2025 Programme              (Updated 11th September 2025) 

The programme of events for 2025 is shown below.

Saturday 26th April 2025 - Solent Cruise (11:45 - 18:00)

Our first Solent Cruise of 2025 was held on 26th April on board Blue Funnel’s Ocean Scene. 44 TSS members participated in the cruise. The day dawned rather grey and misty, but it soon improved and by the time we were setting off at midday, the sun was shining. First we went up to the Western Docks to view the shipping there. Princess Cruises Sky Princess was at berth 102 and we would later see her depart for Haugesund. The containership YM Continuity was in the process of swinging in the Upper Swinging Ground before her departure. The very large Hapag-Lloyd containership Hanoi Express was on SCT5 berth.

We followed the YM Continuity out of the harbour eventually catching up with her off Hythe allowing some close up stern views. Sadly the Ocean Scene did not have the speed to overtake her so we could get some bow shots. The bunkering tanker Whitstar and the feeder containership Dornbusch also passed us inbound in Southampton Water. At Fawley the tankers Gemma and Yasa Vega were the pick of the bunch.

Off now towards Portsmouth via the North Channel in the Solent. Our buffet lunch was served at this point. In Portsmouth HMS Queen Elizabeth was in port as well as the destroyer HMS Dragon. Portsmouth commercial port was busy with Geest Line refrigerated cargo ship Luzon Strait and the bulk carrier Handy Heidi present. Brittany Ferries Mont St Michel was also in the process of departing. On our way out of Portsmouth harbour we were followed by the preserved Motor Gun Boat MGB 81.

We headed back to Southampton and passed the outbound cruise ship Sky Princess in Southampton Water. She was followed out by the LNG bunkering tanker Coral Methane which had been bunkering P&O’s cruise ship Iona. The bunkering tanker made a good photo in sunshine with a dark rain cloud behind her. Thankfully the rain cloud did not get as far as the docks in Southampton! We had a little time to kill before the departure of the cruise ship , so we explored the Empress Dock. The vehicle carrier Artemis Leader was berthed in the Eastern Docks on the River Itchen. In the Empress Dock were the usual bunkering tankers and the offshore vessel Armada 78 02.

By this time the Iona was backing out of Ocean Dock and swinging prior to her departure. We had a good view of her as she departed. All too soon the cruise was over and we made our way back to Town Quay. Our thanks go to the crew of the Ocean Scene for looking after us well. Thanks also to Ian Cochran, Dave Smith and other members of the committee for organizing the day.

Photos and Report by Chris Brooks

YM CONTINUITY outward bound in Southampton Water.

Container feeder DORNBUSCH inward bound in Southampton Water.

HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH in Portsmouth.

Reefer LUZON STRAIT in Portsmouth.

Preserved MGB 81 following us out of Portsmouth.

SKY PRINCESS departing from Southampton.

LNG bunkering tanker CORAL METHANE outward bound.

ARTEMIS LEADER in the Eastern Docks, Southampton.

P&O's IONA departing from Southampton Harbour.

Photos from Rotterdam Cruise

JSP SAMSO berthed on the river at Vlaardingen.

Preserved tug FURIE in the New Waterway.

BALDER outward bound from the Caland Canal.

EVER GENIUS at Maasvlakte.

Crane ship SEAWAY ALFA LIFT outward bound from Maasvlakte 2.

Chinese bitumen / asphalt tanker TAI HUA WAN in the Caland Canal.

IVER BRILLIANT overtaking us in the New Waterway.

Tanker GINGA LIGER berthed in Botlek Harbour.

Supply ship FS AQUARIUS passing us outward bound.

Bulk carrier ANGELE N moored in Wallhaven.

Photos from Terneuzen Visit

Bulk carrier STAR HARMONIA passing Terneuzen.

Tanker CHRISTINA bound for Antwerp.

Bulk carrier JASMUND inbound for the locks at Terneuzen.

Veteran containership MSC JOY passing for Antwerp.

New containership ECO OSTRO passing Terneuzen.

Saturday 17th May 2025 - Rotterdam and Europoort Cruise (10:00 - 20:00) / Sunday 18th May 2025 - Terneuzen Coach Trip.

Rotterdam and Europoort Cruise

For many the highlight of the TSS calendar is the Rotterdam and Europoort cruise on board the Nehalennia. Our 10 hour cruise this year was enjoyed by 45 members. The weather was a mixture of bright and sunny periods with a little light cloud at times, though a rather cool Northerly breeze was blowing.

We departed Boompjeskade at 10am and headed down river for Europoort and Maasvlakte. On our way we passed several ships berthed on the banks of the Nieuwe Maas, including the Jebsen Shipping Partners 2024 built JSP Samso. As we proceeded down the New Waterway, we passed several preserved tugs which were participating in an event at Maassluis celebrating 400 years of the town. Amongst them was the lovely steam tug Furie. As we got to the Hook of Holland we were overtaken by the containership BG Red and tanker Brahms.

