London Gateway

[chrisg46]

Yup - heard last night that she'll be alongside between sometime between 8am - 10am Friday, so she'll probably be dropping the anchor at Sunk anchorage in the next few minutes.

[Robert J Smith]

I wonder why she is not showing on AIS (Marinetraffic), she was visible earlier on the aisliverpool site.

[Kelvin Davies]

Bob,
She was showing on Marinetraffic at 07:30 this morning, more or less at the Sunk pilot station.
Maybe switched off the AIS to appease Greenpeace!

[Andrew McAlpine]

Hi,

Where would be the best place to view the cranes from the other side if at all?

regards
Andrew

[Phil English]

I wonder why she's gone all the way up to the Sunk instead of coming in via N.E. Spit and anchoring in Queens Channel? She's not overly deep-draughted

Brgds
Phil

[chrisg46]

She's sailing to time, rather than tide - due to Gateway's requirements, the ship is due to arrive after 8am, and with LW due soon after, Princes (dredged to 8m, I think) might not be an optimal choice. Black Deep and Knock John Channel are only available to vessels with over 6m draught, but at around 9m, Zhen Hua 26 certainly qualifies.

[Phil English]

Yes Ken, it seems strange to me. I remember the days when I used to pitch up at Dover or Ramsgate and watch the ships hug the coast all the way round to North Foreland after taking a pilot at Dungeness. Is the NE spit pilot only for outbound movements now? I thought that ships approaching from the South and West took a pilot from NE Spit whilst North and East arrivals took a Sunk Pilot. I'm out of touch these days on this score 

Brgds
Phil

[chrisg46]

Here's the PLA's guidance and rules on the Thames approach channels for commercial shipping of all sizes:

http://www.pla.co.uk/pdfs/maritime/Passage_Planning_Guide2011.pdf

[DAVE NINNIM]

Low Water at Margate is 0813 friday morning so that pretty much rules out the Princes Channel if they want the ship there for around 0900. So that's probably why the Sunk was chosen. We often do ships of 9.0m or more at the NE Spit but they will be planned for a rising tide. Having said that I believe there are political reasons behind some ships picking up a Pilot at the sunk, something I find strange considering the Port of London own 51% of Estuary Services (NE Spit).
Incidently if the Xhen Hua had come to anchor near the NE spit it would of been at the Tongue Deep Water not the Queens as she would of needed a pilot for the Queens as it is within Port Limits.

[Phil English]

Thanks for your explanations ChrisG46 and Danim24

Brgds
Phil

[Robert J Smith]

She's still not showing on AIS but judging by the tug activity Zhen Hua 26 must be off the London Gateway now (10.10am).
A bit later than I expected having taken a detour down to Canvey Island enroute to work and spent an hour or so getting cold & wet 

Regards

Bob

[marcus7835]

She is showing on AIS for me and has been every time I've checked this morning. your correct that she is at London Gateway now.

She's still not showing on AIS but judging by the tug activity Zhen Hua 26 must be off the London Gateway now (10.10am).
A bit later than I expected having taken a detour down to Canvey Island enroute to work and spent an hour or so getting cold & wet 

Regards

Bob

[John Jones]

Bad luck Bob. Wanted to go myself but am the only one working on this desk today so couldn't get time off. I do have a very good in-house AIS system to look at though

Best Regards
John J.

[Robert J Smith]

Hi Marcus,

You are right, she is shown as "other" on marinetraffic and I didn't have "yachts & others" ticked.

Too late for me anyway, work always gets in the way  as John says

Regards

bob

[Jonathan Simpson]

fotos of the ship arriving

http://gcaptain.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/2013-03-01T133147Z_925406932_LM1E93111IW01_RTRMADP_3_BRITAIN.jpg