As the next three days would be work days, we prefer to be in a marina, so we headed to Windsor Marina, where we had booked in for the three nights. This way we would have shore power (for laptops) and we could fill up with water. We could also do a little boat maintenance and catch up with any chores/shopping that needs doing.
So we set off from Baths Island at about 08:30. We passed a large buoy left by the police divers, which would indicate where the sunken car was. We were through the lock at 09:00 and tied up in the Marina at about 09:20.
It turned out to be such a lovely warm day. I did a few hours work and packed up my granny trolley, who I have named Simone. It is a French name, so fitting with our French boat. It means “to listen”. Simone and I spend hours together and she listens to me moan a lot! Today she listened to me moan all the way to the laundrette. A thirty minute walk there and back.
Patrick was busy in meetings all day, so once I was back from the laundry and put Simone to rest, I got on with boat maintenance / work.
Before we left Portsmouth, which feels like years ago now, we had planned on painting the roof. I had diligently taped up everything to protect the varnished wood from the paint, but never got the painting done.
The yellow masking tape had survived Pauline (see earlier entry), a trip through London and a lot of rain. As we had carried the paint all this way, I got on with the job. We will need a second coat but at least the first one is on. We have been carrying two solar panels with us all this time and these will go onto the roof as soon as the second coat is complete. I cannot wait for that to happen as these solar panels are always in the way.
We have also been carrying our bicycles with us since Portsmouth, but haven’t been able to use them as we don’t have a bicycle tyre pump. So my final job for the day was to source a pump from someone in the marina. After a few tries, I finally found one. We don’t have a puncture kit, so I was thrilled to find that the tyres pumped up and stayed hard. Now to find out if I could still remember how to ride a bicycle! That would be tomorrow’s task as my trip to the laundrette had led me past a large supermarket and we were low on food and undoubtedly beer.
As we were in a marina we took advantage of the shower facilities. Our shower on board is lovely but I am always conscious of using too much water. Tonight I got to just stand under hot water and enjoy it.
Sunbury-on-Thames to Baths Island
We left Sunbury at about 10h00, heading to Windsor and I mentally prepared for at least 7 locks. We were getting quite slick at this now and a lot of the locks are manned, with a lock keeper opening and closing for us, so that was a relief. The challenge for me, almost every time, is the last minute indication/decision as to whether we (or I) would be tying up port or starboard once in the lock. The locks almost always have bollards port side and starboard side. The challenge is when you are coming into a lock behind a boat or two, as they tie up first and we need to fit in the available space, so we only get to make the decision as we enter, albeit very slowly. So I usually stand on the bow with rope in hand and have the aft line lying at the back ready for me. As soon as we can identify which side to go, I quickly get the ropes attached to the cleats, if possible both forward and aft and then lasso the bow line onto a bollard. Patrick will then come out and sort out the aft line. We have discussed having ropes ready on cleats both sides, but that's a lot of rope lying around getting underfoot, and so far we have managed with the last minute scramble.
Our first lock of the day was open as we approached, and we slowed down to let a boat ahead of us get into the lock and tie up. As we got closer, we saw the state of the boat. I was certain it was either going to break down in the lock or sink (in the lock!). Then we saw the owner. I wasn’t sure which was going to come to grinding halt first. The boat or the owner. He was so old and bedraggled. He also couldn’t get his rope onto the bollard so he was drifting sideways across the lock, jamming his dingy behind him. He eventually got this front line on, but was stuck sideways. The lock keeper helped him and we then got to go into the lock. Once the lock was filled with water and the gates opened this old boat wouldn't start and so we had to patiently wait. Finally we were through. Patrick quickly overtook him as we had 6 more locks ahead and this was likely to be a recurring situation.
We stopped and tied up at Chertsey Bridge as I needed to return an old work laptop, which meant a quick walk into town. Patrick stayed on the boat rather than lock it all up.
