{"id":14503,"date":"2025-01-20T13:18:06","date_gmt":"2025-01-20T13:18:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.noordzee-zeilen.com\/?page_id=14503"},"modified":"2025-12-02T08:40:15","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T08:40:15","slug":"london","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.noordzee-zeilen.com\/en\/inspiration\/london\/","title":{"rendered":"London"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Sailing to London in style...<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Sailing yacht Elise<\/span> to London, so much more than a city trip!<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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There is no need to promote a visit to London, everyone knows a reason to visit this versatile capital.\u00a0 You should experience it by sailing on a 64 ft yacht!\u00a0 <\/strong>It will be a unique experience.\u00a0 This is something completely different from travelling through a tunnel, by train or even the Ferry.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Tower Bridge from the Elise<\/span><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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First of all: with our boat you take your hotel room with you, no stress of booking a hotel in the city centre, lugging suitcases from the train and ferry or taxi to a place in the city.\u00a0 You \u2018put\u2019 your living room, kitchen, bedroom even your sun terrace next to the iconic Tower Bridge, at arm’s length from the Tower in the renowned St Katharine Docks<\/strong>.<\/p>

On this trip, it is not just the destination that is important, but the trip, the experience.\u00a0 Cruising up the river The Thames – between iconic landmarks, monuments, works of art – on the way to the metropolis, is a distinct experience.<\/strong>\u00a0 That mix of excitement, recognition, amazement is hard to describe.\u00a0 Everyone on board agrees: the Thames is the highlight of the trip!<\/p>

St Katharine Docks<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u00a0<\/p>

The Thames is best navigated in daylight.<\/strong> It is a 40-45 mile trip, you have to neatly navigate the fairway and scrupulously follow the instructions of the Port of London Authority.\u00a0 At most, a little sail to support if the wind is right in the winding course.\u00a0 Above all, we want to enjoy this upwind sailing.<\/p>

We look to make currentward (LW ) the trip. Start at low tide in the estuary to be at the Tower around high tide.<\/strong>\u00a0 It looks easy, but not all days are easy.<\/p>

To start at the right timing, you almost have to make the Ostend-London trip in at least two days. So count on at least one day to sail to the mouth of the Thames.\u00a0 There we choose a mooring for one night at Queenborough, the ideal base.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Plan well! There are some restrictions.<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Prepare everything well and then keep an eye on the weather for a successful crossing to Queenborough.\u00a0 That’s a hefty day trip: the Channel crossing with a stretch of upwind of the estuary attached<\/strong>, count on 14 hours for 85 nautical miles.\u00a0 It will be early rising and hopefully sporty sailing.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Leaving the Ostend home port at 6:00am, i.e. the day before the lock and mooring to the waiting pontoon.\u00a0 It will be a sailing breakfast!\u00a0 We’re enjoying it: with just over 20 knots of south-west wind, we go 8 knots over ground to the Sandettie buoy.<\/strong>\u00a0 One reef in the mainsail and the genoa also slightly reduced, makes for fast and comfortable sailing!\u00a0<\/p>

Some 9 hours later, after a quiet crossing of the Traffic Separation System (TSS, the ship’s motorway), we sail into the estuary.<\/strong>\u00a0 We make a turn at Margate, watching out for wind farms and professional activity, with the VHF radio on the right traffic channel.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The \u2018Port of London Authority\u2019 has a section on its extensive website for pleasure cruising with a very clear description of how to sail up the Thames.\u00a0 <\/strong>In addition to boating instructions, sailing routes, buoys, ports, places of interest, details and telephone numbers of marinas are listed.
Port of London guide<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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We see strange creatures keeping watch in the estuary: Star-Wars – like constructions!\u00a0 The Red Sand Forts<\/strong> are a series of seven interconnected forts on a sandbank in the Thames estuary.\u00a0 The forts belong to the Maunsell forts (named after architect Guy Maunsell).\u00a0 They served to defend the river and London from German bombers and Schnellbote<\/strong> and to protect Allied convoys.\u00a0 Now they remain stark ghostly figures from World War II.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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At the Medway buoy, we turn port to sail up the river of the same name, where Queenborough awaits<\/strong>.\u00a0 We do so via a clearly defined channel, which is just as well, because to starboard we see a circle of danger buoys and half-decayed masts sticking out.\u00a0<\/p>

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It is the wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery<\/strong> an American Liberty ship that broke in half at the end of World War II, after running aground on a sandbank.\u00a0 Nothing special, but the ship was packed with ammunition (7,000 tonnes) of which some 1,400 tonnes of highly explosive cargo still lies in and around the wreck.\u00a0 Experts engaged in fierce polemics about the imminent danger of an explosion.\u00a0 The most frightening predictions speak of a 3,000-metre water and debris column, a 5-metre tsunami that would destroy the city and port of Sheerness, a tidal wave that would threaten London and cause flooding… No one dares to initiate a salvage operation (even though, according to experts, it is necessary) and we remain very cautious between the ordered buoys…
It’s not far sailing, after Queenborough Spit buoy a short way up the River Swale, we can moor around 9pm and seek out a local pub.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Getting up early to sail up the Thames at low tide.\u00a0 Leaving at 7:00, we have current for most of the trip.\u00a0 We are in the heart of London shortly after noon.<\/strong><\/p>

