Round Britain day 72

[Concerto]

Today I made the short 10 mile journey from Bangor to Belfast. As expected the wind was almost on the nose and according to Belfast VTS it was 9 to 17 knots, so I motored all the way in a couple of hours. Before you enter the dredged channel you must call up Belfast VTS (VHF 12) as it is a fairly busy port with ferries and ships.

As I entered the harbour entrance a Stena Line ferry was preparing to leave. I had been given permission to proceed, but as I came along side the ferry was already backing away from the terminal. It had been bows in and I was surprised that they swung the stern round into the channel, not the bow. Further in, I started passing container feeder vessels, cruise liners and small bulk carriers. I pitied the 2nd cruise liner as it was berthed just down wind of a coal ship unloading with 2 large bucket cranes. They had rigged up some water sprays to hopefully stop any dust. Even when you are that big, you cannot always pick a good clean berth.

In the distance you could see the massive cranes at the old Harland and Woolfe shipyard. They are called Samson and Goliath and dominate the skyline, along with the new Titanic Museum building. As I passed the berth where the Titanic was built, there is a scuplture of her bow knuckle. Then there is a WWI C class light cruiser that was commissioned in 1914 and is the last survivorof the Battle of Jutland still afloat. Not sure if she is open at present, but I will find out tomorrow.

When I tried phoning the marina, I was transfered to Belfast VTS, who said choose any empty berth in the marina. I decided to go in a corner alongside the walkway as the next boat had just arrived. Just getting into position and the marina guy arrived and said it was already booked for another boat and I had to move to one marked reserved. As I was already rigged to moor port side, I had to reverse in with the wind blowing me slightly away. The marina guy was there to help and it was not too difficult to do.


She had already moved about 30m back


Blocking the channel


Heading out


The Emerald Princess


Samson (nearest) and Goliath


Viking Venus


Viking Venus sandwiched between a bulk carrier and a coal ship unloading at her bow


The bow knuckle sculpture of Titanic alongside her building berth


Samson and HMS Caroline


HMS Caroline


Does my bum look big in this berth? The Titanic Museum building in the distance



For anyone wanting to read the reports from the start, this is the link to first one.
Round Britian day 1

 

[AngusMcDoon]

One of the few marinas with free laundry facilities. Get your undercrackers in the wash quick, before someone else does (with theirs, not yours unfortunately).

 

[Concerto]

One of the few marinas with free laundry facilities. Get your undercrackers in the wash quick, before someone else does (with theirs, not yours unfortunately).

It is on the list of jobs that needs to be completed.

 

[Greg2]

The photo of the Caroline brought back memories - she housed the RNR when I served in Belfast during my Navy time in the mid-eighties and every Sunday evening we got transport over to her for the weekly ‘Bop‘ in the onboard bar. Happy days!

 

[Neeves]

My Grandfather served on the Canterbury in WWI, she was built (John Brown's) later than Caroline (Cammel Laird) and had only 2 funnels. I have a lovely picture of a diminutive Canterbury alongside Hood as both were fitted out at the same time. Both light cruisers were at Jutland and then both served under Thyritt in the Harwich Force. As the war came to an end Canterbury was sent to the Black Sea and led the fleet into Sevastapol and crew from Canterbury 'took over' the Russian battleship Volya. It was a failed attempt to bolster support for the White Russians. I'm the custodian of a heavy silver tray from the, Volya's, Officers ward room.

Jonathan

 

[Concerto]

When I checked today, HMS Caroline is definitely closed and should reopen at the end of the summer. She closed when Covid struck and recently secured funding to get her open again and stay open until 2035. Shame I would have liked to see her, maybe another year.

