Front Row Center

April 24 - London:  The count down is on.  Bill Harris has joined us and while he and King finished up last minute boat chores, I started a search for bargain show tickets and worked at picking up those final items we simply can't live without....I have to say, thankfully, those are becoming fewer and fewer. This is a good thing since you can only bring back so many jars of Banana Peppers, Heinz Dill Pickles and Hooters Wing Sauce from the States without fear of what the fallout might be should they break and contaminate the entire luggage hold of the plane.  I had already decided if there was a large dark stain on the outside of our luggage when it was spit out of the carousel, I would simply walk away pretending it was not mine. A big thank you to Delta baggage handlers for not making that necessary.

Goodies from the States!
Banana Peppers left center next to the Wing Sauce...and the antacid

The only musical we saw twice...."Once"

Its been a wonderful Spring in London.  We have been packing in the theater these last few weeks.  Once (for the 2nd time, thumbs up for the new cast), The Merchant of Venice (performance took place in a church we just happened by), and Handbag (2015 Oliver  Award contender) were all on the list.  How lucky are we!  As has been our MO, we ventured out early to stand in line at the box office for day tickets and have been rewarded for our efforts with front row seats for a song! Well....not a song, they would have taken them back if I actually had to sing for them. Thankfully, the weather has been mild so, besides dragging our butts out of bed, it has not been tough duty.

Sharing a beer at Molly's

Following our evening at Once, we set out in search of an ATM.  A young guy noted the "searching look" and showed us where one was hidden close by. We chatted and before I knew it, King had agreed to go down the street to a gay bar at Molly Moggs (otherwise known as "the friendly, intimate, local drag den in the center of town").  The crowd was spilling into the street and it was standing room only!  King has disposed of my incriminating pictures of him being sung to by Dame Julie Paid but you only need use a bit of imagination.

The Merchant of Venice was in a whole league of its own.  The venue was St. Leonards, an 18th  century church in Shoreditch that is still in use but looks a bit down on its luck.   This was not a big budget operation....what do ya want for £8 Concession? We arrived at the appointed hour to find one other couple and the placed locked up tight with a note tacked to the door announcing that doors would be open a bit later.  The "crowds" did eventually grow (I admit to using that terminology loosely) and I can only guess that the group arrived at some critical level to support the commencing of the production cause the doors were finally flung opened allowing us to enter.  As has been our practice, we targeted seats in the center, front row (pew, in this case).  The play started as soon as the "crowd" was settled.  Soon after, a welcome warm heat began hitting the backs of my legs.  Mmmmm...I was chilled to the bone from the extended wait outside so my first thought was "isn't this lovely".....however, after about 10 minutes of heat blowing directly on the calves of my legs, I start getting a bit uncomfortable....surely it will turn off soon.  I begin to squirm, stretching my legs one way and then another, looking for some relief.  I search around the room for an exit but, of course, I'm sitting front row center.  There is no way possible I can move without becoming part of the play.  I'm trying to nonchalantly feel under the seat in search of a knob to turn down the blaze that is setting the backs of my legs on fire but none is to be found.  Just before I burst into flame, the heat magically stops.  Intermission arrives and the first thing I do is drop to the floor to determine what the hell is happening.  I find an electric strip heater attached directly under my seat.  It cannot be moved, it cannot be turned off.  Do we move......of course not, we are in front row, center seats!  Intermission was not your typical wine from the bar and/or ice cream offerings.  Several of the cast pulled out a cart and announced hot tea and coffee was available for 50 pence a cup.  Brilliant (and dirt cheap by London standards)!  By the way....the play was outstanding.

St Leonard's becomes a street in Venice

When not hanging out in the early morning hours at theater box offices, we made time to visit

British Museum gets the best of Bill & King

the Victoria and Albert and British Museums, along with a last visit to St Paul's Cathedral (our all time favorite) for evening song.  We also managed a long awaited opportunity for a guided tour of Parliament led by the local MP. It's a practice that our Florida Legislature could certainly learn from.

You want me to take the boat where!?

