BOUTIQUE CRUISING


Buoy, Oh Buoy!


Trinity’s Patricia Is A Voyage With A Difference


Anthony Nicholas explores a unique British vessel – and discovers a unique cruise experience


T


he early morning light cast a wan glow over the rolling swells of the Thames Estu- ary as the Patricia edged closer to a large red marker buoy that heaved and lurched


in the seas like a downed space capsule. On the horizon, banks of slender wind farms stood like giant fl owers, the petals of their blades spinning wildly on the same breeze that churned the seas up into whitecaps. Standing up on the ‘monkey island’ of the Patricia as we edged towards our target, I was so enthralled I forgot the cold that snapped at my fi ngers. I have no natural affi nity with the cold, and it takes nothing short of a miracle or a disaster to drag


me from a warm, comfortable interior out on to a cold, moving deck. And yet here I was. Patricia, the Trinity House fl agship, was on a routine mission from her base at Harwich to survey and re-position marker buoys in the waters of the Thames Estuary, as well as to monitor any wreckage and assist in any emergency rescues that circum- stance might warrant. Along with six fellow guests, I was given a unique insight into the vital workings of this amazing little ship. Over three days, the depth and range of experiences on board veered between sublime and stupendous. Contrary to assumed wisdom, Trinity receives no


direct government funding. It must very much shift  Summer 2010 I WORLD OF CRUISING 59


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