Messages

1

Site related news, functions and modules / R.I.P. ADRIAN FORD

« on: Yesterday at 07:27:20 PM »

Dear Users

It is my sad duty to announce the passing of Adrian Ford, our Vice-Webmaster. He died this morning in hospital in Kings Lynn after a short illness. Adrian joined the web site in September 2005, and was therefore one of our oldest members. Later he became an Admin, involved in the not always enviable task of dealing with the deletion process, which he carried with a great amount of dedication and care. In his later years as Vice-Webmaster he was of great help in further structuring the deletion process. He will be greatly missed.

Our thoughts are with his family.

 

2

Maritime Research and History / Help wanted: Vessels passing though the St. Lawrence Seaway

« on: May 02, 2024, 06:32:34 AM »

Our member Rene Beauchamp is trying to collect at least one photograph of all merchant ships that passed the St. Lawrence Seaway since its opening in 1959. While this may sound like a herculean task, a stage has been reached where the number of ships missing is down to manageable proportions.

A list of missing ships is shown here

3

Maritime Research and History / Re: Older Dutch inland vessels

« on: April 27, 2024, 06:07:06 PM »

Here is something that possibly explains everything but Dr. Google will be having a hard nut to crack.

https://www.ssrp.nl/stamboek/scheepsregistratie

4

Site related news, functions and modules / Re: SITE PROBLEM ?

« on: April 01, 2024, 02:20:53 PM »

Hi all,

IT has solved the problem. The discs of the server were filled up to capacity, and new space has been created. It proves that we upload lots of photos, and with a high resolution too.

5

Maritime Research and History / Re: Ship CANTIKA PRATAMA 03?

« on: March 26, 2024, 09:54:51 AM »

Interesting, anybody with an answer? Probably one of those ships of which the continued existence is in doubt, but was still more or less active, at least active enough for the owner to apply an unnotice name change.

6

Maritime Research and History / Re: Karadeniz Holding o Karpowership

« on: March 24, 2024, 07:59:01 AM »

Hi Mafioso,

Thanks for this, this is how this board was intended.

7

Site related news, functions and modules / Re: SITE PROBLEM ?

« on: March 24, 2024, 07:54:29 AM »

Hi Victor,

This came about because the site duplicated (erroneously) some photos. It is not that you uploaded the shot twice. The reason for the double posting is being investigated.

Pieter

8

Help and Advice / Re: Best shipspotting places in Rotterdam?

« on: March 06, 2024, 08:19:10 AM »

Hi,

The most obvious places are:

Slag Maasmond, where all ships going to all ports in the Rijnmond area will eventually pass. but it requires a long lens to catch smaller outgoing craft. Disadvantage is that you get the same shots of all ships passing. Driving distance is annoying.

In the morning and the beginning of afternoon the Pistoolhaven is an alternative, for it offrs an opportunity for a different angle for all ships with the destinantion Maasvlakte.

Closer to home the Rozenburg Landtong offers a good view on the Caland Canal, best time to go there is before 11.00 am as the sun will gradually get more annoying. The view on the New Waterway from here gets better by the hour.

These three spots are for the option to take a chair with you (and a good book), but of course there are some points from where you can shoot ships in port that have your particluar interest. 

9

Site related news, functions and modules / Re: Help me starting with ship spotting

« on: February 21, 2024, 12:14:24 PM »

Hi,

Depending on where you are, and what the distance from the ships will be, I think that a range coverage of say 25-30mm to 250-300mm would be enough. I found two Fuji lenses that could do the job to a certain extent
1. Fuji XC 50-230 (4.5-6.7)
2. Fuji XF 55-200 (3.5-4.

The lighting for the second lens is much better, especially at long distance, but the range is smaller.
Try to find second hand ones or ask your supplier whether you can rent one for experimenting.

Fow other lenses, check here (X-mount)

https://fujifilm-x.com/global/products/lenses/

For free traffic sites, you can use shipXplorer, which is linked to Shipspotting.com
https://www.shipxplorer.com/

10

Shipping News and information / MOVED: Some ships to identify

« on: February 10, 2024, 04:49:14 PM »

This topic has been moved to Maritime Research and History.

https://forum.shipspotting.com/index.php?topic=17850.0

11

Shipping News and information / Re: Increase of draft and DWT on container ships

« on: February 08, 2024, 10:33:25 AM »

Just some remarks here:

The DWT increase of containerships is also related to the number of loaded containers that may/can be carried, (no need to increase TEU capacity, just carry more cargo in the containers,  carrying empties is not a big earning model) In the past when Maersk announced that the Lindo yard was about to produce a new series of contanerships, they were very secretive about the actual DWT capacity, which most of the time not became public until the delivery of the first ship of the new series.

12

Shipping News and information / Re: Marine Traffic revamp

« on: February 05, 2024, 03:19:47 PM »

They also recently changed the ship detail layout, and for instance year of build or names history have disappeared behind the payment wall.

13

Shipping News and information / Re: ASTORIA ex-STOCKHOLM

« on: February 02, 2024, 07:35:01 PM »

Is ASTORIA still at Botlek? -no photo here since 11/2022.
Nothing seen in the news since 1/2023 report - and denial - of scrapping sale.

Still Laid up in the Waalhaven, AIS off. (She was never in the Botlek)

14

Help and Advice / Backlight photography

« on: January 24, 2024, 01:41:01 PM »

We regularly come across backlight photos where the subject, the ship, has become so dark that details are hardly visible. These photos can most of the time be easily corrected with the right software, by lighting up the shadows and in fact we have done so in several cases, making use of the facility to edit and re-upload photographs.

However, it is much better to avoid dark ships by applying some overexposure beforehand, which will of course make the background even lighter, but at least will show much more of the ship. Check your camera settings to which extent you can apply overexposure (one stop aperture increase may already do the trick), but it could be something you have to practice your self, by making shots with different settings and see what gives the best result. 

If you are used to have your camera in the P function, you have to switch that off, to overrule the automatics that  take over manual control.

15

Shipping News and information / Re: Cruiseship MAUD storm damage

« on: December 22, 2023, 05:55:38 PM »

Lash Carrier Munchen revisited. Exactly the same happened there, but she was in the middle of the Atlantic, with desastrous consequences.