All is not as it Seems

It’s a cold but beautiful day today, after all the rain and wind of the last week. I’ve just walked the dogs around the cliffs and the sea looks like a mirror. The air is so clear, and the bare trees are standing stark against the horizon. A classic late autumn day; with high clouds and a low sun.

I had an interesting job on Tuesday, a large oil tanker to shift from Thurrock to Dagenham, a distance on the river of just over 8 miles.

 

BUT I had 4 hours to do it in; I had to leave the berth at Thurrock as another ship was due, and had to wait for a ship leaving Dagenham. I could have gone out towards Southend, turned and come back in again, but I knew of a place where the current would be favourable, so decided to wait in the river.

Ready to Leave Thurrock

 

Before I set off I spoke to the Duty Port Controller and he agreed with my plan. I said to him, “I bet that you will get calls from people saying the ship has a problem, when they see me waiting”

Anyhow it all went brilliantly, I found the spot off Erith, and balanced the ships speed against the current. And we sat there for a while. In the end I wandered up to Dagenham and arrived just as the other ship was leaving.

Coming Alongside at Dagenham

Tugs Pushing

 

When I got back to the office, sure enough, they had had phone calls from people saying that I was stuck on the mud, or otherwise in trouble. So if anyone saw me on Tuesday, off Morrisons at Erith, it was all planned.

A bonus from that job was a superb lunch of Roast Pork, with Boiled Potato, Gravy and some braised red cabbage, which I had never tried before, as I don’t particularly like the stuff. I was persuaded, and I’m glad that I did, because it was lovely, and unlike any that I had had before either raw in salad or cooked.

I looked online when I got home and found the recipe and it included onion, apple and various spices, I will have to have a go at it.