Tuesday, December 05, 2006
A Journey into the Unknown - Part V
23rd & 24th November
Early starts with more of the same except Friday Stephan arrived with the anodes along with Colin and between the two of them worked feverishly to get the anodes welded on before the dry dock flooding time.
Saying our good byes to Stephan, Colin, John, John the dry dock master and Tom we slid out of the dock at 1415hrs, moved up river to come about and head for home an hour later than planned but at least we would make Teddington before dark.
Rain during the week had further raised the river, the yellow boards were out and we later learnt the red board came out up river later that day. This was to be a hell-on-wheels, hairy fast trip, and it was. We were in Teddington, moored with the engine off at 1350hrs. That included two locks and the delay in buying the return licence at Sunbury lock. Physically drained and mentally knackered from concentration of helming a 42 ton floating missile, especially through Richmond we put all the gear away and returned to Chiswick to collect the car, Caroline had earlier taken there from EA Sunbury, and drove back to Barking. Leaving the car at the mooring we trained back to the ship close to exhausted and to bed.