Scholar Gypsy

Just to tempt the OP, here is the aforesaid mooring at Woodford.

After further discussion, CRT will be modifying/upgrading the website to offer the following slots around each HW (subject to the opening hours) A – “outbound upstream (early)” HW-4 to HW-2.5 hours B - “outbound upstream (late)” HW-2.5 to HW – 1 hours C1 – “HW outbound” HW-1 to HW+1 C2 – “ HW inbound” HW-1 to HW+1 D - “inbound from upstream (early)” HW+1 to HW+2.5 E – “inbound from upstream (late)” HW+2.5 to HW+4 So if I was going from L to T, I would book slot A, to Brentford I might take B, and to or from South Dock C. Coming downriver from T or B I would book slot E unless on a speedy boat! The Trust are also keen to add some words to the website to help boaters with preparation and passage planning. I have started to think about that - bullet points (not paragraphs of prose please!) would be welcome.

This website is designed for people going all the way to the Fens, but will include some useful tips. Includes link to the website with current stoppage and SSA notices. https://goba.org.uk/a-guide-for-visitors-to-the-east/ Surely at Woodford the wire is stop walkers getting on to the field by the river? If the farmer didn't like boats then he would not let FOTRN use the land?

I agree. CRT accept that the slots currently offered on the website are not workable. My current proposal to them (as set out in my spreadsheet posted above on an earlier comment) is that the website should offer up to four slots on any give high tide (they may not all be available, or they may be truncated, eg at start or end of the day when the 0700-1900 operating window will get in the way). As at Brentford, the lock operator should be there throughout the slot, until all the booked boats have been sorted. A: HW-4 to HW-90 mins, departing Limehouse for a trip upriver. Most people will (like you) want to depart towards the start of the window B1: HW-90 mins to HW+90 mins: departing Limehouse, probably for a trip downriver to the Estuary B2: HW-90 to HE+90: arriving Limehouse, probably from the Estuary C ; HW+90 mins to HW+40 hours, arriving Limehouse, from upriver.

I think you may end up going backwards at Blackfriars. Anyway there is no chance of anyone being there at 0600 to operate the lock! In the afternoon the website currently offers you 1418-1818, which is correct. Departing 1430-1500 would be fine. I have been discussing the issue with the PLA, most recently at their open meeting in Putney on Monday. I do think skippers need to understand the tides, and do their own passage planning. Finally, this page still needs some work (and CRT have asked for my help with it): https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/where-we-work/london-and-south-east/boating-information/boating-facilities/locks-to-the-river-thames

That is an error. High Water London Bridge is 0600 (BST) that day, so you would be punching the tide all the way to Teddington (Brentford would shut at 0900, and you won't get there in time). The website offers a slot between 0200 and 0600 - which as I say is an error - and you would want to leave at about 0300. I would suggest using the afternoon tide, and leaving Limehouse at about 1500. HWLB is 1815. That should enable you to go to Brentford (shuts 1900) or Teddington (open 24/7).

I also have a spreadsheet, that I am using to show to CRT the slots that I think are needed on each tide during the year. Current version is here, but this is subject to change .... tides_v5.xlsx

I've not heard any more on this in recent years. Personally I think the PLA harbourmasters work really hard to allow the smallest thing that will float, and the biggest container ships in the world, to safely co-exist. Supported by the Chief Executive who is (or was!) a tideway rower. I suspect SUPs are more of a nuisance than narrowboats. (see the idiot in the link below) So for example they come down hard on anyone creating excessive wash. For our part, proper preparation and equipment is key, which is why I always react quite volubly when I see people posting on social media saying "a mobile phone is fine, you don't need a VHF radio". That sort of attitude will increase the risk of further regulatory action. It is fair to note that (following an unfortunate incident at Hammersmith a few years ago) the regulations for hire boats on the tideway cannot realistically be complied with by narrowboats - so there aren't any any more. https://scholargypsy.org.uk/2023/07/13/sup-training/

Thanks for drawing this thread to my attention. Three representatives (from SPCC, IWA and the DBA/Limehouse residents) had a useful meeting with CRT a few days ago. They have accepted that the current slots offered on the website are not right, and in particular don't allow for the various options for arriving and departing. Watch this space! A few other points I would add: I strongly agree with @Peugeot 106 that the skipper needs to do their own passage planning and understand the tides. One certainly should not rely on a website to tell you when to depart. The winter hours (0800-1600) only apply from November to February inclusive. The other 8 months are 0700-1900. We are still discussing these hours with CRT. It's not going to be easy to persuade them to change - this is a national policy and one that makes sense in many contexts (but the moon does not cooperate so far as tidal locks are concerned). These new hours will mean there are quite a few days, even in summer, where Brentford to Limehouse (and vv) transits are not possible. And some days when Limehouse to/from Teddington is not possible (unless you fancy bashing against the tide) CRT have started training people to operate the lock (and the bridge, which is temperamental). I have volunteered myself. Ditto Brentford Thames lock (which is simpler). We have been trying to engage the PLA on all this, but no luck yet. I will have another go at their open meeting (they are normally excellent events) in Putney on Monday week.

It's pretty high. This gauge tells me that the headroom at Hermitage Lock is only 1.4 metres.. https://www.gaugemap.co.uk/#!Detail/1598/1742

That was from when I removed the previous fittings. Most of the coolant had been drained into a bucket in the engine room, but not all.... The lagging is also a bit soggy. Any leaks end up in the cabin bilge and are very easy to spot.

