Mid-June arrived and the flotilla gradually collected together, ready for the return run down to the mouth of the Medway and back up the Thames.

Our first stop-over was on the Town Pier at Rochester, a nicely appointed floating pontoon with gated access giving the crews the opportunity to see the sights of this historic town, having lost its City status on the formation of the Medway unitary authority in 1998.

The Town has a well preserved castle and a cathedral dating from 1190 on the site of a church dedicated to Andrew the Apostle and originally built by Justus in AD 604. Archaeological finds show the town, located on a prominent area of high ground overlooking the River Medway, has been occupied since Neolithic times. Its main development came under King Æthelberht of Kent during the later Roman period when the city walls were constructed.

From Rochester we cruised around the Chatham peninsular to our final gathering at Queenborough, where we had various moorings, swinging on buoys or breasted up on the old concrete barge which is visible in the photo. The latter of these is no longer available as the barge has been condemned under health and safety regulations.

We were ferried ashore by the harbourmaster an adjourned to the Sailing Club for a friendly drink and questioning as to why we were in Queenborough on narrowboats, we wondered that sometimes! A final supper followed, the last ferry back to our boats and a peaceful night in the Swale.

The following morning we were all up and away to catch the tide up the Thames. Carefully past the SS Mongomery wreck and an easy run with the tide to our old friend The Town Pier in Gravesend. The final day took us back under the QE II bridge, the Barking creek barrier and safely back into Limehouse and calm waters of the Limehouse Basin and the Regents Canal.