London 2104: St. Katharine Dock and a Shout out to Molly in America

 "The Thames is liquid history." ~John Elliott Burns, English trade unionist, socialist politician and historian.

  We sauntered back across Tower Bridge at street level where I spotted this door, right. Why I wondered, does the Bridge Master require his own dining room built within the base of Tower Bridge and what does he dine on when he's in?
   We were going to go on home but Les spotted a large ocean going vessel of the dutch barge design with huge masts and furled sails moored up out in the Thames and I thought my barking feet could keep going long enough  for us to walk down and take some pictures. 
   Fortunate indeed was our decision to linger because the boat was waiting for the lock at St. Katharine Dock to allow the large sailing vessel--Ardwenna of London and several smaller cruisers--to come in. Les was totally in his element, thrilled at the site of the large masted ship gently inching her way in first and tying up carefully, the small plastic cruisers gingerly coming to a stop in single file beside the large wooden hull. 
   Both lock keepers were women which impressed me no end. I am of the age that remembers still when women weren't allowed to take on anything that was traditionally undertaken by men. Les asked the lock keepers scores of questions to which they answered with a smile while raising the outer lock wall to the Thames.
   The cost of mooring in this marina is not cheap. At £5.45 per meter per day it would cost us £95.00 a day to tie up here. NB Valerie is 17.5 meters long. One can also purchase a weekly, monthly or annual berth at £23.30, £70.00 and £560.00 per meter. We will let you do the math! 
   This is a non-residential marina which means one can come in and out of the marina with one's boat and one can visit it, but one cannot live aboard. There is also an additional charge for electricity. Water is available at every berth provided you bring your own hose. Mobile and fixed pump out for sewage is available upon request--and an additional charge. Surrounding the marina are VERY posh places to eat and shop, and facilities such as a washeteria (laundromat for Americans) and toilets. The boats and small ships moored in St. Katharine Dock Marina are worth many millions all together. This is yet one more way in which those with financial means and a yen for adventure can cross the Pond (the Atlantic) and visit Britain. As for me--there are no ships large enough for me to feel comfortable crossing an ocean. I will gladly stick to canals and rivers. 

It's hard to believe there might be any room in this lock for another boat...

...and yet the lock keeper managed to fit two cruisers in as well.

Les knows no strangers! He is chatting up the lock keeper about how the lock works as she waits for the dutch style barge to come inside. One can see Tower Bridge quite well. Across the river, the tall building in the background with the crane--just beyond the bridge--is Guy and St. Thomas Hospital. We are set to visit the south bank of the Thames and a fascinating glimpse into medicine's past on day three of our London visit.

The small plastic cruisers make haste to join the large barge in the lock.

   For those who know us well, you may remember the post I wrote on Tuesday, September 25th, 2012 title, "It's a Bird, It's a Plan--No It's a Hot Balloon and There's an American on Board!" Wherein Les was so gobsmacked and delirious at seeing hot air balloons floating low over NB Valerie that, when I wondered aloud if the second balloon would follow the path of the first, he honestly thought he was hearing the voice of an American on one of the Balloons!  I've extracted the urine many times over this bit of silliness as it made us hysterical with laughter.
   I have to say I was tempted, as I watched Les scamper with excitement up and down the lock side with camera in hand, to yell out in a muffled voice, "It's so different from mooring up in America," just to see if he was gullible enough to repeat the performance! Les was having so much fun--and it was a treat to see him happily engaged after all we've been through and still have ahead of us--so I chose to sit quietly and behave instead of attempting to take the piss out of him yet again.

The lock barrier on the Thames side begins to rise.

Finally the lock is full and even with the marina.

   St.Katharine Dock lock filled slowly and then the boaters on the small cruisers began poling flotsam and jetsam forward of their boats. A bright orange floating boom was thrown out to catch the garbage off the Thames. 

Boaters coming off the Thames wait while the lock keeper poles the rubbish to the front of the boats.

She pulls the orange boom across, catching the garbage which is pulled over to one side out of the way.

After the rubbish was caught up and pulled aside, the large red lift bridge across the marina entrance went up and the small cruisers exited first.

Ardwinna's tall sails and rigging inspire awe in a narrow boater!

 Finally the portly barge made its way slowly, pivoted out of the lock and gracefully pivoted once again to line up with a second blue lift bridge further on, by means of mooring ropes around giant bollards, hauled slowly by human hands. Then with a grace unbelievable for such a large vessel in a very crammed space, Ardwinna of London made slowly for the second lift bridge.
 Eventually she came to rest moored up near another of her kind at the far West Northwest side of the marina.

The blue bridge inside St. Katharine Docks Marina rising for the graceful masted ship.

Two similar boats wait for their sister ship. Xylonite left the marina once Ardwinna was moored up and the lock was allowed to fill for vessels going out on to the Thames.

This public art installation by Dale Devereaux Barker has greeted all who walk along St. Katharine Docks since 1998. DD Barker has an amazing portfolio of public exhibits and commissioned work.

Les in a hurry to enter St. Katharine Dock to see the sailing ships.

By the time the blue lift bridge was back down again we were on our way by bus back home to NB Valerie. With this third London post we ended our FIRST day in London! 
   I also want to take a moment to give a warm shout out to Molly in America--a transplanted Staffordshire "gel" who recently made our daughter Shiery's acquaintance and now follows our blog. Welcome along on our journey Molly!

