Quaysides

Aberdeen 16/05/09

Whilst up at Aberdeen on business, I had free time on the Saturday afternoon.

The weather was far from ideal, rain and wind but as the alternative was sitting in my hotel room I went out.Taxi's are
and expensive in Aberdeen but needs must. As I was dropped off at the Torry Battery car park I did wonder on my sanity,
the first vessel was already lining up for sailing, so shielding my camera from the elements I set to.

The British registered platform supply vessel (PSV) "Far Strider" passes the harbour control centre with the pilot
launch "Sea Shepherd" in attendance.

The Mumbai registered AHTS "Subhadra" shifting berthsto the River Dee.

Next sailing was the standby safety vessel "Grampian Pride"..

..still protected by the breakwater...

..getting a little lively now...

..and into the rollercoaster swell off the entrance.

The PSV "Highland Star" next outward. By this point I was sheltering in a little bunker, although there was
large drips of water falling across the entrance.

Passing the control centre and then hitting the swell, the PSV "Island Express" was next outward.

With the pilot being disembarked early in the entrance, the PSV "Toisa Intrepid" makes her way out and into the swell.

The pilot launch "Sea Shepherd" outward to board three inward bound vessels.

The first inward, rising and falling quite markedly is the PSV "Siem Sasha".

She was followed by the anchor handling tug "Normand Drott", really 'rocking and rolling' on the swell.

The last of the three inward vessel was the coaster "Odertal", also bouncing around. Note the Saltire on the foremast.

]At this point the cold and wet started to get to me, so I started to head into the harbour and on to the town.

Berthed in the tidal harbour, the Nassau registered survey vessel "Vikland".

In the Albert basin, the Farstad vessel "Far Sapphire" with the ro/ro "Hascosay" astern.

Departing the River Dee stern first and turning for sea, the colourfull PSV "Edda Fram".

Also berthed in the tidal dock was the PSV "Up Safira".

A surprise sighting, in the Telford dock was the cruise ship "Funchal". If the weather had been better I would have been
tempted to stay around the harbour incase she sailed early.

Also in the Tidal dock was the PSV "Siem Supplier".

Moving berth in the River Dee was the PSV "Island Champion".

As the rain started to fall again I managed to take this view of the AHTS "Sea Lion" over the fence at the River Dee dock.

And so ended my first photographic expedition to Aberdeen. Typically though, the next day was fine and sunny all day - while I was working!!