This time, we turn west before the nasty wreck and round the \u2018Nore Swatch\u2019 port buoy to merge alongside the professional channel (recommended for yachts).\u00a0 First you follow it on the port side, further on you cross over and continue on the starboard side.<\/p>

It’s watch out for heavy freight traffic, because after an initial section of flat landscape, the industrial stretch begins, which lasts for quite a while.\u00a0 Along the stream, there is a series of jetties and cranes where large ocean liners get or unload their cargoes.\u00a0 Along the way, there are industrial ports in every inlet.\u00a0 Especially at Tilbury, it is a busy and narrow waterway.\u00a0 On the VHF radio, we hear regularly warnings for anyone threatening to enter the route of the ocean-going ships.\u00a0 We do not need these as everyone is watching and does not want to miss anything from the trip!<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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It is a very winding and flowing stretch.\u00a0 Meanwhile, we approach a first major \u2018landmark\u2019: the \u2018Thames Tidal Barrier\u2019<\/strong>.\u00a0 This structure is supposed to protect London and its surroundings during the 1000-year storm, high water levels and storm surges.\u00a0 Paying attention to take the right \u2018gate\u2019 for recreational boating and listening out on the right VHF channel is the message.<\/p>

The construction looks strange, with the 10 steel gates, the structure spans 520 metres and can be \u2018dammed\u2019 by the current.\u00a0 Each main gate weighs 3,300 tonnes and when raised, the main gates are as high as a five-storey building and as wide as the opening of Tower Bridge.\u00a0 The metal protective caps lend a certain beauty to the structure reminiscent of helmets for the city’s guards.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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We are approaching the city!<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Tidal Barrier is an immediate sign that we are approaching the city.\u00a0 The high-rise buildings around the stream highlight the busy economic activity in this metropolis.<\/p>

At the point of a big bend in the stream, we see the \u2018Millennium Dome\u2019<\/strong>.\u00a0 The spherical white sphere with 12 yellow support towers 100 metres high.\u00a0 One for each hour of the clock, reflecting the role of Greenwich Mean Time.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Greenwich<\/strong> is the next prominent landmark on the port side.\u00a0 The historic buildings of the \u2018Naval College\u2019<\/strong> stand out in contrast to the ever-increasing modern high-rises . Remember: we are sailing through the prime meridian<\/strong> and are as of now in the Western Hemisphere.\u00a0 We see the silhouette of the museum ship the Cutty Sark<\/strong>, perhaps a tourist destination for sailors?<\/p>

Tensely we follow the meanders of the stream, along the renovated quays… when will we see the final destination ?
For the Elise<\/span>, that is St Katharine Dock Marina, uniquely located.\u00a0 There are several marinas on the Thames, most accessible 2 hours before to 2 hours after high tide.\u00a0 The tide drop (difference between high and low tide) can reach about 7 metres at London Bridge!\u00a0 Moreover, there are several entry-barriers, which means we don’t have much choice.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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And whaaw, after a final turn we see the London skyline, prominently featuring Tower Bridge, an iconic sight that leaves no one unmoved<\/strong>.
We are there and able to sail into the uniquely located harbour of St Katharine Docks… mostly anyway.\u00a0 We are unlucky when we hear that our place has been reserved, but due to a staff shortage we can only enter tomorrow morning….<\/p>

Sometimes bad luck is a bit of luck!\u00a0 Hilde doggedly calls all the marinas and moorings: oef, the Hermitage Community Moorings exceptionally have a mooring available for one night.<\/strong>\u00a0 Normally this marina is reserved for historic barges, one of which is travelling so we get a unique place along the stream.\u00a0<\/p>

From the ship, we overlook Tower Bridge, the Thames, the striking high-rise buildings, the busy ship traffic, the party boats.\u00a0 You cannot find a better place to watch the busy life on the river, after 10pm it gets quieter.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Tower Bridge at night...<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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There is time enough to set foot ashore for the first time and quickly explore the area.\u00a0 The view from the ship is so enticing that we quickly stock up on supplies to dine on board in the luxurious cockpit.\u00a0 It’s going to be delicious as night falls and Tower Bridge lights up the night enchantingly.<\/strong><\/p>

The next morning, we have to surrender our berth and sail into the Marina.\u00a0 That’s really just before the Tower.\u00a0 We are assigned a place in the basin surrounded by terraces and offices.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Tower Bridge & Butler's Wharf<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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It is redundant and, more importantly, endless to list what you can visit and experience in London.\u00a0 We’ll venture two tips anyway:<\/p>