As I crossed the bridge, I looked down at Deux Poissons, in the sunshine and I thought to myself how wonderful that we have finally started to enjoy her full time. As I stood there, an old dilapidated boat, with an old dilapidated dingy, driven by an old dilapidated man passed under the bridge and slowly made its way past Deux Poissons. It was the old man from earlier. So his boat hadn't sunk, he was still very much alive and headed in the same direction we were. I looked forward to meeting up with him in the next 5 or 6 locks!
Once I had delivered my laptop, I returned to the boat and we set off. This was such a beautiful part of the river, the houses just got bigger and more beautiful.
At lock Romney, the second last lock before our destination – Windsor Marina - we were told that we probably couldn’t get to Windsor as the river had been closed by the police because there was something sinking in the river! I wouldn’t have been surprised if it was an old dilapidated boat that had sunk and I hoped the old man was ok.
We set off anyway, checking out possible moorings on the banks in case. The lock keeper was correct. As we approached the A332 bridge we saw a lot of blue flashing lights and police on the bank of the river. The told us to stop and turn around – there were divers in the water. There was a CAR in the river. It had probably driven down the slip on the side of the bridge, went too far and couldn’t get back out. The car then seemed to have drifted a little in the river and then started to sink. There was no indication that there was anyone in the car, but we still couldn’t go past. So we obeyed the law, turned around and tied up on moorings on Baths Island. There were already a few other boats tied up who were also planning to get to Windsor, so we had a chat about all the possible explanations for the sunken car. Then we cooked hamburgers on the back deck, using the gas stove and enjoyed the evening. We were certain we would be allowed through tomorrow. I did wonder what had happened to the old man and the dilapidated boat…..
Thames Motor Yacht Club to Sunbury-on-Thames
We said our goodbyes to the kind people of TMYC, promised to revisit the club on our way back down from Oxford and set off for Sunbury-on-Thames. We had arranged to meet “Steve the fuel man” in the Sunbury area. Steve delivers fuel from his fuel barge, so he claims to deliver to wherever you are. I was interested in how this was going to work, particularly as we had asked for, and were assured that he could deliver 300 litres of diesel. So we kept out eyes out for a suitable place to stop. We use a book/guide of the Thames River which has very informative maps as well as an app on our phones, both of which will tell us where boats are allowed to moor up. A lot of moorings along the Thames are privately owned with some very stern warnings if you dare tie up on one. This is different from travelling on canals, where you can basically stop and tie up anywhere along the banks.
We found a mooring bank and space, near a cute pub and decided this would work. However, for the first time, I had to jump onto the bank with the rope and hold as best I could, without any bollard or even a tree to help me. Fortunately Patrick is really skilled at this, so he slowed the boat down to almost no speed, and the bank wasn't too far away, the drop was not too far down nor slippery – all the things my imagination convinced me would lead to a catastrophic outcome.
As there was no tide and on that day, no wind, the boat just stayed where she was. I was able to hold both centre line (rope) and a forward line and left an aft line on the bank. Patrick jumped off and he hammered stakes/pins into the ground and attached the lines.
A friend of ours had kindly given us a ground anchor, which was basically a “screw-in stake”, marketed by the company Roughneck. He said to try it out as a mooring stake for the boat - something that this ground anchor was probably not designed for. Patrick was impressed in how easily it screwed in and how secure it was. I wasn't sure what to say, so made suitable appreciative noises, but agreed that we would definitely be using it again, and would probably buy another one or two.
We were all secure and ready for the day.
We called Steve the fuel man, let him know where we were. As we were now tied up to a bank, we had no electricity so I set up the little gas stove and made us some toast and coffee. After a few hours and no show from Steve, we locked up the boat and went walked into the town, with my new shopping trolley. It was a hot day, which required ice-creams and an agreement that it was BBQ for dinner. We filled that shopping trolley up with all the necessities and made our way back passing some really old houses.
As the day drew on and still no show from Steve, we gave up on him and Patrick did some research on fuel availability along the river. There were plenty of stops for fuel.
