Brentford to Thames Wharf

[Tony Brooks]

One further thing, try to time your passage through Twickenham lock during the times its barrier is open otherwise you have to pay to go through the lock. I think its 2 hours either side of high water but check.

 

I would also comment that I was by the Thames at Goring a couple of days ago and there is still a lot of flow on it so be prepared to burn more fuel than you do on canals.

[Bee]

Its not very far. there's few or none in the way of  scary boats and the tide will help carry you along, I would though say that an anchor and chain is a must. Good luck.

[Alan de Enfield]

 

 

A SUITABLE (size and type of) anchor is a MUST.

 

No use having a 'tooth-pick' because it fits in your locker and it is cheap.

[roland elsdon]

1 hour ago, LadyG said:

I'm not sure what to do with my only long warp, it's currently on the anchor, what length do I need for the Thames,

Anchor warp

Locking rope. 

As a single hander, I assume one rope to centre line in the lock? 

 Going uphill on the Thames the flow from the paddles will drag your bows over with a single line from the centre. The lockies  are very careful but if you get non parallel with the walls you won’t get it back. They rightly don’t want you touching infrastructure with your boat.There is also the engine off policy.

[Keeping Up]

1 hour ago, LadyG said:

I'm not sure what to do with my only long warp, it's currently on the anchor, what length do I need for the Thames,

Anchor warp

Locking rope. 

As a single hander, I assume one rope to centre line in the lock? 

Thames locks require you to use two ropes, ideally bow and stern but you can usually have bow and centre or stern and centre if that is easier.

 

Do you have some chain on the anchor or is it just rope?

 

Edited April 4, 2021 by Keeping Up

[Tam & Di]

1 hour ago, Tony Brooks said:

One further thing, try to time your passage through Twickenham lock during the times its barrier is open otherwise you have to pay to go through the lock. I think its 2 hours either side of high water but check.

 In case that causes confusion it is properly called the Richmond half-tide lock - at about 2hrs either side of high tide you just continue through the bridge on the river, but otherwise the half-tide barrier will be lowered and you must use the lock (on the Richmond side of the river).

 

Tam

[LadyG]

1 hour ago, Keeping Up said:

Thames locks require you to use two ropes, ideally bow and stern but you can usually have bow and centre or stern and centre if that is easier.

 

Do you have some chain on the anchor or is it just rope?

 

I have 6m heavy chain, and 30m warp, but my main centreline is currently the only long, strong locking type rope, I might have to splice two shorter ropes to make another lock line, I'd rather not.

I was think that I could use my anchor warp temporarily while in the lock, tie up to a landing stage after the lock and replace it, a two minute job. 

All a bit hypothetical as I'm still cmooring in 't North.

As a single hander, I must be in control of my boat without having to do emergency dash from stern to bow, so, I'd probably bring my centreline back to the stern, I'm not going to have a fixed line from shore to bow.

Engine off is good practice from an environmental point of view, but I'll have mine ready to fire up if need be.

Edited April 4, 2021 by LadyG

[Alan de Enfield]

6 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I have 6m heavy chain, and 30m warp, but my main centreline is currently the only long, strong locking type rope, I might have to splice two shorter ropes to make another lock line, I'd rather not.

I was think that I could use my anchor warp temporarily while in the lock, tie up to a landing stage after the lock and replace it, a two minute job. 

All a bit hypothetical as I'm still cmooring in 't North.

 

If you are going to take as long to get to London as it has taken you to get from Doncaster to the Chesterfield, the rope will be rotted away and have been replaced twice so no problem.

[Tam & Di]

I'd certainly not want to be messing about like that at each lock - if it's busy you might not even be able to moor readily to do it. On the non-tidal Thames, particularly in summer with very little flow, I'd just dispense with the anchor. On the other hand though 30m of line is a bit ridiculous for lock work - 30' is probably more sensible.

 

Tam

Edited April 4, 2021 by Tam & Di

[LadyG]

33 minutes ago, Tam & Di said:

I'd certainly not want to be messing about like that at each lock - if it's busy you might not even be able to moor readily to do it. On the non-tidal Thames, particularly in summer with very little flow, I'd just dispense with the anchor. On the other hand though 30m of line is a bit ridiculous for lock work - 30' is probably more sensible.

 

Tam

OK, with all the fuss, I assumed they were deep locks,  all my ropes are 'up to the  job'

[Scholar Gypsy]

12 minutes ago, LadyG said:

OK, with all the fuss, I assumed they were deep locks,  all my ropes are 'up to the  job'

Deepest is Sandford i think,  nr Oxford. As i said earlier I find safest method is to tie off one and and adjust the other.  Pythagoras is your friend,  if the fixed line is 20' from t stud to bollard. 