King took his ICC (International Certificate of Competence) test which certifies that he is capable of managing a boat and CEVNI the Inland Waterway test.  I tagged along as moral support and crew.  We attempted to convince the folks at the RYA (Royal Yachting Association) that surely crossing the Atlantic Ocean should count for something, but no.  Actually, it's only been a couple of years that Americans were allowed to take the ICC.  Since the U.S. doesn't offer the extensive boating courses like the Brits, Americans were in a type of Catch 22; technically not required to be licensed but local officials, especially on inland waterways like the Rhine/Danube, want to see your license.  We decided to play it safe.  The CEVNI was actually a bit of a bear but the ICC was a gift (expensive.... but still a gift).  The entire process was completed in Limehouse basin and Regent's Canal.

It was hard to focus on boat chores when the London Marathon trotted by the marina.  A gazillion people, many dressed in costume.  As the afternoon wore on, runners who had pledge to raise money for charities struggled to stay the course some barely walking. Spectators, on the other hand, made the event into a huge happy drinking party.  By early the next morning, all remnants of the party and race were gone.  London was back to business.

Is that a bride? Looks suspiciously like a guy!

 April 28 - With the end of the month approaching fast, we finally stopped playing long enough to get the head sail back up, scrub off the winter dirt that had accumulated on Ostinato, put the dingy back on its davits and tie down the new passarail King found on Ebay.  It must be time to leave.

Our 15 minutes a day of Sunshine!

One last Monday morning breakfast meeting with the small group of cruisers who have yet to depart

The group has dwindled to just a few.
Our last Cruiser's Breakfast 

St. Kats and then back to the boat to begin the task of stowing hoses, power lines and rolling up the canvas enclosures so we are once more a sailing vessel vs a house boat.

Departed St. Kats at 14:00, leaving just enough time to get the anchor down in Stanstead Creek in the Medway before sunset at 20:00.  The sun peaked out as we motored out of the lock and followed us down river.  Unfortunately, the wind was 15k from the W so with the current from the E it made for a bumpy ride.  I felt bad enough that I did not want to go below to our cabin to dig out the ear plugs King had given me for Christmas.....my latest magical cure for sea sickness.  After a quick dinner, everyone fell into bed. It was an emotional day.  I will really, really miss London.

Ostinato at anchor in Walton on the Naze

April 29 - Departed the Medway at 10:30 and motored out the Thames to the North Sea and up the coast.  The forecast was good so we decided another night at anchor would be a welcome treat.  Still in search of that elusive patch of sand to dry out Ostinato, King decided to check out Walton on the Naze.  The Pilot Book's first reference is:  "it would be unwise to attempt entry to the area at all in strong NE winds.....".  Of course, the winds are from the NE today....only 10K, so not to worry.  However, it is low tide and the tide is running like it's on steroids....hmmm.  The real attention getter was the 1 1/2 pages of instructions on how to get up the channel!  To King's credit, we only ran aground once.

April 30 - What looked like a ditch as we arrived now appears to be a wide river.  The anchor was laid in 8 feet of water last night and pulled up this afternoon in 16 ft.  As we waited for the tide to turn, we put the dinghy in the water and explored the area a bit.  Birds are nesting along the shore so I was able to pull out my binnoculars and bird book again.  Besides the nesting birds, the marinas are busy putting boats back in the water.  A sure sign of Spring in the UK.

We are now back in the Ipswich Haven Marina...our 3rd visit.  We pass Dora Mac, one of the winter cruisers from St. Kat's and also see Wings sitting ashore waiting patiently for one of last year's St. Kat's people to return. It will be great to see familiar faces and catch up with friends at the OYC.

Below are some random pictures of our last few days in London.

Thames barges at St. Kats

The good-byes

The St. Kat's bridge is raised for Ostinato to depart the marina into the Thames

Last walk across Tower Bridge

The Art Gallery we were tied up next to...see No Entry sign...read next picture

Our daily view of London Tower Bridge
between the 2 buildings.........I didn't say it was a great view!

We are Sorrry But The Tube is Delayed Due to A Swan on the Tracks

Its hard to believe that we have already been in London 3 1/2 months.  Time continues to fly by without stopping to catch its breath.  I'm actually not sure what the heck we have been doing but considering the expense,  I decided it was time to get a few things down so when we look at our bank account we can console ourselves.

