Day 10 - Last day!

Sunday morning 8th May, 6:30am. Last day of our challenge.

Leaving Chiswick Pier just after 8am, expect to arrive at the Greenwich Yacht Club at about 12:30.

Rowing 19 miles, with a strong outgoing tide, right through central London. It’s our most challenging and exciting day. Two friends, who are familiar with the London Thames, had tried to dissuade us from doing it, saying it’s too dangerous for such a small boat, but plenty of other people have done it.

The main problems are rough water created by the wash of passing big/fast boats and negotiating the many bridges. A number of these are set quite close together, several with piers and stuff such as the London Eye, projecting some way out from the river bank on the far side of the bridge. Travelling downstream, we have to keep to the starboard or right hand side of the river. We have to quickly decide which arch of each bridge we will go through, with the current pushing us, avoiding other boats and avoiding getting swept on to the bridge supports.

We have discussed the central London bit a number of times and decided to judge, over the last week, whether our ability to manage the boat was adequate. We haven’t even questioned it in the last few days because we both feel up to the challenge. Both wearing life jackets yesterday and today.

Leaving just after 8am, expect to arrive at the Greenwich Yacht Club at about 12:30.

Update, 6pm Sunday 8 May

We have made it - we left Chiswick Pier at 8:15 and arrived at Greenwich Yacht Club at 12:30 after a very hard row, just as the tide was turning against us.

Near Chiswick Pier we saw a seal lift his head out of the water twice and look at us.

A friend of Vicky’s got a few propped pics by the Houses of Parliament so show how small we were in a big river (to follow). In Westminster, the river narrowed and the water became extremely rough, throwing us around, caused by the wind blowing directly against the tide. We rowed hard, no time to even look at the Houses of Parliament. It was rough but not so bad as we swept through a succession of bridges and as we reached Tower Bridge  the water became quite choppy again. As we left central London the water continued quite lively as we rode over the waves (wash) created by big boats passing.  

I thought the conditions could continue or get worse as we approached the widening river on the long approach to Greenwich and decided that we should keep an eye open for possible access points to get off the river if necessary. After 10-15 minutes the chief navigator shouted firmly “Dad, stop looking for a way out and get on with the rowing - we are going to finish this”.

The sun came out and the sea settled down, except for the wash from high speed ferries, tourist sightseeing boats and ‘High speed RIB experience’ boats.

We were both delighted to see and pass the O2 Dome as we rowed hard to our final destination. Unfortunately, since the tide was turning as we reached the Yacht Club, we decided against rowing on to, then through the Thames Barrier and back to the Club.

Sorry we didn’t report our arrival earlier, but the wonderful welcome from the Greenwich Yacht Club, followed by lunch in the Club’s restaurant overlooking the Thames Barrier then getting our boat out of the water took quite some time.

Photos to follow when we have access to good Wi-Fi 😀 and can read a memory card.

 Our small blue rowing boat on the Greenwich Yacht Club’s pontoon after we finished the challenge. Thames Barrier in the background.