The river got really busy so we had plenty to watch – some beautiful boats and some we thought we would never see again! Just as we got tired of it all, a really small little boat with a family – two small girls, caught our eye as they seemed to want to moor up in the tiny space between us and another boat. They were, however, coming in at a speed and we heard them say that the outboard engine had no reverse, so they were going to just come to the bank, in neutral. As they tucked in between us and the boat behind us, Patrick and I jumped off our boat and asked them to throw us their forward and stern lines and we would stop their boat from going into the back of our (steel) boat. The wife leaned down and picked up a tangled lot of rope which was still attached to a steel ground stake and was about to throw it to me – her husband who was trying to steer also attempted to do the same to Patrick. I quickly said “no, don’t throw that”, just lean over and either hand it to me or throw it on the bank! Patrick managed to grab the rope from the husband and between us, stopped the boat. Patrick calmly explained to the man that next time it is best to undo the rope from the steel stakes. The man loudly replied that there was NOT going to be a next time. This was his brothers boat and he was done with the day and with his brother. He then got off the boat and onto the phone to his brother – we didn’t hang around to hear what happened next.
As it was such a lovely warm day, and it had been more than a week since I had varnished anything, I decided to remind myself why I never want to varnish again. I only did the handrails, but it was enough to trigger all the trauma. But nothing that a cold beer couldn’t sort out.
We never did hear from Steve but we did have a lovely BBQ. Just down the river a birthday party was getting into full swing as we sat down to eat. Then the karaoke started and Patrick and I both agreed that we were only able to identify 1 out of 6 songs, within the first two lines. The rest took at least half the song before we were even close at working it out.
As it got late, the mosquitoes arrived so we closed up everything and ran our mosquito repellent machines for a few hours, on the inverter. It was the first time we had used them on the boat and they really worked well. The water that had heated up when the engine was running was slowly cooling and we didn’t want to run the generator to heat up water, so we both had cool showers. I was thrilled to find that the karaoke had stopped by the time I got out of the shower.
We checked out our route for tomorrow – Windsor and it would be a marina as Patrick was working Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I might be over my triggered trauma by then and so may do some more varnishing. As long as there is beer.
Teddington Lock to Thames Motor Yacht Club
We woke up late today – we had settled into “go slow” very quickly! Our plan is to head up to Thames Motor Yacht Club, at Hampton Court later this afternoon and stay overnight there. We were not in any hurry now, so we took a slow walk (staying in our new groove), back into the town as we needed a couple of bungee cords to secure the bikes to the back railings. I also wanted to find something to secure the cushions to the outside seating and we needed to grab some fresh produce. First stop was a small little shop that sold everything. Including a shopping-granny trolley!
The shop keeper offered to put it together for us so we could load it up with the two other small bits we had bought. After watching him struggle for almost 10 minutes to attach two wheels, I got to watch both him AND Patrick struggle for a further 5 minutes to attach two wheels and the handle. Eventually it was all done, two wheels and a collapsible handle. I was assured that it was all secure – and I hope so, as this trolley’s first task would be to carry an undisclosed number of bottles of wine back to the boat.
We had passed a chandlery on the way into town and so we stopped on the way back to buy a 3 pound hammer. Up to now we have been staying in marinas or we have tied up on a bank that has bollards or rings which we tie on to. But that is not always going to be the case. There will be times when we have to tie up on a bank where there is nothing, and so we carry pegs/pins/rods. These will need to be driven into the ground securely and then we tie up onto those. Hence a very large heavy hammer.
On the way back to the boat we passed this old church and stopped in to have a look. Old church buildings and the stained glass is something we love to look at and to learn more about the history. It was worth the stop.
Then back on the boat and Patrick did a little engine check and tightened up the stern gland. He also took the time to give me a comprehensive explanation of what this meant. All I asked was “what are you doing?”). So it seems every day IS a school day. And I learned not only all there is to learn about a stern gland, but also not to ask questions if you have other plans in the next hour or two. But at least my teacher was a bit of eye-candy!
