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Just received a second confirmation from the official Rotterdam Habour Authority (het Haven Coordinatie Centrum) that the AOKA MIZU will sail to-morrow morning at 8.00 hours (Dutch time). At that time it is still pretty dark overhere, but I guess that it will take some time to manoeuvre the vessel away from the quay and into the Nieuwe Waterweg.
We will be there to wish here a safe voyage to Lancaster WoS.
I have just spoken with an employee of Vopak Agency in Rotterdam. He confirmed that the captain of the Aoka Mizu wants to sail away to-morrow morning at 8.00 a.m. Tugs have been arranged and the current on the river is apparantly no big deal as the AM has its own propulsion.
The weather forecast for Rotterdam is cloudy with some light rain or drizzle. Not the best weather to get a good view through webcams, but so be it.
Will be interesting to watch where she is heading to: Scheveningen "round about"; Lerwick or straight to Lancaster.
Enjoy!
A Double UK: how often did you dine in Dutch restaurants to substantiate that
Dutch cookery is rubbish?
Moonplate was removed as confirmef by Vopak agency employee this afternoon
Vopak's website now expects sail away on Sunday at 10.00 hrs. However, this is a purely speculative indication, as I was told by an employee from Vopak agency who visited the vessel to-day. There are still issues to be resolved and he specifically mentioned the flare stack (some where higher up). Perhaps not big issues, but Bluewater / Hurricane wants to resolve absolutely everything i.e. for 100% before they let the vessel sail. This approach appears to me very sensible and credible. It could be that the "plastic wrappings half way the stack" are the place of the problem, but who knows (see photo numer 5 of my posting of Monday at 18.39; a bit blurred, but still recognisable). So perhaps,the AM will sail on Sunday, on Monday or even after Christmas (as the guy told me).
I wish you all a blessed Christmas time in remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ!
According to Vopak no sail away today. Probably to-morrow, but we will have to wait and see!?
Het kan vriezen, het kan dooien. Dutch proverb meaning “we don’t know yet”.
Vopak still have no exact data received from AM’s captain as to when the AM will sail. The guy said that they keep postponing. Most likely Some time tomorrow. Ignore data on website
Will call them tomorrow morning and let you know
Albi1 / Adoubleuk
No, no word of mouth stuff.
Vopak is the official agency which "represents" Hurricane in Rotterdam harbour. E.g. they arrange for the required piloting; arrange the tugs and provide the official Port of Rotterdam Authority with the exact departure details. I spoke quite a few times with a PoRA employee and they almost always refer me to Vopak (PoRA need to know the departure data only 2 hours in advance which came as a surpise to me).
When I spoke with Vopak this afternoon he mentioned ETD of Thursday 12.01 hours to me, but apparantly changed that later to 10.00 hours. The current on the river plays also a role, as will the whether of course.
Hope this helps.
Just spoke Vopak and they indicated that sail away of the AM is now planned for Thursday 12.01 hours.
They will update their website shortly
Below is the link with 6 detailed photos of the AM in Rotterdam awaiting sail away in the this week. To day I managed to get as close as possible to the AM (some 300 meters) standing on the opposite quay to which she is moored in Botlek Rotterdam. It was difficult and perhaps too far away, but with some decent binoculars I think it worked. So, you came peep with me through my looking glass. It is all legitimate, because I was standing on a public road.
For the benefit of the technicians among us (being an accountant myself) I focussed on the flare stack and some other parts of the ship. I guess that the stack is about 10-11 meters tall (does that make sense?). Half way up part of the stack is wrapped in plastic folio.
There was little activity on and around the ship, but of course, I could not look inside. I took photos of two vans one from Fischcon (engineers in Vianen) and one from Total Hydraulics. IMHO she looks ready to sail.
I also figured out the best vantage point when she sails: that is at the very end of the Oude Maasweg in Botlek. The AM has to make a 270 degree turn there and at that position she will not be further away than some 150 meters.
Apart from the SP, this is all very exiting!
Good luck!
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7r3d2ymvc6yqge5/AAAzmxEXOH-gatNjcBLrkYf2a?dl=0
How can I upload photos on here from my IphoneX
Just spoke with a Vopak Agency employee who is holding the fort tonight. I enquired why their website still expects the AM to leave to-morrow, whereas someone else told me yesterday the ETD is sometime Wednesday. He told me that no further info is available but promised to "update" the website. And so he just did.
I will follow this up next week, so that I can advise the webcam viewers well in advance.
The Vopak agency website info is outdated. The Sunday 16th date has been on their website since 2 weeks and is apparantly no longer correct. The Port of Rotterdam employee (official monitoring body of the whole of the port of R.) I was talking to this afternoon mentioned Wednesday 19th afternoon as the most probable departure date.
I just rang the Rotterdam agency and they told me that Wednesday next is the expected sail away date of the AM (afternoon at 14.20 hrs).
As a cross check I also spoke with Shore Tension (specialists in mooring ships) which company uploaded a number of interesting photo's of the AM last week (maybe on another board). Surprise, surprise: Shore Tension were instructed by Bluewater and Damen / Verolome to remove these photosfrom their website as quickly as possible. What an exercise in futility, as if the greatest of secrets were unveiled. Anyway, whatever the exact sailaway date may be, dozens of photos will be made and some very close up.
Probably old news / article, but I post it anyway for those interested
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-11-22/is-a-shale-sized-oil-boom-hiding-in-britain-s-atlantic-bedrock
While chasing the AM all morning, I talked to the gate keeper / security at the Damen shipyard. He said that the AM would probably spend more than 2 weeks at the yard. So let's assume 3 weeks from now. This reminds me of what RT said in one of the interviews: we want to be absolutely sure that everything works to perfection once the AM sits at her site for the next 10 years. So, whether she stays there for 2,3 or 4 weeks appears totally irrelevant to me.
What an interesting morning!
Absolutely amazing. Was able to drive along AM on the boulevard. AM now making the bend into Damen shipyard. Cant get any further than that. Fotospotters all around. Paid a tenner for close ups. Will try to upload to night. Now going home to the missus
Hurry up now shipwatchers. Movingveryfastnow
Looks like she is steaming ahead now towards entrance. Should be in reach of webcams within 25-30 minites. My guess
I am at the outer limits of Maasvlakte now. AM very close to me now and looking like a Christmas tree. Very impressive indeed. Very windy here. Maybe that is why AM is now moving away from the entrance. Webcams will not be able to spot AM yet.
Will update when Three are further developments