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Published: November 12th 2013
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The final goal for this sailing season was getting to London and we finally did it! At times it seems like it was a long time getting here and other times it seems like just yesterday that we had left Lagos, Portugal. We have been to lots of great places, met some wonderful people and seen many historic sites learning so much along the way.
The entrance to the Thames is known for “big ship” traffic, we were fortunate the morning we came in there wasn’t much, just a few ships, but none that close. The sun was starting to shine and everything was going well, but then all of a sudden it was as if someone turned off the lights as the fog got thick and closed in around us. Our AIS had told us that they were ships nearby but we couldn't see them. All of a sudden out of the fog we would get a glimpse of it and then in a matter of seconds it would disappear once again. We could hear the ships calling in their reports on the VHF radio to London VTS about the extent of the fog. At first some were reporting
Getting Lighter
as we get closer to the mouth of the River Medway. that the visibility was 3-4 cables (a cable is equal to 720 feet) and then one captain said it is a lot less than that and just told London that “it is really bad out here” and we definitely agreed. Fortunately it was only that thick for about 45 minutes and then it started to break up and we were able to see farther ahead than the bow of the boat! It is definitely much colder and very wet when you are in dense fog; fortunately we had our foul weather gear on which kept us dry and warm.
The Thames is a very winding river so you need to be sure to watch for ships moving in both directions on the river. We saw all types of boats from the large container ships to small fishing boats. The first part of the Thames is busy with numerous container ports for the larger ships, wind turbines and factories with large piers for ships. You finally get a look at where the Olympics were held the previous summer, complete with the aerial cable car. One area that we had read about was the “Thames Barrier”. It is quite a sight
A Beautiful Sky
and a flat sea - we took them as good signs for a great trip to London. as they loom up ahead of you. They have red and green lights to indicate which ones you can go between as you continue on your journey. These barriers are the 2
nd largest moveable flood barriers in the world. It consists of 10 steel gates that span 520 meters (569 yards) across the Thames. Its purpose is to protect London from flooding caused by tidal surges. When raised these gates stand as high as a 5 story building and each one weighs 3,300 tons. This is no small feat and has been functioning since 1984. When you travel up the Thames you need to check their schedule because once a month they run a test on the gates to be sure they are functioning properly. Fortunately for us we didn’t have any problem and we moved through them with ease.
Our next concern was that we not arrive at St. Katharine Docks too early because you must enter through a lock which is only open for a few hours either side of high tide. Our chart plotter is usually very good about giving projections about our ETA, but of course just when you want that information it doesn’t work
Visibility Got Worse with the Fog
We saw the ship on ATS, then we saw it & then we didn't! Luckily it only lasted about 45 minutes. properly! Fortunately we could figure out how many more miles we needed to go, check the time we needed to get there and figured out what our speed should be. Who said we'd never use that stuff we learned in math class!
As we got closer to the center of London you started to see the skyline with its modern and historic buildings. The historic wharfs that came down to the river’s edge are still here, many being used as residence now. More modern apartment complexes are intermixed along the way.
We had called the marina on the VHF to let them know we were coming. They told us as soon as we see the Tower Bridge to give them another call. That was quite the sight to see! To come into London by water as many before us have done over the centuries was another one of those moments to remember. We were told on the radio that we would have to wait for some time before the lock would be free for us because a power boat was leaving. They suggested we grab a mooring to wait. That was easier said than done, with the strong
Concentrating
on what is out there as the fog rolled in. current and the Tower Bridge a few hundred feet away it was a challenge. On our second attempt we tied up to the mooring only to wait a very short time and were told they were ready for us. There are quite a few American boats in the marina and we were greeted by Dick off Alchemy who helped us with our lines in the lock. We had our roughest landing ever, but we soon got settled and were locked through. When we came into our assigned dock we were helped by 4 Americans –thanks to Gus, Helen, Dick and Ginger we made it in without any problems. They all filled us in with all the necessities – where the marina office is, the closest markets, info on Wi-Fi connections and much more. We have lots to learn, but fortunately we have plenty of helpful people who have been in London for the winter before.
We are now comfortably at St. Katharine Docks next to the Tower Bridge in London for the winter months. It has been quite the season and we now will have plenty of time to explore London and with the help of public transportation the
A Bridge Ahead
but this one we don't have to wait for it to open - a nice change! rest of the country.
After getting settled into the dock we of course had to do our first walk around the area. Within a minute’s walk we are at the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. We are excited to start exploring, but figured we didn’t have to do it all in the first day so took a nap to catch up on some sleep.
The first evening in London we had a full moon and clear skies so we took a walk to see the lights of the city. We walked across Tower Bridge and took plenty of photos of both the old and the new that is now our home for the next 6 months
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Home and Away
Bob Carlsen
I've enjoyed following you this season...
and hope you continue writing about your travels in the British Isles. What a perfect location to winter over!