We called up Thames Motor Yacht Club (TMYC) to ask if they could accommodate us for a night and once that was out of the way, we set off. I am always in awe of some of the properties along the river but even more amused by some of the little things. Patrick nearly slammed on brakes (imaginary ones) when he spotted a keg of Pussers Navy Rum just sitting on the edge of a pontoon.
We got to TMYC in no time and were met by the commodore who invited us up to the club where there were a few members enjoying a beer or two. Sounded like our kind of place. Turned out to be an amazing afternoon of learning more about our boat.
We have a badge attached to the “dashboard” which states that the boat is registered with Thames Vintage Boat Club, which we showed to the commodore and members. The next thing we were on a call to the secretary of the Vintage Boat Club, who knew Deux Poissons and her previous owners well. We also met a gentlemen who had done a survey on her some years ago. They were all so pleased to see that she was still “alive” and being used and were very interested on what we had done to her in terms of restoration. It was almost like she was coming home (for a visit).
We called a “fuel man” to arrange a delivery of diesel tomorrow and then went for a walk into Hampton town for a look around and dinner. We had a little poke around a vintage / junk shop and Patrick got himself a vintage, Edwardian beer tankard – will definitely be a regular feature in our lives. We had a great Italian meal and a slow walk back to the boat – you could see her all lit up from the distance. As we were able to connect to power at the mooring, we both had a lovely hot shower and into bed.
Queenborough to Teddington - through London
Woke early this morning, even before the alarm - we were going to pass through the centre of London today….!! It felt like such a milestone for us.
I put the kettle on for a quick coffee while Patrick checked to see if our neighbours alongside had seen our note. If not, they were in for a rude awakening and I didn’t want to be the “grim reaper”. He found a note on our door saying they would be awake and ready for the move at 04:45 (phew). I stowed away much of our “loose” stuff as I was still partly traumatised by yesterday, although Patrick assured me today was not going to be anything like yesterday. We left our mooring at 04:59 after a quick thank-you to our neighbours, who were very sweet and understanding. Patrick was correct, the water was much flatter, with the occasional wake from passing ships. We passed through a lot of industrial areas for a while and then it became more residential. The river was really wide so we couldn’t get a good look at the houses / snoop.
I was just settling into a comfortable state when Patrick said to prepare for a very large wake from a carrier ship, “Pauline” heading towards us. We couldn’t avoid it and I was tempted to ask Patrick if we could turn around and “out-run” it! (I didn’t ask because I suspected he would say that was ridiculous – even I knew that). So I just watched it approach us, I didn’t even reach for my camera - honestly you could surf on this. While I am writing this retrospectively and there is the risk of my overactive imagination contributing to this, we both agreed that this was the steepest wave we had climbed with the deepest drop and then up again into the next wave! We could not avoid it and for a few seconds we were looking down into a deep trough.
Deux Poissons handled it like a champ and Patrick and I were silent for a few minutes after that. We had no words (even my overactive brain went quiet).
Fortunately that was the only one like that for the rest of the trip, although I kept an eye on every wake behind approaching ships, until we were in a “no ship” area.
We got a little chatty again once we passed under the Queen Elizabeth II bridge, recalling Patrick having spent years either crossing the bridge or just sitting on it in traffic (more the latter).
We had a chart (map) of the Thames and Patrick used a headache tablet as an indicator as to where we were – fairly useful on all counts and I was tempted to grab that tablet a few times.
And then a little after 09:15 we saw the Thames Barrier ahead and Patrick radioed for permission to cross. At 09:26 we passed through the Thames Barrier. If surviving “Pauline” hadn’t made me want to reach for a celebratory drink, this really did make me want to celebrate. We were on the Thames River heading towards London!
The water was really flat now, so I popped out onto the foredeck and was so disappointed to find that the camera I have put up on the mast (thankfully after the “Pauline” incident) wasn’t recording. It had been giving us trouble anyway but I had hoped it would have recorded some iconic first moments for us.
