The Hollywood star has chartered a yacht to sail down the River Thames in London so he can get to the set of new movie `Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides` on time.

He boards the luxury vessel - nicknamed The Jolly Roger - from Battersea before winding his way up the waterway to Greenwich, where he is reprising his role of Captain Jack Sparrow in the fourth instalment of the Disney franchise.

A source told The Sun newspaper: "Johnny chose to charter a boat for the week because it`s the easiest and quickest way to get there.

"He`s been flying in from his home in France some mornings and hopping on the yacht at Battersea.

"He`s been enjoying the views from the water."

Depp`s newfound love of water comes from his joy at playing character Captain Jack Sparrow in the movie series.

The 46-year-old star - who is reportedly earning £21 million to appear in the sequel - admits the eccentric seafarer has stolen a place in his heart.

Speaking about the role, he said: "Sometimes you fall in love with who you`re playing. As filming winds down, you hear the clock ticking because you know you`re going to leave your character behind and a kind of odd separation anxiety kicks in. You get irritable and just sort of melancholy."
sections: Celebrities