After such a lovely trip over to Ramsgate, I was looking forward to another calm, sunny day on the water. This time I would sit out longer on the foredeck and enjoy the moment when we finally enter the Thames Estuary. We have talked endlessly about this – going up the Thames on Deux Poissons – I wanted to experience it in the moment.
It was another early start and we were out of the harbour at 05:00. This time, heading away from the sunrise. It was a little windy compared to yesterday but Deux Poissons handled it well.
Then it got really really rough.
We had expected the wind to be North-North-East but it turned and came from the West – over tide. So we were heading into waves, peaks and troughs – for hours. Both Patrick and Deux Poissons handled it so well. I supported them both silently and in prayer (unable to reach the vodka, as it meant moving from my seat).
It must have been exhausting for Patrick as it was a case of predicting the peak of the wave and steering her into it, rather than let it hit us side-on and cause that horrible rolling. Everything was “locked down” (including the vodka) on the boat so we didn’t have things flying at us but it was still heavy going. Although the autopilot was set up and in good working order now, Patrick had to do almost all of the steering through the waves. The water was almost always over the deck, occasionally splashing right up against the windscreen and at times right over the roof. At this point we realised that the hatch on the roof was not entirely watertight. But, to be fair, “waves over the roof” wasn't something we considered during our restoration.
We were (slightly) amused to see a ship behind us called “Danube Highway”. It felt like this was all part of the trip to finally be on the Danube-this was the road to be travelled.
There was a sense of relief when we turned into the Thames Estuary heading towards Queenborough, the sea state became a little calmer.
Patrick was due to work that day, so as soon as he could, he joined a meeting via his phone, just to say he was due to tie up in Queensborough shortly and would join meetings then. I, however, was planning on having a very stiff drink !
Queenborough offers moorings between the Thames and Medway and most boats moor up waiting for the right tide for the Thames. We asked, over the radio, for the All Tide Landing, which is a pontoon, isn’t restricted by tide and we asked to stay overnight. The alternative is to pick up a buoy, although there is a RIB “taxi” for those on a buoy, so we could get to land. We were lucky enough to get a space on the Landing. It is pretty basic, but it had both electricity and water, which we hadn’t expected, so we looked forward to a hot shower and fill the water tanks. A colleague from Patrick’s work, who lived in the area, stopped by for a work “meeting”, which naturally involved a couple of beers, out on the back deck.
Two Little Ships of Dunkirk tied up behind us, which was such a treat. They were both in such good condition considering they were part of a 1940 rescue operation in World War II. Patrick had a little chat with them, while I still remained in recovery from the trip over (aka: another gin and tonic). I did wonder if the Little Ships of Dunkirk would have considered Deux Poissons trying to make her way to Queenborough similar to what they had undertook in 1940 - probably not !
Patrick came back from his chat with news that our plans had changed!! The original plan was to leave Queenborough tomorrow and stop overnight at Greenwich. The crew of the two Little Ships had done this route a few times and their advice was to NOT stop at Greenwich or anywhere along the Thames as it is really busy and the water is rough and choppy from all the water taxis and tour boats. It makes for a really uncomfortable stay and not cheap. They suggested to just keep going until we were through Teddington Lock and onto Thames River proper. Then we would be in canal-like situation and so much slower, calmer and nicer. All I heard was slower, calmer and nicer.
It did mean a 5:00am start (of course).
We had a yacht rafted up on the outside of us and the crew went out for the evening, so we were unable to give them the bad news - We would need them to move off at 05:00am to let us out. As I wrote a really apologetic note, I hoped they were not having a heavy session in the pub nearby as this would really spoil their evening.
Then into a very welcome bed with the alarm set for 5:00am. I am beginning to think this is the default setting of the alarm by now.
Eastbourne to Ramsgate
I prepped the boat/stowed away most things before bed but we still woke up with a sense of urgency – at 03h15am. We needed to be in the lock by 04h00am. I mean, this wasn’t the only time the lock was was working that day, 04h00am was not the only slot available. We could have gone in at 04h30am– but anyway, we made it, along with a HUGE, smelly fishing boat. Nice for us on an empty stomach.
