The shipping platform

Location: Sharpness is located at the mouth of the Severn Estuary on the W coast of England. General overview: The Port of Gloucester comprises the wet docks at Sharpness and Gloucester, which are connected by the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, and the small ports of Lydney and Chepstow which lie within the harbour limits. Sharpness, the main port, is equipped with cargo and container handling facilities. Gloucester is no longer used for commercial shipping. Traffic figures: Approx 700,000t of cargo handled annually. Load line zone: North Atlantic Winter Seasonal Zone II, Winter Nov 1 to Mar 31, Summer Apr 1 to Oct 31. Max size: Dependent on height of tide, clearance required proportional to vessel's beam, 16.76m max. Fresh water draught 6.5m. Largest vessel handled: Approx 7,000DWT.