[blackrose]

1 hour ago, LadyG said:

I have 6m heavy chain, and 30m warp, but my main centreline is currently the only long, strong locking type rope, I might have to splice two shorter ropes to make another lock line, I'd rather not.

I was think that I could use my anchor warp temporarily while in the lock, tie up to a landing stage after the lock and replace it, a two minute job. 

All a bit hypothetical as I'm still cmooring in 't North.

As a single hander, I must be in control of my boat without having to do emergency dash from stern to bow, so, I'd probably bring my centreline back to the stern, I'm not going to have a fixed line from shore to bow.

Engine off is good practice from an environmental point of view, but I'll have mine ready to fire up if need be.

 

 

Often one of the lockkeepers will help if there is more than one of them. But if you know what you're doing you can single hand through Thames locks. I've done it even when the lock is on self-service in which case you do have to be light on your feet.

 

This is going down, but going up in some Thames locks you need to tie off because they're side-fill and that's the safest way. 

 

 

1 hour ago, Tam & Di said:

I'd certainly not want to be messing about like that at each lock - if it's busy you might not even be able to moor readily to do it. On the non-tidal Thames, particularly in summer with very little flow, I'd just dispense with the anchor. On the other hand though 30m of line is a bit ridiculous for lock work - 30' is probably more sensible.

 

Tam

 

Yes that's all you need

Edited April 4, 2021 by blackrose

[Tam & Di]

2 hours ago, LadyG said:

OK, with all the fuss, I assumed they were deep locks,  all my ropes are 'up to the  job'

 

Not deep, but they are large in comparison with most canals and you can get quite a bit of turbulence at times. The problem then is not particularly to your vessel, but the lock can be full of assorted grp cruisers, canoes, skiffs, rowing boats etc, and it is these latter things that are best avoided to prevent crushing them. People get cross then.

 

Tam

[Tony Brooks]

My river lines were longer than 30ft. The bow line reached from the T stud, down one side of the roof and nearly to the stern. The front one was almost as long. The reason is that I don't want to be running up and down the boat to get the front line ashore so I stop by the lock steps,  step off and walk up the steps with both lines, adjust the boat's position in the lock, put a turn around suitable bollards and stand near the centre of the boat with both llnes in my hand so I can let out when going down or pull in when going up,

 

On the Trent and Severn locks the much shorter canal lines will do because you put them around the risers that they can slide up. i would not like to try one of those single handing but my river lines would be long enough if I sat on the roof and held both.

[Alan de Enfield]

4 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

On the Trent and Severn locks the much shorter canal lines will do because you put them around the risers that they can slide up. i would not like to try one of those single handing but my river lines would be long enough if I sat on the roof and held both.

 

 

Best to be aware tho, not all the Trent locks have 'risers' (Newark town lock for example doesn't)

[Tam & Di]

Ditchcrawler has put a "Look at Life" film on which does include shots of Boulters and Molesey locks to give an idea of the difference in scale of Thames locks for LadyG's information:

 

 

 

Tam

[Alan de Enfield]

 

On the way to London, no doubt the Lady will be transiting the River Trent.

 

She will also come across some big locks there.

If you are not 'roped up' when they open the paddles you can very quickly get 'in a mess'

 

 

 

[Tam & Di]

I'm not familiar with the Trent, but one significant thing on the Thames is the variety of craft you share locks with, many of them eminently crushable.  ?  ⛵ ?

 

Tam

[Alan de Enfield]

33 minutes ago, Tam & Di said:

I'm not familiar with the Trent, but one significant thing on the Thames is the variety of craft you share locks with, many of them eminently crushable.  ?  ⛵ ?

 

Tam

 

There are 100's of GRP cruisers and here are a couple of the bigger boats that you share the locks with

 

@mrsmelly knows them well he was the 'driver'.

 

I remember once when we were waiting to enter a lock, the Princess was a bit behind schedule and 'raced to get out the lock, crushing a little cruiser. The VHF was very 'busy' and a bit of a fuss resulted (Mr Smelly was not on duty that day)

 

 

Edited April 5, 2021 by Alan de Enfield

[mrsmelly]

10 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

There are 100's of GRP cruisers and here are a couple of the bigger boats that you share the locks with

 

@mrsmelly knows them well he was the 'driver'.

 

I remember once when we were waiting to enter a lock, the Princess was a bit behind schedule and 'raced to get out the lock, crushing a little cruiser. The VHF was very 'busy' and a bit of a fuss resulted (Mr Smelly was not on duty that day)

 

 

Thats the ones old sport. Still have my licences but life has moved on lol. The Princess was a tight fit under Trent bridge especialy if there was a bit of fresh on and sometimes and when in flood we couldnt get under, not even nearly lol.