Port Hercule last night

Photo: monacoeye • Monaco • August 2008

Photo: Ricardo Pilguy • Port Vell, Barcelona • July 2008
Photo: Katja Juvonen • Port Vell, Barcelona • July 2008

Update July 2008: The top shot shows the burned shells of XTC and Drumfire, seen from the air, by Ricardo.



2 March 2008: This video and photo, taken in Port Vell, Barcelona, Saturday, by local resident Katja Juvonen, caught the drama of a raging fire as it tore through four 20+ metre yachts.

All four yachts sank with a fifth sailing yacht badly damaged - you can see the mast topple in the video. 6 people were on board but unharmed. Katja says the fire team seemed slow to respond, which may have allowed the fire to take hold.

The fire chief was reported in the press as saying that the job of extinguishing the fire had been complicated by the water-repellent nature of the yachts themselves - which may have been scuttled, as a last resort.

This La Vanguardia video shows a general view of the port with many yachts nearby. More links in comments.

Photos: AW • Brazzaville • 13 June 2008

Brazzaville, capital of the Republic of Congo. Across the mighty Congo river, Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, soon to overtake Paris as the world's largest Francophone city.

Years of fighting have taken their toll on the city and its inhabitants, with some residents finding shelter in the rusting hulls of vessels, pulled up on the banks of the Congo. The nearby port area is known as Brazzaville Beach.

Port Hercule is filling up. Notice that the Loews-Fairmont side of the new Port Extension is all open to pedestrians now, with limited car access. In the last month visitors have included Let it Be, Amnesia, Silver. 4H and Nina J can be seen in the second shot above.

Great aerial shot of the IYCA taken last week by AW. Where is Kingdom 5KR ?

Photo: AW • IYCA • April 2008
Photo: monacoeye • IYCA • 2007

Viareggio

Photo: monacoeye

Livorno

Photo: monacoeye

Our sister site holiday.monacoeye.com has been revamped and relaunched in time for the holiday season. It's an unofficial guide to Monaco for tourists planning on spending a day or two in Monaco or visiting Monte Carlo for the F1 Grand Prix. …

Although some sections still need some work, categories include the Aquarium and Oceanographic Museum, Jardin Exotique or Cactus Garden, Monaco Grand Prix F1, Monte Carlo Rally (needs updating) Beaches including the Larvotto, Cathedral and Palace, Monte Carlo Open Tennis Masters (needs updating), a few photos of Prince Albert of Monaco, Monte Carlo Casino (needs updating), Transport from Nice to Monaco and in Monaco, and Monaco Maps including a Monaco Hotel Map and Monaco Grand Prix Map.

We hope you find the site useful!

The historic Baglietto buildings in the picturesque town of Varazze. The Varazze yard specialises in aluminium hulls while, down the coast, the La Spezia premises build the steel hulled yachts.

Photo: monacoeye • Varazze • February 2008

Photo credit: Fosters + Partners

The quay of the new port extension below the casino will be the location of a superb new building designed by Fosters and Partners and Joseph Iori Architects. Due for completion in 2012, the new YCM will house shops and public amenities, accessible to the public at quay level, with higher levels reserved for the YCM itself.

The rowing club and sailing school, which currently form a large part of the YCM's activities, and which are mostly used by Monaco schoolchildren, will be centered on the ground floor, with classrooms and lofts for Picos and Lasers. All spaces are air-conditioned, using a low-energy, sea-cooled refrigeration system.

In addition to uninterrupted views over the port, the inland side of the building will offer excellent views of the Grand Prix track. The building will also incorporate a small park on the roof of the sailing school, a restaurant terrace and a new Maritime Museum. This promises to be be the Principality's most interesting and sophisticated modern building by far.

In the illustration above, the old lighthouse and jetty wall have been reinstated, but this may be because the drawing was created before these structures were dismantled.

Phocea in Puerto de Andratx, Mallorca

Photo: Gerhard Merz • Puerto de Andratx • June 2007

Antibes - Bastion Saint Jaume

Marumbi • Brazil

Curitiba •  Brazil

João Palmeira sent in these nice shots of Port Vell in Barcelona in April 2007, with Skat in the top shot and Sarah out of the water below.

