Port of Folkestone
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.
| Vessel | Type | IMO / MMSI | Last seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sailing | MMSI 230183520 | ||
| Cargo | IMO 9158082 | ||
| Cargo | IMO 9962990 | ||
| Military ops | MMSI 235005245 | ||
| Sailing | MMSI 232007308 |
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.
| Gauge | Level | Change (3 h) | Last 48 h | Reading (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 away | 3.44 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) | From | Gusts (kn) | Waves (m) | Period (s) | Visibility (km) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 245° | 15 | 0.8 | 5 | 24 | |
| 5 | 271° | 10 | 0.6 | 5 | 24 | |
| 2 | 199° | 4 | 0.4 | 6 | 24 | |
| 9 | 210° | 15 | 0.4 | 5 | 24 | |
| 6 | 199° | 11 | 0.4 | 6 | 24 | |
| 5 | 215° | 8 | 0.3 | 8 | 24 | |
| 3 | 257° | 6 | 0.3 | 8 | 24 | |
| 6 | 226° | 11 | 0.2 | 8 | 24 | |
| 6 | 230° | 10 | 0.4 | 3 | 24 | |
| 4 | 300° | 7 | 0.2 | 5 | 24 |
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.
Weather buoys
- Sandettie Lightship72.2 km
- F3 Light Vessel95.9 km
- Greenwich Lightship148.5 km
- North Sea237.5 km
- Thames260.2 km
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:
- Jan 19, 2017爆発運輸安全委員会 船舶事故等調査報告書 (JTSB marine accident and incident reports)98 km away
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
Source: NGA Anti-Shipping Activity Messages. This reproduction, partial or complete, of any National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) or Defense Mapping Agency (DMA) product, information or data is not approved, authorized or endorsed by the Secretary of Defense, the Director of National Intelligence, the Director, NGA or any other element of the US Government. The US Government and NGA accept no liability for the accuracy or quality of this reproduction or the use of any NGA, NIMA or DMA products, information or data. Licence: US Government work — "NGA claims no copyright or other intellectual property right".
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