The bi-annual Oceanology International trade event returns to the ExCel London Exhibition Centre in London’s Royal Docks in March 2024 and is one of the few events that sees vessels in action on the waters of Royal Victoria Dock.
As the exhibition is focused on marine technology the Royal Victoria Dock in East London provides a perfect location for demonstrating various equipment and technologies but seems to be used less frequently and impending redevelopment works in the area are likely to further constrain opportunities for such use.
Of the larger vessels that are due to attend some are regular attendees from previous iterations of the event and the focus on un-crewed vessels continues, the following vessels have been announced but there will be a number of USVs too:
The sailing ship Kommandoren operated byHays Ships and survey vessels Solent Guardian operated by Briggs Marine plus Maplin & Thame operated by Port of London Authority are all returning visitors to the event.
On reviewing Thames river traffic in London during 2023 it was good to note a number of vessels visiting for the first time and also to see some additions to the fleets of local operators (and, unfortunately, a few departures) with the overall number and variety of visitors being good. A full list can be seen here.
The cargo operations at the Tate and Lyle plant continued with regular supplies of raw materials being delivered by ship with 18 deliveries during the year and notable with the restart of trade with Australia after a gap of nearly 50 years. A full list of the visiting ships can be seen here.
There were 20 Cruise Ship visitors in 2023 that used both the Upper Pool and Greenwich moorings with three “first-timers” as well as returning stalwarts of the London cruise scene. As ever with such things there were a few cancellations for various reasons during the season but most of the planned vessels made a visit.
VIKING NEPTUNESeabourn VentureHANSEATIC nature
The THE WORLD floating residence ship also paid a visit to London during 2023.
THE WORLD
The year saw 10 different Luxury Yachts visit with several first time visitors and some of those were newly launched vessels although overall numbers were slightly down on previous years.
KAOSREVELRYAUSTRALIANORNMARAEBRASIL (image from previous visit)SCOUTARTIC PRIDE IIPHOENIXBRAVO EUGENIA
Only 10 sailing ships visited the Thames during the year and mostly by the smaller class vessels but there was one sail-powered cargo delivery during the year by DE TUKKER.
STAD AMSTERDAMDE TUKKEROverview of Thames military vessel visitors in 2023
Another bumper year for military vessel visits that saw a total of 33 vessels call at London including the first visit of a Finnish naval vessel under the NATO flag and three new vessels for the UK Armed Forces with the trials vessel XV PATRICK BLACKETT, RNMB APOLLO and RFA PROTEUS visiting, the latter for it’s naming ceremony.
The following military vessels visited during the year:
ARM CuauhtémocBNS Castor (P901)FGS Rottweil (M1061)FNS Hämeenmaa (02)FS Croix du Sud (M646)FS Étoile (A 649) FS Flanant (P676)FS Pluvier (P678)HMS Blazer (P279)HMS Dasher (P280)HMS Diamond (D34)HMS Example (P165)HMS Exploit (P167)HMS Iron Duke (F234)HMS Pembroke (M107)HMS Puncher (P291)HMS Pursuer (P273)HMS Trumpeter (P294)HNLMS De Ruyter (F804)HNLMS Johan De Witt (L801)HNLMS Mercuur (A900)HNLMS Rotterdam (L800)HNLMS Schiedam (M860)HNLMS Zierikzee (M862)HNoMS Nordkapp (A531)HNoMS Otra (M351)LCU 9732LCU 9736LÉ George Bernard Shaw (P64)NE Brasil (U27)RFA Proteus (K60)RNMB ApolloXV Patrick Blackett (X01)
The biennial defence show took place in September but with a reduced presence from visiting ships and no on-water displays this time. A full report can be seen here.
The Met Police Marine Division completed the re-equipment of their patrol boat fleet with at least one of their former vessels having been transferred to the UK Border Force (NINA MACKAY II) and the original Targa 37 PATRICK COLQUHOUN II remained in service at the end of the year. A full report can be seen here.
The year also saw the introduction of several more alternative fuel vessels (to add to the hybrid Woolwich Ferries and HVO powered vessels).
OCEANDIVA LondonEARTH CLIPPERALB-E
Thames Clippers received the first of their hybrid diesel / battery vessels in the shape of EARTH CLIPPER and the battery powered OCEANDIVA arrived at it’s new home (see below for more details) and towards the end of the year the fully electric workboat ALB-e was unveiled.
The middle Thames also hosted the naming of three vessels during 2023 with the offshore supply vessel HST FRANCES being named in St Katharine Docks and the LNG dual-fuel tanker vessel SIR JOHN FISHER and RFA PROTEUS both mooring alongside HMS BELFAST for their naming events.
HST FRANCESSIR JOHN FISHER
New additions to the CPBS Marine fleet during the year included GUARDDOG, HOUND DOG and MAD DOG.