One would think that after my winter swim in the Thames, I would be less than anxious to stomp around its shoreline in boots and surgical gloves at low tide, looking for relics but always up for a new adventure,

The pipe hoard from a day Mudlarking on the Thames 

I jumped at the opportunity to join Sue and Ed from Angel Louis and Ruth from MV Dora Mac to go Mudlarking.  For our morning's toil, we were rewarded with 18th century pipes and pottery.  Some quite ornate, most broken, as was the custom when these one use/throw away pipes were finished. Without a Mudlarking license,  no digging is allowed.  We could only pick up what was uncovered as the Thames tide ran out.  Since this and a follow up visit with King, Barbara and Michele, we have since learned of another site that supposedly has dated Roman tiles.  Saving that for the Spring.

London NYE Fireworks

December, as always was special.  This was even more so this year with daughter Barbara and partner Michele joining us for the holidays.  We caught up with CA friends Margaret and David in Ashtead in early December and did Christmas Eve again at Westminster along with the crews from Angle Louise and Shiret.  For Christmas day, Gene, a new friend from San Diego, met while standing in line for a Benjamin Britten Concert at St. Paul's Cathedral, joined us for dinner.

December weather continued to be mild into the holidays.  This is only mentioned here because we had complained so much about the cold last year that Barbara and Michele arrived at Heathrow both bundled up like the Michelin Man.  Once unlayered, they didn't leave too many of the major sights untouched which was a great feat considering New Year's Eve an evil bug began an

Ostinato's new colorful spot in the West Basin

excursion through the boat, visiting each inhabitant for 24 hours of hell before skipping off to the next.  Unfortunately, Michele was attacked first...just after midnight.... on New Year's Eve....on the Tower Bridge.  As you can imagine, she did not get a lot of sympathy from passing revelers.  Barbara and I at least got to do our time in the privacy of the boat.  Well, as private as that gets.  King was spared.  What kind of deal he made with the devil to miss the fun, I have yet to learn.


The rest of January has been focused on the boat.  King is determined not to leave his list of never ending boat chores to the last minute like we did last year.  However, I have managed to get him out to a few museums, lunch time concerts and the theatre.  Our favorite has been the musical Once.  Yes, we did our early morning standing in line and sat on the front row.  Brilliant!  January is Boat Show month and there is no boat show that King doesn't want to attend.  The London Boat Show was first. The highlight this year was the Turkey booth.  Marinas all around the coast of Turkey were represented.  As our Turkish Rep guided us from one desk to the next, at the end of several introductions he would proclaim "this marina is way too expensive but talk to him anyway".  What's the poor guy gonna say after that.  As we talked, we learned that he use to manage the marina in Turkey where Bob and Jean, friends from Shell Point, kept Patient Lady.  Bob, he sends his best! What a small world.   Of course, you can't just do one day so when Ivor and Denise, from Orwell Yacht Club fame, sent us the code to get free tickets on line, we grabbed the chance to meet up with them at the show.  Afterward, they joined us on the boat to share their recent experiences visiting our friends and ABYC in Shell Point while we stuffed down some really awful grocery store pizza.  Sorry guys.

The following week we were off to see friends from Copenhagen, Haakon and Judith, at the Dusseldorf Bot Show.....the Biggest Boat Show on Earth!!  Airline tickets on Ryan Air were £29 RT to Weeze/Dusseldorf  which one would think from the name would be near Dusseldorf but no, not really.  We arrived late so I made reservations at the "Best Deal Airport Hotel".....which one would think from the name would be near the airport but no, not really.  King was not amused by the hotel location, and insisted we take a taxi to get to it instead treking down a dark airport road (I will make you guess who suggested that).  The following morning, when we made it to the train station 3 minutes after our train had departed, his humor continued to deteriorate.  The fact that the next regularly scheduled train didn't run on Saturday added insult to injury and resulted in an hour wait huddled outside on the station platform.  Did I mention the coffee machine at the hotel didn't work? By this time, my travel planning skills were being put into question so when I told him our boat show tickets could be used for free travel on the train, skeptical does not begin to cover it.  Regardless, we boarded the train without tickets.  You can imagine my relief when the herd of young boys in front of us pulled out their printed Boat Show tickets for the conductor as he strolled down the aisle toward us.  I then got to give King my smug, I told you so look.  The next trial was to get to the hotel via subway.  Stops were not every few blocks which they seem to be in London so we ended up passing our destination several times before we were able to get off the damn thing. Finally, even with all of the travel drama, we still managed to arrive at the show within an hour of its grand opening.  King quickly laid out his strategy and we were off and running, cruising up and down each