This morning I had booked to go to the Titanic Museum or should I say Experience. During August there is a discount if you prebook to arrive before 10am. This was a greater discount than a senior ticket and as the marina is only a 10 minute walk away, it was no hardship. The start of the tour I felt was badly laid out as it covered the growth of industries in Belfast. Visitors bunched together trying to read the displays, and then there were large empty areas with a large screen video that most ignored and walked past. The design and building of the ships was interesting with lots of photographs. Then I was surprised there was a ride through the shipyard. When the ride finished, you then saw the launch of Titanic and her fit out. This only took 10 months and included everything from craning in her boilers to all the interior woodwork, and finally her initial testing in Belfast Lough for the Board of Trade. The displays of the different classes of cabin was good. Then it was on to the loading and first trips before her fateful maiden voyage. The sinking was treated with respect, but there were some parts that could have been handled better with more information. The Board of Inquiry was held and recommended that all ships must carry sufficient lifeboats for all passengers and crew. The next section covered seeing the wreck on a cinema screen and walking across a glass floor with a video playing of the wreck site under your feet. By this time most people were on information overload and just wanted to finish, but there was a final section on undersea exploration.

Once out I headed for the cafe, followed by a quick look round the gift shop. The final part of the Experience was visiting SS Nomadic. She was the tender that was used in Cherbourg to ferry mainly 1st and 2nd class passengers from shore to the ship. She was built close to the Titanic and Olympic and at the same time. During her century of life she has done a lot of things like being a minesweeper in WWI, help evacuated British troops from Cherbourg in 1940, ply soldiers between Southampton and the Isle of Wight for the rest of WWII, return to tendering duty after the war, before being saved from the scrap yard and becoming a floating restaurant in Paris. Finally she returned back to Belfast and was renovated using their original plans by Harland and Wolff. Visiting the Nomadic I felt was the best part of the Experience.

After this I popped into the local Spar for a few bits and took them back to the boat. Now it was time to extract the bike and visit the Ulster museum. This ia a contemporary design of building which I found strange with multiple levels round a central atrium. It felt disjointed and there was no easy route to see all the exhibits. It covered everything from geology, fossils and dinosaurs, stuffed animals, natural elements and their products, industrial design, through to contemporary art and sculpture, not forgetting a section on the Game of Thrones. After leaving the museum I rode round the Botanic Gardens before heading for the city centre.


The Titanic building


SS Nomadic


1st Class lounge on Nomadic


An Edmonosaurus


A Chinese cannon


A butterfly display


Rock samples including precious stones


One piece of modern art I quite liked, but most left me cold


Part of the Botanic Gardens


Queen's University


St Anne's Cathedral


City Hall

 

[Neeves]

One thing that you do not really emphasise - you miss most of what you have photographed if you do not carry a bicycle. I'm constantly amazed at the absence of bikes on cruising yachts.

Yours is a magnificent photographic journey round bits on Britain that most people never see. It is becoming an amazing archive.

Jonathan

 

[Concerto]

One thing that you do not really emphasise - you miss most of what you have photographed if you do not carry a bicycle. I'm constantly amazed at the absence of bikes on cruising yachts.

Yours is a magnificent photographic journey round bits on Britain that most people never see. It is becoming an amazing archive.

Jonathan

Bikes can be quite bulky to store. Mine is not the lightest or easiest to move in or out of the cabin and into the quarter berth. Not to mention getting from the boat on to a pontoon along the side decks. If I had to use a dinghy, then I would need to use a block and tackle on the boom (which I have).

The freedom the bike has given me is a real eye opener as I can do more in a day by either cutting the time down between places or going further than on shanks pony. The alternative is using a bus or train, but they do not always go exactly where you want to go to or when it is suitable time wise as some schedules are very sparse.

Today I could easily added another half dozen photos, but there is a 12 photo limit to a post and I feel to do a double post is just being greedy. Very few of the photos are about me or Concerto, it is because it is a record of my trip and hopefully it will encourage others to do something similar in the future. A couple of days have been a bit long as I missed a critical tidal gate due to winds not being as forecast. There have been a few days of excess wind, well above the forecast, but little fazes me and I just take it in my stride.

