So we sold the car, and made our way to London. There had been so much rain we are anxious about the River Kennet and we were right to be! As we were nearing Reading the River was becoming increasingly fast flowing and difficult. Let’s just say that I’m glad I hadn’t finished the painting for the Jubilee!! We moored in Reading for 4 days waiting for the River Thames to calm down. It had been on Red boards for some time and there was no way we would risk that. Especially heading down stream. We’d never stop!!
Friday 18th May.
We finally made our way along the Thames, which was beautiful. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to stop and have a look around anywhere. We were now in a rush to get to Limehouse to take part in our first Rehearsal for the Jubilee. After arriving at Teddington we were faced with the beginning of the tidal Thames.
New life jackets for us all.
Bella, as always took it all in her stride!
A grey day but great views coming into London.
Having been up the Severn Estuary last year we felt ok about doing this. Of course it was totally different from the Estuary!! It was still rough but that was due more to the commuter boats whizzing past and causing a huge wash.
The Severn estuary was just a vast expanse of rough water with little traffic. The tidal Thames felt so small but was packed full of vessels of all shapes and sizes dashing about. We really had to keep a good look out.
Our first view of Tower Bridge and HMS Belfast.
The turn into Limehouse basin off the Thames is particularly tricky we had been told. We held our breath and went for it. Mike steered us in under full revs to compensate the tidal pull and we made it in with no problems. It was so nice to be off the River to relax. At least for 12 hours anyway!! We moored abreast of 5 narrow boats, emptied the dog and went off to our first safety briefing before tomorrows rehearsal. Before we knew it, it was morning and we were back out onto the busy Thames heading to Chiswick where we would practice picking up our swinging buoys. Blackjack had been selected to be one of the boats that goes ahead to moor onto a buoy that is floating and pretty hard to grab hold of in the wind and the tide!! We managed it first time and then 4 narrow boats arrived on our flanks and tied off to us. We had a short lunch break and all left the moorings and tried to get into some sort of formation as we would on pageant day. Not easy when you have Thames Clippers, rubbish barges and speed boats coming from all directions. Back into Limehouse and then a week to wait until our next and final rehearsal!!
What a view!
We spent the week painting, polishing, servicing and generally sprucing up Blackjack ready for her big day.
Friday 25th May.
Our second rehearsal was to last all weekend and involve about 26 canal boats. We had another safety briefing at 7pm ready for tomorrow.
Yes, we were the youngest!!
Saturday 26th May
Up at 7am and into Limehouse lock to head out onto the Thames and through the Thames flood barrier!!!
The O2 and the barrier in the distance.
Although the barrier will be in defence during the pageant we had to practice going through it in case it did not close! The weather was glorious. We had a lovely albeit tiring weekend.
Thames flood barrier.
We turned left out of Limehouse, downstream to the Thames barrier, through the barrier and onto Margaret Ness where we turned to face upstream but the tide was still going out so we went nowhere fast! It’s called punching the tide.
We crawled along at snails pace until the tide turned and we went with it upstream, back through the barrier and up to Brentford where we spent the night in the safety of the Grand Union canal.
Queuing to get into Brentford.
waiting to go back out onto the Thames.
We had a very early start so a few drinks with our new boaty friends and to bed.
Up at 4am to get back into Brentford lock and onto the Thames. Early but so peaceful. Apart from 26 canal boats queuing for the lock!!!
Tied to the swinging buoys at Chiswick.
We were to travel downstream to Chiswick to practice mooring on the swinging buoys again. It was pretty windy so we had a few attempts but nothing went to wrong!! We had a short stop here once we were all tied on. The outer most boats let go first, then the inner, then the centre boat. That was us! Off we went downstream and got into formation with the other boats.
In formation
We were now in our pageant formation but just missing another 15 or so boats! The Thames was so quiet so early. Really nice but strange after being on it when it’s so busy.
The wash the clippers left behind.
We held formation pretty well but by the time we got down to Waterloo and the London eye some of the commuter boats were up and running. We fell back into single file and headed back into Limehouse lock.
‘Home’ into Limehouse Marina
So that was it………the next time it would be the real thing!!
Blackjack in pageant formation.
BLACKJACK 