GUARDDOGHOUND DOGMAD DOG
GPS Marine added GPS ARCADIA (ex CHRISTIAN), GPS MUSCA (name not carried) & STEVEN B to their fleet.
GPS ARCADIAGPS MUSCASTEVEN B
A number of other vessels visited during the year on temporary assignments in support of various projects along the river.
The Thames and the Docks need maintenance work to prevent the buildup of silt and at the beginning of 2023 the newly delivered water-injection dredger AQUADELTA paid a visit to the entrance to the KGV Lock.
Not so many rowing challenges in 2023 – just Team Ithaca who successfully completed the 2023 GB Row Challenge with an unaided circumnavigation of Great Britain and there were a few outings by the AHOY charity.
Team Ithaca – GB Row 2023 AHOY row
Royal Docks
The number of visitors to the Royal Docks was again high with at least 319 visits but many repeats from some vessels such as HEIKO visiting 42 times to load fuel and THAMES VIXEN & SCHELDEMOND I visiting their moorings in KGV 28 times between them.
It remains disappointing though in terms of how under utilized the water space is with no published water use strategy and no major boating events, few ship visitors and almost no use of the water for transportation – the business mainly comes from it being one of the few non-tidal moorings in London that can accommodate the various working vessels. Speaking of which……
The project to build the new RNLI Tower Lifeboat station completed with the delivery of the station on 30th March 2023 – a full report of the build and delivery can be seen here.
The new battery-powered events vessel Oceandiva London arrived to make it’s home in the KGV Dock in May and undertook various fitting out and test activities. During one of the test cruises along the Thames there was a propulsion failure that led to the craft making contact with a moored transport barge and this required repairs but also introduced further delays in the project.
OceanDiva @ KGV Lock
The Oceandiva London undertook it’s first, limited, public event in November but is still not cleared for full service – this post tracks the evolution of the project but it is still some way from potential service on the Thames.
A few filming / PR projects used the Docks as a base during the year and one cargo vessel visited to collect equipment that had been used as part of the Silvertown Tunnel project.
Netflix filmingMEG 2 film promoPesto promoTV Show promoNEPTUNE @ KGV Lock
In early December the SS ROBIN moved from the Royal Docks to Trinity Buoy Wharf having been displaced due to regeneration works (and the same fate will befall LV 93). Some pictures of the departure voyage can be seen here.
SS ROBIN
A few vessel statistics for 2023 (some vessels visited more than once):
The River Thames in London receives lots of different military vessels paying a port call to one of 5 common mooring locations.
During the month of May 2023 six military vessels of six different vessel classes and from four different counties were noted visited the capital.
The first of three Royal Navy vessels was Archer-class patrol boat HMS Exploit (P167) which actually arrived on 30th April and spent just over a week undertaking various activities on the Thames including acting as guard/photo ship for the arrival of HMS Diamond.
HMS Exploit P167
HMS Exploit P167
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HMS Diamond D34 spent a few days moored at Greenwich over the Coronation Weekend acting as a venue for receptions and providing a visible security presence for the weekend’s events.
The third of the trio of British vessels was a UK Government operated vessel (supporting the Royal Navy but not a commissioned warship) that operates as an experimental research vessel for new technologies and was paying it’s first visit to London having only just entered service and it spent nearly two weeks alongside HMS President RNR in support of a Sea Power conference.
The XV PATRICK BLACKETT is a commercial off-shore support vessel that has been modified to support various trials works undertaken by the NaxyX team including the development of NAVYPODS – a system of using standard cargo contains to carry different mission equipment that can be rapid changed and deployed to meet different mission needs.
The vessel is also interesting in that it carries a QR code on the sides that links to the trials unit’s Twitter page that then explains some of the science and technology work they do.
The following Tweet shows off the look and sound of the vessel as it was seen heading down the Thames after its visit to London.
Having spent nearly 2 weeks in #London it was time for @RNNavyX vessel XV PATRICK BLACKETT to head back down the #Thames.
The next visitor was the French Navy Minehunter FS Croix du Sud (M646) – first time I had seen this vessel on the Thames but the ship class are regular visitors as they are used by a number of NATO navies. This vessel went to moor alongside HMS Belfast.
Arriving the same day as the French Warship was the Irish Naval Service Samuel Beckett-class Offshore Patrol Vessel LÉ George Bernard Shaw (P64) and it went to moor in West India Dock.
The Irish Navy are infrequent visitors to London so always nice to see a different one one of their patrol vessels paying a visit.
The final vessel was minelayer FNS Hameenmaa (02) operated by the Finnish Navy – Finland have recently become a member of NATO. This vessel moored alongside HMS Belfast replacing the French Navy vessel that had departed the previous day.
This vessel is one of two Hämeenmaa-class minelayers and in addition to it’s primary role of laying mines it can also act as an escort or transport vessel and the ships have a strengthened hull to be able to operate in ice.
