Our destination for today was Limehouse basin where we would need to arrive within three hours either side of high water in order to get through the lock. High water London Bridge was at 1130 today, so we set off at first light for the four hour passage up the river to our home for the next fortnight . As it was officially still the Christmas and New Year holiday at Limehouse, they were planning to close at midday, but discussion with the lock keepers in advance ensured they would be expecting us.

We followed our now well marked track on the plotter up the south side of the channel watching out for tugs and pilots, as well as the inevitable barrage of floating debris. We were followed by two motorboats bound for the Excel boat show - one of whom roared past us only to later realise he didn't actually know where he was going. As he retraced his footsteps he also managed to fall foul of the Woolwich Radio operators at the Thames Barrier. A great advert for pleasure boaters!

There was the usual combination of waterbuses and rowers to contend with around Greenwich, all of whom seem to think they have priority over us. We were glad when we arrived at Limehouse where the lockkeepers welcomed us warmly.

Limehouse proved a highly convenient place to stay during the boatshow, only six stops away on the Docklands Light Railway. In addition, we took the opportunity to enjoy some of the sights and sounds of our capital city. One of our favourite walks was along the Thames Path to St Katherine Dock, where we could stop off at Starbucks, or the Riverside cafe and join the gongoozlers admiring the megayachts and the slightly less mega.

Cruising Statistics

Distance: 40 nm

Total to date: 129 nm

Avg Speed: 10 knots

Duration: 4 hours

Diesel: 160 litres (est), 37.8p/l

Mooring: £11.88/night

Electricity: £3.50/10 units

Charts

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