Mooring Alongside on the Thames

[Daftmare]

Last year we received in the post (from the EA I think) a sticker saying "Welcome Moor Alongside". It was explained that this was for use on the Thames where mooring places are scarce.

 

We displayed this sticker in the window of our boat and looked forward to our trip from Newbury onto the Thames last August - but of course we never got there because of the floods.

 

We are going to try again this Summer, and I was wondering if anyone else has seen this sticker, and is it the done thing to moor alongside another narrowboat on the Thames?

 

Even though we would be happy for another boat to come alongside (since we display the sticker inviting them!), I am not sure I would have the nerve to try it to somebody else!

 

Jo.

[colinlothlorian]

Last year we received in the post (from the EA I think) a sticker saying "Welcome Moor Alongside". It was explained that this was for use on the Thames where mooring places are scarce.

 

We displayed this sticker in the window of our boat and looked forward to our trip from Newbury onto the Thames last August - but of course we never got there because of the floods.

 

We are going to try again this Summer, and I was wondering if anyone else has seen this sticker, and is it the done thing to moor alongside another narrowboat on the Thames?

 

Even though we would be happy for another boat to come alongside (since we display the sticker inviting them!), I am not sure I would have the nerve to try it to somebody else!

 

Jo.

 

I did manage to get out on the Thames after the floods and met up with a small amount of hostility from owners of Thames cruisers, who quite rightly pointed out that I was taking up the same space that 2 or 3 of them could have used. I always made sure that I went right to the end of a mooring, sometimes hanging over the end, and always had the sticker in the window. Other narrow boats would insist on mooring behind me and leaving a 20 foot gap, evem when I pointed out the problems this can cause. I suppose it is all about education and tolerance, in the end, but it did leave a bit of a sour taste at times. Thames was great though, even when all the riverside pubs had shut because of flood damage.

[magnetman]

I did manage to get out on the Thames after the floods and met up with a small amount of hostility from owners of Thames cruisers, who quite rightly pointed out that I was taking up the same space that 2 or 3 of them could have used. I always made sure that I went right to the end of a mooring, sometimes hanging over the end, and always had the sticker in the window. Other narrow boats would insist on mooring behind me and leaving a 20 foot gap, evem when I pointed out the problems this can cause. I suppose it is all about education and tolerance, in the end, but it did leave a bit of a sour taste at times. Thames was great though, even when all the riverside pubs had shut because of flood damage.

 

here's a thread about it on the Thames Forum:

 

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.php/Cat.../page/0#1922679

[Bones]

I have one too - I would be more than happy for someone to moor alongside, but I wouldn't necessarily like to do it myself.. for some reason, which I realise is daft, I don't like to put people out, and would feel I was doing that. I often moor alongside friends boats, but that is different.

[GSer]

I did manage to get out on the Thames after the floods and met up with a small amount of hostility from owners of Thames cruisers, who quite rightly pointed out that I was taking up the same space that 2 or 3 of them could have used. I always made sure that I went right to the end of a mooring, sometimes hanging over the end, and always had the sticker in the window. Other narrow boats would insist on mooring behind me and leaving a 20 foot gap, evem when I pointed out the problems this can cause. I suppose it is all about education and tolerance, in the end, but it did leave a bit of a sour taste at times. Thames was great though, even when all the riverside pubs had shut because of flood damage.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about the tupperware owners , after suffering from boat rage type incidents, and getting my ear bent by numerous uneducated narrow mnded cruiser owners, after 15 or so years of Thames Boating I just moor where I can on a 'first come first served' basis. There are plenty of places cruisers can moor up where narrowboats can't. I get cruisers approaching me at water points asking to be allowed to go in front because NB's take hours to fill, not thinking that we only need to fill up every two weeks, and that only takes 15mins or so, at locks i've had cruisers ask the lock keeper not to let me in cos i might damage them, then I explain the only damage I have ever suffered was at the hands of various 'Captain Pugwash' types on cruisers, i get the reply that rivers wern't made for narrowboats

 

I even had the President of the Leander Club in Henley cut me up so bad that the lockkeeper made him wait whilst i used the lock on my own, then the keeper phoned down the other locks in our direction to slow the guy down. Twat!

 

I enjoy my time on the Thames, but I feel its more of a 'dog eat dog world' than the nice friendly canals, look after yourself and always, always wave at other boats it's nice to see them squirm as they avoid eye contact whilst trying not to spill their G&T's

 

Paul

[WJM]

I wouldn't worry about making room for people who choose big white plastic 'Look At Me!" boats. It is not difficult to work out their mindset, and it does not include giving a sh*t about you or me!