We are going to be passing back down this way in a few weeks, so I will have another opportunity to record then. And more importantly, “Pauline” will hopefully be docking in some far away land.
We passed Greenwich and Patrick pointed out that we had effectively crossed over from travelling in the East and were now travelling in the West. He clarified with the words “hemisphere”. I wasn’t sure if I should be feeling any different.
A little after 10h00am we saw Tower Bridge ahead. It was surreal to see it from this angle after having been on the banks of the Thames so many times. It really is magnificent. The span is 61m between the two towers and is split into two equal parts (I have been told they are called bascules). These bascules weigh about 1,070 tons each and are counterbalanced to minimise the force needed to raise them. They open completely within 5 minutes, which is crazy to think, considering their weight. Traffic on the bridge needs to stop for less than 10 minutes to allow ships to pass once the bridge is open.
It did occur to me that less than 10 minutes wasn’t very long for practically all of London traffic to stop and that we were important enough and big enough for the bridge to open for us – get the real London Bridge experience. Patrick reminded that we were neither all that important nor that big (I think with reference to Pauline). So I was happy with the experience of slowly going under her, real close up and personal with the towers.
By now I didn’t know which side of the boat to sit and look out of – London Eye, Houses of Parliament. It was so amazing. I was equally amazed at how many residential houses are along the Thames, not just flats and apartments and how green it was. There were so many huge old trees in gardens.
We moved through some beautiful areas – Chelsea, Richmond, Twickenham and passed under some stunning bridges – each one different. We agreed that our favourites were Tower Bridge and Hammersmith, although the Albert Bridge was really pretty. Albert Bridge was pastel green for years and then repainted yellow. Now it is pastel pink, blue and green, apparently to make it more visible during foggy weather (95% of the time in London). Over 4000 LED lights were also installed to illuminate the bridge at night – but we were not hanging around to see that.
Once we were through the centre part of London, Patrick and I reflected over the experience. Overall passing through London was not as challenging as we thought it was going to be (except for “Pauline”) – maybe sometimes a little rough and choppy with the water taxis and tourist boats. This is what the crew from the Little Ships of Dunkirk had said last night, so we were glad we took their advice.
We finally reached Teddington Lock quicker than we thought we would and overall the whole trip had been about 7 hours. Once through the lock we were officially on the Thames River proper – which is more like a canal. Slow moving and no tide. We got through the lock easily and tied up on the bank not too far up the river. We popped into the office at the lock and purchased a license to be on the river for a month.
What an amazing experience!
We had some lunch and then took a stroll into the town which was just over the river. It was such a hot sunny day and we felt we needed a moment to sit and enjoy what we had achieved. A cocktail and a beer was exactly what we needed! We then headed back to the boat for a BBQ on the front deck and to set our bodies into “slow-mode”.
Ramsgate to Queenborough
After such a lovely trip over to Ramsgate, I was looking forward to another calm, sunny day on the water. This time I would sit out longer on the foredeck and enjoy the moment when we finally enter the Thames Estuary. We have talked endlessly about this – going up the Thames on Deux Poissons – I wanted to experience it in the moment.
It was another early start and we were out of the harbour at 05:00. This time, heading away from the sunrise. It was a little windy compared to yesterday but Deux Poissons handled it well.
Then it got really really rough.
We had expected the wind to be North-North-East but it turned and came from the West – over tide. So we were heading into waves, peaks and troughs – for hours. Both Patrick and Deux Poissons handled it so well. I supported them both silently and in prayer (unable to reach the vodka, as it meant moving from my seat).
