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How busy is it on the Thames?


Mike Adams

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30 minutes ago, Mike Adams said:

Hi

Last year we spent 2 weeks on the Thames during August and it was very quiet and passed though many locks on our own. Anyone know what it is like at the moment? Is it really busy and difficult to find moorings?

Thanks

Not sure what its like normally but we had two weeks on last month from Lechlade to the Wey and found it very quiet during the week and busy at the weekends, mooring can be an issue though, mostly on the southern end. We found we had to carry on longer than we wanted to sometimes to find space for a 60' nb. There are loads of places a small grp could get in and a multitude of no mooring signs which made it difficult.

 

Heading back up to the k&a from the Wey on Monday so will see if its any different going upstream.

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Until somebody reports with really-upto-the minute info, the Foxes Afloat u-tube site shows a fain number of boats moving, but mostly those were great white thingies who probably scuttle home as soon as the pubs are open.

If you moor at the popular sites, I guess they'll be full.

But if you prefer to noor where there aren't strings of bollards or don't mind mooring twixt a couple of trees, then you should get lucky, but you ma not be able to get ashore.... 

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3 minutes ago, OldGoat said:

 Until somebody reports with really-upto-the minute info, the Foxes Afloat u-tube site shows a fain number of boats moving, but mostly those were great white thingies who probably scuttle home as soon as the pubs are open.

If you moor at the popular sites, I guess they'll be full.

But if you prefer to noor where there aren't strings of bollards or don't mind mooring twixt a couple of trees, then you should get lucky, but you ma not be able to get ashore.... 

that pretty much sums it up, we have two ageing labs on board. one will walk the plank but the other refuses and will try to jump whatever the gap is, so getting at least one end in close is vital.

 

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1 minute ago, waterdog said:

that pretty much sums it up, we have two ageing labs on board. one will walk the plank but the other refuses and will try to jump whatever the gap is, so getting at least one end in close is vital.

 

Then your choice is a tad more restricted, but most of the local boaters want bottards, 'cos they don't know what spikes are for and anyway they scratch the gel coat...

If you don't mind some grass and a filed, then theres a choice...

 

And the band sides are too shallow for girt big DBs...

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10 hours ago, Mike Adams said:

Thanks. General opinion seems that it will be OK.  I think I will avoid going very far at the weekends and Bank Holiday as usual.

I should add - though mebe a bit late -

most Thames boaters don't move out of lock keepers hours, thus get up when it's cool and cruise into the evening.

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It seems that over the years the Thames in general, or adjacent land owners, has/have turned their backs to boaters. Theres an ever increasing amount of ‘No Mooring’ Signs. Many at excellent mooring spots. I appreciate that some boaters can be unruly and messy, but they are in the minority.

We were due to leave the Thanes today but plans, being plans, have changed. Extending our time on the river as on the whole we have enjoying the change of views and environment.
 

I have no desire to go to Henley ever again. Just saying!

 

Swimmers and paddle boarders have kept me observant. Dont get many on the canals. Why is that I wonder! ?

Edited by Nightwatch
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51 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

wimmers and paddle boarders have kept me observant. Dont get many on the canals. Why is that I wonder! ?

Quite a lot of Paddle boards on the Wey now. Trouble is they have no idea even on which side to pass you. They were occupying both landing stages below one lock we came to and when you approach they have no idea what to do. More concerning is the wild swimming on the Basingstoke, and with it being overgrown, narrow and shaded in places they can be difficult to spot. They don't realise they can be sucked under if you don't spot them in time.

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1 hour ago, Mike Adams said:

Quite a lot of Paddle boards on the Wey now. Trouble is they have no idea even on which side to pass you. They were occupying both landing stages below one lock we came to and when you approach they have no idea what to do. More concerning is the wild swimming on the Basingstoke, and with it being overgrown, narrow and shaded in places they can be difficult to spot. They don't realise they can be sucked under if you don't spot them in time.

Perzacly 

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Spent the last three weeks coming up from Brentford to Abingdon.  Only had one unplanned wild mooring moment (Pangbourne), although had to play Tetris to get in at Goring.  Many more swimmers, paddle boarders and kayakers than previously seen.

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We are moored now, but just come up Cleeve Lock. Busy coming down but going up a Le Boat went in first, we followed. I saw another cruiser on the horizon and said soto the guy off the hire boat. He either didn't hear me or ignored me. Anyway two minutes later a, loosely described, lady off the cruiser starts having a go at me. I said wasn’t me, she carried on saying the gates closed beforewe got here. I repeated my denial. And added I'm not operating the lock. She was really upset. Anyway we were just exiting the lock and mentioned see youin a few minutes, we are stopping for water. She became all nice and soppy pleading that she could have water first. 
 

Anyway, we started filling up, loads of boat going down through the lock. As said lady was coming up in the lock a boat manoeuvred onto the second access to water. Believe it or not, she starts shouting at all the boats, may have been six or seven of them, that she is next for water. She was still in the lock. Unbelievable. How sad.

Boats going down were in chaos. Think EA have a shortage of lockies.

 

Boating is so much fun ain’t it?

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We had to queue for nearly 2 hours to come down through Shiplake lock yesterday morning, there was a lock keeper doing his best but there were just too many boats. We were lucky, we found a lovely shaded mooring half an hour later so we didn't have to go on to Henley.