The vessel is armed with a 57mm cannon, anti-air missiles and machine guns along with a quantity of naval mines and depth charges.
OCEANDIVA (London) – a long time coming…..stayed a while and left again……
The prospect of a “luxury yacht” floating events venue on the River Thames in London has been around for some time.
It was first proposed that a vessel known as OCEANDIVA would ply it’s trade on the Thames as far back as 2016 and this was going to be an UK offshoot of an established Dutch company that operated entertainment vessels in the Amsterdam area.
The original proposal was to bring an existing vessel from the Netherlands to the UK to operate on the Thames but different shipping regulations meant that a vessel certified for European waterways use was not suited to the fast-flowing tidal Thames.
As a result of this it seems a decision was taken to build a new vessel that would comply with the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency rules whilst also being powered by battery packs to become a carbon-neutral floating events venue – a first for the River Thames.
This new vessel was constructed in the Netherlands by the VEKA Group at their shipyard in Lemmer before coming to London where it will be operated as part of the Smart Group as Oceandiva London. The team have set up a consultation hub with details of how they intend to test the vessel in preparation for it’s full operations on the Thames – details can be found here.
The Company had high hopes of an early beginning for the project – a press release in September 2019 stated “Las Vegas, September 11, 2019 – From Imex America in Las Vegas, Edwin Petersen, CEO of OCEANDIVA, presents the plans for the company’s latest event ship. The OCEANDIVA London will be the first carbon neutral event ship in the world and is expected to arrive in London at the end of 2020.”
It is undoubtedly the case that the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted plans but it is only in April 2023 that the vessel seems to have hit the water and completed initial running trials – deploying innovative technology is challenging but it appear that there have been other technical or construction issues that have delayed the project too.
There have been challenges in London too when it comes to preparations for operating the vessel. An initial planning application for an operating base at Swan Lane in the City of London was rejected by the Planning Authority and many riverside residents have voiced concerns about the scale of events the new vessel could support.
Whilst many concerns have been raised about this new “party boat” it is highly unlikely that this vessel will operate in the football fan booze cruise / river based disco venue category – a more viable concern is the disembarkation of large numbers of guests at the end of events, some of which are planned to end after midnight.
Initially the capacity was thought to be up to 1500 but this was revised in June 2023 to 800 guests for normal operations with up to 1000 guests for 12 events per annum.
River Thames party boat
An all too common occurrence is that the prime operator and associated 3rd parties are all happy to make money but don’t give local residents the respect of engagement – a good example was the first application for a premises license which when originally posted contained only 2 documents with the bare minimum of information – it was only many months after the closing date for public responses that a full set of over 30 documents were released that included the full extent of proposed operating locations and did nothing to reduce the impression of avoiding engagement.
Since the vessel has arrived in London a more active engagement process has commenced which will hopefully lead to a greater partnership approach with local residents.
In a similar vein you might expect the operator of the host mooring location in King George V Dock to engage with local residents about the plans just out of courtesy and good community engagement but sadly no attempt was made to do so although for the local residents around the Royal Docks in Newham this is sadly the norm – no meaningful engagement occurs on any matter.
Some work was undertaken to Dolphin 1 located at the eastern end of the KGV Dock to make it ready for OCEANDIVA which included adding a new bridge, some power and water cabling, new mooring points and a new surface.
Home base for the OCEANDIVAUpgrades to Dolphin 1
The use of alternative, non-carbon, forms of propulsion for all types of vehicle are welcomed but there needs to be a programme of education and awareness that runs in parallel to the delivery of such solutions – the London Fire Brigade are flagging real concerns about fires relating to the charging and operation of battery powered bikes and scooters – it is not hard to see why residents would have concerns about a vessel with a significantly larger battery pack being charged near their homes.
Tugs with OCEANDIVA on the Thames
The vessel finally arrived in North Woolwich on 20th May 2023 and entered the lock running on it’s own battery power (having been towed across the North Sea and up the River Thames) and after the removal of some protective covers it then moved to it’s assigned berth in the main dock.
OD entering the KGV Lock for the first time
The following video shows the arrival of OCEANDIVA at the Royal Docks.
Upon arrival the vessel remained in the Lock for a while whilst some of the covers that had protected the windows were removed and a welcoming party went on board.
DEVOUT removing protective covers from windowsOCEANDIVA in KGV Lock
Due to the size of the vessel numerous CCTV cameras are installed to provide situational awareness to the crew and in addition there are two wing bridge locations on the roof from where the vessel can be controlled during docking operations.
OCEANDIVA wing bridge location
The OCEANDIVA is a newly built vessel and there are quite a few “loose ends” to be tidied up before it goes in to service for fee-paying clients but there are quite a few rough edges that are a bit of a surprise!
Then it moved through in to the KGV Dock with the London skyline as a backdrop before maneuvering on to the mooring at Dolphin 1.
