from London to Oxford

[Bee]

The Thames is a beautiful river and is not some storm tossed maelstrom (unless its been raining for many days)  Just get the engine trouble sorted, get a hefty anchor just in case and enjoy it, Its the only way to learn. Good luck.

[alias]

6 minutes ago, Bee said:

The Thames is a beautiful river and is not some storm tossed maelstrom (unless its been raining for many days)  Just get the engine trouble sorted, get a hefty anchor just in case and enjoy it, Its the only way to learn. Good luck.

 

Isn't the Thames currently closed to navigation at Hammersmith?

[OldGoat]

7 minutes ago, alias said:

 

Isn't the Thames currently closed to navigation at Hammersmith?

No it's passable 'by arrangement' However if the OP is already on the canal system in London, then it makes more sense to enter the River at Brentford. He can use the incoming tide to push him upstream to Teddington where the flows area easier to manage in a NB

[Tracy D'arth]

I do hope that its  not a fat boat.

 

Edited June 8, 2021 by Tracy D'arth

[Tam & Di]

9 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

I do hope that its  not a fat boat.

 

 

He said 70' x 6'10" I believe. He also implied he was going by canal rather than the Thames, but he is extremely coy with his information.

 

Tam

Edited June 8, 2021 by Tam & Di

[Tracy D'arth]

I was thinking of the South Oxford, GU is OK by arrangement.

 

I was aware of the size, just being a prat for a change.  

[matty40s]

12 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

I do hope that its  not a fat boat.

 

By the look of his engine video, he hasnt got a boat yet.

[Alan de Enfield]

43 minutes ago, matty40s said:

By the look of his engine video, he hasnt got a boat yet.

 

That could be the reason he is having difficulty starting it.

[Stroudwater1]

If he is new to boating then perhaps the Thames locks maybe a better introduction than the GU and Oxford overall too, assuming he has a boat and an engine ? 

[GUMPY]

Let me see:

147 miles and 138 locks on shallow ditches

or

99 miles and 37locks on a beautiful river

 

Must be a hard decision ?

[dmr]

33 minutes ago, Stroudwater1 said:

If he is new to boating then perhaps the Thames locks maybe a better introduction than the GU and Oxford overall too, assuming he has a boat and an engine ? 

 

I think the GU locks will be a lot easier, you can take your time and be mostly relaxed.

 

The Thames locks can require some boating skills and be slightly pressured. At worse there might be a need to "hover" on moving water if the lock landing is busy. Stopping the boat alongside in a big lock and getting ropes up to the lock keeper, possibly sharing with plastic boats, causes some boaters quite a bit of stress, and out of hours you have to work the lock yourself and control the boat in the lock at the same time. 

And you have to keep restarting the engine, and the difficulty/stress of finding places to moor.

 

...................Dave

[Tonka]

5 hours ago, Loddon said:

Let me see:

147 miles and 138 locks on shallow ditches

or

99 miles and 37locks on a beautiful river

 

Must be a hard decision ?

But needs to buy a thames licence to go the short way