Arklow Future inward for Manchester 01/09/10
Bekau heading outward from Irwell park wharf 27/08/10
Muros inward for EMR taken at Irlam & Barton 09/08/10
A selection of Humber Princess along the Aire & Calder nav 07/08/10
Ennerdale + Mersey Fisher + Thresher on the evening tide 04/08/10
Tugs Audrey & Vigour with loaded container barge 04/08/10
Fure Sun + Attikos + more to follow.. 31/07/10
Cunard's Queen Victoria at Liverpool 27/07/10
Swinefleet + Goole + Howdendyke 26/07/10
Panary + James Jackson Grundy at Frodsham + Tellus at Eastham 22/07/10

A selection of recent photographs from the past few months.
Vessels in Bramley Moore / Sandon / Huskisson docks 10/07/10
Tankers at Eastham + Rheinfels outward from Manchester 17/07/10
Bro Globe + Fionia Swan + Bro Developer + Sten Fjord 15/07/10
HMS Atherstone on a courtesy visit to Salford quays 13/07/10
Baltic Mercur a rare visitor to Eastham QE2 oil dock 12/07/10
Snowdrop + Rheinfels heading for Manchester 10/07/10
Trip on board tug Seaport Alpha from Frodsham to Eastham 09/07/10
James Jackson Grundy in a bit of trouble on the Weaver 07/07/10
Stolt Avocet + Arklow Rebel + Ternholm + Swanland 05/07/10

Part 1 - Calemax Enterprise from Manchester to Liverpool to load grain.
Starting at the former Manchester drydocks we head down the entire length of the canal to Eastham and then into the Mersey bound for Langton lock river entrance. From here we berth at Canada dock branch no 1 where the barge would be moored for the night before moving to Seaforth grain terminal the next morning to load 250 tons. The Calemax Enterprise was to sail up river to Garston docks the next day to load a further 500 tons and then back to Manchester to unload for the nearby Rank Hovis mill. Thanks go to skipper Bob Grace.

An organised trip to the Pallion shipyard at Sunderland where the Manxman has been for over ten years. After the failed preservation attempt she now languishes in drydock awaiting scrapping. Looking at the photo's you will see what a huge task it would have been to preserve this classic vessel. She now has small holes cut into her hull so that if the drydock is filled she doesn't move off the blocks. Apart from this the hull looks pretty rough but appears to be quite solid with still a good thickness marked on in most area's.
There aren't many vessels still around today like this one. It is a shame that Peel couldn't accomodate the Manxman on the Mersey in any way. A sad end to a fine vessel and a big opportunity missed. Perhaps they will have a different view to the Royal Iris..

The Airbus A380 purpose built wing carrier 'Afon Dyfrdwy' taken at various points along the river Dee while transporting wings from Broughton near Chester to Mostyn dock. The vessel is designed to navigate under the low fixed bridge crossings in the canalised section of the river around Queensferry and can only be caught moving roughly once every two weeks. She usually leaves the load out facility at Broughton roughly an hour before high water however on the inward journey she usually rides the incoming tide so that she can safely turn on the ebb upon arrival at Broughton. She can also sometimes moves in the hours of darkness. The vessel's schedule is usually posted on my ship canal & Mersey gen group.

Trip aboard the former Big Ditch shipping co vessel Calemax Enterprise now operating under new owners Mainmast Logistics on one of her routine runs between Manchester drydocks and Liverpool.
She loaded grain at Seaforth grain terminal for the trip back up the canal the next day destined for Rank Hovis mill at Trafford park.
The Calemax Enteprise & sister vessel Gina D save 1000's of lorry journeys each year that otherwise would be clogging up our already congested roads in the north west.

Thanks to skipper Bob Grace as well as Tony Syers & Brian Grace for an excellent trip.