OCEANDIVA with London beyondOCEANDIVA in KGV DockOCEANDIVA on Dolphin 1OCEANDIVA at Dolphin 1OCEANDIVAOCEANDIVA in the KGV Dock
A few days later it was moved back in to the lock to enable works to be undertaken.
OCEANDIVA in KGV LockOCEANDIVA at nightOceanDiva @ KGV Lock
Life-raft system test
On the 26th May 2023 as part of the activities to prepare the vessel for service a system trial of the life-raft launching process was undertaken in the KGV Dock. This was just a test of one of the life-raft pods rather than a passenger evacuation test.
OceanDiva about to undertake system test of life-raft launch in KGV Dock
The vessel is equipped with 12 SurvitecZodiac podded life-rafts located in 4 groups around the vessel and each has a rated capacity for 151 persons. In addition the vessel carries at least a dozen float-rafts as well as lifejackets.
The vessel adopted a static position in the dock and one of the pods was then ejected from it’s storage rack in to the water before the guide ropes pulled it towards one of the doorways. A separate inflatable slide then deployed to allow the crew to enter the raft.
At the same time the vessel deployed a small inflatable safety boat that is believed to be stored in an aft hanger space and is transferred to and from the water using one of the two lifting arms mounted at the stern of OceanDiva.
Once the deployment test had been completed the local workboat towed the raft back in to the KGV Lock for recovery and also provided the opportunity to see the scale of these large rafts – they are open rafts as OceanDiva will only operate on inland waterways.
A video of the system test can be seen below – note, this is an edited video and does not show elapsed time for any of the events depicted.
The idea is for the vessel to recharge it’s batteries from a shore-based power supply with the primary site in the KGV Dock being supplemented by other charging stations along the river, including one at West India Pier, but as of June 2023 none of the river based charging stations have been deployed.
In a change of plans it seems less likely that OCEANDIVA will use the West India Pier charging point although this one and one at Lambeth are to be available for charging of other vessels and equipment.
West India Pier proposed NZMS charging station(as yet unfinished)
Another hurdle the operators need to overcome is the securing of a premises license for the sale of alcohol and to run events on the vessel which needs to be obtained from London Borough of Newham Council which covers the site of the vessels main mooring location. The application submitted in 2022 was later withdrawn, in part due to the delay to the delivery of the vessel.
Update: 15th June 2023
I was fortunate enough to be invited on board the OceanDiva along with a few other local residents to have a look at the vessel to see the internal arrangement of space and to see some of the new technologies employed on the vessel.
On the day of our visit the vessel was moored alongside Dolphin 1 and taking power from the shore power point. Various fitting out works were being undertaken but we were able to visit a number of public and crew areas as well as speaking to both management and technical staff.
We started off on the middle deck which has various service areas as well as a mezzanine view down to the main lower deck with it’s main display screen.
Middle deck looking forwardsLooking down on the lower deck with video wall and lighting rigsLower deck video wallLooking aft on the middle deckMiddle deck areaWindow with 3cm glazing for sound and heat insulationEntrance foyer with cloakroom to the right and one of the four access pointsBack of house space – likely to be used as a food service preparation areaLooking through the round window
At the stern of the middle deck is a small open deck area which also houses some of the operational equipment such as lifejacket storage and access to the machinery spaces.
Middle deck forward space leading to outside area
The lower deck is the main multi-function events space – this will be configured to meet client needs for their event – from gala dinner to product launches – there are fully accessible lifts too but we didn’t look at them.
Forward staircase from lower to middle deckLower deck event space looking aftLower event deck (not a Tetris murder scene!)
The rear internal area on the upper deck has a bar area which, like the rest of the vessel, can be configured to meet client needs.
The outer deck space includes the cargo hatch which allows over-sized items to be lowered in to the vessel using external cranage. The structure of the upper deck will allow for the placement of props or products (such as vehicles etc.) but is not designed to be a helideck.
Upper deck aft barUpper deck aft barAft upper deck bar areaOuter walkway looking forwardOuter passageway looking forwardUpper deck looking forwardUpper deck external spaceUpper deck hatch for lowering equipment to middle deckUpper deck aft external area
The Wheelhouse level also has a stock of float life-rafts and there are wing-bridge stations for close maneuvering alongside piers. The bridge also has a hydraulic lift mechanism to provide an elevated view for the helm.
The main command position is very much “star-ship” in nature with multi-function displays, thrusters and system controls.
One option that had been proposed was to use the roof space to hold solar panels for supplementary charging of the batteries but this option has not been taken forward.
Float life-raftsCaptain’s chairBridge crew areaControl panelsMulti-function displaysView forward with CCTV feedsCCTV feeds – great for plane-spottingBridge controlsView forward from the bridge
Lower deck engineering space which hold the grey water processing pant and two battery rooms which each have fire suppression and fume venting systems. The battery compartments have space to accommodate a future doubling of capacity.
