The Platinum Jubilee at Ramsgate, June 2022

This is the story told by both Colin Dimbylow and Jason Carley (skipper of Naiad Errant)

Colin starts the story….

“Having skippered Aquabelle for a couple of years on the Upper Thames, I was just about getting used to going through locks and finding adequate moorings. Her new engines had barely experienced speeds much above tickover so, with the announcement of an ADLS gathering at Ramsgate to help commemorate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, I was keen to test Aquabelle and myself with a trip to sea. Although I had recently taken an on-line Coastal Skipper Course and was game to navigate for the first time, I felt relieved when Jason Carley of Naiad Errant suggested we travel down the Thames together in a small flotilla with Tom Tit and Nydia. He also set up a very convenient WhatsApp group for messaging (which later proved useful for matching speed and station keeping at sea).

Our rendezvous was Chiswick Pier for the evening of Wednesday 1st June to allow an early start the next morning. We were planning to make Ramsgate in one leg but needed to be there before 16.00h on Thursday to pass through the lock into the inner harbour.

Aquabelle had already spent 3 leisurely days heading down the Thames from her mooring at Windsor, via Penton Hook and the Thames Motor Yacht Club at Hampton Court. To crew various legs of the trip I had to call on the services of most of my close family!

Mooring at Chiswick was a little tense as a large steamer took up most of the space and boats had to be juggled to make room. Aquabelle’s next crew change went smoothly so I welcomed on board my eldest son Stephen and cousin David for the Ramsgate leg. We had a pleasant evening together but were very aware that we needed to be up at 3.30 next morning to catch the tide.

But what a morning! Just before dawn the sky was deep pink and clear of clouds, the temperature was benign and we all made ready to slip our lines. With Naiad Errant in the lead and motoring a couple of hundred yards apart with navigation lights on we headed downstream. We were soon running at around 10 knots once the tide had started to push us. Central London coincided with sunrise and we were treated with a dazzling display of sunlight reflected from a myriad of glazed surfaces. The familiar old buildings also glowed in the pink sky, now turning a deeper blue as the day woke up.

Passing the spectacular sights of the Houses of Parliament and then Tower Bridge it struck us that we were the only boats on the river – indeed this was the case for several hours until we reached commercial dockland much further downstream – and consequently the water was unusually calm.

Passing under the QE2 bridge with the tidal push diminishing, Aquabelle was very comfortable at a water speed of 8 knots with her new engines turning at about 1800 rpm. The relatively quiet sea allowed us to eat and drink at leisure as we passed the Isle of Sheppey and the North Kent coast, and Stephen spent a fair part of the voyage asleep in the rear cockpit! We took the opportunity to close up parallel to Naiad Errant to take some photos and videos, and Tom Tit later returned the favour.

North Foreland was passed early in the afternoon as we turned southwards and followed the white cliffs around Broadstairs to pick up the buoyed channel for Ramsgate Harbour. In line astern we turned into the outer harbour and headed for the inner harbour lock. As we had arrived around 15.30 the lock was open so we passed through without problem. When contacted by radio for mooring instructions, the harbourmaster “helpfully” suggested I just followed the boat ahead! ADLS had been allocated the corner nearest the town and several of our friends were already moored. So I followed Naiad Errant down the narrow passage between moored boats, turning to reverse alongside the next free pontoon, only to receive shouted instructions to move further up the harbour and moor alongside Our Lizzie. Perspiring slightly, I demonstrated to all watching that Aquabelle handles well in reverse and is perfectly capable of parallel parking!”

Jason continues….

“Like Aquabelle, Naiad Errant was given a mooring challenge at Ramsgate by tying up and then having to move to make way for Tom Tit. When surrounded by fellow members and indeed with the harbour walls crawling with onlookers, this is always a pleasant thing to have to do. However, Naiad Errant, being a compliant boat, handled herself well and we managed to moor for a second time.

A lovely weekend of catching up with friends was held including the visit of Lauren, James and Christene to the boat. Supper on the Saturday night in the Royal Temple Yacht Club was a highlight.

Due to work commitments, I needed to take Naiad back to London on the Sunday morning.  This is usually inadvisable the morning after an ADLS dinner but needs must. First however we needed fuel and to get into the outer harbour as the tides did not allow for an open lock early enough for our departure.

As the family was still en-route, Simon and Nick from Hilfranor stepped into the breach as crew, as we departed the secluded inner harbour, surrounded as it is by high stone walls. While we knew the wind had come up, nothing quite prepared us for the maelstrom on the other side of the lock. For stability, we moored to the fuel barge stern to the wind, which allowed the spray from the waves breaking over the sea wall to cool my brow as I filled the boat with diesel.

We were then helpfully allocated a hammerhead berth and carefully secured the boat for her last night in Ramsgate (although she returned twice later in the summer).

The next morning the weather had eased somewhat and the forecast was favourable. 1-2m waves off the starboard bow on our course required a route slightly to the north to overshoot before turning west at the dolphin and enjoying surfing conditions past Margate. Once we were past the sands, we had a few more bumps but nothing that particularly troubled Naiad.

The day was concluded with a comfortable lock into the always welcoming St Katherine Docks where a beverage or two was consumed. Not having to brave the bridges through London on a summer weekend evening gave us much to celebrate.”

Colin follows on….

“On board Aquabelle I was concerned that cousin David had a tight schedule to get home to Oxford so I was pleased to hear that Lady Lou and Tom Tit. were proposing to depart Sunday afternoon for the same reason, if the weather was reasonable. Helped by Naiad Errant’s earlier testing of the waters we decided to set off around 16.00 and head for Queenborough for the night.

The first couple of hours were rather unpleasant with wind over tide giving a very confused sea with waves around 1.5 m, but Aquabelle’s high bow kept the deck dry. Apparently, both Aquabelle and Tom Tit disappeared completely behind the waves from time to time as seen from the shore! I felt sorry for Lady Lou’s crew at the helm exposed to the elements whilst we were cosy in our wheelhouse. The conditions settled down once we headed west into the Thames Estuary but the weather turned a bit grey, damp and misty. Queenborough was new to me (but not Aquabelle as she moored there in July 1939 with Grandfather at the wheel) so I was pleased to see we were to be alongside a pontoon rather than a swinging mooring. We spent the night rafted up together with Aquabelle’s large wheelhouse proving to be a convivial place to welcome our friends from the other boats for drinks and chats.

The next morning was bright and clear so, with a leisurely start to manage the tides, we set off towards London with Aquabelle following Lady Lou, and Tom Tit astern. Central London in late afternoon was much busier then the previous Thursday and the water was quite choppy. Our flotilla leader had judged the tides right so we passed through Richmond Lock without impediment and soon reached Teddington. Aquabelle and Tom Tit regained their moorings at the TMYC at Hampton Court whilst Lady Lou headed further upstream to her home at Shepperton.

The next day, with Cousin David leaving and Sue joining me as crew, we set off to return to Windsor Marina. Handling Aquabelle through the subsequent nine locks with just the two of us was a new experience but we managed without incident and had a real feeling of achievement when we finally reached our home mooring.