Mark 2: rather better made fittings, which came with both flat and tapered washers. I also added a lock nut, to avoid overtightening. So I really don't think this will move again..

And here is the sailing equivalent, if your mast is too tall to fit under the bridge ...

That's our understanding too, after several months of work on the detail. Installing the coffer dam will create an obstruction for a few days, and then removing it ditto. For the 2-4 months inbetween there will be a slight narrowing of the channel, but nothing significant. It will be marked and signed: AW got the point when I said they needed to do better than the HS2 contractors at Denham, who got this wrong in so many ways ..... As I said before, my understanding is that the new STW will deal with everything that currently goes into the current STW, and that will include flow from the combined sewer and storm drain network (but not, as now, dedicated storm drains that presumably go straight into the river). The new outfall is explicitly future proofed, and designed to cope with 2 cumecs of treated effluent and 5 cumecs of storm water overflow. There are currently 912 documents on the website, I certainly haven't read them all, but this gives a flavour of the storage capacity that is currently in place. For short storms that don't fill up the tanks the water will be put through the STW. When storms exceed the storage capacity then the overflow is discharged to the river, to avoid the sewers backing up into homes etc. It's probably a bit out of date as it refers to forthcoming discussions with the EA. https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/wp-content/ipc/uploads/projects/WW010003/WW010003-000692-5.4.20.10 ES Volume 4 Chapter 20 Appendix 20.10 Storm model report.pdf

I don't quite understand the point you are making Once constructed, the new outfall will not impact on navigation at all - it will be on or behind the existing line of the river bank (continuing the line of piling under the A14 bridge), and at or below the existing bed of the river. There will be some modest and temporary impact (2-4 months) on navigation during construction, as temporary coffer dams are required (as for many other projects). My understanding is that the new works will take everything that goes into the existing works - ie from the current combined sewers and storm drains. Hence it will need a storm overflow facility as now (but used less often). Also, the new works and outfall are designed to cope with planned growth in Cambridge ie until 2080 or so. See section 1.6 here. https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/wp-content/ipc/uploads/projects/WW010003/WW010003-000535-1.3 Guide to the Application.pdf Anyway, the planning inspector has already started his work, so your question needs to be directed to that process. The Cam Conservators have quite a narrow remit here, ie the impact on navigation.

As an update, this statement was published earlier this month on the Cam Conservators' website. I also attended the meeting with Anglian Water last week, which was very helpful. The task now is to ensure that all the legal documentation matches what we have agreed. Sounds simple, but it really isn't. "The Conservancy is engaged in positive discussions with Anglian Water around this project. It is considering the potential impacts during : The construction phase, which will involve some temporary restrictions to the navigation. The operation of the outlet, it is anticipated that the impact will be minimal. Any necessary maintenance works. The Conservancy is also working to ensure that any powers granted to Anglian Water in the fulfilment of this project are no more than are necessary." Pages 7-9 of this (large) document give a rather clearer view of the outfall, which is the main structure we are concerned about. There are also three tunnels, at depths between 4 and 20 metres below the river bed, which will be driven under the river. https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/wp-content/ipc/uploads/projects/WW010003/WW010003-000552-4.13 Design Plans - Outfall.pdf

I checked the ticket on the Council's website, and it says the following, a few months ago (sorry I should have checked this earlier!): "No action has been taken at this time but we will continue to monitor the problem -We have assessed that the defect does not currently meet our intervention criteria. We will continue to monitor as part of normal scheduled inspections."

Absolutely. On the second photo, I have reported this in September to Norfolk County Council, as I don't think it is a good sign if you can see the metal bars in a reinforced concrete bridge. They were going to inspect it but I don't know if anything more is happening. Quite apart from bits of concrete landing on you (or even worse your solar panels) there's quite a bit of heavy lorry traffic over this bridge!

I believe 60x10 is the maximum for a widebeam at Whittlesea , or 72x7 for a narrowboat, so you should be OK. The locks are 11'6", from memory. You should talk to the lockkeeper at Salters Lode, to check whether you need to go through on the level (it's a short lock) or can use it in normal mode. I think you should be OK.... Check the ML leaflet https://middlelevel.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Navigation-Notes-2023-web-version-3.pdf More stuff here. https://goba.org.uk/a-guide-for-visitors-to-the-east/

On the day he did say the boat handled the conditions well, and he was glad it wasn't a widebeam - he finds those much less comfortable!

Great. Sorry for posting stuff again - I can never remember who I have sent things to....

Yes, we will. This does work at Brentford, where there is a phone. Of course there needs to be someone there to answer it. I've also pointed out to CRT that if VHF is not to be offered then they should paint over the rather large sign on the bridge.... (NB photo also shows the pontoons. They are both back in place, after one went walkabouts a year or two ago.)

Good plan. Lots to see in Boston, and the Skegness canal is worth a visit https://scholargypsy.org.uk/2019/06/26/summer-cruise-2-waiting-in-boston/

I've written a similar programme for Brentford (and given it to CRT for free) and will do so for Teddington in due course once the slot timings are finalised. It's easy to download the tidetimes from the PLA's website (three months at a time). One has to be a bit careful about the GMT/BST issue, but it is doable. I should add that CRT do agree that the lock is operable between HW-4 hours and HW+4 hours. The key issue is the shift times/opening hours for the CRT staff who will turn up to operate the lock (as at Brentford now, there will be no resident lockkeepers as such). Watch this space!

I don't think there is a regular bus, although the Hunstanton Flyer does operate a service on request... https://rnli.org/what-we-do/lifeboats-and-stations/our-lifeboat-fleet/rescue-hovercraft