It had been a while since we had left any mooring in what felt like the middle of the night and it felt quite surreal, there didn’t seem to be anyone around. At a little after 05:00am you could start to see pink sky and we were heading into the sunrise – so lovely. The sea was absolutely calm and flat and no wind – such a pleasure. As the sun rose, it got warmer and was a perfect summer day. We also made good time as Patrick planned the tides right. We had planned to stop at Dover, but the conditions were so good that we agreed to go onto Ramsgate. We had the time and the tide and the only time we really had to pay attention to what was going on was at Dover. It is such a busy harbour and also with the Dover-Calais (UK-France) Crossing, we had to be conscious of all the large ships coming and going. I settled down into the sunshine to spend the next few hours onto Ramsgate, relaxing and dozing and loving life. That was until Patrick disturbed my peace with a request to come and take the helm, the steering didn’t feel right. It felt a little tight and he wanted to check the steering gear, that nothing had got caught in the gear. I mean, we were right in the MIDDLE of the crossing – seemed perfect time for something to go wrong. There were two areas he needed to check – the steering gear in the galley; in a cupboard, behind a cupboard, behind a fixed bin! And the chain in another cupboard in the forepeak, above a cupboard. As neither I, nor the autopilot wanted to be held responsible for a cruise/cargo-ship incident, I suggested I dismantle the cupboards in the galley and then take the helm so he could check. Our galley has been designed and fitted for this exact kind of need – to quickly check steering gear or bilges. So it really was just two screws to release hinges of the bin cupboard and then 4 screws to remove the front of the other cupboard. Patrick was down on his knees, head in steering gear, within seconds. The other cupboard just meant opening the door. He found nothing stuck or trapped. He thought it might be that everything just needed a good greasing !. The rest of the trip was uneventful. I went back to dozing in the sunshine, and missed the dolphins. We made good time and into Ramsgate with no problem. We tied up and set off to explore what turned out to be a really pretty town. We visited the Royal Temple Yacht Club for a beer and after a wander around stopped at the Mariners Pub and had a pizza for dinner. Once back on the boat, we (again) checked Navionics and planned tomorrow. We will be leaving early again (05:00am) and will finally be entering the Thames Estuary. We plan to stay over at Queensborough once we are in the Thames and then plan the next few stops.
Brighton to Eastbourne
Woke up to no wind and warm sunshine. No whistling and smacking ropes, what a pleasure. There is probably a nautical term or definition for ropes smacking yacht masts (??). I have a number of personal definitions as well as remedies, but at the risk of incriminating myself in a crime I haven't committed, I will keep them to myself.
We planned to leave at about 12h00 and while there is very little wind, we will be motoring alongside the shore and cliffs the whole way to Eastbourne so we expect it is going to be a bumpy ride. This is normally the case with the water rebounding off the shore. Patrick went off to the local chandlery to “get his fix” and I started to prepare the boat for the trip. I am getting quite slick at this now and can stow away all the moveable bits pretty quickly. We took a quick walk to the marina office to pay for our stay and to throw away the old ladder. This ladder and I have had a love-hate relationship since we bought Deux Poissons. It folds in an awkward way, which I never got the hang of - the handles hooking me almost every time I try to move it. It also ALWAYS seems to be in the way. So I was happy to get rid of her, but still a little nostalgic as I threw it deep into the wheelie bin – I think this was the last of the original boat bits we would be getting rid of.
Patrick sat in the galley and did a little work. Sounded more like chatting to his colleagues about the trip so far…..
We left our mooring at 11h55 and out of the mouth at 12h00. It is about 2.5 hour run. And as predicted – lumpy and rough. But Deux handled it all like a pro although the autopilot decided it had had enough and changed course. So Patrick had to switch it off and do all the steering himself. The chalky cliffs, which ran along the whole way, were so impressive. We saw a number of para-gliders jumping off the cliffs. Patrick said they were motorised gliders, so it felt like cheating but still crazy scary I am sure. Once we got round the point, Beachy Head, the sea state was calmer. Eastbourne Marina (Souverign Marina) has a lock which operates on a half hour cycle. We missed the 14h30 so we had to wait for 15h00. Patrick took advantage of the time and fiddled with the autopilot and then recalibrated it. This involved going round and round in circles. This was while I was on the deck putting down fenders both sides and getting lines ready!!. We were not sure what the lock was like inside, so “be prepared”. Finally they radioed to say proceed and we approached the lock in calm water. 4 boats went in and we rafted to an interesting couple who dive shipwrecks (for fun). It took about 20 mins to get through the lock, so we we had a good chat.
