Terry Bennett Personal Photo Page

The Coronavirus pandemic of 2020 has seen a total shutdown of the cruise ship industry and this is likely to continue for some time after restrictions begin to be eased. 'Mothballing' of large ships like these is best achieved away from the traditional ports such as Southampton where charges would be prohibitive for such extended stays. Weymouth Bay offers an alternative sanctuary and currently 6 ships are at anchor here awaiting a resumption of duties ... whenever that may be. The largest of them is P&O's Britannia

Ventura is the second largest of the P&O fleet and has been in service since April 2008. With 19 decks it can carry 3,192 passengers housed within 1,550 cabins

Carnival Cruise Lines is based in Florida although its ships operate out of ports around the world. Carnival Valor dates from 2004 and cost its owners $500M to build. At 110,000 tonnes it is only slightly lighter than Ventura but is designed for a 'mere' 2,974 passengers

Perhaps the classiest of the ships currently to be seen in Weymouth Bay is Cunard's Queen Mary 2. It is somewhat smaller than the other vessels around it although, by tonnage, it is superior, weighing-in at a little over 149,000. Its passenger capacity is an impressive 2,620 and, although nominally designed (like its illustrious predecessors) for the trans-Atlantic route, it is a cruise ship in all senses. It has been traversing the seas since January 2004

Marella Explorer is owned by the British company, Marella Cruises which, in turn, is operated by holiday giant TUI. Explorer was formerly owned by Carnival but passed to TUI in 2008. Smaller than QM2, it weighs-in at 76,998 tonnes and has capacity for 1,924 passengers

Marella Discovery started life as 'Splendour of the Seas' with Royal Caribbean before passing to TUI in 2016. It can accommodate 1,830 passengers and 750 crew. It could be resident off Dorset for some time to come as its next scheduled cruise commences on 19 January 2021, sailing from Montego Bay

Britannia is the largest of the P&O fleet and is currently their flagship. At 143,730 tonnes it is notably larger than its sister ships and is equipped for 3,647 passengers + 1,398 crew. It has been in service with P&O since 2015 and is reported to have cost some £473M to build. Its next scheduled duty is a voyage from Southampton to Bridgetown, commencing on 23 October

PO21 "Spirit of Portland" is a fishing boat, built in 1983, with a fibreglass hull and weighing-in at 1.53 tonnes ... a little less than some of the cruise ships shown above. It is licensed to catch shellfish and is seen here off Portland Bill

Pulpit Rock, so named after its representation of a bible leaning against a church pulpit, is a quarrying relic created in the 1870s when the arch was cut away by local quarrymen. It is not difficult to scale and many do so, despite the warning signs and brass plaques commemorating those who, presumably, were less successful in their attempts than those seen here today

WH8, "Dream Catcher" was built in 2010. It's seen here braving 'The Race' off Portland Bill, albeit that the latter appeared quite tame on a pleasant Sunday afternoon in July

There have been at least 3 lighthouses at Portland Bill, the first 2 of which date from 1716. The current structure is Grade II listed, was built in 1906 and stands 41 metres from the ground. The 'bulb' is nominally powered at just 1kW (ie; 10 x 100 Watt bulbs) but is an MBI lamp which has a high luminous efficacy - with the addition of the catadioptric lens system, the lamp generates some 635,000 candelas (1 x candle = 1 cd) and has a range of 25 nautical miles

"Spirit of Portland" fishing to the west of Portland Bill with sections of the famous Jurassic Coast in the background

"Portland Isle" is a fishing vessel built in Falmouth in 1990. It is described as a 'netter' rather than a trawler - nets are deployed and the vessel then remains stationary until they are hauled-in again

"Meerkat" is an inshore fishing boat that can be chartered for rod fishing. Its top speed is an impressive 23 knots

The Fleet Lagoon is a water-filled hollow which has formed between Chesil Bank and the mainland. It stretches from Abbotsbury in the west to Wyke Regis, adjoining the Portland causeway. As a Site of Special Scientific Interest it is home to a variety of species, notably wading birds