Grey water processing plantGrey water processing plantStarboard battery roomMachinery space with shore power cableStarboard stern thruster assembly Starboard stern thruster assembly
On departure had a quick look at Dolphin 1.
Looking forward from the port, aft, gangwayCharging cables feeding the batteriesElectrical distribution box on dolphin
Update 8th July 2023 – as part of the certification process for enabling the Oceandiva to carry passengers on the Thames a series of tests and checks need to be undertaken in order for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to grant a license.
During the first of these test sessions on the 22nd June 2023 whilst operating near Erith the Oceandiva suffered damage as a result of an incident – until the formal investigation has been completed I will not speculate further nor publish any of my images.
Following the incident the Oceandiva returned to the Royal Docks under it’s own power and with no outside assistance and the vessel remained there until 8th July 2023 when it was towed to Chatham for further repair works to be undertaken.
Update 14th August 2023
Following works in Chatham the Oceandiva returned to the Royal Docks under it’s own power on 14th August ahead of another planned certification voyage booked for 16th August.
Update 9th November 2023
The OCEANDIVA undertook a short test voyage and another life-raft test on 30th August out on the River Thames, with the support of tug DEVOUT, before returning to it’s mooring in the Royal Docks.
The #OceanDiva events vessel undertook another system test voyage on the #Thames yesterday.
An interesting feature of the vessel that I hadn’t spotted previously is the inclusion of a cargo host above the forward port entry door (presumably one on the starboard side too) to make the loading of stores and equipment easier and independent of shore facilities. [Note: there are also two, longer reach, cranes mounted at the stern of the vessel.]
Oceandiva
On 6th November OCEANDIVA made a transit through the Royal Docks to spend a couple of days attending the World Travel Market event being held at the ExCel exhibition centre. On the evening of 6th November the OCEANDIVA held it’s first ever event by hosting a number of invited guests (planned to be approximately 150) to attend a networking event on board as well as showing off the vessel to prospective clients.
The following video includes a time-lapse of the transit, a slide-show of photographs and a longer, real-time, video of the transit.
The process of attaining the various classifications and certifications continues and It is anticipated that OCEANDIVA will undertake further tests events in preparation for a new license application – this post will be updated with details of any of these activities that are noted.
Update 1st February 2024
Oceandiva London
The sun sets on the OceanDiva London project.
Today, 1st February 2024, Smart Group who were the commercial operators of the vessel announced that they are terminating the project and the vessel will be returned to it’s Dutch owners.
The intervening period between the announcement of the termination of the project and the departure saw various fittings being removed including AV equipment and life-rafts.
A little after 8am on Monday 19th February 2024 the Oceandiva London vessel left the Royal Docks under tow back to the Netherlands after the parent company that owns the vessel decided to terminate the London project.
Having spent an elapsed time of 276 days in London (mostly in the Royal Docks aside from a couple of test runs on the Thames and 17 days in Chatham for repairs) the vessel only hosted one, limited guest, event.
Hopefully the aborted project will have provided both operators and regulators with some useful lessons learned and performance data.
London City Airport has an ongoing development programme (CADP) that seeks to deliver a range of operational and customer improvements to the working of the airport.
The latest enhancement provides both improved levels of operational safety but also facilitates the introduction of additional next-generation aircraft types to the airport’s approved list.
LCY Rwy 09 RESA before upgrade
In what is believed to be a first for a major UK Civil Airport (RAF Northolt has had a similar solution in place for a few years) London City Airport has installing what is known as an Engineered Material Arresting System (EMAS) at both ends of it’s runway.
An EMAS system is the equivalent of a gravel trap that will bring an aircraft to a complete stop in a short distance in case of a brake failure or other over-run situation in either landings or aborted take-offs. The solution has been on the market for over 20 years and has seen most installations at airports within the USA but is being used in more locations where there is limited space and water or other obstacles are located at the airport boundary.
Previously LCY had paved Runway End Safety Areas (RESA) that served that same purpose but as larger aircraft are planned to operate from the airport an enhanced solution that fitted in the available space was required.
[It should be noted that in all the years of LCY’s operations there haven’t been any runway over-run incidents but the added safety margin is a prudent insurance policy.]
The prime contract for the works was awarded to blu-3 and makes use of the Runway Safe EMASMAX® system. The works have taken place during the airport’s closure periods due to the need for access to the live runway and it took place over the Winter period of 2022/3.
The installation process involved the construction of new areas of asphalt surface on to which stacked layers of the EMAS material sandwich blocks were placed and bonded together. Care also had to be taken to ensure that the runway approach lights were not obstructed by the new surface and access for maintenance works was still possible.
At the Western end of the runway the existing safety zone was extended on to a previously grassed area which required the preparation of a new asphalt surface on to which the EMAS blocks could be installed but that site isn’t easily viewable from public areas so this post focuses on works at the Eastern end of the runway.
