Taking narrowboat from West Byfleet to Shepperton Marina

[Philip]

I need to take a narrowboat that I have just bought from Pyrford Marina to Shepperton Marina on the Thames, next week ideally. This is so that it can be craned onto a low loader there to be transported to where I'd like to moor it.

 

I can speak to the marina regarding use of the crane, but what would I need to do about licensing, as I don't believe CRT cover any of this stretch? Looking at the map, it looks like a case of leaving the Wey, a mile if that on the Thames and into the marina - would this require a Thames license? Also would I have to go through Shepperton lock on the Thames on this route? Finally any navigational advice about the Wey locks?

 

Thanks

Edited December 10, 2020 by Philip

[Bacchus]

The Wey joins the Thames downstream of Shepperton lock, so no Thames locking required. The entrance to Shepperton is fun though, if you're not used to it. There isn't much of a stream on at the mo, but I would probably recommend you go past the marina entrance (you probably will anyway...), go about, and approach from downstream.

 

Licence wise, the correct answer is that you should go to the lock, find a lock-keeper (good luck with that in December) and buy a day ticket. I can't recommend travelling without a temporary registration - so maybe purchase at the first lock you go through?  

[ditchcrawler]

34 minutes ago, Bacchus said:

 so maybe purchase at the first lock you go through?  

Thats the best advice

[Tonka]

I assume the boat has a Wey licence, if not you will need a transit pass for the Wey Navigation between Pyrford and Thames Lock, As you are not going through a lock on the Thames you will probably get away with out one. 

[matty40s]

If there is any flow on the Thames when you go, as you leave the Wey lock and come to the river channels, dont go straight across, stick some welly on and go to the right, follow the bank round. 

This may pi&& some anglers off, but will mean you wont get caught in the whirlpool which can form.

 

[Cheese]

Have you checked to see if it could be craned out at Parvis Wharf?    That's only a mile from Pyrford, with no locks, and you wouldn't need to worry about the Thames at all.

[matty40s]

9 minutes ago, Cheese said:

Have you checked to see if it could be craned out at Parvis Wharf?    That's only a mile from Pyrford, with no locks, and you wouldn't need to worry about the Thames at all.

Why miss the fun.

[Mike Adams]

All you need is to buy a transit licence from Pyrford  to the Thames from Thames Lock on the river Wey as you lock through ( £8). I wouldn't bother about the few hundred yards on the Thames to the Marina unless you get asked, which you won't as you will not go through any locks.

[Philip]

Thanks, seems fairly straightforward.

 

The TLC for boats at Parvis Wharf looks tempting, must be only half an hour if a mile from Pyrford. But as said above, it means missing out on the fun of the Thames... I'd explore more of the Wey and have a trip up the Basingstoke Canal too if I had more time and a different time of year.

Edited December 10, 2020 by Philip

[Cheese]

At this time of year also bear in mind that, if there is very heavy or prolonged rain, the Wey can go into flood conditions - and close to navigation - within about 48 hours.  Whereas with that stretch of the Thames you would expect to get a bit more notice.

[Tonka]

1 hour ago, Cheese said:

At this time of year also bear in mind that, if there is very heavy or prolonged rain, the Wey can go into flood conditions - and close to navigation - within about 48 hours.  Whereas with that stretch of the Thames you would expect to get a bit more notice.

But the only Wey river bit he will be on is from Town lock to Thames lock

[Cheese]

Okay, to be precise perhaps I should have said "the Wey Navigation can go into flood conditions - and close to navigation - within about 48 hours".  There have already been a couple of times this autumn (4-5 October and 15-17 November) when Pyrford to Thames Lock would not have been possible.  It both comes up and goes down quickly.

[Tonka]

6 minutes ago, Cheese said:

Okay, to be precise perhaps I should have said "the Wey Navigation can go into flood conditions - and close to navigation - within about 48 hours".  There have already been a couple of times this autumn (4-5 October and 15-17 November) when Pyrford to Thames Lock would not have been possible.  It both comes up and goes down quickly.

Even in flood conditions you can still move on the canal section's. So he will be ok from Pyrford to Weybridge town lock but then you join the river section down to Thames lock so this bit is the dodgy bit. I used to moor by the Pelican pub. 