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We did Lechlade and back: arrived home last week. The only lock queueing for us was Boveney going up and Marsh coming down. It can be a bit random though. I can fully understand the shenanigans at Cleeve happening as they did.

 

We generally managed to moor where planned. The exception was Pangbourne on a Saturday - loads of people rock up on a Friday and stay there all weekend. But Beale Park is just one lock and a mile or two upstream, and is nicer anyway.

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We got to Pangbourne Early on Saturday to deliver Brother to his car. Got a mooring okay, but just in time. It got very busy with non-boaters, of course with picnickers picnicking very close to the boat. We departed Sunday morning with two boats waiting for us to shove orf!
 

Moored at Beale park Friday night in prep for the dash to Pangbourne. Now moored opposite Withymead Nature Park. Very nice it is to.
 

 

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4 hours ago, Mike on the Wey said:

We did Lechlade and back: arrived home last week. The only lock queueing for us was Boveney going up and Marsh coming down. It can be a bit random though. I can fully understand the shenanigans at Cleeve happening as they did.

 

We generally managed to moor where planned. The exception was Pangbourne on a Saturday - loads of people rock up on a Friday and stay there all weekend. But Beale Park is just one lock and a mile or two upstream, and is nicer anyway.

Pangbourne is always rammed when it is nice weather on a weekend. It was full (overnight) even in early June when people weren't meant to be overnighting on boats they didnt live on??. All the plastic boats race up from Thames and Kennet for the weekend I think. Always room at Beale park though. ?

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1 hour ago, Dave123 said:

Pangbourne is always rammed when it is nice weather on a weekend. It was full (overnight) even in early June when people weren't meant to be overnighting on boats they didnt live on??. All the plastic boats race up from Thames and Kennet for the weekend I think. Always room at Beale park though. ?

I can't see the attraction of Pangbourne - we used to stop there 'cos the fishNchips shop were said to be legendary but My Management says they're not any more, thus we carry on upstream..

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I was asked twice ifi have a visitors license. I was asked on the phone to just show the email they send you or write the ‘J’ number on a piece of paper. This is if you dont have access to a printer.

 

i heard other boats being checked. The lass on the phone today said everything is a bit relaxed due to Covid. 

Edited by Nightwatch
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Some general observations about this topic, based on having been up and down the Thames a lot in recent years on narrow boats, mostly as crew on the NBT's pair carrying 30 or 40 tonnes of coal...

On the Thames you can encounter anything, I've even seen little sailing dinghies, so should always keep your wits about you and maintain a good look out when steering. You don't want to be running over some unfortunate swimmer, canoeist or rower(s), the latter coming in variable quantities of people;1,2,4 or 8 plus a cox. Some of the canoeists and rowers can come at you rather recklessly (but the fours and eights are usually well trained), so be ready to give them a good blast on your horn to warn them to move aside. I think the bigger your boat, the louder and deeper the horn should be to communicate the danger! Fortunately most of them are good at dodging out of the way, but watch them and be ready to use the horn again.

Expect the unexpected, e.g. a big boat carrying lots of passengers suddenly appearing around the next bend, those need lots of room to get by you and will want to use the deeper water in the centre. Usually those have captains who know what they're doing.

There are always a lot of GRP boats of all sizes about, especially on summer weekends, some of which are on day hire and might be driven by someone who has little understanding of what they're doing. The bigger wedding cake ones mostly have rich/posh owners or hirers, and sometimes staff aboard to crew the boat/palace for them and serve up the drinks and nibbles.

Always follow instructions from the lock keepers if present ,and if in doubt ask their advice. Generally they will decide who goes in the lock in what order and where, and will push the buttons. If they are not present, just talk politely to all other boaters present and agree amongst yourselves! Sometimes I've turned up at a lock which is not staffed and just marshalled the traffic myself to reduce the queue. We certainly don't want our heavy pair of coal boats to end up squashing some little GRP boat (too much paperwork) so we take great care.

The usual rule for licences is that you buy one from the first lock you come to where someone is on duty, e.g. Shepperton if you come out of the Wey and go up river. A licence can be various different lengths of time, and the cost goes up according to your boat's area, defined as length x beam. See the EA website for prices. You get two stickers, to show in a window on each side of your boat, with an expiry date on  them. Different rules apply to commercial vessels such as the NBT. Or below Teddington on the tidal river, that's run by the PLA. And on the Wey, that belongs to the National Trust.

Mooring can indeed be a bit of a free for all, often free if you know a good place to sneak in and tie to a tree or two rather unofficially. It's good to learn the possible places and what the land owners do, and to understand the "Thames Visitor Mooring" scheme (see other topics)

Finally, use your guide book and know what's ahead. Beware of all the odd islands, and the weir streams. And the shallows on the inside of some bends, look out for the green and red buoys and know what they mean. Swimmers often use an orange buoy tied to them, which helps keep them alive.

And remember to duck when going under Osney Bridge at Oxford.

 

I'm really looking forward to my two weeks out on the river in October!

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Peter. Good summary. But as Ive mentioned beforehand, licenses Can only be bought from a very small selection of lockies at this time. Shepperton may well be one such lock. We haven’t cone accross any on our travels. Enjoy October.

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"And remember to duck when going under Osney Bridge at Oxford."

 

And stay ducked until you are certain you are clear!

 

It seems to have been designed as a very effective decapitation device for anyone sticking they're head up too soon for a peek, no matter how briefly.

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