It seems everyone in the week 34 production group is happy today.

Twiggy started final assembly this morning and will be completed later today. There is just a little over 24 hours from now for her to get loaded on the Porgy, but I am reasonably confident she will be making the trip to Port Hueneme on Friday along with Minis ordered by UAL_Kingpin's friend, NorthCalTinkerbell and JcM1n1.

But, like my mother always said, don't count your chickens until they hatch! Until I see Twiggy's VIN on the Porgy's manifest, I will be pretty nervous.

 

Well, I doubt you will find an "S" engine in your MINI, but you never know. But, since there really isn't a lot of difference in the 2010 MINI, I think those of us getting the last of the 09's should look at it as getting a car as good as one of the 2010's produced starting next month - and at a cheaper price. I have not seen any verified numbers yet, but it is an almost certainty that the 2010 will cost more than a 2009.

 

STATUS for AUGUST 27, 2009

Banannastand, NY, 8/26 production completed, waiting for Elektra 9/1 departure, destination New York VDC

Blouise, NY, paint shop

JcM1n1, SoCal, 8/19 production completed, waiting for Porgy 8/28 departure, destination Port Hueneme VDC

Kencwallace, VA, (no status report)

Maui Meg, NJ, 8/26 production completed, waiting for Elektra 9/1 departure, destination New York VDC

N666BK, NJ, aboard Undine, ETA NY 9/3

Neverfifty, VA, aboard Undine, ETA NY 9/3

Norcaltinkerbell, NorCal, 8/21 production completed, waiting for Porgy 8/28 departure, destination Port Hueneme VDC

Rayratt, WA, 8/27 "Twiggy" production completed, being transported to point of exit

UAL_Kingpin's friend, SoCal, 8/27 production completed, being transported to point of exit

Y2K Falcon, TX, body shop

SHIP TRACKING INFORMATION

Ship name - - - Callsign - - - -To where - - - - - -Who is aboard
Elektra - - - - - SIWB - - - - - New York, NY
Faust - - - - - SLKQ - - - - - Brunswick, GA
Porgy - - - - - 2EZS8 - - - - Port Hueneme, CA
Undine - - - - - SHJC - - - - - New York, NY - - -N666BK, Neverfifty

Use this site to track ship by NAME
http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/dat...HIP&level1=220

Use this site to track ship by CALLSIGN (works better for open ocean tracking)
http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/index.html

 

Here is a picture of Minis loaded onto a train. The sides do get covered up, so you don't have to worry about your precious Mini getting shot at.

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1267925

 

Good news this morning: "Your vehicle is being transported to the port of exit." Hello Elektra!!!

 

Well, I still don't have a berth on the Elektra yet, but my MINI is on her way. The Elektra docks AND LEAVES Southampton on September 1st. Busy day! I am feeling confident that she will get onto that ship.

I am finding that the Ask Mini people all have different takes on what is happening. One told me today that my car was in Bremerhaven , in distribution, on the carrier awaiting load assignment. Actually, The elektra is in Bremerhaven right now, so I am assuming that this means that my car is bound to be on that ship.

Guess what I'll be doing this afternoon? MORE WAITING!!!!!!

 

According to tracking website Undine went full steam this morning. Now in the middle of the ocean...

 

The Porgy was supposed to depart Southampton three hours ago - but it is still sitting at the dock. At least we now know everyone in Week 34 that has a car destined for the west coast (at least those in this elite group) is aboard.

Oh Yeah!!!! Party time!!


It is going to be a long three weeks to reach Los Angeles!

 

STATUS FOR AUGUST 28, 2009

Banannastand, NY, 8/26 production completed, waiting for Elektra 9/1 departure, destination New York VDC

Blouise, NY, 8/28 production completed, waiting for Elektra 9/1 departure, destination New York VDC

JcM1n1, SoCal, aboard Porgy, ETA CA 9/18

Kencwallace, VA, (no status report)

Maui Meg, NJ, 8/26 production completed, waiting for Elektra 9/1 departure, destination New York VDC

N666BK, NJ, aboard Undine, ETA NY 9/4

Neverfifty, VA, aboard Undine, ETA NY 9/4

Norcaltinkerbell, NorCal, aboard Porgy, ETA CA 9/18

Rayratt, WA, "Twiggy" aboard Porgy, ETA CA 9/18

UAL_Kingpin's friend, SoCal, aboard Porgy, ETA CA 9/18

Y2K Falcon, TX, paint shop

SHIP TRACKING INFORMATION

Ship name - - - Callsign - - -Destination - - - - -ETA - -Who is aboard
Elektra - - - - - SIWB - - - - -New York, NY - - - - 9/10
Elektra - - - - - SIWB - - - - -Brunswick, GA - - - -9/15
Porgy - - - - - 2EZS8 - - - - Port Hueneme, CA - - 9/18 - JcM1n1, Norcaltinkerbell, Rayratt, UAL_Kingpin's friend
Undine - - - - - SHJC - - - - - New York, NY - - - -9/4 - -N666BK, Neverfifty

Use this site to track ship by NAME
http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/dat...HIP&level1=220

Use this site to track ship by CALLSIGN
http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/index.html

 

In looking at the Wallenius Wilhelmsen tracking page, I just noticed that the vast majority of the vehicles were loaded onto the Porgy between 8:20 am and 3:30 pm - but, there were 7 cars loaded a couple minutes before 5 pm (four were MINIs). One of those four MINIs was Twiggy. Talk about cutting it close!

