Bon Voyage Part 2: Penton Hook to Calais, via London

Here’s where it all becomes serious: our cross-Channel pilot, David Piper (the founder of Piper Boats), met us at Sunbury Lock, three locks downriver from Penton Hook.

He was jumping ship from another Piper boat, Otium, coming upstream from Richmond. Another couple of locks took us to the long layby for Teddington Lock, where the Thames becomes tidal, and we moored for the night.

Moored at the lay-by upstream from Teddington lock, where the Thames becomes tidal

I trotted off on a “farewell to England” run down the Thames Path, past Twickenham to Richmond, to revisit the area we lived in for a few months early in 2000, when we stayed at our old South African friend Michael’s apartment at the Richmond Bridge development. Nice to see that the Slug and Lettuce is still going strong.

Richmond view – officially in London, now, as you can see from the red bus

Dinner was already in the oven when we noticed that Alan and Marianne’s Piper boat Dea Latis had moored just in front of us – on the way back upstream from a Dutch Barge Association get-together at Chatham. After a drink and a chat in the late sunlight, it was time for dinner back on board, and an early night to prepare for a 6.25am departure. (Roy pretending that rising at this ungodly hour was quite normal for him.)

David Piper at the helm, and Roy no doubt giving instruction

The Tidal Thames to Queenborough, Sheppey Island

Having come smoothly through Teddington Lock into the tidal Thames at 6.30am – no thanks to me, as I was making tea for three, so Roy handled the ropes in his customarily masterful fashion – we had to wait for a few minutes before Richmond Lock while the man lifted the giant barrier gates that span each of its mighty arches.

Richmond Bridge – it’s first thing in the morning, and they’re lifting the gates to let us through

Sailing through London like this was as wonderful as I’d imagined; more so, in fact, as who could have expected such great weather? You go under a total of 33 bridges from Teddington to Dartford, and today, to me, each one has been spectacular.

All smiles and no puking – it’s a good day!

As I write this, we’re thumping through choppy waters, still a couple of miles from our Sheppey Island destination. It’s been one of those rare, beautiful English days, (almost) enough to make you reluctant to leave the UK. It’s cloudier now, the wind ruffling the wide waters of the Medway.

Approaching Queenborough port on the Isle of Sheppey

Excellent dinner at a restaurant in the quaint old town of Queenborough…

… where we all had the skate wing – fabulous!

How sad for us to have to miss this event!

Twilight falls over Queenborough harbour

Queenborough to Calais

For the second morning in a row, Roy was up and teeth-brushed before me – unprecedented behaviour! – for the eight-hour crossing to Calais. Six-thirty, and we were off. For a long while, you’re sailing not far from the English coastline, eventually passing the white cliffs of Margate and Ramsgate before North Foreland, where England abruptly ends and you’re in the wide open sea.

This was a textbook crossing, said pilot David. Crossing the two major shipping lanes, we had to negotiate just two or three big ships – waiting for one to pass, and for another, putting power on to “go under their bows”. It slightly changed course for us: kind, because out there, size and speed have priority – they can’t possibly stop, after all.

So calm, so smooth, it’s a good thing we’re not on a sailboat!

And the weather! Perfect, almost windless conditions meant I probably didn’t even need to take the Mercalm tabs that Wendy had helped me to buy in St Malo. I also needn’t have made sandwiches and boiled eggs the night before, as David suggested.

A little over eight hours since we left Queenborough, we steamed into Calais harbour and into its port de plaisance. Oh frabjous day, caloo, Calais! (With apologies to Lewis Carroll.)