We crossed over into the Caland Canal to witness the departure of the huge semi-submersible crane vessel Balder. From there we proceeded to Maasvlakte and subsequently Maasvlakte 2. Several large containerships were present, including the Ever Genius, OOCL Valencia, Elly Maersk and One Trust. The heavy load carrier Seaway Alfa Lift passed us outward bound towering over the Nehalennia. We retraced our steps back to Europoort where several other containerships were berthed. Unfortunately we couldn’t visit Europahaven and the bulkers in Mississippihaven due to time constraints and a large containership departing from Europahaven.

We then left Europoort and explored the tanker berths in the Caland Canal. One of the more interesting ships berthed there was the Chinese COSCO asphalt / bitumen tanker Tai Hua Wan. As well as the tanker berths we had a look in Beneluxhaven to see the various ro-ro cargo ship and ferries. We covered most of the Caland Canal before we turned and headed back to the New Waterway.

On our way back up the New Waterway towards Rotterdam we were passed by the outbound DFDS vessel Suecia Seaways followed by the cargo ship BBC Ganges. The inbound Vroon asphalt / bitumen tanker Iver Brilliant overtook us as we headed for Rotterdam. We then turned into Botlek Harbour, which is always busy with a wide selection of vessels. The tanker Ginga Liger caught the late afternoon sunshine as we passed her. Once we had covered Botlek Harbour we headed upriver for the last harbour the Waalhaven. One the way we passed the outbound offshore supply ship FS Aquarius. Waalhaven harbour always has some interesting vessels to see - offshore ships, laid up vessels and vessels under repair. The bulk carrier Angele N was moored on the buoys there.

All too soon our cruise came to an end. Our thanks go to the captain and crew of the Nehalennia for looking after us so well and also to Mark Teadham for making arrangements for the boat and other committee members for organising the day.

Rotterdam photos and report by Chris Brooks

Visit to Terneuzen

This year, as an addition to the Rotterdam port trip on Saturday, a coach was organized to take members to Terneuzen on Sunday to view shipping on the Schelde. 16 members booked and we were treated to a luxury 20-seater mini coach provided by Coach Services of Schiedam for the trip. Pick-ups were at the Delta Hotel and Vlaardingen station at 0900 and we then headed on the motorway to Terneuzen via the Schelde Tunnel, an impressive 6km tunnel under the Schelde.

We were delayed at the locks by the passage of the geared bulker Suzanne D fully loaded for Brazil, and the inbound Begonia Seaways of DFDS arriving from Gothenburg for Ghent. Once over the locks we quickly were at the main viewing area for photographing ships on the Schelde making their to and from Antwerp.

The great thing with Terneuzen is that the ships are underway and there is an uncluttered background. In the 5 hours we were there shipping was quiet but the refreshments at the nearby cafe made up for lack of ships. MSC container ships were prominent with MSC Jan R, MSC Suderoog F and MSC Joy all noted, the latter being one of their crew training ships with a large accommodation block. Other containerships included JPO Pisces, Eco Ostro and Songa Puma which was seen at Rotterdam the previous day. The geared bulker Jasmund entered the locks for Ghent and the bulker Locarno came through the locks outbound. Passing tankers included Lord Lupo, Marianne and Christina. Our visit ended with the small bulk vessel Wilson Weser and large container ship One Triumph passing by both heading for Antwerp, the latter being impressive due to her size.

Terneuzen photos by Des Upcraft and report by Stephen Marginson.

Over 50 TSS and WSS members gathered at Town Quay for the Solent Cruise on 26th July. We were soon boarding our vessel for the day, Solent and Wightline Cruises vessel Solent Cat and were away on time at 11:15am. The weather was a little grey with the odd glimpse of brightness.

We started by visiting the Western Docks where the cruise ships were dominating the scene – these included the Celebrity Apex, MSC Virtuosa and Aurora. As well as the cruise ships the 2022 built offshore vessel Armada 78 02 was at 107 berth. She is an optionally-crewed robotic vessel and has been performing some kind of sea trials off the coast. Over at the container terminal the huge HMM Helsinki was at SCT5 berth with the Maersk Puelo around the corner at SCT3/4 berth and the newly arrived One Magdalena was still being pushed up by a tug on to SCT1 berth.

We then made our way back out and past the Eastern Docks, where P&O’s Iona was in the Ocean Dock. Three vehicle carriers were in the Eastern Docks, the Orion Highway and veteran 1988 built Silver Sun were on the River Test berths and the NYK line Asteria Leader was around the corner on the River Itchen berths.

Off down Southampton Water next. At Fawley, the pick of the tankers present was the VLCC Cobalt Nova which was getting ready to depart later in the afternoon. At Fawley we passed the general cargo ship UML Victoria inbound for the container terminal. She is acting as the mothership for the Sail GP races, the latest of which was held in Portsmouth the previous weekend. Sadly as we passed Fawley we had a shower of rain, which didn’t help the photography!

On now towards Portsmouth and by the time we got there, the weather had brightened up and there were a few patches of blue sky. In Portsmouth the RFA Argus was the most interesting ship to be seen. There were also two Ukrainian minesweepers UNS Melitopol and UNS Mariupol which are receiving training from the Royal Navy. Also present were HMS Duncan, HMS Tyne and HMS Trent.