We were onto our mooring by 15h30. Semi-unpacked the boat as we are planning on leaving at 04h00am for Dover. We had a walk around the marina and a drink at the pub. Then back to the boat for dinner and a shower. Patrick did some fuel “tinkering”. We have two fuel tanks of 400 litres each. They are not connected but fuel can be transferred via a pump/filter system. We have had the delightful experience of diesel bug before, so now we keep our fuel tanks separate. For now Patrick set it up that the engine draws from the starboard tank, so he ran the pump to transfer some fuel over from the port to starboard tank, to keep the boat balanced. Lights out by 22h00 with alarm set for 03h15 - yuggggg.
A day in Brighton Marina
We waited out the wind, staying in Brighton Marina and filling our time with boat jobs. It is a bank holiday, otherwise Patrick would do a days work - his other work, not boat work. The easy work. We wrote a very short list as we wanted to achieve as little as possible. Mine included laundry. There is a laundrette at the the marina with large washing and drying machines, and it worked really well. Also a trip to the supermarket. By trip, I meant a walk. Oh and clean the bathroom. Patrick agreed to refit a fairlead we lost a few weekends ago, do the final fitting of the ladder attachment and check the engine. I am pleased to say all was achieved and my lesson of the day is not to over-shop until I buy one of those shopping trolley/bags.
We sat and relooked at our plan/tides/weather. It feels like this is going to an hourly exercise until we get up into the Thames River. So we plan to set off to Eastbourne tomorrow at about 12h00. Patrick will do his other work and I will find a way to keep myself busy. Probably research shopping trolley/bags.
Exploring Brighton
It rained most of the night (of course) and a leak (of course) with the water pooling along MY side of the bed (naturally). The rain stopped by the time we woke up but not the wind. If fact, it felt worse. We both agreed that it was a good call to cancel Eastbourne for today and re-calculate our next few days.
While there was no sunshine, I was happy with no rain. We decided the leave boat jobs for today – except find the leak and patch it. As we are likely to be in Brighton for today and tomorrow, we decided to explore. We left the bedding to dry with open portholes and we put on our walking gear (not actual walking gear … standard flip flops and shorts for Patrick) and we wandered over to find the bus station and, a few minutes later, we were ready to be tourists. We started at Brighton Pier, iconic tourist sight. We were able to look over the water and we agreed that staying in the marina was definitely the best thing to do – it was wild out there. After about half an hour on the pier we were ready for coffee. I mean, we were really ready for a beer, but even we thought it was too soon. We made our way to The Lanes, which is a popular area in Brighton. A small area of tiny streets all lined with independent shops. We spotted a huge crowd with cameras and could hear music, so naturally curious (nosy) we made our way there. It turned out to the band The Specials, one of Patrick’s favourite bands. How special. What a treat. We found a cute tea shop and had scones and tea – delicious and worth postponing the beer. Then more wandering around, there are some beautiful buildings and architecture. Also, Brighton is much hillier than I thought it was and I am definitely more unfit than I thought too. Finally a we had that much needed beer in a cute pub and after a few hours we grabbed a takeaway lunch and enjoyed it in the gardens of the Royal Pavilion. It is an impressive building, built in an architectural style seen in India, with beautiful domes and minarets. According to history, it was built in late 1700s as a seaside retreat for King George IV. According to the historian, Patrick Mckenna, King George entertained way to many single ladies here and so Queen Victoria decided that Osborne House should be the royal seaside retreat – on the Isle of Wight. So the Pavilion was sold to the city of Brighton and no more parties for King George! (*disclaimer – none of this is fact verified).