Western works zone showing engineering compound and base layer of new RESA area prior to EMAS block installation
The following images show the groundworks to prepare the Eastern runway end area for the installation of the EMAS blocks with similar works happening concurrently at the Western end..
Once all the preparatory works had been completed the laying of the EMAS blocks began – starting with the slopped lead-in section to then create a full EMAS bed the width of the main runway with stepped down sections either side of that.
3 different EMAS block sizes in useThe completed Eastern end EMAS installation – the safety area markings haven’t been applied to the surface as yet
Further images of the completed installation – note the curved profile of the runway surface and EMAS bed.
The new EMAS solution doesn’t change the operation of the airport with departing aircraft commencing the take-off roll from the same point and landing aircraft fly above the safety area towards the touch-down point.
The blocks are safe to walk on so don’t impede emergency access or passenger egress and are designed to minimize damage to the aircraft thus reducing the operational impact to the airport in the event of an runway excursion.
The following video shows the testing of an EMAS system.
The following images show the Eastern EMAS bed with an aircraft taxing to the departure point and then climbing out.
Update – 2nd May 2023 – I had another look at the Western works zone and managed to capture the following pictures through the window of a moving bus – hence the slightly lower quality of the images!!
Update – 31st May 2023 – the EMAS installations are now complete and a protective outer layer has been applied to both EMAS beds and other project works are undeway.
Update 2nd July 2023
The final element of current runway works project reached a conclusion at the beginning of July with the final changes to the runway markings and the official issue of new aerodrome documentation effective from 13th July 2023.
Alongside the construction of the EMAS beds at both ends of the runway changes have also been made that increases the declared distances available for landing aircraft on both of the runways (slightly different lengths for each – the longer being for Rwy 27).
The extra runway length has been released by the use of the EMAS system within each Runway End Safety Area as less space is now required to bring an aircraft to a safe stop. As a result the thresholds of each runaway along with the touch-down points have been moved closer to the end of the respective runways – thus providing a longer landing area although the physical length of the main landing strip remains the same.
Out with the old – in with the new – painting the new Rwy 09 markings closer to the EMAS bed
The special 5.5° glide slope remains in use at LCY and the Precision Approach Path Indicators have been moved to correspond with the revised location of the aiming point. The runway approach light configurations have also been revised for the same reason – probably most noticeable on the Rwy 27 approach at the Eastern end of the airport.
Starting to remove the old “piano keys”PAPI lightsReapplying the 27 marks to the runwayThe new “piano keys” markings take shapeAdding a bit more paint to the new “piano keys”Adding the displaced-threshold markings to the EMAS bedNew approach lights being installedNew approach lights being installed
The EMAS implementation provides an increased level of operational safety that, combined with the runway layout changes, support the introduction of newer, larger, aircraft such as the Embraer E195 E2.
These new aircraft have a smaller environmental footprint and provide commercial benefits to the operator from having a larger potential seating capacity and/or extended range as well as being more fuel efficient.
Further testing with the E195 E2 is likely to take place in the near future and then see them introduced in to revenue service in coming months.
The following table details the changes to LCY’s declared distances:
Rwy
TORA
TODA
ASDA
LDA
09 (old)
1199m
1319m
1319m
1319m
09 (new)
1199m
1457m
1494m
1494m
27 (old)
1199m
1385m
1319m
1319m
27 (new)
1199m
1415m
1508m
1508m
TORA = Take off Run Available / TODA = Take off Distance Available ASDA = Accelerate-Stop Distance Available / LDA = Landing Distance Available
The first aircraft to land on the “new” Rwy 27 was BA Cityflyer Embraer ERJ-190 G-LCYJ operating the BA8721 flight from Glasgow and landing at LCY at 1236 on Sunday, 2nd July 2023.
G-LCYJ makes first touch-down on the new Rwy 27 configuration
A few more of G_LCYJ arriving at LCY following runway layout changes.
G-LCYJ – first arrival for new configuration Rwy 27 at LCY
There were also a few more circuits undertaken by Diamond DA62 G-GBAS operated by Flight Calibration Services Limited (FCSL) to do some final checks of the lights and navigation aids.
FCSL’s DA62 G-GBAS
A few more images from the project can be seen by clicking here.
The King George V (KGV) Lock in London’s Royal Docks has very few larger vessel visitors and only occasional visits from from naval vessels (other than for the biennial defence show (Report on DSEI 2021 here) – so it was a welcome return of 3 ships belonging to SNMCMG1 following a similar visit in October 2021.
At the time of the visit to London in February 2023 the vessels assigned to SNMCMG1 comprised of the following ships (the command and group membership is regularly changed to foster interoperability between nations):
HNoMS Nordkapp (A531)
The Command Vessel, KNM Nordkapp, travelled further up the Thames to moor alongside HMS BELFAST – it is not known if the failure of the KGV Lock’s outer gate prevented this vessel mooring in the Lock due to the reduction in capacity.
