Torbay Deep Sea Pilot Anchorage.

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StugeronSteve

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Is this getting busier? The volume of big shipping that we encountered in Lyme Bay, during our recent holiday passages, was much greater than usual. On our return trip we had one of those scary appearances from the mist, albeit at a safe distance, that are normally a feature of a channel crossing.
 
Can I answer in two parts - Deep Sea Pilots and Torbay Anchorage.

It's Torbay deep water anchorage, and the pilots are really a separate issue.

The short answer to your question is "yes".

The world economy is booming, and during the past two years merchant shipping has boomed exceedingly. Alas (speaking as someone who works in merchant shipping!) this boom is now ending.

Anyway...

Two types of ship are espescially likely to take deepsea pilots; large container ships and large tankers.

The containerships will pick up their inward pilot off Cherbourg and drop him either at their last port (typically Antwerp) or off Dover or Lyme Bay - they will not anchor for this - time is money and these ships make 24 knots. They will slow for the launch but that is all.

Tankers, on the other hand may have to wait for a berth and will anchor. Torbay is a recognised spot. It used to be used for lightening tankers bound for Shell Haven, but that refinery is now closed. Some other berths need lightening and it is still used for that. Tankers often carry oil that is traded on voyage, so they don't always know where they will discharge - an anchorage like Torbay allows the ship to go on to one of many ports in NW Europe.

Large bulk carriers have also been waiting for berths recently. But their cargoes are less often traded on the water so they wait off the port they are bound for, cos they know which it is!
 
Re: Can I answer in two parts - Deep Sea Pilots and Torbay Anchorage.

The trading of oil cargo that you speak of, would that be the reason for a small tanker alongside a larger one that we saw in Lyme bay couple of years back? We could see pipes from one ship to the other.
 
Re: Can I answer in two parts - Deep Sea Pilots and Torbay Anchorage.

I was told that the very largest tankers are now such deep draft that they cannot now get up to Fawley without offloading some oil first. Maybe thats what you saw?
 
Re: Can I answer in two parts - Deep Sea Pilots and Torbay Anchorage.

My understanding, not professional knowledge, it that the contents of the ship are being traded on the markets whilst the ship is underway, across the pond for example. So by the time it gets to another part of the world, somebody will have made a purchase and decided where they want it delivered. If this hasn't happened, the ship has to 'stall' for time, until a final destination is advised.

Transfer of contents 'mid sea' as you observed, EtapOwner, would be for different reasons.

I look forward to be told I am totally wrong by the experts around here!
 
Re: Can I answer in two parts - Deep Sea Pilots and Torbay Anchorage.

No, that is ship to ship transfer for lightening; part of the cargo is offloaded to reduce the big ship's draft.

Quite an interesting operation; usually done with both ships under way.

If you want to see a really big plastic fender - take a look at the Yokohama fenders these ships use!
 
Re: Can I answer in two parts - Deep Sea Pilots and Torbay Anchorage.

Superb answer, as usual, many thanks. We did notice a couple of tankers laying to anchor, but most of the traffic seemed to be big container stuff, which, from what we could see as we headed west (cos the visibility was poor on the return trip), did seem to sweep into the bay and drop, or collect, pilots without stopping.
 
Re: Tanker Transhipments

Used to be very common when the first of the bigger 250,000t plus VLCCs and ULCCs came into service. All oil majors had converted smaller c50,000 tankers as lightners. BP had one called British Dragoon. They carried big fenders and came alongside in Lyme Bay or just to the East of St Vaast.

Changes in trading and development of N Sea Oil saw this almost stop but with the decline of these fields now it seems this practice is coming back.

ps Standard orders were LEFO when leaving Suez or CapeTown and for the Cargo to be sold many times over before getting anywhere near the Bay of Biscay.


Brian
 
Re: Tanker Transhipments

Cor, I did 2 trips on the Dragoon! As Mirelle mentioned, the Yokohamas were big buggers. On my first trip I had the dubious pleasure of checking the pressures and topping up if needed. Tried to convince the Old Man that kicking them was sufficient but he disagreed! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif When we weren't doing lightenings we went to picturesque places like Hound Point, Europoort and Hamburg. One trip up the Elbe the pilot put us on the putty and I had the joy of waking the Old Man from his afternoon siesta and telling him we were aground! It took <u>14</u> tugs to get us off. 2 on the hook at each end and another 10 lined up down the side pushing. I used to have a picture - must see if I can find it. Now all this nostalgia is making me all dewey-eyed. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 
Re: Brit Dragoon

Did she still have the famous tide mark in the engine room when she settled on the mud in Perth when 2/E took the wrong sea valve off?.
Hamburg - my favourite port in Europe - 6 week Dry Docks in Blomm and Voss in summer - Swing that lantern

Brian
 
Re: Brit Dragoon

I wasn't there, but the version that reached my ears had it that the seachest had been blanked with a sheet of plywood, which needless to say was not up to the pressure!

Very routine now, of course, with all vessels leaving the yards with blanking plates for 5 year dockings - one day the paint makers will make a paint that justifies it!

I seem to recall that refloating in the Elbe too; was on the "tug" side of things at that point.
 
Re: Brit Dragoon

I confess to having no recollection of 'the tide mark', nor do I remember the mishap you refer to. Still, I was a 'deckie' what would I know!
Hamburg- now that I <u>do</u> remember. 6 weeks drydock - I do hope you behaved like an officer and a gentleman (and took your socks off) /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I remember going ashore one evening with Memsahib and a couple of J/E's. We were walking along a street (Rieperbahn or summink!) and said wife took off down a side alley dragging us behind. "No, no" we cried "you can't go in there". "Course we can" says she. Went round a couple of overlapping partitions to see all these 'professional ladies' standing on bus-stops. Wife's face was a picture. We beat a hasty retreat to shouts of "Raus, Raus" and went for a stiff drink. Oh how we laughed. Oh how wife blushed. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
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