Jomo
Well-Known Member
Having Managed to arrange the 'Ostend' weekend and following week off, Joy & I had been planning our first trip across to the continent for a couple of years. But, being a little worried about the climb over the bow for the Montgomerey dock pontoons, and following some chat with Karouise, I initially decided that we'd head for Ramsgate on the 24th (Friday), with the aim of being in Calais on Sat 25.
The driving rain that arrived on 24th delayed our departure – we are supposed to enjoy this! And the longer range forecasts showing both cold and northerlies, changed our plans. So, Saturday we set forward for the Medway, with a trip to Limehouse hopefully to follow. A very pleasant, though chilly, sail down to Chatham saw us through Saturday, with locking in ( a first for me and Joy as a team) a fairly stress free process. I found the staff extremely helpful, and the facilities very clean and well looked after. 3G connection was obtained on both O2 and Vodafone.
On Sunday I arranged a berth in Limehouse for Monday and Tuesday, and then took a very pleasant trip round the historic dockyard. I really enjoyed it, though at £17.50 you need to be a sailing geek I think! Joy, not being a sailing geek
headed for the shops!!Ugh.
Monday we slipped at 05.30, though the lock by 05.45 (after a delay due the outer gates getting stuck), and headed for low water Sheerness at Nore Swatch. The last of the ebb was still pushing hard and we were an hour early, but headed off up the Thames.
Our engine temp sensor had shown cold all last year,although she hadn't missed a beat. At winter service, I decided to clean the sensor of all the gunge, to see if it helped......it did, it now started reading just below overheating! And just as we turned into Gravesend reach, the overheating alarm started. Now, I was reasonably sure it was just the sensor, the exhaust was ejecting water as well as gas, the engine wasn't straining or missing, but the pressure was on.
I called London VTS and asked for permission to anchor a change the impellor, which I duly did. This, as I suspected made no difference. What to do? Push on and go with my belief it was a sensor fault? Turn back, and still need to find somewhere to get at the engine and then a part? I decided to push on, so our trip up the Thames was not the most stress free journey I'd ever had. To add insult to injury, the wind started picking up, and when on the nose (it was a westerly) was regularly over 20 knots, and gusting up to 30.
We arrived at Limehouse just in time to watch someone locking out, and were 'invited' to come straight in. This was another exciting experience, as the wind was still gusting between 25 and 30 knots directly into the lock (from behind the boat). We managed to lock in almost competently for novices, but were let down in the basin by our fenders being too high. Argh! Cracked the hard bit, but got scraped at the pontoon. However, we'd made it, and the engine was still chugging along as she normally did
Dinner that evening in the CA bar was nice, though too much for old gits like us, then a couple of beers and bed.
Limehouse was peaceful, with the facilities adequate and clean. With only 2 showers/toilets/sinks, it could be crowded in a rush I suspect. 3G with both O2 and vodafone again, though the signal was cutting to GPRS on occasions.
The following morning, I spoke to Norman Griffiths of Bukh in Poole, and with his top help we proved the sensor faulty. He sent me to Isleworth to fetch a replacement (thanks Jonathon), so Joy's sightseeing trip to London consisted of DLR, underground then SW trains and back, all for a part. Ooops.
Part was duly fitted and given a short test. The full test would be on Wednesday when we slipped back into the Thames.
Another early start on Wednesday (Lock booked at 05.30) saw us in the river motoring for the barrier. Hooray, no alarm, and sensor showing green for 5 hours down the Thames!
With the forecasts for the rest of the week showing northerlies, and showery, and with a requirement to be back home for the weekend, we headed straight back to Levington. The light (5Knot) westerly we'd had all the way down the Thames veered North westerly and picked up to about 20 knots. Pretty good for a heavy old girl like Wild Otter, and once past Blacktail Spit we started to pick up our pace. High water off Whitaker sands saw me cutting the corner there, and through the Spitway, and allowed me to maintain 025 up to Medusa, where I furled the foresails and started to Motorsail. We passed Lazy Kipper just after Felixstowe docks (He was heading out), but I'd stowed my camera 'coz of the wind over tide in the wallet, so sorry, no piccie.
We moored on our pontoon at 19.40, so 14 hours and just short of 90 miles. With more wind in the morning we could have done better To be fair, though, the big spring tides were worked to our advantage.
For those who are planning their trip in July (I would have gone but can't get time off then), please note that the Blyth sands seem to have stretched quite a bit further north than the charts indicate. A careful watch on the surface water was indicating the shallows to me and I could turn towards the main channel to go round them. I reckon the most northerly parts were near the Mid Blyth bouy, and would take that fairly close.
