As we were leaving London this morning I was remembering what it was like coming into the city on the Amistad. Being from Bristol (which is only 2 and a half hours away) I often come to London but in a much less glamourous manner on the bargain one-pound mega bus- it is cheap for a reason! Last week's arrival into the big smoke was much more memorable and something I will never forget.

Whenever the Amistad has to make any big maneuvers or is docking, the small red rescue boat is used to help control her bow as both the motors are back aft. Coming into London I got the chance of being in the small boat. My chief role was to be on look out for floating debris- being the Thames there was a lot! I can't believe that it is supposed to be the cleanest metropolitan river in the world after seeing the amount of random rubbish floating about. Whilst dodging old shoes, lunch remains and big off planks of wood, I got such a unique view of the Amistad going under London Bridge. Working on the Amistad means that it is very rare that you actually see her full profile in motion as you're usually pulling a line of some sort on deck. From the small boat she looked so beautiful and the view of her whilst the Tower Bridge was opening up was really special- I was gutted I didn't have my camera but I am pretty sure my mental photographs are permanent. So many lunchtime Londoners stopped and watched, shouting and waving, I started to wave and then laughed as obviously no-one was looking at me and Skyler in the little dinghy alongside! After we had gone back through the bridge, Skyler took us speeding down to the Millennium Dome.  It was so much fun going so fast and watching the Amistad shrink behind us. We caught our breath whilst we waited to dock her into her temporary home-Canary Wharf. 

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