After Portsmouth we headed out to St. Helen’s anchorage, where there were six small tankers present. These included Epic Shikoku, Gas Haralambos and Elisabeth Schulte. Then it was out to the Nab Anchorage where there was one ship within our range. She was the German Tankers ship Seasprat.

We headed back to the main channel from the anchorages and got there in time to pass the outbound VLCC Cobalt Nova, closely followed by the containership Maersk Puelo and bringing up the rear, the coastal tanker Caroline A. Following the main channel across the Solent, we passed the first of the departing cruise ships, the Celebrity Apex on the Bramble turn, off Cowes, closely followed by P&O’s Aurora. We got a better view of the tankers at Fawley on the way back to Southampton and also passed the departing P&O cruise ship Iona off Netley.

Finally a chance to take some sunny shots of the vehicle carriers in the Eastern Docks, before returning to Town Quay for disembarkation. Our thanks go to Dave Smith, Ian Cochran and Mark Teadham for organising the day. Also to Neil Richardson for acting as navigator and planning our route and of course to the captain and crew of the Solent Cat for looking after us so well. I am looking forward to the next one in early September!

Photos and report by Chris Brooks.

Offshore support vessel ARMADA 78 02 in the Western Docks.

RFA Argus in Portsmouth Harbour.

The patrol vessel HMS TYNE was also in Portsmouth.

GAS HARALAMBOS in St. Helen's Anchorage...

...as was the LADY GUIA.

The VLCC COBALT NOVA outward bound in the Solent...

...followed by the containership MAERSK PUELO.

CELEBRITY APEX was the first of three cruise ships seen departing.

P&O's IONA in Southampton Water.

Vehicle carrier SILVER SUN catching the evening sun at the end of our cruise.

MAERSK NANSHA arriving at the container terminal.

Heavy lift ship CAROLINE berthed in the Eastern Docks on the River Itchen.

CMA CGM AQUILA inbound in Southampton Water.

James Fisher's SPECIALITY in the Solent bound for the Empress Dock.

BAGSHOT was one of four tankers photographed in St. Helen's Anchorage.

K Line's NIAGARA HIGHWAY outward bound in the Solent.

CELEBRITY APEX was the first of four cruise ships to depart.

...She was followed by P&O's ARCADIA bound for Lisbon.

Containership EVRIDIKI G departing from Southampton.

About 30 members of the TSS gathered on Town Quay on Saturday 6th September for the final Solent Cruise of 2025. It was a bright and sunny day, but with a blustery wind. We boarded our boat for the day, Solent and Wightline Cruises vessel Solent Cat. There were quite a few ship movements on the port’s website for the day, so we were looking forward to photographing several vessels underway.

We commenced our cruise at midday and proceeded up into the Western Docks. Several of the cruise ships due to depart later in the day were present, including the Celebrity Apex, MSC Virtuosa and Ventura. We followed the arriving containership Maersk Nansha up into the container terminal and watched the tugs manoeuvring her on to SCT1 berth. The containership Evridiki G was also berthed at the terminal. We re-traced our steps back into the Eastern Docks, which was hosting the P&O cruise ships Iona and Arcadia. Around dockhead and the vehicle carrier Niagara Highway and heavy lift ship Caroline were on the River Itchen berths. In Empress Dock the cargo ship Deo Volante was loading yachts.

We headed out and down Southampton Water, stopping briefly to let the large containership CMA CGM Aquila pass us. She was arriving from Dunkirk. Fawley Oil Terminal was dominated by the large vlcc Cobalt Nova. As we passed Fawley the small LPG tanker Gas Xanadu was arriving. We then made our way across the Solent in the North Channel to St. Helen’s Anchorage where four tankers were anchored awaiting berths at Fawley. There was a bit of a swell in the anchorage, but we managed to make our way around the tankers photographing all four, the pick of which was the Bagshot of Union Maritime.

We then made our way back towards Southampton, passing the outbound Deo Volente bound for Rotterdam and the Niagara Highway, which had departed Southampton for Bremerhaven. We arrived back in Southampton Water and then slowed down, waiting for the departing procession of cruise ships. Celebrity Apex was the first cruise ship to depart, bound for Haugesund. She was followed by P&O’s Arcadia bound for Lisbon and the Ventura which was out for Funchal.

There was a bit of a wait for the next departure which was the containership Evridiki G, whose next port of call was Antwerp. She is employed on Maersk’s Colombian Express service and looks in need of a coat of paint! The final departure was P&O’s Iona which spent some time backing out of Ocean Dock and swinging with the assistance of a tug, before she passed us bound for Stavanger.

All too soon it was time to head back to Town Quay where the cruise ended. It was a great day out and one of the best Solent Cruises for a while, both in terms of sunlight for the photographers amongst us and also the number of ships underway which Neil Richardson, our navigator, got us in good positions to photograph. Our thanks go to Neil for his navigation and to the members of the TSS committee Mark Teadham, Dave Smith and Ian Cochran for organising the day. Lastly thanks to the captain and crew of the Solent Cat for looking after us so well.

Photos and report by Chris Brooks.