Harwich
September 28, 2021
8 Sep '21. HM 166. Historic Harwich and its misleading lights.
This ancient harbour is known as Historic Harwich. Tracing its history back 900 years, it covers a vast area of sheltered deep water including the navigation channels used by container traffic entering Felixstowe.
Overseeing all of this is Mike Dunn, HM of Harwich Haven Commissioners. Mike started life in the RFA, seeing service in the first Gulf War and eventually driving P&O cruise ferries out of Hull. He was the youngest "Younger Brother" of Hull Trinity House - an ancient seafarers guild which traces its charity work back to 1369 - 150 years before Henry VIII created the London charity of the same name. That Trinity House has their operational base in Harwich, photo 5 showing one of their vessels used to service lighthouses and buoys in English waters.
One of Mike's main projects has been the deepening of the entrance channels into his harbour. This privately financed project, costing £120 million, illustrates the type of capital works undertaken by UK ports and overseen by Harbour Masters - work that is invisible to the general public but vital to world trade. When you think the value of cargo on board just one container ship can reach £2 billion - £120m is very good value!
There was much to discuss with Mike - the world's largest container ships, cruise liners powered by sail, pilot training simulators and the future of autonomous ships. When I asked him the most unexpected thing he had had to deal with, it was "dogs" - one of his Pilots being bitten by the ship's dog!
A return visit to Harwich is needed, if only to visit the Maritime Museum and discover more about the victorian lighthouses known as the "Misleading Lights" - photo 8!
Thank you very much Mike for a fascinating chat, answering all my crew's questions and a very generous donation to The Seafarers' Charity.
This ancient harbour is known as Historic Harwich. Tracing its history back 900 years, it covers a vast area of sheltered deep water including the navigation channels used by container traffic entering Felixstowe.
Overseeing all of this is Mike Dunn, HM of Harwich Haven Commissioners. Mike started life in the RFA, seeing service in the first Gulf War and eventually driving P&O cruise ferries out of Hull. He was the youngest "Younger Brother" of Hull Trinity House - an ancient seafarers guild which traces its charity work back to 1369 - 150 years before Henry VIII created the London charity of the same name. That Trinity House has their operational base in Harwich, photo 5 showing one of their vessels used to service lighthouses and buoys in English waters.
One of Mike's main projects has been the deepening of the entrance channels into his harbour. This privately financed project, costing £120 million, illustrates the type of capital works undertaken by UK ports and overseen by Harbour Masters - work that is invisible to the general public but vital to world trade. When you think the value of cargo on board just one container ship can reach £2 billion - £120m is very good value!
There was much to discuss with Mike - the world's largest container ships, cruise liners powered by sail, pilot training simulators and the future of autonomous ships. When I asked him the most unexpected thing he had had to deal with, it was "dogs" - one of his Pilots being bitten by the ship's dog!
A return visit to Harwich is needed, if only to visit the Maritime Museum and discover more about the victorian lighthouses known as the "Misleading Lights" - photo 8!
Thank you very much Mike for a fascinating chat, answering all my crew's questions and a very generous donation to The Seafarers' Charity.