Tuesday, December 05, 2006
A Journey into the Unknown - Part VI
25th November
The forecast was terrible. The rain had started coming down in sheets and the wind was up big time. We were forecast to heavy driving rain with 70 to 80 knot gusts. Lovely barging weather! Vrijheid cleared Teddington soon after 0700hrs, neither of us excited about the days prospects ahead but were driven on by the realisation we were getting closer to home and also the prize of a clean hull survey did help us to rise to occasion.
The rain did abate by the time we reached Chiswick so we just had the wind to contend with. We were going to fly down the river down river again. The flow was ffffast compounded by an outgoing tide and by the time we had passed through London and checked in with London VTS for barrier clearance it was only 1104hrs. We elected to moor off Margaret Ness and wait for the full tide before entering the Creek. So time for another quick snooze.
1415hrs we slipped our lines and entered the creek calling forward to ensure Katie would be in attendance to open the barrage gates to let us in. Moored with engine off 1450hrs Time for a Cuppatea. Journey into the unknown, now known, and well over for another four years. Time to catch up on some sleep and the chatter from the moorings in our absence.