7 May 2007
14 March 2007: Similar work is underway on the Fort Antoine side.
11 March 2007: The quay assembly is complete on the casino side, including the old lighthouse jetty. The wet channel behind the quay has been filled in.
28 November: The whole quayside has been assembled. Now it's just a matter of filling in the back and smoothing over the gaps. Looking good…
25 August: The concrete block has been eased in to place, and looks like it will be the quayside.
23 August: A new arm has appeared on the contre-jetée (destined to be the future megayacht berthing area). I'm guessing it was built in France and was floated in, because it just appeared today. When the photo was taken they were tethering it with winches so this might not be its final resting place. That's Stargate, Moonlight and Moecca behind. (bottom photo)

Here are some photos from my recent trip to Brazil. Highlights included a quiet fishing village called Pantanal do Sul, which is part of a nature reserve on the Ilha de Santa Catarina; the Foz de Iguaçu, a vast complex of waterfalls on the Argentine and Paraguayan border; and a vintage train journey through the Mata Atlantica rainforest, from the highlands of Curitiba down towards the port of Paranaguá. Plenty of beautiful birds (the feathered variety… ) and other beasties. Warning - this is a totally yacht-free zone, as I never made it to Angra dos Reis, Santos or Parati !!

The Port of Nice emptied out before their yacht show which finished today, 25th March 2007.

Photo: monacoeye • 20 March 2007 • Nice

Here are some shots from Genoa (Genova in Italian and Gênes in French) taken a couple of days ago. Genoa has a thriving maritime industry. Of course this ancient city state was once the major regional power. Its flag, the cross of St George, the red cross on a white background, was adopted by England and the City of London in the 12th century, so that their traders could sail these waters under the safety of the Genovese flag. It remains England's flag today…

Genoa is replete with shipyards where ferries and large ships are built as well as areas used by smaller yacht builders and refitters. One very large yacht marina is in the process of being built. The Porto Antico in the city centre is where most yachts can currently be found, the largest on my visit being Skat and Bleu de Nîmes. Much of this port area has been given a chic facelift and many of the adjoining wharves and warehouses are quickly being converted into what will undoubtedly be a very cool and stylish part of the city, with beautiful shops and restaurants housed in fantastically redeveloped maritime buildings. If ever the town planners work out how to replace the crazy overpasses with something quieter and less obtrusive this could be a real top location.

If you haven't seen this already, prepare to spend the next couple of hours not working doing some important web-based research…

As a preamble, I'm a big fan of Google Earth satellite imagery and even built a map of the Grand Prix circuit when it came out. Unfortunately, Google then updated their satellite maps and Port Hercule landed on the "fold" between two maps, which now doesn't look very good. Still you can see my map of Port Hercule here and of course, clearly see the decks of Atlantis II. Don't forget to zoom and drag. You can also click on the markers.

Now then, I'm not always a great Microsoft fan - they often seem to arrive late to the party and don't bring much. But with Virtual Earth they've completely blown away the competition! Unfortunately I can't post the images here, but here are some links to a few nearby ports:

Monaco
Antibes
Cap d'Ail
Genoa
Genoa 2
Genoa 3

You drag the map around to explore and can resize or flip to map-view on the left. The photos must have been taken in 2006 whereas Google Earth's maps are much older, which is why the new Port Extension is not visible.

In Antibes the two biggest yachts are Kingdom 5KR (top) and Carinthia VII (blue hull). In Monaco, Atlantis II (top), Lady Moura (middle), The One (left top). In Cap D'Ail, White Rose of Drachs. But there are dozens of others - if anyone wants to have a go identifying them, feel free commenting below. I guess it'll be too much work for me to cover all the ports in the world here (!) but if you find another good location please also paste the link into the comments section below. Have fun!

St Barths is clearly the place the megayachts like to spend New Year's! This great shot was taken off Colombier just before Christmas by Bob Paylor. No prizes for spotting Rising Sun on the right. In the middle I can see Aviva II, Islander (two masts) and Renalo. But what about the others?

Update: Bob's sent in the quiz answers on the top photo. Just one or two two still missing… Meanwhile there is another one bugging him, below in front of Oasis.



Gustavia was heaving with megayachts on New Year's Eve. The season peaks on this night, which is the one night of the year the port authorities allow larger yachts to enter. The next day most will leave. Simply too many photos to post but here's a quick list for the record of those in and around the port for New Year's and the days preceding it. Many shots will appear in the comments section of the relevant photo page.

