Volume Two - The Era of Optimism, Investment & Development - Developments at the turn of the 20th century . . .

Longmans Civil Engineering Series book first published 1894 entitled "Notes on Docks and Dock Construction" [109] states the entrance to the dock "opens into the Severn slightly to the south of the mouth of the river Ely, through protecting jetties forming a deep, trumpet-shaped embayment. . . The outer entrance is somewhat exposed, and subject during stormy weather to seas of a considerable height; outer or sea gates are therefore provided."

The sailing ship 'Westfield' was unlucky when she was moored at Penarth Dock on the 22nd May 1902. She is high in the water, most probably after unloading her ballast prior to being reloaded with a cargo of coal. Either she became unstable and/or was affected by the wind and toppled over onto the adjacent steamship 'Cranford'. I can imagine that the rigging of the 'Westfield' required a good deal of sorting out after the incident! Steamships were of course less vulnerable to this eventuality since the water ballast could be pumped out as the ship was being loaded and equilibrium, in terms of the ships' trim, port to starboard, and stem to stern, being easier to maintain.

	The beautiful four masted barque 'Oceana' at Penarth Dock.
	A fine postcard view of 'The Docks, Penarth' posted in 1903 from my Penarth Dock Collection.