RETURN TO THE DEBEN - Part 2

I took a day off cruising. Went to take the photos of that strange superyacht and then down to Greenwich which is now mainly the University along with a Greenwich visitors' centre.

And, of course, the Cutty Sark.

 I used the catamaran riverbuses. Very impressive service. Lovely smooth ride. Pity about the wake they inevitably leave behind, not so much big but powerful and very persistant. They leave all that part of the Thames in a permanent state of agitation.

Next day, sun shining and bright blue skies, off to Gillingham Marina

passing Greenwich

the O2

the Thames Barrier

Tate & Lyle

the Woolwich Ferry

the QE2 bridge, accompanied by serious industrial traffic.

 As I was about to turn around the wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery into the Medway I saw a sail on the horizon. Ever a sucker for a classic sailing boat I held an intercepting course... 

...which proved to be...

...well worth the effort. 

As I entered a pretty little gaffer was leaving.

And so in to a very welcoming Gillingham Marina complete with gym and pool at preferential rates (in the building behind).

Next day the tide was ideal for an early start...

 ...in to a spectacularly beautiful morning. The sea was flat calm. The pics say it all.

A flock of gulls found some freely available prey.

And so out in to the open sea ...

... and buoy hopping for 50nm up to ...

...the lovely River Deben. Here showing Ramsholt.

It was getting dark so I moored up to a free buoy for the night before arriving on the tide Tuesday morning at The Granary Yacht Harbour.

HOME SWEET HOME!

RETURN TO THE DEBEN - Part 1

I had vaguely thought I might get as far as the Folly Bridge, Oxford where the bridge is too low for Lady Cate to pass. However I was told the water gets too shallow by Abingdon. Then the bad news - no lock keepers. It's a great chore getting through locks on your own, even if they are powered. Then the good news - a fine weather window combined with good tide timing was coming up. So, as they say, no brainer. The main objects of my journey being completed I decided to return.





 So back under the M25.

Passing this lovely little classic near Chertsey Lock - which was not manned but I had caught up with a small convoy who were happy enough doing the work. 

From Chertsey to Shepperton:

 

there are some splendidly eccentric house boats on the Thames.

This is Sunbury Weir where we would play as children, with St Mary's Church in the background.

Between Sunbury amd Molesey Locks is the School's Boathouse together with that of Lady Eleanor School.  

Plenty of activity -

Don't know when the girls started rowing. Sadly, in my day, the girls' school was wholly out of bounds. We even had boys playing the women in plays rather than work on joint productions. Thank goodness that'a all changed. 

Hampton's yellow blades.

Hampton Church where the school started in 1556.

Garrick's Villa. The actor David Garrick was a patron.

Nearby a fantastic old houseboat in fine condition.

Another houseboat with a flower laden floating patio.

Molesey Boat Club which the school shared when I rowed.

And so to Teddington to stay overnight.

And then on ...

Passing The Star and Garter which used to be a home for retired world war vets run by the Poppy Fund people but is now a hotel and apartments ...

and the new residential developments between the river and the town. Prince Charles got quite worked up about the original designs and these are the result of his concerns. Nicely classical.











Through the Victorian Richmond Lock as the sluices were in action. Had to wait an hour here. Half an hour for the water to be enough for us to get out and then half an hour for a late tour boat.

That half hour mattered as you will see.








The river was very busy and full of the usual tourist attractions and then this! An extraordinary contraption straight out of a Bond movie moored alongside HMS Belfast.

I couldn't photo it from the boat as I was too busy so I caught the riverbus to the Tower the next day and took these.

Apparently it belongs to Andrey Melnichenko.

The problem with leaving Richmond Lock half an hour late meant I was 10 minutes late at South Dock. The staff had gone, not willing to wait to open the lock for me. So be it.

So I had to moor on Greenland Pier where the huge riverbus catamarans come in for passengers.














They make a huge swell, especially by the piers as they accelerate away.











 So the mooring was like being on a permanently bouncing trampoline. I put a bow line out to port to hold Lady Cate off the pier and we spent the night sort of suspended off the pier in the bouncy water. I slept in the wheelhouse clothed and lifejacketed!

The photos don't show the waves very well although they are sometimes 3ft high. I've got a .mov file showing Lady Cate bouncing around but it was too much for this bloggging software to take!

I got in to the marina first thing the next morning.

ONWARDS TO LONDON

The best of company down Middle Deep.











Two beautiful full size Thames barges under full sail.

My plan was to anchor in Stangate Creek, off the Medway, overnight and catch the tide up to South Dock Marina. However, with Lady Cate being slower than I thought and needing to punch the tide for part of the journey I realised we could not make the lock gates in time, so I decided to keep going up river. This would mean cruising up in the dark for some of the time. More trepidation!

Given the busy traffic which was driving me South I decided to enter the estuary by the small boats southern route and cross over to the North side further upstream.






So I passed by the sunken ammunition ship SS Richard Montgomery.












Just think of all that unexploded ammo under there!

 We headed up river into the sunset, which I forgot to photo, buoy hopping up to Gravesend in the dark, where we moored up for a few hours kip.










Off again at 0500 riding the tide up the town.

An infinity of docks from river mouth to town centre. Rather dreary, like the trains entering cities through bleak industrial landscapes.

The Thames Barrier, with its green guiding lights.

The Docklands development skyline, now well matured and dramatic, with one of the Emirates cable car pillars, twisted white, in the foreground.

I travelled in the cable cars just a month before, already thinking then how it would be when we cruised up river.

Gently sculptural pillar showing up the crude block form of the cheaper constructions.

Well I had to take my own pic of it.

Further upstream, opposite Greenwich, some early morning company. Brave folk in very small boats in a busy waterway. But this morning, Saturday, was nice and quiet.








More soon!