London Sea Kayaking Day 2

After a welcome evening in Richmond and energy levels replenished thanks to Pizza Express we launched early on the Sunday morning.  Almost immediately we felt the impact of the flow of water, average speeds registered on the GPS was between 1.5 and knots quicker than the previous day.  This was more like it.  Familiar features passed quickly by and the consistent drone of aircraft departing Heathrow was soon a distant sound.

A quick stop at Vauxhall for our annual visit to a Portuguese restaurant for some of the best egg custards to be found anywhere and we were soon passing through the heart of London, one iconic landmark quickly following another.  All too soon it was time to cross the river and land back at Shadwell Basin, with a celebratory pint at the Prospect of Whitby before heading out to the airport.  A great way to spend a weekend.

The view from the balcony of Richmond Canoe Club, kayaks are being prepared for the return paddle to Shadwell Basin.  Already there was more current flowing than we had experienced all of the day before on the journey upstream.

I am not sure that I have ever seen a kayaking Club in the UK with such comprehensive facilities.  I am certain that if I was living in west London I would be looking to join Richmond Canoe Club.

 Paddling through London there are some superb bridges.  Tower Bridge is clearly the most iconic but Albert Bridge and Hammersmith Bridge (above) have a certain style.

 The Harrods Furniture Depository close to the river has some of the characteristics of the more well known building in Knightsbridge.

Just downstream of Vauxhall Bridge there is a slipway in the shadow of the MI6 building.  It is well worth stopping here because just across the road there is a Portuguese restaurant which serves the best egg custards anywhere.  They didn't blink when we walked in and ordered 21 egg custards to take away.

 

Approaching the London Eye.  This is probably the busiest section of the river and it is important to have pretty tight group control and an understanding of the actions of the commercial traffic to avoid conflict with other water users.

 St Paul's always looks great from the river.

 Approaching HMS Belfast.  It is surprising how quickly you approach stationary objects, including ships, in the the river.  Thinking ahead is an important part of safe paddling on the Thames.

 The huge crowds around the Tower of London were partly the result of the poppies to commemorate the First World War.  In previous years paddling past the Tower there were nowhere near as many people.

 Journey's end, back of the Prospect of Whitby.  32 nautical miles paddled in 2 days, through the capital city.  A must do sea kayaking trip.

Sea kayaking in London

Over the last few years it has become a bit of a tradition that in the autumn members of the Jersey Canoe Club spend a weekend in the capital city paddling in the company of the members of Tower Hamlets Canoe Club.  Normally we do a full day trip on the Saturday upstream to just beyond Westminster whilst on the Sunday its a slightly shorter paddle downstream to Greenwich or slightly beyond.

Last year as we sat in the Prospect of Whitby celebrating another successful weekend we decided to do something slightly different and a year on the plan cam to fruition.  So late Saturday morning a flotilla of 21 paddlers set off from Shadwell Basin Outdoor Centre in search of excitement and a good night out in Richmond.

The 16 nautical miles of paddling took us through the heart of one of the world's great cities, allowing  unusual perspectives of familiar landmarks but sadly not with the assistance of several knots of tidal flow.  For some reason there seemed to be almost no movement upstream so the 16 miles took over 5 hours including a short stop just upstream of Putney.

It had been arranged to us to stop at Richmond Canoe Club, which we managed to discover in the dark before we headed out to Pizza Express, a great way to finish the day.

 Just outside the Prospect of Whitby near Shadwell Basin.  A historic riverside pub which surprisingly has been the location where a number of future kayaking adventures by the Jersey Canoe Club have been planned.

Preparing to launch from Shadwell Basin.  Sarah discussing with her cousin Toby whether she had made a mistake in agreeing to go kayaking with her dad for the weekend.

Approaching Tower Bridge, it doesn't matter how many times I paddle along this stretch of water it is always exciting.

 The section of river between Tower and Westminster Bridges is always the busiest with river traffic.  Once past the Houses of Parliament it is easier to relax when on the water.

 Battersea Power Station.  It was a relief that there was no wind on the river because we weren't receiving any assistance at all from the tidal flow.  It just didn't appear on Saturday for some reason.

A stretch of legs and a quick snack at Putney.  It also gave us time to fix the white lights onto the kayaks because daylight was fading fast and we still had a couple of hours of paddling left.

 Lovely paddling conditions on the Thames.  We reached Richmond Canoe Club just over 5 hours and 16 miles paddling after we had left Shadwell Basin having passed through the heart of one of the worlds great cities and the great thing is that we had to do it all again tomorrow, in the opposite direction.

Capital City Kayaking

The annual Jersey Canoe Club visit to the Tower Hamlets Canoe Club is always an enjoyable weekend and this year was no different.  The contrast between the rugged coastal scenery of Jersey and the urban architecture of London is always fascinating and this was another paddle which was not to disappoint.

There is always something exciting about kayaking through the heart of London, particularly if you spend most of your life in a more rural setting.  It can be quite challenging due to the speed at which the tide flows and the density of the other river traffic but in terms of similar paddles this was quite relaxing.  For some reason there were very few boats moving on the Thames and because of the tide times we managed to complete the paddle in daylight, not always easy in the middle of winter.

If you haven't paddled through the heart of one of the great cities of the world then it is highly recommended.

Launching at Tower Hamlets can be very entertaining, depending upon the height of the tide.  At times some imagination may be required.

Approaching Tower Bridge.  It has been interesting to watch the Shard start to dominate the London skyline over the last few years.

This 1004 feet (306 metre) high building designed by Renzo Piano, can be seen from almost anywhere in London.  It is currently the tallest building in the European Union  and a visit to the viewing platform is on the list of things to do, in a future visit to London.

The Old Billingsgate Market was built in 1875 and at one time was the largest fish market in the world.  In 1982 the market was relocated to the Isle of Dogs but the original market remains a distinctive building on this stretch of the River Thames.

Paddling past Westminster and the Houses of Parliament is always a memorable event.

Chelsea was as far upstream as we ventured on this particular day.  Lunch was sought out at a local watering hole.  Very pleasant it was indeed.  You can't go wrong with a full English breakfast and a pint of good bitter.

 There are numerous bridges across the Thames on London, with some such as Tower Bridge having very distinctive profiles.  This one is Albert Bridge built in1873.  At the right hand end can be seen the former toll booths, this is the only bridge in London whose toll booths have survived.

 Built in the 1930's Battersea Power Station is the largest brick building in Europe.  I can't help thinking about Pink Floyd every time I paddle past Battersea as I was fortunate enough to see them in concert in 1977 on the "Animals" tour.  It featured on the album cover.

From underneath the derelict cranes, which were used to unload the coal which was transported to the site on colliers, from north east England and south Wales.  This must have been a busy location as at the height of its power production it was using more 1,000,000 tons of coal per annum.  Electricity finally stopped being produced here on the 31st October 1983.