 

As for breasting up - I would freak out if anyone tried to moor alongside my NB. I would regard it as a total invasion of my privacy, total rudeness. There you have it, a different opinion.

[denboy]

here's a thread about it on the Thames Forum:

 

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.php/Cat.../page/0#1922679

not nice folk are they must remember if i ever go down their drop i tin of bitcho in the water too give em a nice black tide mark round the water line :lol:

[carlt]

Funny how the "tuppeware" forum's threads about "steel coffins" read so much like the "tin tube" forum's attitudes to "splitters"

[Chris Pink]

I would freak out if anyone tried to moor alongside my NB. I would regard it as a total invasion of my privacy, total rudeness. There you have it, a different opinion.

 

I regard this as total rudeness. The only reason anyone would want to moor alongside is if there was no alternative.

 

There you have it a different opinion.

[KenK]

I've done it on the Thames, on the Severn and on a couple of canals. Met some nice people as a result.

 

Ken

[John Orentas]

There was a time when breasting up with another narrowboat was a matter of routine, obviously lots of fenders went without saying and of course it was always polite to ask but that was it was largely rhetorical. Recently though I have come across some very silly, sniffy people (I think we have got one here).

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php...art=#entry67167

Edited July 9, 2008 by John Orentas

[blackrose]

I regard this as total rudeness. The only reason anyone would want to moor alongside is if there was no alternative.

 

There you have it a different opinion.

 

I have to agree. When the EA are asking people to brest up & to expect others to moor against them I don't see how anyone can freak out about it?

 

Obviously steel boats do not brest up against GRP boats - it should only really be done the other way around and with plenty of fenders between. If you want to brest up against another boat (and you can't see the window sticker mentioned previously), it's polite is to ask first - which of course is not always easy. Once brested up the other ettiquette is to ask the owner of the boat you are against which deck he or she would prefer you to pass over.

 

I think the EA website shows some techniques for bresting up against other boats securely.

Edited July 9, 2008 by blackrose

[WJM]

Oo Err Missus!

 

Personally I do not go boating to meet people. I get enough of that elsewhere. I go boating to get away from people. Each to their own!

[John Orentas]

Oo Err Missus!

 

Personally I do not go boating to meet people. I get enough of that elsewhere. I go boating to get away from people. Each to their own!

 

 

If that was truly the case you would not want to moor in a place that was in demand, so your problem would not arise.. Are you sure you do not just wish to simply hog 'your' bit of towpath and sod everyone else..

[Bones]

During my first trip on the Thames I was very grateful to see the moor alongside stickers, but disappointed there were so few. Not least because I found it difficult, in some instances, to find anywhere to moor. Not only that, but I would see people trying to find somewhere to moor but unable to, and I always wanted to indicate that I would be happy for them to moor alongside my boat.

 

When out on the boat, there comes a time where you just want to stop. It is dangerous to keep going, and sometimes there isn't anywhere to stop. Despite having a moor alongside sticker, people tend to try and find their own spaces, but I know that I would be very grateful to anyone who had one were I in a position that I needed to stop and there were no moorings (something that often happens in popular spots on the Thames).

 

I realise it is all first come first served, but sometimes people need a bit of give, so I am more than happy to have someone moored alongside, not least because I would like someone to do the same to me were I in need. It is easy to slip away before the outerboat has emerged from their pits in the mornings, and it is also quite acceptable to suggest you moor on the outside rather than inside if you want the view.

 

 

Mooring alonside is just that, it isn't an 'I want to make friends lets spend our holidays together' sign. Indeed, it is quite easy not to see the people at all if you want (other than to suggest they walk over the front or back or whatever).

 

I suppose WJM if you want to get away from people you wouldn't be mooring in the popular/recognised sites anyway, but those out of the way in the sticks areas, so mooring alongside is probably NOT something you want to encourage.

[WJM]

I like to have access to the bank, and the facilities thereon - that usually requires mooring at places where other boats congregate for the same reason. I just dont like to have a group of people I dont know staying two feet away from me. There is more privacy and solitude in a Travelodge.

 

I am not saying my view should be universal, just that it should be respected.

[John Orentas]

I am not saying my view should be universal, just that it should be respected.

