The country may well be in the grip of a recession, pandemic and dealing with Brexit.

However, one thing is for sure; the Port of Wisbech continues to buck the trend despite all these factors.

For the second month this year, despite lockdown, it has handled eight ships, seven arriving with timber and one with bricks.

The Douwent was the first vessel of the month, arriving on the third PM from Aalst in Belgium with bricks and sailing on the fourth PM to Dutch capital Amsterdam.

She also recently had a refit and now sports a new hull, changing its colours from grey to blue whilst in drydock.

Wisbech Standard: The Douwent, which was the first vessel to arrive at Wisbech in February, discharging bricks.The Douwent, which was the first vessel to arrive at Wisbech in February, discharging bricks. (Image: Darren Green)

Two days later, the Kata arrived on the fifth PM tide from Riga, the capital city of Latvia, with timber before it sailed on the sixth PM tide bound for Moerdijk in Holland.

Snowlark arrived on the ninth AM with more timber discharged and sailed the next tide to Rouen in France.

Scanlark arrived on the 10th AM with timber, discharging and sailing the next tide dropping anchor in The Wash as it then headed for Antwerp in Belgium two days later.

Bonita then arrived on the 14th PM tide with timber from Riga and at 64.35m, was classed as the smallest vessel to arrive at the Port of Wisbech in almost nine years.

She sailed on the 16th AM tide, passing the largest ship that has berthed at the Fenland port in the last five years, the Stortebeker, at an impressive 82.5m.

Wisbech Standard: Bonita, which was the smallest vessel to arrive at the Port of Wisbech in nearly nine years, discharging timber.Bonita, which was the smallest vessel to arrive at the Port of Wisbech in nearly nine years, discharging timber. (Image: Darren Green)

This ship had arrived on the 15th PM tide along with the Sandal, both with timber from Riga, making it three ships in port at the same time for the second time this year.

It was also the first ever call by the Stortebeker, which was discharged and sailed less than 24 hours after arriving, bound for Kvinesdal in Norway.

Sandal then sailed on the 17th PM tide for Riga to load more timber, before Seg made it eight vessels for the month, arriving on the 17th AM tide and sailing on the 18th PM tide also for Riga to load more timber.

But that was not all for the Port of Wisbech.

In fact, some 7,650 cubic metres of timber was discharged from the last four vessels of the month, making it a remarkable week.