Nothing like a little Champagne
 after a hard day at das bot show

aisle with purpose.  I was relatively relaxed knowing that since we were traveling Ryan Air, where luggage costs more than your ticket, there would be minimal purchasing going on here.  If it didn't fit in the backpack, it wasn't coming home.   We crawled back to the hotel at 5 p.m. where we finally caught up with Haakon and Judith.  They had champagne waiting for us!  All of a sudden, I was no longer tired.

The following day, we were up early to say goodbye to Judith and Haakon and make our final run through the show.  Books for the Rhine and Danube were purchased.  While not in English, the drawings are great.  A few other items, including a passerelle (boarding ladder) have our attention but require some additional homework.....not to mention it does not even come close to passing the backpack test.  By 3:00 P.M. we are on our way back to Weeze.  A great trip......until we were reminded at Stansted immigration that our time is limited in the UK.  Hard to complain since its even harder in the State's for visitors but wintering over is becoming very difficult for American cruisers in Europe.

2013 St Kat's alumni, Liz and David,
visited Ostinato in January 

After the boat show frenzy, Liz and David (Lazy Tern) our neighbors from St. Kat's in 2013 shared some time with us as part of their whirlwind visit home to see family.  Plans were made to meet somewhere in the Med., not sure when but for sure it will happen.  We shared a bottle ...or 2 of champagne and spent a wonderful evening sharing our summer sailing experiences.


In mid January we did a quick trip to Glasgow.  First Class on Virgin Train's was only £15 more so why not?

Someone thought it was cold enough that
Robbie Burns needed a hat and scarf

Whoa.  King is in real trouble cause I really liked First Class.  They wined and dined us from the minute we sat down till we rolled off 6 hours later.  A great museum, good food and a bit of shopping and we were on our way home again.  The Glasgow rain turned into lovely snow, making the return trip outstanding.

These last few weeks, the grey weather has made it very easy to be lethargic and stay around the boat.  There's always something to do...or not.  While saying this, I realize that the temps have been milder here than at home in Florida on many days so I need to stop whining.  We did finally venture out.  Of course, choosing the day of the city wide Tube strike was probably not one of our more brilliant moves.  Unlike those we have experienced in the past, this one only closed down part of the Tube system.  Unlike when the whole thing is closed, where you have a clear picture of what your options are. this resulted in mass confusion as no one seemed to be quite clear which tube lines were open and which were closed.  And, of course, it rained all day.

Militant Swans?

A bus and 2 Tubes lines later, we were on the home stretch. Tower Hill station was only one stop away. Suddenly, the District Line came to a halt in the middle of one of its mysterious tunnels.  Everyone in the crowded little box groaned.  What now!  Finally, the announcement came....the Tube would be delayed until a swan was removed from the tracks.  This was the 2nd swan that had ventured onto the tracks over the last 24 hours.  Could they be union members?



We are preparing for our annual pilgrimage home next week.  Looking forward to seeing family and friends.  If you are in the Tallahassee area we hope you will get in touch.  For ABYC folks, we are working hard on this year's Summer Cruise presentation.  Taking bets on if I will get a word in this year.  Duct tape anyone? King doesn't allow on the boat so I'll have to borrow it from someone.

Gene and Michele waiting patiently for the Christmas dinner

We think this is Leon High School band at the London NYs Day Parade.

The all Indian/Scottish pipers was unexpected

Wine fender....who-ooo

In search for an open Tube station New Year's Eve along
with a gazillion others

A cuppa?

