Thanks for watching! 👍

Thanks! 😃

Thanks for watching and thanks for the kind comments. 👍

Yes - I agree. It is nice to see them sailing that far up the river 👍I will have to do one or two more videos of merchant ships. I used to do more of them but there are so many cruise ships at the moment that there is not enough time!

Yes - I agree! Apart from cruise ships (which are generally quite expensive!) the only way that members of the public can usually sail under Tower Bridge with it open is on the paddle steamer Waverley (which is the world's last sea going paddle steamer). Although it is based on the River Clyde in Scotland, it operates day trips at different locations throughout the UK during the year. It is usually on the River Thames in late September / early October. The sailings to London are usually sold out and Tower Bridge has to lift to let Waverley sail under. It is always the highlight of the sailing!

Thanks for the information. The Waverley is a beautiful looking vessel, it's great that she has been preserved and maintained. It must be an impressive sight seeing her sail under the Tower Bridge.

@@Kirribilli_ships Yes - she is about 77 years old now. She is well liked by all the crews and many of the other boats sound their horn as they pass (and she usually replies on her steam whistle!) She also whistles whenever she passes under Tower Bridge. There was a Scottish folk song written about her a few years back by a group called The Clydesiders. It is called The Waverley Polka and they sing about her sailing down the Clyde to Rothsay!

@@ThamesShips That sounds like a great occasion.

Thanks. It is alongside HMS Belfast. It is due away tomorrow evening.

Yes - I was thinking that too. As far as I can see they only have one on each side. I know that they don't have more than say 350 to 400 people on board (including crew) so expect they have inflatable life rafts or buoyancy aids on board.

Thanks for your kind comments! 👍

Thanks. Yes - I had a look and it is written on the side of the boat. 👍

When the cruise ships sail this far up the River Thames, the river is not wide enough for them to turn around. If they sail up the river forwards, when they depart, they will have to reverse back down the river until they come to a part of the river that is wide enough for them to turn around. Alternatively, (as is the case here), they can sail up part of the river backwards so that when they are ready to depart, they can just sail away forwards.

The red & green flag is the Portuguese flag,nothing to do with a pilot

@@jerryvandyke9216 Yes - I agree the red and green flag at the back is the Portuguese flag (as mentioned in the video it sails under the flag of Portugal). However, in the video I also mention that it is the half white half red flag which is flying up near the radar scanners which indicates that the pilot is on board. This is the "H flag" that vessels fly as standard whenever there is a pilot on board.

No pressure then!!

Yes - I agree! 👍👍