lockedout

A fairly standard addition on an anchor on a sea-going vessel is the addition of a trip line attached to a buoy on one end and the tripping ring at the crown of the anchor - not the shank - this serves four purposes. Firstly, if your anchor gets stuck and you can't get it off the sea/river bed by pulling on the rode/chain, a tug on the tripping line will almost always dislodge the anchor enough to free it. Secondly, if you do happen to have to sever the rode (for whatever reason) your anchor should be recoverable. Thirdly, it alerts other boats to the presence and whereabouts of your anchor and should stop someone else anchoring across your rode/chain. Except in the Med, where no one seems to worry too much. Fourthly, it lets you know how you are lying in relation to your anchor, so, if you have to drive up to, and over it in order to lift it, you have a rough idea where it is.

Nice idea - do you think I would get an elderly Rottweiler and two young (slightly loony) Border Terriers in a canoe in one go??

People usually laugh at us, but in the really wet stuff, we wear full-on yottie gear, Mr. Musto's finest. We have several sets from the sailing we have done over the years. (I get slightly annoyed at people who laugh at a set of oilies that have been round the Fastnet three times - total lack of respect!!) Otherwise, it is just an old fashioned anorak (are we allowed to call them that nowadays?) I do tend to wear my Musto Sea Boots though whenever it gets dampish - they are brilliant in the wet and really grippy on everything other than green slime.

Thanks Folks, This is all good stuff, and really helpful for passage planning purposes. Once my Imray comes from Amazon I need to get scribbling in the margins.

Brilliant, Thanks Lady Muck. Some really useful stuff. Mooring mid-water isn't really an option for us as the mutts need to have their legs stretched. We don't mind paying occasionally, as long as it isn't to extortionate. And we have some free nights at Tingdene Marinas which we may be able to use. I am just about to hop on to Amazon and order the Imray Guide. Thanks again.

Hello Everyone, Newbie to the forum here, I have been lurking for a while now but thought I would finally jump in with both feet and seek some advice. I have tried searching the forum for this query and have found a few interesting posts, particularly about the Thames Locks, but nothing specific to this request. We are planning a trip in a few weeks from our home location on the Wey Navigation up to the Oxford Canal by way of the Thames. We have never done the Thames before, but having done a few other rivers over the years, we know that overnight morrings are less easy to find on rivers than they are on the average cut. We will be trying to make the best possible time while on the river, so won't be dawdling, making good daily mileage will be important. Does anyone have any hints, tips, clues, suggestions as to the general availability of moorings, where we should head for and, more importantly, where we should avoid? Apologies if this has all been done before - a link to the relevant post would be fine. Any useful information gratefully received... Thanks very much, Debby and Nigel NB Charlotte