The traffic cone stayed in place for our entire visit to Glasgow!  

A Brief Dip in the Thames

A tight squeeze for Ostinato in St. Kat's

St. Katharine's Marina is jammed packed this year.  To make matters worse, they are doing a major dock improvement project which has required some cruisers to make multiple moves.  Ostinato is now in her 3rd home and is expecting to have at least one more move.  I have been lobbying hard to return back to the Central Docks but I'm thinking not a snowballs chance.  Ron, the dock master, just smiles and cracks on about Yanks.  We are on the north side of the East Docks behind the "Frank Sinatra" boat (another story).  We are so far away from the showers, I need to pack a sandwich for the trip.  King doesn't seem to care where they put us as long as he can still grab free WiFi off one of the restaurants.

We have quickly picked up where we left off last year. On the repeat list was a flu shot.  I felt very brave this year and even reminded King we needed to go.  So, on a sunny afternoon we walked to the local Boots pharmacy to make an appointment.  When we arrived, we were told that no appointment was needed.  They could take us now.  With that, the pharmacist scurried back to her office to prepare the dose.  NOW?  I wasn't ready for NOW!  and it wasn't the same pharmacist.  I wanted the same lady that did it last year.  I wasn't dressed right, I suddenly felt ill, maybe I was coming down with a fever and I'm sure it was a full moon and everyone knows you shouldn't have a flu shot on a full moon.  What was King thinking bringing me here?  An eternity later, she returned, apologetically explaining they only had two doses left and they had appointments for those later that afternoon.  Would we mind terribly coming back tomorrow?  I had been given a reprieve.  With the fear that I would bolt over, King let go of the death grip he had on the back of my coat.  The following afternoon we returned and the minute we walked in I knew all was right with the world.  Behind the counter was MY pharmacist.  Oh happy day!  She remembered us from last year so we spent some time catching up....and sharing with her how to get cheap tickets for the theater.  Sigh.  I'm good for another year.

Put your name in the drum for Book of Mormon tickets

King tells Ed & Sue he doesn't have to "dump his date"

And speaking of the theater, The Book of Mormon opened last year just before we left London.  The show was an immediate sell out but every day they hold a lottery for front row tickets...for 20 pounds sterling each!  A total of 21 tickets are sold for each night's performance.  You must indicate on the form if you will want one or two tickets.  Typically, the last name drawn is only for 1 ticket and if they pull a ticket that wants 2, the winner is asked " will you dump your date?"  and the answer is always "YES", sometimes to the date's surprise!  We made our way to the theater district four times last April, filled out the official Book of Mormon entry form, placed it into the big gold drum and waited for the 5:30 p.m. crowd count down and drawing.....but no luck. Some might of been discouraged but we were on a mission (ha,ha) so as soon as we returned back to London, a trip to Leicester Square for the lottery was at the top of our list..well, at least mine. First night no luck, 2nd, and 3rd nada.  By the 4th try, the staff  handing out the form greeted us with a "You know the drill".  It was Friday Night Date Night so we had a back-up should lady luck not smile on us once again.  We were joined in the jubilant crowd by the crew of Angel Louise, Sue and Ed.  It was their first time....I whispered to King that I was going to be very depressed if they won tickets and we didn't.  King gently reminded me that our chances did not increase each time.  I just don't think that's fair but no matter cause I WON the chance to buy 2 tickets!!!!  Not only did I win but King's name was called for the single ticket so Ed and Sue grabbed that one and were able to pick up a second ticket at the ticket counter. Thank goodness, cause otherwise, Ed planned to "dump his date".  We should of picked up a national lottery ticket that night.  The musical, by the way, is raunchy but hysterical.  Since then we have also stood in line for "day of performance" tickets for Mid Summer Night's Dream where we again were rewarded for our effort grabbing 10 pound front row seats.  I fear, we are getting very use to being in the front row.