A single Porpoise was spotted on our way out near Sea Reach No7.
We're away again at the end of June, hopefully get across the channel this time!
Photos to follow when I get them uploaded to photobucket.
Ian
The driving rain that arrived on 24th delayed our departure – we are supposed to enjoy this! And the longer range forecasts showing both cold and northerlies, changed our plans. So, Saturday we set forward for the Medway, with a trip to Limehouse hopefully to follow. A very pleasant, though chilly, sail down to Chatham saw us through Saturday, with locking in ( a first for me and Joy as a team) a fairly stress free process. I found the staff extremely helpful, and the facilities very clean and well looked after. 3G connection was obtained on both O2 and Vodafone.
On Sunday I arranged a berth in Limehouse for Monday and Tuesday, and then took a very pleasant trip round the historic dockyard. I really enjoyed it, though at £17.50 you need to be a sailing geek I think! Joy, not being a sailing geek
headed for the shops!!Ugh.Monday we slipped at 05.30, though the lock by 05.45 (after a delay due the outer gates getting stuck), and headed for low water Sheerness at Nore Swatch. The last of the ebb was still pushing hard and we were an hour early, but headed off up the Thames.
Our engine temp sensor had shown cold all last year,although she hadn't missed a beat. At winter service, I decided to clean the sensor of all the gunge, to see if it helped......it did, it now started reading just below overheating! And just as we turned into Gravesend reach, the overheating alarm started. Now, I was reasonably sure it was just the sensor, the exhaust was ejecting water as well as gas, the engine wasn't straining or missing, but the pressure was on.
I called London VTS and asked for permission to anchor a change the impellor, which I duly did. This, as I suspected made no difference. What to do? Push on and go with my belief it was a sensor fault? Turn back, and still need to find somewhere to get at the engine and then a part? I decided to push on, so our trip up the Thames was not the most stress free journey I'd ever had. To add insult to injury, the wind started picking up, and when on the nose (it was a westerly) was regularly over 20 knots, and gusting up to 30.
We arrived at Limehouse just in time to watch someone locking out, and were 'invited' to come straight in. This was another exciting experience, as the wind was still gusting between 25 and 30 knots directly into the lock (from behind the boat). We managed to lock in almost competently for novices, but were let down in the basin by our fenders being too high. Argh! Cracked the hard bit, but got scraped at the pontoon. However, we'd made it, and the engine was still chugging along as she normally did
Dinner that evening in the CA bar was nice, though too much for old gits like us, then a couple of beers and bed.
Limehouse was peaceful, with the facilities adequate and clean. With only 2 showers/toilets/sinks, it could be crowded in a rush I suspect. 3G with both O2 and vodafone again, though the signal was cutting to GPRS on occasions.
The following morning, I spoke to Norman Griffiths of Bukh in Poole, and with his top help we proved the sensor faulty. He sent me to Isleworth to fetch a replacement (thanks Jonathon), so Joy's sightseeing trip to London consisted of DLR, underground then SW trains and back, all for a part. Ooops.
Part was duly fitted and given a short test. The full test would be on Wednesday when we slipped back into the Thames.
Another early start on Wednesday (Lock booked at 05.30) saw us in the river motoring for the barrier. Hooray, no alarm, and sensor showing green for 5 hours down the Thames!
With the forecasts for the rest of the week showing northerlies, and showery, and with a requirement to be back home for the weekend, we headed straight back to Levington. The light (5Knot) westerly we'd had all the way down the Thames veered North westerly and picked up to about 20 knots. Pretty good for a heavy old girl like Wild Otter, and once past Blacktail Spit we started to pick up our pace. High water off Whitaker sands saw me cutting the corner there, and through the Spitway, and allowed me to maintain 025 up to Medusa, where I furled the foresails and started to Motorsail. We passed Lazy Kipper just after Felixstowe docks (He was heading out), but I'd stowed my camera 'coz of the wind over tide in the wallet, so sorry, no piccie.
We moored on our pontoon at 19.40, so 14 hours and just short of 90 miles. With more wind in the morning we could have done better
To be fair, though, the big spring tides were worked to our advantage.For those who are planning their trip in July (I would have gone but can't get time off then), please note that the Blyth sands seem to have stretched quite a bit further north than the charts indicate. A careful watch on the surface water was indicating the shallows to me and I could turn towards the main channel to go round them. I reckon the most northerly parts were near the Mid Blyth bouy, and would take that fairly close.
A single Porpoise was spotted on our way out near Sea Reach No7.
We're away again at the end of June, hopefully get across the channel this time!
Photos to follow when I get them uploaded to photobucket.
Ian
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