HNoMS Otra (M351)HNLMS Schiedam (M860)FGS Rottweil (M1061)
If you are thinking that the name of the German Navy ship sounds familiar or if you noticed the large dog motif on the front of the superstructure these are due to the fact that the vessel is named after a town in Germany from which a notable breed of dog originates.
The @Forsvaret_no ALTA-class #minesweeper is a fascinating vessel, part catamaran/ part hovercraft and propelled by water jets for a top speed of 30 kts.
The Metropolitan Police have a long stranding role keeping the River Thames safe and secure with the Marine Policing Unit (MPU) based at Wapping Police Station alongside the River Thames where they base their fleet and have a large maintenance facility.
Commencing in January 2022 the MPU began to receive five new vessels to replace their existing fleet of fast patrol vessels (FPV) and a replacement Command & Control Logistics (CCL) vessel.
The new type selected was the TARGA 32 (replacing TARGA 31s) for the FPVs and a replacement TARGA 37 for their Command & Control / Logistics Support. The following table lists the new vessels in commissioning order.
name
mps code
role
delivery date
SirRobert PeelIII
MP9
FPV
Jan 2022
Gabriel Franks III
MP3
FPV
Spring 2022
Nina McKay III
MP4
FPV
Aug 2022
John Harriott V
MP7
FPV
Summer 2022
Peter Kruger
MP15
CCL
Nov 2022
Tim Ruprecht
MP2
FPV
Mar 2023
The following video clip shows PETER KRUGER MP15, the new Targa 37, operating on the Thames.
In a slight variation to the previous naming practice the final two new vessels are named in memoriam of Officers that have passed but not in the line of duty. There also seems to have been a more random allocation of MPS Codes, in part due to the fact that at times both the old and new vessels were operational at the same time.
Towards the end of March 2023 the new MP2 vessel began to appear on the regular Thames patrol and to attend callouts as the rollout programme completed – it even came to have a look at me!!
The unit also operate a smaller vessel called Robin Locker MP8 which is more suited to patrolling the Upper District of the the Thames and the tributaries that join the main river.
Also in the MPU fleet are a number of Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs) of 3 different sizes – these are used for a variety of support, patrol and tactical roles. Some of these vessels are also due to be replaced in the near future.
A recent acquisition by the MPU is a quantity of Zodiac Milpro Inflatable Boats which can be deployed to any inland waterway area – some of these were in use during a recent training exercise in the Royal Docks.
The previous fleet of one CCL vessel and FPVs is detailed below:
NAME
MPS CODE
Patrick Colquhoun II
MP1
John Harriott IV
MP2
Gabrielle Franks II
MP3
Sir Robert Peel II
MP4
Nina MacKay II
MP7
Thames Reserve
MP9
Footnote: as of September 2023 MP1Patrick Colquhoun II is still in operational service, having recently been based in the Royal Docks in support of DSEi 2023 and also undertaking training out on the Thames.
Reviewing the Year 2022 in terms of river traffic in London it was certainly noticeable that there were more visiting vessels than had been the case during the Covid affected years but the conclusion of major works on the Tideway Tunnel project also led to a reduction in local tug movements on the river and a number of changes within the fleets of several Thames operators.
The operations at the Tate and Lyle plant continued with regular supplies of raw materials being delivered by ship with one fewer visitor than last year. A full list of the ships can be seen here.
Chintana at Thames Refinery
There were a total of 18 Cruise Ship visitors in 2022 that used both the Upper Pool and Greenwich moorings. There were quite a number of “first-timers” as well as returning stalwarts of the London cruise scene but the Hanseatic vessels were a personal favorite.
HANSEATIC spirit
A “star” visitor during the early part of the year was the Fure Vinga, a Hybrid Tanker vessel supporting an IMO event in London – rare to see that type of vessel this far up the Thames.
Fure Vinga
A returning visitor after a few year’s absence was the Paddle Steamer Waverley that once again did a number of trips along the Thames and around the estuary.
PS WAVERLEY
A total of 13 different Luxury Yachts visited London during 2022 (a few visited more than once bringing the visits total up to 19) with quite a few first time visits from newly launched vessels, some of which were shorter visits to undertake photo shoots.
Slipstream
The year saw a great improvement in the number of sailing ship visitors to the Thames with 13 different vessels visiting including several naval sail training ships and other first-time visitors which was a welcome sight. Sadly no sail-powered cargo deliveries this year.
GötheborgINS TARANGINI A75Shabab Oman II
It was a bumper year for military vessel visits that saw a total to 31 vessels call at London (this includes the 4 sail training ships noted above and 1 vessel that visited twice during the autumn months). The total was boosted by an 8-ship NATO flotilla towards the end of the year (SNMCMG1 being regular visitors to London) and a 5-ship Dutch contingent.