Earlier I was looking at the next difficult section of the Isle of Man to Liverpool. It is about 80 miles so I am looking at about 14 hours. The added problem is Liverpool Marina is only accessible HW +-2 hours and HW on Friday is 17.10. So I am looking at leaving at the latest 3am and having only a 2 hour window for error. The current forecast is not ideal as it is NE veering to E with 5 to 9 knots early and 8 to 16 in the afternoon. The course is 130 degrees, so it will be tight, but hopefully do able.

 

[Neeves]

I've shown this before

Quo Vardis had the same problem but he was sailing north and missed the tidal gate. The wind picked up, it must have been a Northwesterly. He is anchored just off New Brighton, from where the pictures were taken. There is a sort of breakwater to seaward - but it does not seem to offer much shelter. I am sure you have some sort of Plan B. If the weather is as you suggest anchoring in the estuary seems perfectly feasible and perfect in an easterly (I stand to be corrected) - let the local coastguard know . From memory - the owner told me he was anchored in 5m - but the tides are huge (hence the narrow tidal gate).

 

[Neeves]

On bikes:

Ours are cheap, folding, small wheels (wheels a bit bigger than a Moulton). Being cheap they are not light, 18kg, each - and pre electric bikes. 3 gears. We can store them in the aft cabin, we made canvas bags for them. They fit in our dinghy with the 2 of us (10'6" Dinghy, 2hp O/B). Mine has a rack over the rear wheel and both have baskets over the front wheel.

If you are flush - focus on weight, less is better.

Jonathan

 

[Concerto]

Certainly not going to change my bike. It is an alloy frame with 20" wheels. It does weigh 19.5Kg without the battery, so little different than your cheepo ones. The other big difference is mine is an 8 speed electric, not a 3 speed push bike. It has push buttons to change gear, hydraulic disk brakes, suspension forks and suspension seat post, kevlar reinforced tyres with extra thick inner tubes, built in security wheel lock, lights, and a rack on the back. It is so smooth to ride, I doubt I could get used to a simpler bike with less gears.

The only lighter folding electric bike is the Brompton and it is nearly twice the price.

At home in my garage I have a Bickerton folding alloy bike, but I forgot to dig it out and replace the tyres and inner tubes as they must be 30 years old now.

 

[Concerto]

Update. My daughter cannot now make next weekend in Liverpool. Rearranged for the following weekend in Conwy. This gives me more time in N Ireland and Isle of Man.

 

[SaltyC]

Update. My daughter cannot now make next weekend in Liverpool. Rearranged for the following weekend in Conwy. This gives me more time in N Ireland and Isle of Man.

That is more logical, with great respect to Liverpool as a cruising destination it is not great, 3 hours up river, 3 hours back down and tidal access. An opportunity for a quick peek in Stangford Loche, additional ports in NI and a circuit of the IoM.
Conwy is tidal and frightening if you take the cycle path to Llandudno at Low Water to realise what you sailed over. Enjoy.

 

[Concerto]

Today has been more about laundry than sightseeing. I got fed up trying to get two loads dry, I brought it back to the boat so I could go wandering on my bike after some lunch aboard.

There is a Maritime Mile walk/bike ride, so I started with this. Beside the Titanic building is laid out with lines for the deck plan of Titanic. Certainly gives you an impression of how large she was. Close to the stern was a stained glass panel of the Iron Throne from the Game of Thrones. There are 7 of these panels in Belfast as it much of it was filmed at the Titanic Studios.

The next stop was The Great Light. These are the largest Fresnel lenses ever installed in a lighthouse. They were originally fitted Tory Island Lighthouse between 1887 and 1924, before being moved in 1928 to Mew Island Lighthouse, just below Belfast Lough. They were finally removed in 2014 after 123 years service. They are now a monument to lighthouses.

Next was HMS Caroline, a WWI C Class Light Cruiser. She is long and narrow with a Dreadnought bow. It was a shame she is closed at present and it looked worth a visit. There was The Glass of Thrones stained glass here. From here I could just make out the dry dock where Titanic was built, but the area was closed off. A quick tour of the industrial area included passing the Amazon wharehouse and associated multistory car park for staff. There certainly some staff working today as I saw delivery cars being loaded with parcels.

