PicoMicroYacht begins London's Lost Route to the Sea

PicoMicroYacht started London's Lost Route to the Sea to the east of the O2, at the Greenwich Yacht Club, to voyage 14 miles up the Thames to Putney.

In the days when barges transported goods to and from the South Coast via the Wey and Arun Canal to get a barge through central London it was not possible to tow from the river bank. So the barges either had to use a special purpose sail, a spritsail, or they used large oars called sweeps.

Whatever the method, it required considerable skills.  For rowing there might be two oars pulled individually and a further oar used for steering. Rowing through the centre of London has a long history and involved experienced watermen.

A scene from the historic barge driving race  in 2017

(from the Port of London Authority Website)

As I discovered in 2014, rowing a small boat (yacht) through London it not to be considered lightly. This time I picked a day when the wind was forecast to be from the northeast, in amongst other February days when it would have been gusting against me from the west. The plan was to set off in the middle of the day at low tide from the Greenwich Yacht Club slipway .

At the club I met a working party who were using the low spring tide to work on their tidal moorings. 

It looked like hard work, with the temperature close to freezing and digging into the mud to check the anchorages. The party were very friendly and helpful but somewhat sceptical of my voyage given the cold weather and the strong spring tide river current. I was reassuring them I would be alright but also respecting their extensive experience of the river. My thanks to the club for looking after the PicoMicroYacht trailer and seeing me off with a friendly wave.

The working party pause their work to see PicoMicroYacht off

I realised that although I had planned for a following wind, the arching shape of the Thames in London and the wind backing to the north meant  sometimes I was rowing into a head wind, which was about force four.

PicoMicroYacht crossing the Thames to the north bank to be on the starboard side of the river for going upstream. I was keeping a good lookout for where the river craft were going

Soon I was passing the Canary Wharf financial centre and the West Indies dock.

The Red Ensign was keeping me visible as I looked over head and saw three Chinook SAS helicopters on patrol

This policeman base before getting to Tower Bridge

Soon PicoMicroYacht was approaching Tower Bridge, as a welcome sight and the start of London's Lost Route to the Sea.

A video of the Thames Barge Driving Race in 2015