It must have been exhausting for Patrick as it was a case of predicting the peak of the wave and steering her into it, rather than let it hit us side-on and cause that horrible rolling. Everything was “locked down” (including the vodka) on the boat so we didn’t have things flying at us but it was still heavy going. Although the autopilot was set up and in good working order now, Patrick had to do almost all of the steering through the waves. The water was almost always over the deck, occasionally splashing right up against the windscreen and at times right over the roof. At this point we realised that the hatch on the roof was not entirely watertight. But, to be fair, “waves over the roof” wasn't something we considered during our restoration.
We were (slightly) amused to see a ship behind us called “Danube Highway”. It felt like this was all part of the trip to finally be on the Danube-this was the road to be travelled.
There was a sense of relief when we turned into the Thames Estuary heading towards Queenborough, the sea state became a little calmer.
Patrick was due to work that day, so as soon as he could, he joined a meeting via his phone, just to say he was due to tie up in Queensborough shortly and would join meetings then. I, however, was planning on having a very stiff drink !
Queenborough offers moorings between the Thames and Medway and most boats moor up waiting for the right tide for the Thames. We asked, over the radio, for the All Tide Landing, which is a pontoon, isn’t restricted by tide and we asked to stay overnight. The alternative is to pick up a buoy, although there is a RIB “taxi” for those on a buoy, so we could get to land. We were lucky enough to get a space on the Landing. It is pretty basic, but it had both electricity and water, which we hadn’t expected, so we looked forward to a hot shower and fill the water tanks. A colleague from Patrick’s work, who lived in the area, stopped by for a work “meeting”, which naturally involved a couple of beers, out on the back deck.
Two Little Ships of Dunkirk tied up behind us, which was such a treat. They were both in such good condition considering they were part of a 1940 rescue operation in World War II. Patrick had a little chat with them, while I still remained in recovery from the trip over (aka: another gin and tonic). I did wonder if the Little Ships of Dunkirk would have considered Deux Poissons trying to make her way to Queenborough similar to what they had undertook in 1940 - probably not !
Patrick came back from his chat with news that our plans had changed!! The original plan was to leave Queenborough tomorrow and stop overnight at Greenwich. The crew of the two Little Ships had done this route a few times and their advice was to NOT stop at Greenwich or anywhere along the Thames as it is really busy and the water is rough and choppy from all the water taxis and tour boats. It makes for a really uncomfortable stay and not cheap. They suggested to just keep going until we were through Teddington Lock and onto Thames River proper. Then we would be in canal-like situation and so much slower, calmer and nicer. All I heard was slower, calmer and nicer.
It did mean a 5:00am start (of course).
We had a yacht rafted up on the outside of us and the crew went out for the evening, so we were unable to give them the bad news - We would need them to move off at 05:00am to let us out. As I wrote a really apologetic note, I hoped they were not having a heavy session in the pub nearby as this would really spoil their evening.
Then into a very welcome bed with the alarm set for 5:00am. I am beginning to think this is the default setting of the alarm by now.
Eastbourne to Ramsgate
I prepped the boat/stowed away most things before bed but we still woke up with a sense of urgency – at 03h15am. We needed to be in the lock by 04h00am. I mean, this wasn’t the only time the lock was was working that day, 04h00am was not the only slot available. We could have gone in at 04h30am– but anyway, we made it, along with a HUGE, smelly fishing boat. Nice for us on an empty stomach.