We caught a bus back to the marina and stopped in at the Brighton Marina Sailing Club to check it out and have a quick drink and then back to the boat. Fortunately with no rain, plenty of wind and some sunshine, the bedding had dried. A quick shower and then we planned our next few days. We use Navionics app as a way to plan routes as it gives us all the information we would need. We will stay in Brighton tomorrow and head to Eastbourne on Tuesday. The tides will work for us midday and there is no strong wind predicted (yay). We planned only one night in Eastbourne and then onto Dover.
Portsmouth to Brighton
It was an exciting and early start today, not that either of us had slept much. Alarm went off at 05:30. The first part of the morning felt like any morning when we set off for a weekend away. Coffee, moan about it being too early, start engine, slip the lines and set off. But this time WAS different. This time we were not coming back to Fareham. This was the start of what we had been discussing and working towards forever - and we both had to scars to prove it!
It was a miserable day, raining and overcast but we didn’t care. Anyway it is the UK - we were used to it.
We left the mooring at 06h09 and got to Portsmouth Harbour at 06:45. I was thrilled to find that the wind had died down and the sea looked calm. So off we set. Deux went so well. The water got a little choppy as we approached Brighton but it was a good trip over. A little over 6 hours and I even got a little snooze in. Until Patrick tapped me on the leg to wake me - Dolphins. How special!
We got to Brighton Marina at about 12h00. I do keep a log so perhaps I should check it and be more specific. We called up the marina office to confirm our arrival and to ask where our mooring would be. They responded by asking if we were the gentleman’s yacht coming into the marina? I don’t think we have had a gentleman on this boat for years, but we still responded “yes we are”!
It was an easy mooring. We tied up, paid for shore power, unpacked a few bits that we had stowed away. We plan to leave for Eastbourne tomorrow, so we called and made a booking for 12h30. We then decided to stretch our legs and have a look around. It is a huge marina with a large number of clean toilet/shower facilities and also a laundrette. Surprise surprise to find ourselves in a pub/cocktail bar. Then it was back to the boat for dinner on board, shower and a very welcome early night.
We did it ... we are on our way
After more than 8 years of restoration, planning (and some playing) we finally said our goodbyes to Fareham and our mooring at Portsmouth Marine Engineering and started our trip.
Well sort of…. In true boating life style, the weather and/or tides never want to agree with your plan. We had hoped to leave this morning at 05h30 to catch the tide and get to Brighton early afternoon. However, the wind was predicted to gust to 42knots and this was not the way we wanted to start out new life. So we motored for about 10 minutes to the next marina and moored up there overnight as the wind was expected to die down.
So it felt like we had started our trip. Also it was 10 minutes closer to Portsmouth Harbour mouth and most importantly we got to spend the evening with our good friends for ANOTHER goodbye evening.
We called it a night early enough to be considered sensible and after a few tears we climbed aboard our boat and tried to get some sleep.
They were not joking about the gusting 42knots, never mind the rain!
Our toilet-shower-wet room upgrade is finally complete
All good things come to those who wait ….We have been working and improving this space from the moment we bought the boat! Each step first needed another AND another step to be completed, but it has been worth it.
A full walk through
We bought Deux Poissons in 2015 and have spent 8 years working (and playing) on her. Our website and other social media is updated regularly as we work on her, but we often get asked for an overview or complete view of her. Well we finally got to the point where we could do that …. so here is a complete walk through of the boat - enjoy. Leave a comment or any questions and we will respond.
Moving day
After many long and challenging years of planning and tireless work on the boat, the day had finally arrived. I don’t remember us deciding on 27 July 2023 but here we are, this was it. So after a challenging few weeks of halving our belongings and then halving them again, we managed to squeeze our lives into a four door car (which fortunately had a deep boot). I will admit that I watched more videos than necessary on how to fold clothes into tiny-tiny squares and it paid off.
It was bitter sweet packing up everything after living in our home for so long; leaving friends and family and more than once I asked myself if we were making a mistake.
While I am not one for celebrating “a sign that this was meant to be” - my phone (Facebook) felt perhaps this was one day to give me that sign …. so a photo popped up on my phone from 27th July 2019. It was the day emptied the whole boat into a van and we started the major restoration. So here we were exactly 4 years later taking everything back, just not in a van though……
So we bid farewell to the familiar comfort of our home and beautiful garden and began the next chapter of our lives.