From this area I now headed towards the city centre and passed the St George's Market building. Then I went to look at the CS Lewis Square, commemorating his books. When I arrived I found a couple of dozen gazebos with potters selling their wares. This event only happens twice a year, so I feel lucky to have been in the right place at the right time. I chatted with a number of the potters and I did buy one small inexpensive dish. The photo shows the statue of the Lion from the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe with a couple of stalls.

From here I headed back to the boat and realised there was an interesting view of the Harland and Wolff cranes. Beside the marina are 3 escaped buoys, which are over 80 yeatrs old. When I went to dry the balance of my washing, the tumble dryer was being used, so I went and cooked supper. When I went back, the machine was still in use and I checked it was still not quite dry. As I came out, there was the start of a sunset, so I walked to get a better view over the water as a small motorboat was coming into view. Going back on the pontoon I saw an even better shot with a tall ship. The motorboat moored in the marina, so I went over and asked if they had an iPhone, yes. Then I showed the owner the photo and Airdropped it to his phone. It was the first photo he had of his boat under way.

Back in the laundry, the clothes were dry, so I pulled them onto the counter and started drying some of mine. The Titanic building is illuminated with a purple light and looks very different to in daylight. One load has finished and I am just going to collect the second.


The Great Light


HMS Caroline bow on. The yellow and grey strip building is the Titanic Studios






The Lion in CS Lewis Square with some potters


Them big cranes Belfast is famous for


Hello buoys


Looking over the River Lagan


TS Grace O'Mally


Titanic building at night

 

[wully1]

On bikes:

Ours are cheap, folding, small wheels (wheels a bit bigger than a Moulton). Being cheap they are not light, 18kg, each - and pre electric bikes. 3 gears. We can store them in the aft cabin, we made canvas bags for them. They fit in our dinghy with the 2 of us (10'6" Dinghy, 2hp O/B). Mine has a rack over the rear wheel and both have baskets over the front wheel.

If you are flush - focus on weight, less is better.

Jonathan

Sounds just like ours , great fun but we bought electric mountain bikes (which are far too big for the boat) so they sit in the garage looking for a new home.

 

[Neeves]

Its a pleasure to see new architecture alongside the old (though most of the architecture is old) in your traverse, voyage round the UK. I'm struck by the similarity of the 'old' architecture with those of a similar vintage in Sydney (or most Australian cities) as if they were designed by the same team. Maybe one of the ignored benefits of Empire. The architecture of Queens College, The University, Glasgow and universities in Australia are so similar as to be uncanny. Was there a School of University Architecture in the UK farmed out to the Colonies?

Jonathan

 

[Neeves]

Sounds just like ours , great fun but we bought electric mountain bikes (which are far too big for the boat) so they sit in the garage looking for a new home.

You need a bigger boat!

Jonathan

 

[wully1]

You need a bigger boat!

Jonathan

No I really don’t!
Came to the conclusion a while back that it is utterly pointless to carry about a great big hole in the water that costs so much more you need to spend to do the job. You’ll just fill all that extra space with junk you don’t need that will only slow you down - after spending money you didn’t need to spend to buy the junk you don’t need.

 

[Greg2]

There is a Maritime Mile walk/bike ride, so I started with this.

Well I didn’t know that!

I met a local lass during my Navy time in Belfast in the eighties and we are married 35 years in September and visit ‘Norn Iron’ to see family. We did the Titanic centre years ago when the kids were younger but haven’t been since and it as though it has developed a lot since then so we must pay a visit next time we are over. I would like to see the Caroline, if only to re-visit memories of the Sunday night ‘bop.’ SWMBO claims to remember carrying me down the gangway in a drunken state on New Years Eve, must have been ‘84/‘85…….I have no such memory!?
.

 

[Concerto]

The next report is here.
Round Britain day 75