Hello , 

were now proud owners of our own boat and would like to get down to do the london ring , what are the current requirements for the Thames element and do you need to entre the Thames with other boats etc ?

Hammersmith Bridge is closed so no passage under it.

Until it reopens no London ring possible.

Edited October 22, 20205 yr by Loddon

To add to Hammersmith bridge, if you are thinking now, then the non-tidal Thames has 4 locks that are closed over various times until March.  Also the South Oxford has closures until 18 Dec.

2 hours ago, Jokatsm said:

Hello , 

were now proud owners of our own boat and would like to get down to do the london ring , what are the current requirements for the Thames element and do you need to entre the Thames with other boats etc ?

Assuming the Hammersmith Bridge situation is sorted before you get down to London your main concern will be the safety and regulator element of boating on the tidal Thames. There is a lot of info on the net but the Port of London (Who regulate traffic on the tidal Thames) regulations are the main ones. One of the main requirements is that if your boat is over 47' long you are required to carry VHF radio and have someone on board who is licensed to use it. 

 

On the safety side having the correct anchor and warp/chain is important.

 

There is much useful information on the St Pancras Cruising Club web site:

 

https://www.stpancrascc.co.uk/?q=node/15

 

http://www.stpancrascc.co.uk/sites/default/files/Thames Cruising Guide_0_0.pdf

 

Also the PLA web site:

 

http://www.boatingonthethames.co.uk/Narrow-Boating

 

http://www.pla.co.uk/Pre-season-narrowboat-prep#:~:text=Pre-season narrowboat prep for the Tideway As cruising,between canals and waterways along the tidal Thames.

 

You might also wish to talk to your insurers, at one time ours stipulated that we had to go out with at least one other boat when doingthe Tideway

 

Tim

 

 

Edited October 22, 20205 yr by Tim Lewis

2 hours ago, Loddon said:

Hammersmith Bridge is closed so no passage under it.

Until it reopens no London ring possible.

There seems to have been an awful lot of traffic under the "closed " Hammersmith bridge according to blogs, vlogs and youtubers not actually knowing it was closed??

1 hour ago, Tim Lewis said:

 

There is much useful information on the St Pancras Cruising Club web site:

 

https://www.stpancrascc.co.uk/?q=node/15

 

http://www.stpancrascc.co.uk/sites/default/files/Thames Cruising Guide_0_0.pdf

 

Or join St Pancras CC on one of their regular organised tidal Thames trips. None on the calendar at the moment, but I'm sure there will be next year, Hammersmith Bridge and Covid permitting.

https://www.stpancrascc.co.uk/?q=cruising

22 hours ago, matty40s said:

There seems to have been an awful lot of traffic under the "closed " Hammersmith bridge according to blogs, vlogs and youtubers not actually knowing it was closed??

I'd be interested to know who claims to have been under the bridge since it was closed to navigation.  

 

Any links the (b)(v)logs ?

 

An awful lot of traffic is definitely an interesting idea. 

 

I wouldn't be surprised if stand up paddle board dickheads had done it but have any actual boaters been under? 

Edited October 23, 20205 yr by magnetman

There was talk of a one off passage system here https://www.rya.org.uk/newsevents/news/Pages/Hammersmith-Bridge-Closure-Update.aspx  Don't think anything has come of it yet. Even if it was possible I imagine it would cost a bit as it involves real time monitoring of the bridge to make sure it doesn't collapse on you!  

 

21 minutes ago, magnetman said:

I'd be interested to know who claims to have been under the bridge since it was closed to navigation.  

 

Any links the (b)(v)logs ?

 

An awful lot of traffic is definitely an interesting idea. 

 

Most of these vlogger's videos are quite behind time. So a video put on Youtube last week may well have been filmed before the closure. 

 

I'm pretty sure all the vloggers are in boats big enough to be required to have VHF downstream of Brentford, so they'd soon be told the navigation was closed at Hammersmith. 

 

33 minutes ago, magnetman said:

I wouldn't be surprised if stand up paddle board dickheads had done it but have any actual boaters been under? 

This made me laugh! 

There was a one-off opening to allow stranded boats to get back to their home moorings. 

 

This was over a month ago if I remember correctly. It was arranged by Anvar Alizadegh who is named as the person in charge of the Hammersmith and Fulham council highways structures in the PLA notice to mariners Upper 10 of 2020 which is still in force. 

 

This information is announced on every London VTS River Broadcast on vhf channel 14 (157.00mhz) at 15 and 45 minutes past each hour. 

 

"Hammersmith bridge closed to navigation until further notice. Notice to mariners Upper 10 of 2020 refers. End of the River broadcast, London VTS out". 

 

I've had this in my ears a lot recently. 

 

Of course that doesn't necessarily mean it's not possible to navigate under the bridge in a boat.