Marsh Extension
I am trying to figure out what is going on in Wells harbour opposite the Harbour Office where the marsh is seemingly being extended for some reason. A couple of people have asked me what it’s all about so I will contact the Harbour Office to find out.
Photograph by Don Wilks
Wells Harbour Office kindly replied with the following information.
It was the repair of the training wall, please see the news article on our website
Outer Harbour Pontoons Arrive
Plenty of action on Wells-next-the-Sea quayside this week with the arrival and launching of the new pontoons for the outer harbour. Some piles have already been positioned in the outer harbour and some of the pontoons have been towed down there. The piling work has been done by a crane barge especially brought in for the work. A mobile crane has been on the quay for launching the pontoons.
The Kari Hege continues dredging the channel as part of the ongoing work. Presently working between number 6 and 10 buoys. Most of the work around the new outer harbour has been completed but the entrance to the harbour from the main channel has yet to be cleared.
The outer harbour will be used as a support base for the new Sheringham Shoal Wind Farm.
Great aerial pics here
Harbour Works Continue
The harbour works continue apace as the most recent photographs show. The pics were taken by my brother-in-law, Don Wilks whilst visiting Wells over the Christmas period.
I believe the dredger barge Kari Hege will commence dredging the channel this month, January 2010.
Click on thumbnail
More pics here
Update From Wells Harbour Master
Following my last post I contacted the Wells Harbour Master, Robert Smith, who replied almost immediately to my query about the harbour works bearing no resemblance to what was originally published. Below is am extract from his email response.
The new works going on down at the beach are coming together nicely so far, but please remember this is still a work in progress and will not look, when its finished in the Spring, like it does today, i.e. a building site. The sand batter (breakwater) we hope will vegetate within six months so hopefully will blend in as natural dunes. This is quite an important stage as the batter will help protect the area where the vessels will moor from easterly and southerly storms, as the Beach bank and the Lifeboat point to the north protects the area from the other directions.
The jetty and pontoons will be arriving early February and should be in place by the end of February and the first boats are expected to arrive end of March.
The dredger during the next week or two will be going to the shipyard in Gt. Yarmouth to have some modifications to the spudlegs. Once it returns mid-December, we will then start digging in the channel.
Work Continues On Outer Harbour
After seeing the proposals for the ‘new jetty’ at Wells-next-the-Sea I was under the impression that a finger pier was to be built out from the beach bank with floating pontoons running parallel to the bank about 30 meters from the bank. At least that is how it was shown in the artist’s impression published elsewhere online and shown below.
It is obvious that this is not the case and it now appears that an ‘outer harbour’ is being built. A considerable amount of work has been done, and a lot more to be done. The ‘outer harbour’ is being built to support the new Sheringham Shoal Wind Farm.
Wells Harbour Works
As can be seen from the pictures work is proceeding at a pace on the new harbour facility at Wells-next-the-Sea.
Wells-next-the-Sea Harbour Works
A good start has been made to work at Wells-next-the-Sea harbour in preparation for the support of the Sheringham Shoal Wind Farm. As can be seen from the pictures the efforts so far have concentrated on the new berths south of the lifeboat house. Not only has the Kari Hege been busy but there has been a lot of construction work from the land.
Not having visited the site I cannot add any more comments about this side of the work or display any pictures but I hope that you find the aerial pictures interesting.
Click on Thumbnails
Pictures by Mike Page
Wells Harbour Has Great Future
An historic agreement was signed by the Wells Harbour Commissioners and Scira Offshore Energy Ltd, the developer or the Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm on 23rd June 2009.
The agreement confirms that Scira will use Wells Harbour as its operational base for the wind farm for a period of up to 50 years. As a result a new commercial jetty with pontoons will be constructed SW of the Lifeboat House. Added to this the channel from the new jetty to the harbour mouth will be deepened to allow greater access to the jetty by a longer tidal window. Continue reading