This has been such a momentous day for us all. After 12 weeks we have finally arrived in London! Let me tell you about it.
If you have read yesterdays blog you will know that we arrived last night in Queenborough around tea time. I cooked dinner for us all, then set about preparing the passage plan for today. We were all very weary and the easiest thing in the world would have been to go to sleep early and cut corners with the planning – but I’m so glad I didnt. I prepared 6 charts ready, and insisted on listing the entire pilotage to St Katharines dock, with the list of all the buoys and their characteristics. This work certainly paid off.
I woke at 2.20 am, after waking each hour from ten to see if I had overslept, the boys were already stirring. We slipped our mooring at 2.50 and headed out towards the Thames following the buoyage. It was a beautiful evening and the stars looked radiant! All seemed very easy, recognising each buoy as we headed towards London, then within a few minutes, the fog descended and we could just see beyond the end of our boat! Help! As you now see, the preparation and planning really started to pay off.
Its pretty difficult to photograph fog - here is the teeny weeny bit that was left
No one would want fog, but there is nothing you can do when it appears, and you just have to get on with it. We had everyone up on deck to have as many eyes as possible looking out for the lights we were looking for and listening out for other craft. I looked towards the sky and could see the brilliant stars – the fog was just along the river, typical for this time of year.
We continued our journey, and with the tide driving us forward, under the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge (Dartford)
No matter how high the bridge - you always wonder if you will fit under it!
Which we did of course
it didnt seem long before we reached the Thames Barrier. I had already radioed London VTS and gained permission to enter and through we went.
London looked so beautiful in the dawn,
it really is a good time to photograph
and the rowers were out early
and even overtook us at one point.
We had a lovely journey up the Thames, particularly when the fog ceased
Our Salty Sea Dog - Chris!
By 8am we had reached Tower Bridge, and I picked up a buoy we secured our lines, then I set to making the bacon sarnies I had promised the boys when we arrived.
We all found this to be a very emotional time – we had finally done it – sailed right around Britain, what a fantastic experience for us all!
We had to wait until 10am for the lock to open, and as soon as I saw the outgoing traffic in the lock ready to come out, I was ready on the helm to bring her in. We slipped our lines and over I went, in before any other boats, right at the front of the lock. I thought I was being very clever getting in there first, but it didnt quite pay off as I shall tell you.
Our reception committee (my daughter Francesca and my “surrogate” daughter Dot) arrived to greet us,
they had been there on 4th July when we left, and here they were again as if we had been gone just hours!
Hugs and kisses completed, the harbour official came to give us our paperwork,
along with an apology that they had mechanical failure on one of the bridges, and only one side would lift up – and it wasnt the side I was nicely nestled up against! Oh marvelous – as if I didn’t have enough of a challenge ahead of me!
Every cloud has a silver lining of course – for she also brought me a parcel which was awaiting me – it was my Canon Camera, at long last, back from Camera Hospital! Just in time for the end of the trip!
The lock finally opened, and we made our way through the one open side, hoping I wasnt going to tear off the rigging on the broken piece of bridge as I took her through!
I breathed a sigh of relief as we glided through intact and headed to our berth. My daughter now had my camera and I had added pressure of being photographed as I tried to glide her in! Chris was not standing next to me making sure I didnt crash, but right on the bow, it made me feel that he trusted me (did you Chris???)
It was a great sense of relief when we were secured onto the pontoon,
and even more so when the bottle of champagne was opened!
A real celebration for us all!
Feeling tired and a little tiddly, we set to cleaning RBE – she was looking decidedly grubby. The boys scrubbed her outside and me and my gorgeous girls gave her insides a good going over!
Satisfied with our work, we waved Chris off (I’m going to miss him!) and headed to the Dickens Inn, where we spent our first evening, to take lunch! A little stroll after lunch, and we headed to our cabins to rest our weary heads once more. This was now 5pm, and I set my alarm for 6 as I knew Neil was arriving at 6.30 to award us our certificates and take us out for a slap up meal!
Well, I must have been very tired, as I set my alarm for 6am, and could probably have slept that entire time if truth be known! I woke up with a start just minutes before Neil arrived, said hi quickly to him as I darted to the shower block.
I decided to dress as a girlie this evening for a chance and put a dress and sparkly shoes on! Neil gave us our certificates and congratulated us all on not only completing our trip round Britain, but for gaining Coastal Skipper qualifications!
We all had a lovely evening, and with full bellies, headed back to the boat. We took a little diversion, back to the Dickens Inn, and John sensibly took to his cabin.
It was 1am before we all went to bed, and I set my alarm for up am7 as I had to pack my 3 months of life into my bags ready to head to Southampton………goodnight!