Onward to Shepperton Lock-The River Thames

"You could not step twice into the same rivers; for other waters are ever flowing on to you." ~Heraclitus

   This blog will be mainly pictorial in order to catch up to where we are now. I will revisit Hampton Court Palace at a later date as I took over 800 pictures which need to be sorted, edited, and chosen for a post!
   We said goodbye to Dick and Judy from Michigan who were breasted up next to us and left Hampton Court on an overcast morning the end of May. It was unseasonably cold for spring over here and many of us were still wearing our winter gear and burning fires in wood stoves. While spring seemed to fail us, there was still a promise of summer to come and Les and I were on our way at last to D'Oyly Carte Island near Shepperton Lock. From there one can access the River Wey--part of the Wey and Godalming navigation owned by the National Trust.
   Some time shortly after I found narrow boats and British canals--before Les and I met--I downloaded Google Earth to my computer and commenced mapping every navigable canal and river on Britain: every beginning, ending, bridge, lock--all of it. It took me over six months every night after work. I was obsessed by the beauty and ingenuity inherent in a system 250 or more years old which called to something in my soul. The River Wey was the last one I mapped and my excitement at seeing it for real was hard to contain.

An early start carried us past the trip boat landings for Hampton Court Palace on a cold, dark, overcast morning.

A look back at what was for me a fairy tale visit to the 16th century--Hampton Court Palace recedes under the bridge.

Soon enough we reached Thames-side homes with boat houses...

...some residences where the boat moored outside is bigger than the house behind it!

And others where the house is considerably larger than the rubber launch outside.

Along the way one sees interesting things in yards. I love this home owner's alarm system--and sense of humor. A gorilla hides up on the front porch to the left. Presumably the mannequin dressed like a Lara Croft Tomb Raider and pointing her weapon over the boat is warning enough!

Some homes are quite modest, nevertheless one may be certain the houses here cost a minimum of £200,000 more than the very expensive cruiser moored out front.

You could buy this lovely Thames side home on Ditton Island for the paltry sum of £600,000.

I love the swirly mooring poles in front of this house.

Splendid! From here it really looks like your average subdivision--just replace the water with a lane. The greenery adds a bright spot to a grey day.

Gorgeous garden rooms surround this house which is perched on the end of an island.

We spot a section with lots of house boats. I like this pre-fab house with the round windows. A modest bit of floating home.

This house boat has fascinating scaffolding supporting canvas sheets for shade.

This one is covered in lattice--but where are the plants?

This house boat looks like a transplanted American mid-western farm house! G & T on the veranda anyone?

There are many islands dotting the entire length of the river Thames. The metal skirting on the edges make the ends of the islands appear to be the prows of large, flat barges.

We travel ever onward against the current, passing islands, large and small. It can be a job sometimes to figure out which way one is supposed to cruise: left, right, or center! Thank goodness for the Nicholsons Guidebook and the Thames Guide!

Bridges cross the gentle landscape and we cruise around the the bend and underneath...

past apartment buildings constructed to reflect a river side theme.

Whoa! VERY LARGE boat coming towards us!  Which way do we go??? Thankfully the bloke in the small barge near the bridge support waved us to the right. Whew!

Here we go loop-de-loo, here we go loop-de-lie...

Now what is this hanging out under the bridge?

It is a very cool elevator for undertaking bridge construction and repairs.

A view of the semi on the bridge and the entire pneumatic operated cage system.

The Thames is a very bsuy river. There is always something happening on the water or its banks. This construction crew is welding the steel frame for a new houseboat...

After a lock or two we spot a length of large boats "used as houses" which are moored along the Thames. I am fascinated by the windows on this one. I wonder if they slide open?

This wooden boat-house with a canvas shade outlined in tiny LED lights is beautiful. Very classy...

The oval floating home!

The basic cube house. Simples!!

...and suddenly one comes around a bend in the river and A breathtaking view affords one a "pinch me" moment!

The Thames meanders, widens, bends, loops back around itself in places, cutting islands from the bank side over the thousands of years it has flowed to the sea. We wander through channels between islands and join the larger river again.

Richard D'Oyly Carte produced Gilbert & Sullivan Operettas in the Victorian era. He bought an island between Shepperton and Weybridge in 1890 to use as an annex to his new Savoy Hotel but authorities refused to grant him a license so he built Eyot house there instead. The island is named after him.

Moored up at last! NB Valerie at rest against the out side of D'Oyly Carte Island. Out of the frame to the left is Shepperton Lock which takes one further up the River Thames towards Windsor.

This is the view in front of NB Valerie. To the right, outside the frame is the Thames river weir. The arm directly ahead is a loop of the Thames around an island. The "street" or river sign point to the left--the entrance to the River Wey.

The Environment Agency (EA) is in charge of the non-tidal Thames and sets the mooring charges here.

    We made it and just in time. The skies opened up and cold, thin rain poured down. We could see our breath! It was the 29th of May and Les lit a fire in the boat stove to keep us warm while I fixed steak, potatoes and salad for dinner. I love the sound of the rain while sitting in front of a fire. We were hoping though that the weather would finally turn a corner and roll out spring for us soon. Next post...Wandering around Weybridge.