Berthing Plan

Another chance to escape presented itself today with Joe being in Port Control for the morning. So come 9am once I had handed over to him I rang Murco Jetty and asked if I could come down and observe the CARRY berthing at Murco 2.

I nipped home to collect my camera (as waste of time really as I wasn't allowed to use it on the jetty), then I headed out to the jetty. It was weird driving the quarter of a mile or so along a really narrow roadway over the sea. I parked up and walked down to Berth 2 where I met Graham (the Head Operator). My timing was perfect as the CARRY was just approaching the berth with two tugs.

It was really interesting watching the lineboats take the ropes from the ship and run them to the dolphins (mooring dolphins not bottled nosed ones!!). Erin's boyfriend Martin was on one of the lineboats but no amount of waving managed to attract his attention (I shall have words with him next time he is here). Bit by bit the ship edged closer to the berth, I could hear the Pilot giving instructions to the tugs and talking to the terminal to find out how much more he needed to maneouvre to get her in exactly the right postiion so that the jetty loading arms were lined up exactly with the ship's manifold (sorry if this bit is a bit technical!!).

Finally she was in the right place and tight against the fenders so I said my thank yous and made my way back along to the jetty to solid ground. I still had some time to kill so I decided to pay another visit to the Dry Dock because they had the sail training ship the LORD NELSON in.

Last time I was down there Paul told me to come back anytime they had something interesting in so I took the opportunity and got some great shots of this tall ship laid up in the dry dock.

All too soon I had to get back and actually do some work but at least it had broken the day up.

Tonigh we are watching the Wales v Canada match which so far has not been too brilliant but I have high hopes for the second half. Not too sure about the boys playing in yellow though.!!