It had been a while since we had left any mooring in what felt like the middle of the night and it felt quite surreal, there didn’t seem to be anyone around. At a little after 05:00am you could start to see pink sky and we were heading into the sunrise – so lovely. The sea was absolutely calm and flat and no wind – such a pleasure. As the sun rose, it got warmer and was a perfect summer day. We also made good time as Patrick planned the tides right. We had planned to stop at Dover, but the conditions were so good that we agreed to go onto Ramsgate. We had the time and the tide and the only time we really had to pay attention to what was going on was at Dover. It is such a busy harbour and also with the Dover-Calais (UK-France) Crossing, we had to be conscious of all the large ships coming and going. I settled down into the sunshine to spend the next few hours onto Ramsgate, relaxing and dozing and loving life. That was until Patrick disturbed my peace with a request to come and take the helm, the steering didn’t feel right. It felt a little tight and he wanted to check the steering gear, that nothing had got caught in the gear. I mean, we were right in the MIDDLE of the crossing – seemed perfect time for something to go wrong. There were two areas he needed to check – the steering gear in the galley; in a cupboard, behind a cupboard, behind a fixed bin! And the chain in another cupboard in the forepeak, above a cupboard. As neither I, nor the autopilot wanted to be held responsible for a cruise/cargo-ship incident, I suggested I dismantle the cupboards in the galley and then take the helm so he could check. Our galley has been designed and fitted for this exact kind of need – to quickly check steering gear or bilges. So it really was just two screws to release hinges of the bin cupboard and then 4 screws to remove the front of the other cupboard. Patrick was down on his knees, head in steering gear, within seconds. The other cupboard just meant opening the door. He found nothing stuck or trapped. He thought it might be that everything just needed a good greasing !. The rest of the trip was uneventful. I went back to dozing in the sunshine, and missed the dolphins. We made good time and into Ramsgate with no problem. We tied up and set off to explore what turned out to be a really pretty town. We visited the Royal Temple Yacht Club for a beer and after a wander around stopped at the Mariners Pub and had a pizza for dinner. Once back on the boat, we (again) checked Navionics and planned tomorrow. We will be leaving early again (05:00am) and will finally be entering the Thames Estuary. We plan to stay over at Queensborough once we are in the Thames and then plan the next few stops.
Brighton to Eastbourne
Woke up to no wind and warm sunshine. No whistling and smacking ropes, what a pleasure. There is probably a nautical term or definition for ropes smacking yacht masts (??). I have a number of personal definitions as well as remedies, but at the risk of incriminating myself in a crime I haven't committed, I will keep them to myself.
We planned to leave at about 12h00 and while there is very little wind, we will be motoring alongside the shore and cliffs the whole way to Eastbourne so we expect it is going to be a bumpy ride. This is normally the case with the water rebounding off the shore. Patrick went off to the local chandlery to “get his fix” and I started to prepare the boat for the trip. I am getting quite slick at this now and can stow away all the moveable bits pretty quickly. We took a quick walk to the marina office to pay for our stay and to throw away the old ladder. This ladder and I have had a love-hate relationship since we bought Deux Poissons. It folds in an awkward way, which I never got the hang of - the handles hooking me almost every time I try to move it. It also ALWAYS seems to be in the way. So I was happy to get rid of her, but still a little nostalgic as I threw it deep into the wheelie bin – I think this was the last of the original boat bits we would be getting rid of.
Patrick sat in the galley and did a little work. Sounded more like chatting to his colleagues about the trip so far…..
We left our mooring at 11h55 and out of the mouth at 12h00. It is about 2.5 hour run. And as predicted – lumpy and rough. But Deux handled it all like a pro although the autopilot decided it had had enough and changed course. So Patrick had to switch it off and do all the steering himself. The chalky cliffs, which ran along the whole way, were so impressive. We saw a number of para-gliders jumping off the cliffs. Patrick said they were motorised gliders, so it felt like cheating but still crazy scary I am sure. Once we got round the point, Beachy Head, the sea state was calmer. Eastbourne Marina (Souverign Marina) has a lock which operates on a half hour cycle. We missed the 14h30 so we had to wait for 15h00. Patrick took advantage of the time and fiddled with the autopilot and then recalibrated it. This involved going round and round in circles. This was while I was on the deck putting down fenders both sides and getting lines ready!!. We were not sure what the lock was like inside, so “be prepared”. Finally they radioed to say proceed and we approached the lock in calm water. 4 boats went in and we rafted to an interesting couple who dive shipwrecks (for fun). It took about 20 mins to get through the lock, so we we had a good chat.