HMCS KINGSTON – part of SNMCMG fleetFour of the Dutch naval visitors to the Thames in December
There was a notable absence of visits from the Royal Navy’s Archer Class in-shore patrol vessels which was due to them being involved in other taskings although there was a rare visit from HMS Tracker, one of the up-gunned Faslane force protection vessels, during the year.
HMS Tracker P274
The largest British naval vessel to visit during the year was RFA Mounts Bay L3008 which was an imposing sight on the river.
RFA Mounts Bay
Both the Met Police Marine Division and the London Fire Brigade have been updating their river fleets with both the new LFB Boats delivered and half of the Police’s new fast patrol boats now on the river.
TannerNina Mackay III
Royal Docks
The number of visitors to the Royal Docks was again high (at least 265 visits in total but many repeat visits from a few vessels) as it is one of the few quiet water locations in London for undertaking equipment loading/unloading and for doing maintenance work.
It also might have been the busiest year for cargo operations (unloading of bulk commodities) since the Royal Docks ceased commercial operations in the 1980s.
No less than 6 general cargo vessels visited the KGV Lock, one of these being to deliver elements of the Silvertown Tunnel project’s Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) and the other 5 delivering bulk cargos of bagged cement powder.
There were notable water based events during the year with a celebration event for the Commonwealth Games Baton Relay / Queen’s Platinum Jubilee that saw a flotilla of people-powered vessels and other support boats transit through the Royal Victoria and Royal Albert Docks – all credit to those that took part but somewhat underwhelming and it failed to deliver the promised 25 boats.
Commonwealth Games Baton Relay flotilla in Royal Albert Dock
The bi-annual Oceanology International event took place at ExCel and once again saw a number of visiting boats, although the number attending was reduced in comparison to previous events and the vessels were also more inshore / river survey vessels. The number of uncrewed vessels was much higher.
Towards the end of 2022 the project to build the new Lifeboat Station for Tower RNLI commenced with the tug Goliath bringing in the base pontoon.
The Royal Docks was also the logistics base and filming location for a Netflix production during December – a report about the boats being used can be seen here.
A few vessel statistics for 2022 (some vessels visited more than once):
The Royal Navy operates a fleet of 16 Archer-Class (P2000) Inshore Patrol Vessels of which 14 are assigned to the Coastal Forces Squadron with the other 2 assigned to force-protection duties around the Faslane Naval Base for which they have additional armour panels and mounts for machine guns.
Originally designed to be training vessels and with affiliations to University Royal Naval Units but in recent years they have had a more active front-line role of maritime security and threat simulation training.
As some of the smallest crewed vessels serving in the Royal Navy they have the advantage of being able to visit smaller harbours and riverine locations such as central London on the River Thames and all have visited London at some point in time.
The following table lists the vessels by number, not build order.
Name
Pennant number
Express
P163
Explorer
P164
Example
P165
Exploit
P167
Archer
P264
Biter
P270
Smiter
P272
Pursuer
P273
Tracker(Faslane)
P274
Raider(Faslane)
P275
Blazer
P279
Dasher
P280
Puncher
P291
Charger
P292
Ranger
P293
Trumpeter
P294
A trip along the Thames onboard HMS Example can be found here.
London is a popular location for the production of TV and Films (apparently the third largest centre for film production in the world) with it’s many iconic locations including the various waterways that have featured on screen over the decades.
Towards the end of 2022 the River Thames and the Dock areas of East London have once again become the focus of attention with the Royal Docks being both a logistics base and a filming location. The production is said to be an action-comedy called ‘Back in Action’ being produced for Netflix.
Some of the vessels heading to Royal Victoria Dock
It is interesting to note that this production may be one of the last to feature the Rank Hovis Mill in Royal Victoria Dock (which is accidental as it should have been demolished before filming took place but that demolition is running behind schedule!) but many of the new places being created will certainly be of equal interest to production crews as demonstrated with the Royal Albert Dock ABP ghost town that has featured in numerous shoots already.
Some of the action takes place on the water and at night with a pair of very smart boats appearing to be the focus of the action. Built by Cornish boatbuilders Cockwells the pair are a yacht tender called GRACE and Duchy Sport motor launch called ROCK ANGEL – the pair having arrived in London by road.
GRACEROCK ANGEL being craned in to the waterCockwell’s GRACE followed by ROCK ANGEL
Once again Livett’s are providing a range of their vessels to support the filming works alongside a large-scale collaboration with a number of London based Thames operators.
The following table lists the operators and their vessels that have been identified supporting this filming project.
It is possible that other vessels were used both within the Docks and also on the River Thames but only confirmed sightings are included in the above table.
A few close-up shots of the hoists being used to hold the lighting rigs in support of the filming.
Portable generatorsHoists being loaded on to bargesRigging a lighting gantryBarge with generators and hoistsBarge with two lighting rigs
Dock, Lock and River Blog (#dlr_blog) 