If I had given it a minutes thought, I should of seen it coming.  There is no way that King can be forced to repeatedly plunge into the icy waters of the North Sea without some imbalance in the universe being created.  It was only a matter of when, not if, the event would occur.  We had been invited to play "Joker" on Angel Louise, the other Catamaran in the marina.  It had been Hair Day so Mr. Kingsley had put on his hair stylist uniform (rubber gloves and old clothes) and worked his magic to make my gray disappear.  Since I haven't had a hair cut since I saw Sumkit last Spring, I then spent the rest of the afternoon doing the drying and flat ironing required to bringing the unruly mop under control.  At the appointed hour, I pulled out a bottle of wine I had just picked up at the Waitrose 25% off sale and a package of my favorite hummus.  It had been raining, of course, so around the dock we tromped balancing umbrellas along with the other goodies.  Up and over the walk-way yakking away and then suddenly, I'm underwater.  King grabs hold of my hand and has me partially suspended in air until I spy a ladder just 5 feet away.  Much more sensible.  Miraculously, I emerge intact with shoes and glasses still in their rightful places.  The hummus and the umbrella, however, were long gone, as was the bottle of wine which crashed onto the dock as King grabbed for me. Back to the boat I squished as quickly as my short legs would carry me.  Since we had already had the conversation with other cruisers about uglies in the water, I knew what was coming.....off to the Emergency Room we go.  After a quick shower and putting on dry clothes, King hailed a taxi.  Once the driver heard ER he quickly became our best friend and was phoning his wife for information that he thought would be helpful.  For my American friends who are not so sure about the Medical system outside the U.S, let me just say the process was brilliant.  I will admit that the triage nurse had a hard time keeping a straight face during the interview but he was aware of Wyles disease which apparently lurks in the Thames.  The good news, no treatment was recommended unless symptoms begin to appear. The better news.....it was FREE! Don't even ask..... no pictures exist of this event.

We decided we wanted to return to our traditional Thanksgiving of dinner on the water so after much agonizing we decided to skip the Mayflower dinner this year.  Instead, we joined Ed and Sue and Ann and Nigel, from Chanticleer, aboard Angel Louise for a Thanksgiving feast accompanied by plenty of champagne to keep the conversation lively.  The food and company perfect.

Thanksgiving: great dinner and drink aboard Angel Louise

Getting ready for Christmas visitors, daughter Barbara and partner Michele.  I've wrapped lights around the life lines from one end of Ostinato to the other.  I whined so much last year because "EVERYONE had Christmas lights but us" that King purchased some off the Internet while we were home.  These things have 10 different light patterns to chose from, none of which are just plain old, stay on all the time with no flicker, lights.  And, there does not seem to be any way to get them in sync.  It makes me dizzy to look at them.  Maybe Christmas lights from China was not such a good idea.......but I guess until the marina is put on seizure alert by the National Health system, they will do just fine.  We have two stings left over.....King is trying to convince me they are backups.  I'm thinking we need some up the mast!

London Jazz festival - free performances all over town

The Gloriana is tied up close to us this year.

The Gloriana is a tourist attraction at St. Kats... and yes! The sun does occasionally shine.

I love that Londoners name their buildings:
The Armadillo and the Shard

And then there's the Cheesegrater and the Gherkin

Ostinato's current home

Fireworks celebrating the Lord Mayor's Day in early November

Our favorite bridge - London Tower Bridge just outside St. Kats

Last Sail of the Season

Last sail of the season, Ipswich to London

It was fun returning to Ipswich.  The Harbour Master, Phillip and his crew at the Ipswich Haven Marina gave us a warm welcome back....and a slip close to the showers.  We also had a great evening with Ivor and Denise, members of the Orwell Yacht Club, which included a return to the OYC.  How nice to see the ABYC burgee hanging in the club.  Ivor and Denise will be visiting Shell Point and ABYC as a stop on their vacation to the States in November so we spent some time talking about the Forgotten Coast's  "must sees".  After reweaving the trampolines back in place, Bill took the opportunity to tour a bit of the East Coast, King did his magic on the engine and heating problems and I went to TK MAXX for some retail therapy.  It really works!  The new bikes made the multiple trips to Fox's chandlery, by all of us, a bit easier than our last visit when we hoofed the 2 miles each way.  Besides Bill attempting to wash his clothes in the marina dryer, everything went without a hitch.  Thankfully he hadn't added the detergent!  Claire has promised to do some retraining when he returns home.