Turmoil, Renalo, Sunrise, Cristal, Tooth Fairy, Inspiration, Amazon Express, Ecstasea (St Martin), Big D, Snow Goose, QS Atlantic, Bravelove One, Force Blue, Te Manu, No Escape, RM Elegant, Sunrise, Attessa, Altitude, Leander, Haida G, Islander, Magna Grecia, Ranger, Zingaro, Big Aron, Lady Lola, Noble House, Paraffin, Le Grand Bleu, White Cloud, Rising Sun, Impetuous, Secret Love, Our Toy, Shergar, Her Honor, Kingfisher, Ability, Lady in Blue, Callisto, Dream, Touch, Braveheart, Never Enough, Talon, Four Wishes, Savoy, Serena M, Ohana, Achilles, Silver C, Orinoquia, Apogee, Rebellious, Battered Bull, Blind Date, Apoise, Relentless, Tiziana, Azzurra, Barchetta, Fighting Irish, Huntress, Hooter Patrol, Happy Days, Jamaica Bay, Continental Drifter III, Andale, Princess K, Katina, Va Bene, Arm's Reach, Tooth Fairy, Touch, Helios 2, Lady Dahlia, Allegria and Lone Ranger

1st December 2006: Bob, our St Barths correspondent, says things are hotting up down in the port of Gustavia and has sent in another crop of shots. This overview of the port, from right to left, shows: Snow Goose • Jamie • Charisma • Summerwind • Ticonderoga of Greenwich • Andale • Happy Days • Aviva II • Linda Lou • Excellence III and Ultima III. Bob says "the last 2 base themselves here pretty much for 4 months a year, things are filling up and the season is only just starting.....enjoy". Anyone else got a nice port shot to share?

18 December 2006: update (top shot). On the Hotel de Ville side, out of view: Allegria • Azure Leisure • Lady Dahlia • Kaleen • Our Toy. In the photo, not in order: Snow Goose • QS Atlantic • Lady Georgina • Braveheart • Bravelove One • Contrarian • Summerwind • Princess K • Shergar • Ticonderoga of Greenwich • Andale • Happy Days • Jamaica Bay • Helios 2 • Excellence III and you can make out Ultima III at the back moving into position…

I found this old hand-coloured postcard in a market at the weekend.
I was told that it must predate 1902 since that was when the "old" port jetties were originally built, with their lighthouses.

Photographer: Jean Giletta (1856 - 1933)

Although this looks like an oil slick being inspected just outside the port, in fact it's just rottting bamboo washed down by the storm. Some collected around Cap Ferrat and a big clean up operation ensued…

The Monaco Yacht Show, which runs from 20 - 23 September, aims to be carbon neutral this year, through participation in 3 offset projects: a New Zealand wind farm, a US coal methane capture project and the reforestation of a heath in Brittany.

fireworks02m

Port Hercule Fireworks

Here's a shot I took as I arrived at the lighthouse by water-taxi at the Monaco Yacht Show last week .

The two lighthouses and their jetties are the most attractive areas of the Port Hercule in my view. The two arms elegantly frame the old port. The jetties are cul-de-sacs so there is very little coming and going (except, obviously, during the yacht show!). Perfect for going for a stroll and taking a few photos… The big block breakwaters are ideal stepping stones for those with a spring in their step and a great place to watch the yachts go by. And the lighthouses are the "points finals" for the port. Perfectly proportioned on a very human scale, and an architectural echo of older, and rarer, Monegasque buildings like the Oceanographic Museum. There's something very warm about the stone used. They are a natural focal point for the eye. Many an aimless group of tourists has found themselves admiring the view from the lighthouse under the Fort Antoine.

So it seems a shame to me that they are going to be pulled down. The post office have already announced a special set of stamps to commemorate their passing. I met an engineer who told me that they were still debating what to do with the dismantled stones. He explained to me that lighthouses such as these are completely unnecessary in modern times and have already been completely replaced a small green pyramid on the new contre-jetée.

I tried explaining that not everything had to have a utilitarian value - after all, every spare roundabout space in the Principality has been filled with some "public work of art" - sometimes of very dubious taste. But is there really anyone out there who would honestly find these lighthouses ugly? I doubt it. I think most people would be very sorry to see them go.

Apparently, now only the Prince can save them. Neither the engineer nor I had any idea what the Prince's view of the lighthouses was. We speculated that he is known for his ecological commitment. But whether that can stay the forces behind a multi-billion euro construction project, I'm not exactly sure. Here's hoping then that some clever architect or engineer will be able to work out a way to successfully incorporate a little of the old port into the great Monaco of the future.