BOUTIQUE CRUISING
option always existed to prepare something as an alternative if required. Dinner was traditionally at 7.30 each
evening, following cocktails at seven. The men all wore jackets and ties, with the ladies suitably elegant. One particularly enjoyable menu consisted of warm, fresh asparagus with balsamic dressing, fol- lowed by a stunning, pan-fried gammon with mushroom sauce. Vegetables were served, silver service style, from stainless steel platters to individual requirements.
board. Following this feast – and it was most surely that – coffee and mints were served upstairs in the lounge. These meals were simply delightful oc- casions, each and every one of them. They were invariably followed by drinks back up in the lounge but, in the main, most passengers had retired to their cabins by around 10.30 each evening. Outside, work continued as usual. I stared in amazement at a sonar print out of a sunken World War One U-boat, lying on its side like a slaughtered shark. This is still a shipping hazard that needs to be moni- tored, and that work is as vital now as in Henry’s day or, indeed, Kaiser Wilhelm’s. Yet the ship is still a workhorse, and the outside superstructure is connected by steep metal ladders that might prove hard work for anyone with limited mobility. Captain Steve Hines has an open bridge policy that allows fantastic views, with hot coffee and cake always available.
T FACT FILE
Built: 1982 Tonnage: 2,541 Length: 285ft Beam: 45.5ft Draft: 14ft
Speed: 14 knots Passengers: 12 Decks: 4
he dessert was mango and passion fruit panacotta with a duo of coulis, followed by an extensive cheese
The Thames Estuary is a natural wildlife habitat in its own right, with seabirds wheel- ing and soaring above a constantly changing seascape. The play of light on water here is quite astonishing at any hour of the day, but defi nitely do bring warm clothes. Yet nothing else surpassed watching the
retrieval of some of the giant buoys that form markers for the approach channels here. As tankers and container ships cris- crossed our wake, Patricia edged nimbly to her fi rst target.
As she rolled gently, the enormous crane loomed over to port as the red-paint-
ed buoy bobbed and lurched in the swell. Men and equipment leaned outboard at crazy angles to secure the buoy and even- tually, agonisingly, it rose dripping from the sea, caked in seaweed, and hung in the air before descending slowly on to the deck, where a gang of sweating, grunting crew in life jackets fought to get it stowed safely. However, my work here was well and truly done and, it being almost lunchtime, now seemed a good time for a nice glass of wine in the lounge before going downstairs to what, I told myself, was a very well- earned lunch.
Trinity House
The Corporation of Trinity House has three distinct functions, one as the General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar, responsible for a range of general aids to navigation, from lighthouses to radar beacons; two as a charitable organisation dedicated to the safety, welfare and training of mariners; and third as a Deep Sea Pilotage Authority providing expert navigators for ships trading in Northern European waters. The THV Patricia is part of their Lighthouse Authority programme.
Itineraries: The Patricia operates from May-October, offering 3, 7 and 14-night voyages alternately along the East Coast, the South and the West Coast, sailing variously from the likes of Harwich, Whitby and Southampton (ports confi rmed at booking). Prices from £1,350-£6,150/person (based on double occupancy); single rates from £1,010-£4,650. Prices include lighthouse visits where permissible; routes subject to change depending on weather/working conditions.
More info: The Marketing Dept, Trinity House, The Quay, Harwich, Essex CO12 3JW, UK; call +44 (0)1255 245034; email,
enquiries@thls.org or look up
www.trinityhouse.co.uk.
62 WORLD OF CRUISING I Summer 2010
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