Towards Limehouse Basin - Easter 2012

Destination decisions are taken early but take up from members for an Easter Cruise for the last two years has been pretty thin and any feedback would be appreciated, any suggestions even more so. A lot of you do not have your boats back in the water by Easter of course but thoughts welcome.

Wychway and "Allo Allo" signed up with Aurai and we kept in touch in the build up to Easter. Sue and Alf went up river before the week-end with Aurai underwriting Ian's crew needs and agreeing to travel up on the same tide. In the event Ian press ganged his own crew Alf and Aurai's crew fluctuated between 0 - 6 and settled at 4. Friday was sunny and very chilly with a midday HW and we agreed to meet Allo Allo at Queenborough.

In some ways that afternoon and night was the best bit! It got cold and grey but sharing a mooring and cooking facilities, we enjoyed a feast of Chicken curry without chicken and a mixed grill without the mix, all prepared by our veggie galley slaves for the evening. Allo Allo coped with 7 for dinner and we all kept warm, while Ian taught us how to tie a Bowline his way, now the only way! Now realising I had completely underestimated the wine cellar requirements for the week-end!

Rousting everyone out of bed nice and early on the Saturday morning we soon realised that 14 kts + would power us passed Canvey under sail and by now we had met Physeline. We should have let Ian set off an hour before us, as in the wind we soon left the poor lad behind, though not out of sight and Neil and Sharon kept in touch. We kept our sail up past Greenwich and had help most of the way.

Note to self, Limehouse will not let non pre-booked boats in at all, not with my pretty please or anything, not even Neil's pretty please and he was helping Ian by relaying VHF messages! Neil got in at South Dock and we locked in with Ian. Grey dank and chilly by now, with some rain so quick shower and keep warm. Caught up with Sue Alf and Alf so now 3 x Alf in the group.

Dinner was with Upnor SC and held in the Cruising Association building, right on the dockside and very welcoming. There is not a lot actually at the basin, but plenty within ten minutes walk in any direction. Upnor had about 40 members + our 8 and we recognised a few of the boats from the Medway. They have a Flag Officer for cruises and a separate Cruise Captain for each cruise, can I be Cruise Captain please? I like the title!

Dinner was excellent and we were all made very welcome, 2 course meal with coffee was £15 and plenty of seconds and real meat!

Sunday was dismal and grey, most set off for home, planning a stop at Erith with Trot boat organised, Ian kept going, we set off at 05:00 on the Monday morning. A few of my London mates came to visit and we did time honoured British Bank Holiday thing in the Grapes Pub, drank beer and kept out of the rain!

A VQ trip back, four hours from lock to Grain Edge, approximately and motored back into F6 promised to grow to F8 later. I heard that Ian felt his way back with electrical malfunctions but was OK and all it was was the connector from his engine alternator to battery was loose. I learned how to set my VHF to scan 4 channels at once, do not tell Neil.

Which is why we like the Easter trip up river as a shake out cruise to find all your boat gremlins after winter in a relatively safe environment, you are never far from shore and it is sheltered from the worst weather.

Aurai

See some more pictures from the weekend here

Date Published 18th Apr 2012