DAY TWENTY-FIVE - LONDON TO RYE

It was an early awakening this morning, and down to the boats in the semi-gloom to be ready for the lock opening at 7.00am.  Our hotel overlooked the Tower Bridge, which looked strangely surreal in the morning light.

Once away and into the Thames, it was a magical run downriver, with the lipstick slash of a sunrise just appearing, and the odd silhouettes of London appearing on the banks either side.  Yesterday's arrival into London was fascinating, but in the early morning light we were able to appreciate the London landmarks again without the pressure of waterway traffic to distract us, and it was a magical experience to whistle down the Thames at 25 knots in almost perfect stillness, whilst the city of London came to busy life above us.  The bridges were bumper to bumper with dinky-sized cars, bustling to get on with their day, whilst we glided past below.

Morning traffic over the Queen Elizabeth Bridge

"Teal" glides across the sea

We enjoyed the flat calmness of previous days, skirting around the wind farm with a respectful distance this time, and making our way towards Ramsgate for a late breakfast.
Known as Royal Ramsgate since this title was bestowed upon it by King George IV, and hence the only royal harbour in the UK, Ramsgate proved a pleasant surprise, and we refuelled the boat and enjoyed a hearty breakfast at the fisherman's cafe before heading out again towards our final destination of Rye.

Coming into Ramsgate

Quite rightly Anthony advised full wet weather gear on leaving Ramsgate, as we knew the wind was picking up all day, and we were very appreciative of our oilskins and helmets as we met the dreaded head-on seas again off Dungeness power station, which built up into a lumpy sea with a good Force 5 off Margate and into the Dover Straits.   On board "ConTTentment" we really appreciated having Gerald Dodson as the extra crewman on board, and being able to rotate the helming every half hour on a three-way rota.

Refuelling at Ramsgate

Once through the Straits, conditions improved slightly and we were able to pick up speed again for the final run into Rye.  Suddenly a motorboat roared across to see us, and we were informed that we were crossing the live shooting range, and needed to be at least 3 miles out to sea!  A quick detour seaward followed, before rejoining our original course.

The white cliffs of Dover

The final run into Rye was an exhilerating ride with the waves slightly on the beam, and the two-man helm coming into play!  The entrance up river was a step back in time, with a long line of fishing boats lining one side of the entrance with fishermen sorting their nets in the afternoon sunshine, and the abandoned hulks of rotting boats, the wrecks of broken dreams on the other.  We weaved and wound our way upriver past a myriad of moored boats, eventually arriving at the visitors quay, right in the heart of Rye.  We are lucky enough to be staying with friends of Si and Sarah's, Charlotte and Dermott Flood, at Wittersham, and have a late start tomorrow as we need to wait for the outward tide before departing, so we are all looking forward to a leisurely morning exploring this delightful looking town.

Distance travelled:  121 nautical miles
Time travelling:  6 hours 6 minutes
Average speed:  19.9 knots
Total trip:  2,047 nautical miles