How can I find out when big container ships scheduled to dock at Southampton

[10FingersOnTheFender]

I've not long developed a fascination with container shipping.

I'd like to go to Rotterdam and Hamburg next year.

But in the meantime maybe I could go and see big container ships docking at Southampton. Anyone got any tips? How can I find out as far as possible in advance when certain big ships are due to dock there?

I can see the containers being loaded from my bedroom window! It can be quite noisy some nights but I've never known any different.
I second whoever said Ikea cafe. Brilliant view from there. And also Mayflower Park, sit in your car with an ice cream and watch the container ships sail off before your very eyes!

I love looking at this one Marine Traffic

The Port of Felixstowe has it's own app. Also, the ShipFinder app is very good

The size of them is just unbelievable! I used to sit in Waitrose car park at Hythe with the kids when they were little watching them go up or down Southampton water. Wondering where they had come from, where they were going to etc etc. If you do go and do it, there's a little foot ferry runs from Southampton town quay to Hythe which you could take which really puts their sheer bulk into perspective when you're on the water too.

My secret geekiness was all about Concorde and the Vulcan, sadly all now in the past.

The Rose George book is excellent.

I see them all the time and they are incredible. There's a big Chinese one which is my favourite.

I clicked on this post by mistake but I'm literally hooked reading it 🙈 I suddenly have a huge craving to want to go and google all about container ships. Genuinely sounds like a fascinating subject. You may have just made a new container ship geek OP 🙋🏼🙋🏼🙋🏼🙋🏼🙋🏼🙋🏼

You can listen to the shipping forecast to get in the mood ⚓⚓⛴️⛴️

Ooh marine traffic. I went a bit mad for a while after discovering that. So many ships to watch so little time!!

I am a shipping dork. I can see ships from my house and like to know what's around. At the moment we have a container ship bound for Montreal approaching, an oil tanker bound for Dublin and some fishing vessels moored at anchor. There's bad weather approaching so more will arrive tomorrow to shelter. It's wonderful to click on the little ships and look at their photos, see where they've come from and where they are destined for. I use www.shipais.co.uk Must go to ikea next time I'm in Southampton!

The big ships come in and turn opposite Marchwood Yacht Club, so you could join the club, keep a boat there and have a great time viewing, if you get a swinging mooring.

Or head down to SO40 4AH and there's a small beach and promeande at the end of Quatside Walk, where you'll be right opposite the container terminal.

What a great thread. I've always fancied going on a cargo ship voyage too. I've travelled quite long distances by sea as a child and would love to re-live those memories.

I find container ships quite scary - just that sheer size and the vast expanse of the oceans. Gives me the heebijeebies and makes me feel a little bit queasy, but it's also a bit of a morbid fascination.

My Dad was a Captain in Merchant Navy too! I went around the world with him (GC not CC) twice in 1970's before I got to school age.
I now work in Shipping Insurance & see Container Claims!

Ha I used to work for Maersk and remember having a tour of the port at Felixstowe, it was fascinating!

Maersk was a brilliant company to work for actually, I miss it. We had a free canteen and gym and all got a hamper at Christmas

Feeling like I’ve really found my tribe here, I never get to chat about container shipping in RL because everyone seems to think it’s boring!

Except my DS who at least pretends to be interested when I tell him about the ship which sank with all mummy’s stock on board and is now at the bottom of the sea with fish making their homes in Christmas trees and sharks driving round in several extremely flash cars which were also on board. True fact about the stock on board, that one made the national press when it sank because the cars were worth millions.

Unlurking to say if you do get to Hamburg, they do tours of the container port.

This website, showing shipping routes over the course year, is absolutely fascinating: www.shipmap.org/

(another shipping journalist, trying to work out if I know Renterspace IRL...)

Loving this thread! Container ships mildly freak me out due to sheer size but also fascinate me - glad I'm not alone in this! I also love oil tankers - engineering on such a ridiculous scale.
I find the Chittagong ship breaking yards fascinating and poignant - all these huge ships at the end of their life, being broken for scrap on the beaches by very brave and dangerously underpaid workers

how funny I am currently sat in the soton docks waiting for DH to get off his sodding ship so we can go for lunch i've been here for half and hour and i'm not waiting much longer. would you like him? i've got no interest whatsoever in his container ship but am regularly expected to attend it and travel on it but i do know southampton vts is your guy.

Ooooo so jealous of all those of you who work in the industry...
rachel I'll have your DH if you get fed up of waiting for him!

That said, I'm a bit smitten with Tony (dpnt know his last name), the deep sea pilot who appeared in the first episode of "The Channel - the world's busiest waterway". One of only 50 in the world who could take the MOL Trust thro the Channel, if the prog is to be believed

@10FingersOnTheFender I hope Tony is useful around the house then. the problem with southampton pilots is that they only work about 80 sodding days of the year. D is planning to move on to pilot in the next year or so but WHAT am i going to do with him under my feet at home for 3/4 of the year when I'm used to him being away for 6 weeks at a time!

Only 80 days per year!!!! how come?

no idea but it's MOST inconvenient i think it's something to do with 24hr shifts on call?

If you are in Southampton, places to watch the boats are :
Town Quay (do NOT park there though)
Mayflower park
and the little park by Redbridge Station
there are also decent views across from the footbridge at Millbrook station

From the other side, drive to Marchwood Yacht Club and you can walk out to the end and look across at the berths