Last May we waited forever in Ipswich for a southerly wind to blow us north to Scotland. Now, we couldn't buy a north wind. We finally settled on a light southerly wind and hoped to make the best of it to reach Stangate Creek in the River Medway.  Stangate Creek would be our overnight stop on the Thames before catching the next day's tide up to London.

Prop unwrapped - check, trampolines reattached - check, new circuit board installed on port diesel heater - check; fuel filters running clear and bad fuel off - check; port alternator repaired and starboard alternator on hold (the nice part of having a cat) - TBD/London;  books, charts, passports, and everything else that wasn't attached, off the floor and back where they live - check;  plastic twisty tie recovered from electric head; fuel and water tanks refilled, laundry, grocery shopping done and a night off to go to the movies.  All just in time to slip through a very tiny weather window.

Quiet anchorage in the River Orwell

As we waited in the Prince Phillip Lock, (yes, the same one that kept us captive last May) the lock keeper commented on how much better we were looking on our departure compared to our arrival.  I thanked him for noticing.  We motored down the river and anchored for the night across from the Suffolk Yacht Harbour so we could take advantage of the morning tide.  No one was up for being bounced about the boat again so it was with great relief the next morning that the weather forecast continued to show light winds,a tight beat but that would do.

A beautiful sail down the East coast

We had bitten in pretty hard with the anchor the night before so King, the resident worrier, was sure that we had attached ourselves to Davy Jones locker, or some such, but it came up without a hitch and we were off.  This time, we departed the harbour without reprimand from the Port Authority for straying into the big ship's channel. Always a good way to start the day.  Under sunny skies, the winds averaged 10k.  It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed a whopping good sail.  We certainly deserved one!





By the time we had reached Stangate Creek, the sun had given up the ghost.  As the thick, heavy clouds took over the sky, the temperature seemed to instantly drop ten degrees.  We were all happy the heaters were repaired. The plan was to have a leisurely, pancake breakfast kinda morning, departing as the tide changed around 10 a.m.  Oh how we love plans!  About 7 a.m., King decided we were close to being aground which would hamper things a bit for that 10 o'clock departure.  "Everyone up!  We have to move the boat."  After several futile attempts to find something beside mud to sink the anchor into, we cried "uncle" and began the trek up the Thames.......as slow as we could with a 4k tide at our back.  The locks at St. Katharine's would not open for another ten hours.  We were entertained during the long trip by watching the drama of several police boats, full of guys dressed all in black, following a large container ship going down river.  Several hours later, they passed us going the other way.  What can I say, it was a very slow entertainment day.  Next to the high crime drama, the highlight of the trip was going through the Thames Barrier with King and me "discussing"  which opening was our assigned "G".  We were both wrong.

Thames Tidal Barriers just down stream of Greenwich

Slipping through the barriers

The Tower Bridge means we've made it back!

Even the water taxis didn't stress us out this year as they zipped around us moving hordes of tourists up and down the Thames.  We were almost there.


Finally, we had arrived!  King kept Ostinato doing donuts in front of the Tower Bridge as we waited for our turn to enter the locks.

Just as we tied up in the lock, crew from Wings, Artemis, and Alchemy arrived to welcome us back to London.

Helen, Ginger, Sally, Al and Gus, all return cruisers from last winter

It's great to be back in London!









Bill has departed back to Florida.  His company was great....especially on the North Sea crossing. The morning before he left, the UK experienced 80 mhp winds across the continent.... I slept right through it.

Now the task of changing the boat from cruising mode to dock living will begin.  I look forward to using real wine glasses again, not worrying about filling the water tanks and getting satiated on concerts, theater and museums.  Can hardly wait!

THE END......

 Ha, ha!  Just kidding.  You guys already know I can't be quiet all winter.

St. Katharine's lock entrance

London Tower Bridge

A quick stroll through the Red Light District in Amsterdam

Floppy hood?  Fix it with a clothes pin.

ABYC Burgee displayed at the Orwich Yacht Club (10th from the right)