The Porgy was originally scheduled to depart at 6 pm - so I am very thankful that someone held the boat for my MINI. Twiggy would have been very lonely if she had to wait another two weeks on the dock.

 

With the Undine scheduled to dock at the New York VDC in a couple of days, we need to gather our collective detective efforts to track the arrival. We will use this information to track the arrival of the Elektra as well.

Here is what I got so far.

BMW VDC
20 Colony Road, Jersey City, NJ

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Colony...image&resnum=1

1) We need an arrival time and a berth assignment

2) We different webcam angles of the New York harbor area so we can watch the Undine and Elektra dock.

 

Well after two days of poking around the internet, I found a site that gives the arrival schedule for the Undine.

http://www.firstnynj.com/

Select, "Vessel Activity"

It still shows the old scheduled arrival date, 9/3. Hopefully, they will update it soon.

 

STATUS FOR AUGUST 30, 2009

Banannastand, NY, 8/26 production completed, waiting for Elektra 9/1 departure, destination New York VDC

Blouise, NY, 8/28 production completed, waiting for Elektra 9/1 departure, destination New York VDC

JcM1n1, SoCal, aboard Porgy, ETA CA 9/18

Kencwallace, VA, production completed, waiting for Elektra 9/1 departure, destination New York VDC

Maui Meg, NJ, 8/26 production completed, waiting for Elektra 9/1 departure, destination New York VDC

N666BK, NJ, aboard Undine, ETA NY 9/4

Neverfifty, VA, aboard Undine, ETA NY 9/4

Norcaltinkerbell, NorCal, aboard Porgy, ETA CA 9/18

RayRatt, WA, "Twiggy" aboard Porgy, ETA CA 9/18

UAL_Kingpin's friend, SoCal, aboard Porgy, ETA CA 9/18

Y2K Falcon, TX, paint shop

SHIP TRACKING INFORMATION

Ship name - - - Callsign - - -Destination - - - - -ETA - -Who is aboard
Elektra - - - - - SIWB - - - - -New York, NY - - - - 9/10
Elektra - - - - - SIWB - - - - -Brunswick, GA - - - -9/15
Porgy - - - - - 2EZS8 - - - - Port Hueneme, CA - - 9/18 - JcM1n1, Norcaltinkerbell, RayRatt, UAL_Kingpin's friend
Undine - - - - - SHJC - - - - - New York, NY - - - -9/4 - -N666BK, Neverfifty

Use this site to track ship by NAME
http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/dat...HIP&level1=220

Use this site to track ship by CALLSIGN (works better for open ocean tracking)
http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/index.html


Port of New York/New Jersey ship arrival schedule
http://www.firstnynj.com/

http://www.nymaritime.org/VTraffic/ny_due7.aspx

 

I spent some time too sifting the Net for webcams. There are CG and DOT cams on bridges/derricks but they are not available to the public. Will keep looking...

 

Monday morning- early afternoon in Southampton yet no action listed at the loading docks yet.... Any ideas about this anyone?

 

No boat = no action?

Elektra looks like it may have finished what it was doing in Zebrugge, and moved to a different parking spot to hang out till it has to leave for Southampton tomorrow/today (depending on what time zone you're talking about). I don't have a departure time but the last couple have gotten at dawn...

I'm guessing they don't want to pay for the train any more than they have to, and/or would rather keep the cars on their owned lots instead of a shipyard when they can.

Blouise, are you officially in the shipyard yet, or is the last update you have on the phone with ASK-MINI?
http://www.2wglobal.com/www/WEP/index.jsp, Customer Center, Track and Trace, etc./etc.

 

According to the link UAL found, the Electra will arrive at 8:00 am tomorrow (local time) and will depart at 6:00 pm.

http://www.ais-live.co.uk/Solent%20S...ementsabp.html

 

I'm kinda new to this "Production Time" thing.... But from what I can tell, Paint Shop takes at least 96 hours.

 

"Blouise, are you officially in the shipyard yet, or is the last update you have on the phone with ASK-MINI?"

I believe the last I heard was that I was at the shipyard... Ask Mini was down again today.

 

When was ASK-MINI down? I called them this morning - it was very slow, but Mandy did get the info on my MINI (it still is listed as being at the dock waiting for a ship - she said they do not get any updates as to when the cars actually depart).

 

Oh - that might explain why Y2K didn't update us this afternoon. But, even though the uncertainity must be killing him, I hope he can find comfort in the fact all the others in the Week 34 Production Group thread had their cars done in tome to make the ship. I am confident his MINI will be aboard the Electra tomorrow when it sets sail.

 

Weird thing tonight is that the Elektra is following the Artemis cruise ship just like the Porgy did on the 27th. Currently both ships are still a little distance away from Southampton. Both ships are not visible on the map below yet.

http://www.ais-live.co.uk/AIS%20Live/aissolent.html

 

Artemis is now on that map....

 

Y2K Falcon

You will be okay tomorrow. My friend's car was booked only one day prior to ship departure. The tracking site would not accept the VIN until the car was loaded. Only then did we realize how late it was booked. The car arrived at the terminal at 8:45am and was loaded at 3pm.

 

Twiggy was booked on July 4th (I ordered her on August 1st - I got a slot the dealer had reserved on June 23rd).

UAL is right, Y2K, you are going to be OK. I think any car with a booking will be loaded - especially one that had to spend four days in the paint shop!