA departing from the Caland Canal.

Holland America's RYNDAM departing from Rotterdam.

Assisted by two Smit tugs, the DAL KALAHARI departing from Waalhaven harbour.

The large new Belgian dredger CONGO RIVER in the Waalhaven. She has a deadweight of  40,590 tons!

Photos from our July Thames and Medway Cruise in 2011.

MARE BALTIC berthed at Coryton.

TERNVAG outward bound in the Thames Estuary.

The containership PORTOFINO departing from the Medway.

BOMAR VENUS at the Vopak Jetty.

Saturday 7th July 2012 - Thames and Medway Cruise (2)

The ever popular cruises on the Princess Pocahontas provide excellent opportunities to photograph all type of shipping in the River Thames and Medway.

The cruise will start and finish at Gravesend and will cover the River Thames as far upriver as the Dartford Crossing taking in the ro-ro facility and tanker berths at Purfleet, Northfleet Container Terminal, Tilbury Grain Terminal and the other various berths on the River Thames. Downriver we will proceed past the London Gateway construction project and the oil terminal at Coryton. Vessels in Southend anchorage are also normally covered. 

In the River Medway we cover Thamesport, Sheerness and the Isle of Grain LNG terminal.

The cruise also includes a ploughman's lunch.

The route and coverage of the cruise will be subject to weather, tide conditions and vessel movements on the day. 

Date confirmed.

Our Solent Cruises on Blue Funnel's Ocean Scene are always well supported by our members. The private cruise covers both Portsmouth and Southampton harbours where a wide variety of shipping can be observed and photographed at close quarters. Lunch is also included in the cost of the cruise.

At Southampton we cover the Eastern and Western Docks, including the busy container terminal, general cargo and bulk berths, ro-ro facilities and of course the four cruise terminals. The cruise ship season will be well underway at this time of the year and Fred Olsen's Balmoral, the MSC Opera, the Grand Princess and Royal Caribbean's  Independence of the Seas are scheduled to be in port on the day.

In Southampton Water we cover the Fawley Oil Terminal and BP jetty at Hamble where a variety of tankers can normally be seen. Via the North Channel in the Solent we will visit Portsmouth Harbour, where naval vessels, reefers, cross channel ferries and the occasional cruise ship can be seen.

We normally proceed back to Southampton in order to see the late afternoon procession of cruise ship departures.

The route and coverage of the cruise will be subject to weather, tide conditions and vessel movements on the afternoon. 

Date confirmed.

Photos from our August Solent Cruise in 2011.

OOCL NORFOLK at Southampton container terminal.

HMS DAUNTLESS at Portsmouth.

The first of the cruise ships to depart - INDEPENDENCE OF THE SEAS...

...followed by the GRAND PRINCESS.

Saturday 1st September 2012 - Thames and Medway Cruise (3)

The ever popular cruises on the Princess Pocahontas provide excellent opportunities to photograph all type of shipping in the River Thames and Medway.

The cruise will start and finish at Gravesend and will cover the River Thames as far upriver as the Dartford Crossing taking in the ro-ro facility and tanker berths at Purfleet, Northfleet Container Terminal, Tilbury Grain Terminal and the other various berths on the River Thames. Downriver we will proceed past the London Gateway construction project and the oil terminal at Coryton. Vessels in Southend anchorage are also normally covered. 

In the River Medway we cover Thamesport, Sheerness and the Isle of Grain LNG terminal.

The cruise also includes a ploughman's lunch.

The route and coverage of the cruise will be subject to weather, tide conditions and vessel movements on the day. 

Date confirmed.

Photos from our 2010 tour to Istanbul.

AIDAdiva at Istanbul Cruise Terminal.

DREAM TRUE in the anchorage on our first boat trip.

STEPANIDA passing through the Bosphorus during our stay.

MERT DEVAL at Tuzla during our second cruise.

HITACHI in Tuzla anchorage on our second boat trip.

ADALBERT ANTONOV in the Bosphorus.

Following the successful visits to Istanbul in 2002, 2004, 2008 and 2010, it has been decided that perhaps it is time for the TSS to pay another visit in 2012.

The plan is to more or less repeat the previous formats in the hope that the past enjoyable experiences can be relived. We hope to obtain permission to enter both the Tuzla and Ambarli harbours, so two eight hour boat trips will be included. On Thursday, we plan to visit the plethora of shipyards in the Tuzla area with its large shiprepair and newbuilding complex, while the preceding Monday, we will head towards the expanding port of Ambarli. On both days we shall use the boat ‘Kaptan Bego Sevket’, hired on previous occasions. There should also be time to visit the large anchorage on the northern side of the Sea of Marmara, towards Istanbul’s Ataturk airport, during at least one of the cruises, if not both.

Our choice of hotel is the 4 star, Golden Horn Hotel. The hotel is located at the historical peninsula in the ancient Sirkeci area of Istanbul and is just a few minutes walk from the major historical areas such as Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Gulhane Park, Basilica Cistern, Topkapi Palace and the ferry terminals at Eminonu, which are also reachable by tram. 

The hotel has a panoramic terrace, two restaurants and a lobbybar. Each room has a private bathroom, direct dial telephone, satellite TV, hair dryer and free Wi-Fi. Numerous eateries, including fish restaurant’s, are to be found within a short walk from the hotel.

Every day from dawn to dusk around 60 – 70 vessels of all shapes and sizes pass through this busy waterway and if ferries are counted the number is considerably higher. All large vessels, up to 200,000 dwt, have to transit the straits in convoy during daylight hours with escort tugs.

The trip will include:

• Flights to and from Istanbul by British Airways from Heathrow
• Coach transfers to and from the airport and the Golden Horn Hotel
• Seven nights bed and breakfast at the hotel 
• Two eight hour private boat trips as described above, both including lunch 
• Ample free time to explore the area in your own time.

Bookings currently being taken - 36 participants so far.