We were onto our mooring by 15h30. Semi-unpacked the boat as we are planning on leaving at 04h00am for Dover. We had a walk around the marina and a drink at the pub. Then back to the boat for dinner and a shower. Patrick did some fuel “tinkering”. We have two fuel tanks of 400 litres each. They are not connected but fuel can be transferred via a pump/filter system. We have had the delightful experience of diesel bug before, so now we keep our fuel tanks separate. For now Patrick set it up that the engine draws from the starboard tank, so he ran the pump to transfer some fuel over from the port to starboard tank, to keep the boat balanced. Lights out by 22h00 with alarm set for 03h15 - yuggggg.
A day in Brighton Marina
We waited out the wind, staying in Brighton Marina and filling our time with boat jobs. It is a bank holiday, otherwise Patrick would do a days work - his other work, not boat work. The easy work. We wrote a very short list as we wanted to achieve as little as possible. Mine included laundry. There is a laundrette at the the marina with large washing and drying machines, and it worked really well. Also a trip to the supermarket. By trip, I meant a walk. Oh and clean the bathroom. Patrick agreed to refit a fairlead we lost a few weekends ago, do the final fitting of the ladder attachment and check the engine. I am pleased to say all was achieved and my lesson of the day is not to over-shop until I buy one of those shopping trolley/bags.
We sat and relooked at our plan/tides/weather. It feels like this is going to an hourly exercise until we get up into the Thames River. So we plan to set off to Eastbourne tomorrow at about 12h00. Patrick will do his other work and I will find a way to keep myself busy. Probably research shopping trolley/bags.
Exploring Brighton
It rained most of the night (of course) and a leak (of course) with the water pooling along MY side of the bed (naturally). The rain stopped by the time we woke up but not the wind. If fact, it felt worse. We both agreed that it was a good call to cancel Eastbourne for today and re-calculate our next few days.
While there was no sunshine, I was happy with no rain. We decided the leave boat jobs for today – except find the leak and patch it. As we are likely to be in Brighton for today and tomorrow, we decided to explore. We left the bedding to dry with open portholes and we put on our walking gear (not actual walking gear … standard flip flops and shorts for Patrick) and we wandered over to find the bus station and, a few minutes later, we were ready to be tourists. We started at Brighton Pier, iconic tourist sight. We were able to look over the water and we agreed that staying in the marina was definitely the best thing to do – it was wild out there. After about half an hour on the pier we were ready for coffee. I mean, we were really ready for a beer, but even we thought it was too soon. We made our way to The Lanes, which is a popular area in Brighton. A small area of tiny streets all lined with independent shops. We spotted a huge crowd with cameras and could hear music, so naturally curious (nosy) we made our way there. It turned out to the band The Specials, one of Patrick’s favourite bands. How special. What a treat. We found a cute tea shop and had scones and tea – delicious and worth postponing the beer. Then more wandering around, there are some beautiful buildings and architecture. Also, Brighton is much hillier than I thought it was and I am definitely more unfit than I thought too. Finally a we had that much needed beer in a cute pub and after a few hours we grabbed a takeaway lunch and enjoyed it in the gardens of the Royal Pavilion. It is an impressive building, built in an architectural style seen in India, with beautiful domes and minarets. According to history, it was built in late 1700s as a seaside retreat for King George IV. According to the historian, Patrick Mckenna, King George entertained way to many single ladies here and so Queen Victoria decided that Osborne House should be the royal seaside retreat – on the Isle of Wight. So the Pavilion was sold to the city of Brighton and no more parties for King George! (*disclaimer – none of this is fact verified).
We caught a bus back to the marina and stopped in at the Brighton Marina Sailing Club to check it out and have a quick drink and then back to the boat. Fortunately with no rain, plenty of wind and some sunshine, the bedding had dried. A quick shower and then we planned our next few days. We use Navionics app as a way to plan routes as it gives us all the information we would need. We will stay in Brighton tomorrow and head to Eastbourne on Tuesday. The tides will work for us midday and there is no strong wind predicted (yay). We planned only one night in Eastbourne and then onto Dover.
