ships

Part of the Trident: we don't buy it tour blog



After sailing around a substantial chunk of the UK's coastline - via Leith and then Greenock - we've finally reached London. I've entered the city by train, car, bus and bicycle before but I have to say, sailing into London beats them all. We slipped through the Thames Barrier and up past the Millennium Dome, Canary Wharf and the Docklands to our mooring spot by Tower Bridge, where we settled in and watched the lights come on over the London skyline. We're just 100-odd metres from the bridge so give us a wave if you go past (or better still, come and have a free tour of the ship this weekend - more info below)!

Part of the Trident: we don't buy it tour blog


Captain Waldemar back on the bridge at last.

As we speed along England’s southern coast, the mood is cheery onboard the Arctic Sunrise. The sea's calm, the sun’s out for the first time in days and the ship’s been scrubbed from bow to stern, mopped, painted and generally reclaimed from her extended stay with the Ministry of Defence. And, despite the delays, the we've made excellent time; we look set to reach London on time, where Mayor Ken Livingstone and others are waiting to welcome our Trident: we don't buy it ship tour to the city.

Part of the Trident: we don't buy it tour blog

On the Trident: we don't buy it ship tour

After nearly a week of being impounded at Faslane nuclear weapons base, the Arctic Sunrise is now free! At 10 am this morning the ship was towed by two police tugs to the mouth of the Clyde, and the crew allowed back onboard. The challenge for us now is to make our way around the coast to London in time for a rendez-vous with London Mayor Ken Livingstone next Tuesday. The Sunrise will anchor close to Tower Bridge, and Ken will be helping us promote the 'Trident: we don't buy it' message ahead of the House of Commons vote on Trident replacement - now scheduled for March 14th.