Be brave!

0615 Pete phoned to say he was coming back to Lobelia and that we should get ready to go. Andy prepped the engine, John danced for joy and Shiv made bacon rolls.
0700 depart Teddington lock. Blue sky and sunshine.
0900 Hammersmith Bridge
1000 Tower Bridge

1105 Thames Barrier and then time kept ticking by and the sights did not change very much until night time! Though we were privileged to see two porpoises on our portside and saluted the flotilla of returning Dunkirk little ships after their 70th anniversary celebration in France.

We received lots of concerned texts about our position, but many people don't realise quite how long the Thames really is. Teddington to the mouth of the estuary at North Foreland is nearly 100 miles and at Lobelia's stately 6mph and the effects of tide changes, it takes a rather long time!

2200 We started shifts at the wheel. John and Pete went to sleep for 2 hours and left Andy and I at the helm as we headed out into the channel.

A long night lay ahead and we constantly scanned the horizon for marker buoy lights and other shipping. Dover coastguard kept us company on the VHF and are the politest people on earth and sea. We found a massive wind farm under construction and not yet on the chart despite the vast area it now covers.
We headed towards the separation zone which to landlubbers is a bit like the M1. Busy!

Shifts at the helm changed and so did the wind. The sea became lumpier and lumpier and waves broke over Lobelia's bow and submerged the portholes as she bounced up and down on the swell. Amazingly nothing broke though the fish looked remarkably seasick in their tank and the chests of drawers in the bow bedroom exploded after one particularly violent wave.

Then, finally, after 175 miles from Sunbury lock we arrived in Nieuwpoort, Belgium. Met with amazed stares from passersby and coastguard official alike, Lobelia had averaged a speed of 6.3mph and guzzled 550 litres of fuel. The crew consumed similar quantities of tea and coffee.

1045 on 3rd June we moored up at Nieuwpoort fish quay and rested the engine.






A trio of jolly customs officials boarded us soon after our arrival for an inspection but were more interested in the hot tub than anything else and promised to return to use it.

Andy craned the motorbike off the deck and onto the dock.

1500 We moved from the fish quay through the first lock and into the Belgian canal system. Moored up on the other side and slept.