Underway again… Grand!
After leaving the comfortable confines of Limehouse Basin we pottered up river to turn below Tower Bridge – a kind of rite of passage. Sail was set as we approached Limehouse Reach sail was set and we were off, homeward bound with a planned stop at Greenhithe for our penultimate evening away.
The Dar Mlodziezy.
Reaching Greenwich, apart from the carbuncle up on the land, we saw a real sailing ship moored out n the river, clearly an early arrival… She was the Polish beauty Dar Mlodziezy. Apart from short periods we seemed to be tacking down and round all the reaches … it’s the way the cookie crumbles – the mate hadn’t even mentioned the engine!
The engine had a brief run as we transited the flood barrier and upon exiting a whole mass of vessels were seen down in Woolwich Bight.
Group of tall ships alongside Woolwich Pier…
The Oosterchelte – a particular beauty…
It then went quiet – no rushing twin hulled water taxis and few coasters and tugs to disturb our sailing serenity…
Approaching the QE2 bridge a sail, well a mass of creamy canvas, was seen … this was the first of a parade that is still going on as I bash my keys swinging to a buoy off Greenhithe’s town hard… As I speak the Sea Cadet training ship has sailed under the bridge followed by two ‘smack’ types, big gaff cutters anyway!
The Gulden Leeuw, wow what a ship…
The Tenacious, pity they’d furled sails…
The Pelican of London…
A Fifer on the London River…
The Starvos S Niarchos
Two further vessels …
The Lady of Avenel – which as east coasters know is based in Maldon.
A couple of the smaller ‘tall’ ships…
Well that’s all I’m uploading … there were many more and a three-master has just motored under the bridge … following several gaffers.