Only a few days to go before Roy and I say goodbye to the Thames & Kennet Marina and head downriver on our Dutch barge Karanja – all the way downriver to London – before embarking on the Channel crossing to Calais.

We’ve been through Thames locks Sonning, Shiplake, Marsh, Hambleden, Hurley, Temple, Marlow and Cookham. Now we’ll spend a few leisurely days going through Boulters, Bray, Boveny, Romney, Old Windsor, Bell Weir, Penton Hook, Chertsey, Shepperton, Sunbury and Molesey – before picking up our experienced pilot, David Piper, at Teddington. That’s where the non-tidal Thames becomes tidal and a tad less tame.

The Plan

From Teddington, it’s going to be estimated 9 hours on the river, cruising past iconic London landmarks and under numerous famous bridges, including London Bridge and then Tower Bridge. From there we go through the Thames Barrier and head on to the estuary, stopping at Queenborough on the Isle of Sheppey. Weather and tide permitting, 2 June will see us heading for Calais – an estimated 9 hours more.

From Calais, we’ve given ourselves three to four months to cover the nearly a thousand miles of waterways, including more than 300 locks, before ending up in Moissac where Karanja has a berth for next winter.

Why, Why, Why?

As I keep on saying, probably ad nauseum (forgive the pun), I’m miserably prone to motion sickness – especially mal de mer. That’s why we have a boat that’s best suited for canals and rivers.

We were never supposed to sail across the English Channel to France. Karanja was always going to be craned on to a big lorry and taken by road and ferry to Migennes, where she’d be gently floated into the waters of the Yonne. From there, we’d have  three months to cover the over 600 miles via river and canal to Moissac in the south, in between Toulouse and Bordeaux.

So why the change of heart, this decision that weirdly seemed to creep up on both of simultaneously? Strangely, it wasn’t so much about the added expense of getting her to Migennes (more than £4K). It was more the realisation that this was probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

How likely it it that we’ll ever again have the chance to cruise in this way past the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye and the Tower of London, before heading for the waters of the English Channel across to the European mainland? Not very – and Plan A had started to look a bit lame.

Retail Therapy

So, how have we been spending the past four weeks preparing for our departure? Apart from some final little odd-jobs on the boat, Roy’s been trawling iron-mongers and the internet for such things as emergency flares for the crossing; a cover, a davit, chocks and slings for the dinghy; navigational charts, bungs, more rope, a magnetic compass, various adapters for gas and water, hosepipe, and baskets for the Brompton bikes. The list, as they say, goes on.

IKEA for about three years’ worth of ziplock plastic bags and paper napkins, of course. Boots for toiletries – in case they don’t have toothpaste in France – plus all sorts of medications and first aid stuff. Holland & Barrett for an armoury of supplements so we don’t perish from scurvy or beri beri. Waitrose for long-life milk and their wonderful pressed tomato juice (£1 here, $8 in Singapore). We’ve crammed the freezer, filled the hold with cans, bottles, bags and cartons of our favourite stuff (in case there’s no wine or food in France). But now we’re done. Any more, and we’ll sink en route.

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