[Philip]

The weather forecast next week doesn't look too wet to be fair.

[Alan de Enfield]

35 minutes ago, Philip said:

The weather forecast next week doesn't look too wet to be fair.

It doesn't generally rain very much when the weather is fair.

[Philip]

Also the boat was built in 2017, is it old enough to require a BSS yet? The CRT licensing page asks for the BSS details.

[mark99]

Parvis Wharf - the crane is fairly small. Phone and ask for Stuart. It won't take mine out for instance. 62 foot. Or ask in Pyrford Marina ref what Parvis can handle if Rachel is there. Rachel knows both marinas very well.

Edited December 13, 2020 by mark99

[Cheese]

National Trust said today

Quote

08.25hrs – Dangerous conditions to the navigation exist from Catteshall Lock to Worsfold Gates, Papercourt Lock to Walsham Gates, and Town Lock to Thames Lock, and it is not safe to proceed along the navigation at this time in these areas.

 

[Sir Nibble]

On 11/12/2020 at 13:29, Cheese said:

Okay, to be precise perhaps I should have said "the Wey Navigation can go into flood conditions - and close to navigation - within about 48 hours".  There have already been a couple of times this autumn (4-5 October and 15-17 November) when Pyrford to Thames Lock would not have been possible.  It both comes up and goes down quickly.

 

17 minutes ago, Cheese said:

National Trust said today

 

 

 

 

Edited December 15, 2020 by Sir Nibble

[OldGoat]

14 hours ago, Sir Nibble said:

 

 

 

 

No he's not going anywhere near Bray - that's on the Thames......

 

t6he Thames is on Reds at the moment, so be very affraaaaaaaaid...

[Philip]

Thanks, have been checking the river status..looks like tomorrow is out of the question.

 

Unrelated to this, the boat has the tall narrow window panes in the front doors, but without any blinds or curtains over them. Does anyone know where I can buy narrow roller blinds? Had a quick google but it was showing results for normal width size.

[TheBiscuits]

1 minute ago, Philip said:

the boat has the tall narrow window panes in the front doors, but without any blinds or curtains over them. Does anyone know where I can buy narrow roller blinds? Had a quick google but it was showing results for normal width size.

 

You can usually cut them down to fit.  Just buy the smallest width and trim them.

[mark99]

As said - buy them and trim them. Scissors and junior hacksaw. The instructions are in the blinds how to do this.

Edited December 17, 2020 by mark99

[Mike Todd]

On our previous boat the former owner had adopted a very low cost solution which worked well enough: a single rectangle of curtain fabric, sized to cover the front doors, had an open-ended hem at the top, into which was inserted a piece of wood, from memory about 15mm wide, with a smallish hole at either end. Corresponding cup hooks were screwed into the door frame just above the entrance so that, when deployed, the curtain could easily be hung on the hooks. During the day, we removed the curtain and rolled it, keeping it out of the way on the adjoining main bed. Very effective low tech.

 

When we replaced that boat with a new build (a) we went for a main cabin ion the centre of the boat and (b) we had a blind fitted to the front door, but that was done with all the other window covering by a professional curtain supplier.

[Mike on the Wey]

8 hours ago, Philip said:

Thanks, have been checking the river status..looks like tomorrow is out of the question.

 

Unrelated to this, the boat has the tall narrow window panes in the front doors, but without any blinds or curtains over them. Does anyone know where I can buy narrow roller blinds? Had a quick google but it was showing results for normal width size.

Today is fine as far as the Thames - the Wey has dropped off, with only the middle section (Triggs to Worsfold) still in flood. And that is because Triggs Lock with its multiple paddles in the lower gates is used as an overflow weir in flood conditions, as there is only a bywash there rather than a proper weir. So the Wey is back to its lovely benign self. 

But the Thames is red in Sunbury Reach with the reaches either side increasing and lots of red upstream. Flows (cubic metres per second) are currently 110 at Staines, 101 at Walton and 140 at Kingston. To put that into context, in a 32' narrowboat with a 27HP engine my self-imposed safe limit on the lower Thames (with plenty of experience) is 80-90 cu m/s. So you might be stuck at Pyrford and not get onto the Thames for quite a while now - definitely a few weeks, but could be a couple of months.