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Port of Folkestone

United Kingdom

UN/LOCODEGBFOLWhat is a UN/LOCODE?51.0833° N, 1.15° ELocal timeEurope/London, UTC+1

In short

Folkestone: no ships detected in port from AIS in the last 3 days (as of Oct 1, 2026, 19:40 UTC). Coverage depends on AIS reception in the area.

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In port now
0
Arrivals, last 24 h
0
Departures, last 24 h
0
Ships nearby, last 6 h
5

Vessels near Folkestone

Ships Seadar received on AIS near the port in the last 6 hours, most recent first. Being near a port is not a port call; the board above lists calls.

Vessels near Folkestone
VesselLast seen
FinlandLUMINOSESailing
BarbadosSAVACargo
PortugalWES MADITACargo
United KingdomDMS ROTHERMilitary ops
United KingdomAMELIA PSailing

Harbour & facilities

Harbour particulars for Folkestone from the NGA World Port Index (WPI port no. 35700). Depths in metres as charted by NGA.

Harbour size
Small
Harbour type
Coastal (breakwater)
Shelter
Good
Anchorage depth
17 m
Cargo pier depth
5 m
Mean tide
6 m
Pilotage compulsory
Yes
First port of entry
Yes
Repairs
Limited

Source: NGA World Port Index (Pub. 150). Licence: US Government public domain.

Not for navigation.

Tide and water level

Latest readings at gauges within 20 km of Folkestone, as published by each water authority, with the last 48 hours. Times in UTC.

GaugeLevelChange (3 h)Last 48 hReading (UTC)
Doverrelative to mAOD (Ordnance Datum Newlyn) · 12.6 km away-0.23 m-2.41 m
Doverrelative to local gauge datum · 12.6 km away3.44 m-2.41 m

Source: Environment Agency tide gauges (UK National Tide Gauge Network, real-time API). This uses Environment Agency tide gauge data from the real-time data API (Beta). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Licence: OGL-UK-3.0.

Gauges are matched to this port by distance (within 20 km of the port position), a link derived by Seadar, not stated by the authority. Levels are relative to each gauge's own reference level: they are not water depths. Not for navigation.

Forecast

Model forecast for Folkestone over the next 72 hours, every 6 hours: wind, gusts, waves and visibility. Times in UTC.

Time (UTC)Wind (kn)FromGusts (kn)Waves (m)Period (s)Visibility (km)
9245°150.8524
5271°100.6524
2199°40.4624
9210°150.4524
6199°110.4624
5215°80.3824
3257°60.3824
6226°110.2824
6230°100.4324
4300°70.2524

Forecast: ECMWF IFS 0.25° + ECMWF WAM, run of Oct 1, 2026, 00:00 UTC. Visibility: NOAA GFS 0.25° + GFS-Wave (WAVEWATCH III), run of Oct 1, 2026, 12:00 UTC. Waves are taken from the wave model's nearest sea point, 12 km away.

Source: ECMWF open data (IFS 0.25° forecasts, ECMWF WAM waves). This service is based on data and products of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). Source: www.ecmwf.int. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Licence: CC-BY-4.0 + ECMWF Terms of Use.

Source: NOAA GFS 0.25° and GFS-Wave (WAVEWATCH III) forecasts. Forecast: NOAA NCEP GFS / GFS-Wave (WAVEWATCH III). Licence: US Government work (public domain); NOAA Open Data Dissemination.

A model forecast, not an observation. Not for navigation.

Marine conditions near Folkestone

Live wind, waves and water temperature from nearby NOAA buoys and tide gauges — free government data the incumbents charge for.

Buoy Sandettie Lightship · 72.2 kmobserved
Water temp
19.1°C (66°F)
Air temp
18.2°C (65°F)
Wind
18.1 kn @ 240°
Waves
2 m (7 ft)

Weather buoys

Source: NOAA National Data Buoy Center & CO-OPS Tides & Currents — public domain.

Marine accidents investigated nearby Authority-reported

1 accident or incident within 100 km of the port in the published records of national accident-investigation boards since Jan 19, 2017, located where the board states a position. The most recent:

Source: 運輸安全委員会 船舶事故等調査報告書 (JTSB marine accident and incident reports). 出典:運輸安全委員会「船舶事故等調査報告書」(https://jtsb.mlit.go.jp/)。Seadar が項目を抽出・加工して作成 (Source: Japan Transport Safety Board marine accident reports; fields extracted and edited by Seadar). Licence: Public Data License 1.0 (公共データ利用規約 第1.0版, PDL1.0; compatible with CC BY 4.0).

Piracy and anti-shipping incidents nearby

1 incident within 100 km of the port in NGA's Anti-Shipping Activity Messages (ASAM) archive since Oct 11, 2021. NGA stopped updating the archive in 2024. The most recent:

  • Pirate AssaultOct 11, 2021Cargo Ship85 km away

    FRANCE: On 11 October, at approximately 0100 hours local time, ten armed intruders boarded the Liberia-flagged bulk carrier TRUDY while it was in the port of Dunkirk for a drug inspection, and took the crew captive. The leaders of this unauthorized boarding party spoke English and were “violent and threatening” in their manner, according to local police. They searched the vessel, “accompanied by the captain,” but did not appear to take anything. They departed empty-handed at about 0500 hours. No

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