 

 

You may be better off booking a suite at the Dorchester.

[blackrose]

Oo Err Missus!

 

Personally I do not go boating to meet people. I get enough of that elsewhere. I go boating to get away from people. Each to their own!

 

Perhaps you need a different hobby? Mountain climbing? Boating on the Thames is quite popular.

[magnetman]

I like to have access to the bank, and the facilities thereon - that usually requires mooring at places where other boats congregate for the same reason. I just dont like to have a group of people I dont know staying two feet away from me. There is more privacy and solitude in a Travelodge.

 

I am not saying my view should be universal, just that it should be respected.

I respect your view. Unfortunately if everyone who uses the river had 58ft narrow boats and nobody wanted to moor up beside anybody else there would be a very severe lack of moorings available, unless the 24 hour mooring regulation was enforced properly or all moorings had time-related mooring fees applied.

 

I am in a funny situation because I have recently moved from a 70ft narrow boat into a 24ft plastic fantastic tupperware splitter so I can see both sides of this situation.

[blackrose]

I like to have access to the bank, and the facilities thereon - that usually requires mooring at places where other boats congregate for the same reason. I just dont like to have a group of people I dont know staying two feet away from me. There is more privacy and solitude in a Travelodge.

 

I am not saying my view should be universal, just that it should be respected.

 

I don't think that anybody actually wants other boats occupied by strangers to be brested up against them - we all like our privacy - but most people just accept that moorings can be scarce on some parts of the Thames and try to help their fellow boater when the need arises, in the process helping to ameliorate the moorings situation for all of us (as requested by the EA).

 

As Magnet says, if we all adopted a "no bresting to me" attitude things could get quite nasty out there.

 

If you're ever in the situation where for some reason you've left it a bit late and it's starting to get dark out on the river, and wherever you look you can't find a mooring because they've all been taken, you may well appreciate the offer of a kind stranger who looking out of their window sees your predicament and calls out for you to brest up against them. You might then in future even consider allowing others in that situation to brest up against you!

[WJM]

"If you're ever in the situation where for some reason you've left it a bit late and it's starting to get dark out on the river, and wherever you look you can't find a mooring "

 

 

Been there lots of times, I never do this 'mooring up at 3pm to get he best spots' trick so popular on the Thames. Most times I end up tied to a tree at the end of the moorings, my choice, no complaints. I would never breast up even if it were offered. I just keep moving till I find somewhere, and I always find somewhere!

 

Anyway, I was just countering a point. Not all narrowboaters are socially gregarious, and it would be a mistake to assume so. Perhaps there should be a second sticker so we all know where we stand.

[grahoom]

Anyway, I was just countering a point. Not all narrowboaters are socially gregarious, and it would be a mistake to assume so. Perhaps there should be a second sticker so we all know where we stand.

 

surely you only need the ONE sticker, the one that EA give out saying you are willing to let other people moor alongside you???? If you don't have it displayed then people will not try to moor up against your boat???

[Chris Pink]

Not all narrowboaters are socially gregarious, and it would be a mistake to assume so.

 

It's not a question of gregariousness - if I needed a place to moor and alongside you was the only place available it wouldn't be for the opportunity to offer you the pleasure of my company or any of my red wine.

 

I would be very surprised if it was legal to prevent someone mooring alongside if that was necessary and a lot of places it is, I'm thinking rivers more than canals where it would be necessary on safety grounds.

[WJM]

Being quite a regular on the Thames I have yet to experience this total lack of available mooring space you are alluding to. Perhaps that is why I fail to see the need to breast up. For some, it might be a great opportunity for social interaction and camaraderie and that is wonderful if that is your choice. It just isn't a practical requirement.

 

 

 

In answer to the original question; "I was wondering if [it is] the done thing to moor alongside another narrowboat on the Thames?" - No it is not, other than in exceptional circumstances.

Edited July 9, 2008 by WJM

[Bones]

Being quite a regular on the Thames I have yet to experience this total lack of available mooring space you are alluding to. Perhaps that is why I fail to see the need to breast up. For some, it might be a great opportunity for social interaction and camaraderie and that is wonderful if that is your choice. It just isn't a practical requirement.

 

 

 

In answer to the original question; "I was wondering if [it is] the done thing to moor alongside another narrowboat on the Thames?" - No it is not, other than in exceptional circumstances.

 

and it is for those exceptional circumstances that I have a moor alongside sticker. I doubt exceptional circumstances are well defined.