Trip abord the Big Ditch Shipping Co. vessel Calemax Enterprise from Liverpool Canada dock No 1 to Manchester No 3 dock 04/06/09. She was loaded with grain from Seaforth destined for the Rank Hovis mill at Trafford park, Manchester. Many thanks to Bob Grace the skipper of Calemax Enterprise.

Trip aboard Stolt Nielsen's vessel Stolt Egret along the Manchester ship canal from Runcorn oil berth to Eastham locks on 09/04/09. Many thanks to Niels Grotz at SNTG, Cory Brothers, Master & Pilots.

Chemical / Oil products tanker
Built 1992
Grt 3853

Riverdance beached off Cleveleys near Blackpool

U534 in the process of being cut / relocated at Birkenhead

The Duke of Lancaster

On the 04/07/07 I was invited to take a trip aboard Stolt Nielsen's vessel Stolt Cormorant when she visited the canal. The journey shows various locations taken from the bridge all the way from Eastham to Partington oil basin. Many thanks to Niels Grotz at SNTG as well as the master and pilots aboard for an enjoyable trip.

Photographs on the River Mersey, mostly around New Brighton, Seacombe and Woodside.

Photographs of the Liverpool based Svitzer, Adsteam (Smit) tugs. I only have a 210mm lense so they usually have to come close up to me to get decent shots of them.

Photographs around the Liverpool dock systems.

Photographs taken around the Birkenhead dock system.

This selection of photos are taken midway between Eastham & Bromborough at Jobs ferry which offers a slightly more elevated vantage point instead of the more usual Eastham angles.

Photographs of the river Mersey around Eastham Ferry near the start of the ship canal, probably the closest point to photograph ships in the river.

Photographs of the ship canal around Eastham locks & the adjoining QE2 dock.

Photographs of the Manchester ship canal around Ellesmere Port. Ellesmere Port is still quite open for photography in the afternoon besides the boat museum.

Photographs of the Manchester ship canal around Runcorn, Old Quay, Weston Point and Frodsham Marshes.

Photographs of the Manchester ship canal around the Warrington area around Moore, Latchford and Thelwall etc including the various bridge crossings and vantage points.

Photographs of the Manchester ship canal around Irlam, Partington, Cadishead & Warburton.

Photographs of the Manchester ship canal around Trafford, Salford quays and Barton.

This collected depicts a lot of the ship canal's original character which includes infastructure, renovation, deriliction as well as anything else that is worthy of recording. Some of these shots could look a whole lot different in years to come as we go into the 'modern' peel holdings era of the canal.

Photographs of Manchester ship canal's ever shrinking fleet. The four 'V class' tugs owned by Carmet towing mainly work between Eastham & Stanlow. However shots of the ship canal's maintenance fleet are harder to come by hence the small selection!

Bromborough shipyard has quite a history of ship building especially tugs and river craft as the former Mctay's but is now operated by Mersey Heritage Ship repaires and mainly deals with repairs and conversions today.

I have changed this section to the Weaver Navigation only, running from Weston Marsh to Northwich. The river does't see much activity apart from the steam tug Kerne which visits Acton Bridge once a year in October.

Photos around the small port of Glasson on the river Lune, Lancashire.

Photographs taken around other UK ports ports & locations.

Working barges operating on the Aire & Calder navigation.

Photographs of the Ouse/Trent/Humber area.

A selection of photographs around Portsmouth & Southampton

A small selection of images around the rivers Tyne / Tees area.

A Small selection of Photographs around Gt Yarmouth, Lowestoft & Port Sutton Bridge.

Bits 'n peices that dont fit into any other catagory!

A view showing whats remaining of the Manchester ship canal railway. Once the largest privately owned railway network in the country, now trains only run on a daily basis between Trafford park & Barton container terminal. Most of the railway lines have long gone with little remains however much of the trackwork still exists around Ellesmere Port & Eastham albeit in poor condition.

Photographs from visits to the Australian ports of Adelaide, Melbourne, Portland, various around Sydney harbour and Singapore.