Stranded barge at Wallingford

[thames s23]

Anyone know the story behind this sight spotted today at Wallingford on the river Thames 

[Graham Davis]

Lifted up by a flood?

[Nightwatch]

We moored astern of that narrow boat last summer. It ended up where it is, I guess, by the high waters during the winter. In fact we moored near it twice, didn’t see anyone visit the boat during that time. However, we saw a couple of people with I’d around their necks, taking photos.

 

A sad sight in anyone’s book.

[Slim]

Then there's the one above the Napton locks on the S Oxford . Don't have a photo but I'm sure one will come along soon.

[Athy]

8 hours ago, Slim said:

Then there's the one above the Napton locks on the S Oxford . Don't have a photo but I'm sure one will come along soon.

But that one got there on purpose!

[Dave123]

A good example of why staying the winter on the river on an unofficial mooring isn't wise

[phantom_iv]

Apparently (according to a random drunk bloke in a local pub), having become stranded by a flood in a recent winter (not sure if this year or last year), the owner is now hoping it floods again this winter sufficiently to save him the cost of a crane...

[Hudds Lad]

Has anyone thought of offering the local RAF Chinook crew a few crates of beer to shift it?  

[dixi188]

A Chinook can only lift about 10 tons so unless the boat is plastic or aluminium it would be too heavy.

[Tracy D'arth]

Two Chinooks?

[Phoenix_V]

seems to be the perfect solution to evade any continuos cruising rules, wonder what the land owner thinks though

 

[Bee]

I've tied in exactly that spot (Well in the river that is) I doubt a crane could get there without making some sort of temporary track and quite a long one as well.

[David Mack]

A couple of telegraph poles, jacks, winches and some grease and you could side slip that back in.

 

Edited July 7, 2021 by David Mack

[PeterScott]

12 hours ago, Slim said:

Then there's the one above the Napton locks on the S Oxford . Don't have a photo but I'm sure one will come along soon.

4 hours ago, Athy said:

But that one got there on purpose!

On 04/04/2020 at 14:32, Athy said:

It must be five years or more since it suddenly appeared. Rumour was that someone excavated a hole in the bank, inserted the boat and put the hole back (if you see what I mean). We must have passed it a dozen times or more and, though we have seen signs of habitation, such as washing hanging on that whirlygig, we have never seen an actual person there.

  Just for the record, as they say, ...

On 22/06/2020 at 14:22, PeterScott said:

On this day 2018 [picture above] Another angle on an isolated canal and its boat. Southern Oxford Summit Compare #294

 

 

[booke23]

2 hours ago, phantom_iv said:

Apparently (according to a random drunk bloke in a local pub), having become stranded by a flood in a recent winter (not sure if this year or last year), the owner is now hoping it floods again this winter sufficiently to save him the cost of a crane...

 

If he is minded to save a bit of cash, he might as well black it in situ while he’s waiting for the flood and maybe even have the hull surveyed for insurance purposes too! Save a few quid on future drydock/liftouts. 

[Hudds Lad]

3 hours ago, dixi188 said:

A Chinook can only lift about 10 tons so unless the boat is plastic or aluminium it would be too heavy.

 Spoilsport, we'll have to call the Russians then, couple of crates of Vodka for the use of a MIL V-12  

[Mike on the Wey]

2 hours ago, booke23 said:

 

If he is minded to save a bit of cash, he might as well black it in situ while he’s waiting for the flood and maybe even have the hull surveyed for insurance purposes too! Save a few quid on future drydock/liftouts. 

Already done the first - we passed it in May, and the blacking looked very fresh. 

[Steilsteven]

34 minutes ago, Mike on the Wey said:

Already done the first - we passed it in May, and the blacking looked very fresh. 

I hear that he'd also done a few welding jobs and fitted some new anodes.

 

The floods were quite severe in Wallingford last Winter, even the town moorings were under 3 - 4 feet of water for some time.

Boats very often sink on the 'wild moorings' and sometimes also on the town moorings so this guy was very lucky the way things turned out.

How he prepares himself for the next flood will be interesting to say the least!

 

Keith

[booke23]

1 hour ago, Steilsteven said:

I hear that he'd also done a few welding jobs and fitted some new anodes.

 

The floods were quite severe in Wallingford last Winter, even the town moorings were under 3 - 4 feet of water for some time.

Boats very often sink on the 'wild moorings' and sometimes also on the town moorings so this guy was very lucky the way things turned out.

How he prepares himself for the next flood will be interesting to say the least!

 

Keith

 

Good on him. I just hope he doesn't have a multi year wait for a big enough flood to refloat it! 

[Steilsteven]

It's been recovered

 

[Mike Todd]

11 hours ago, Steilsteven said:

It's been recovered

 

Eccles cakes don't have to come from Eccles (but Cornish pasties do have to come from Cornwall!)

 

Perhaps someone should get the Dutch government to apply for protected status . . . 

[Steilsteven]

4 hours ago, Mike Todd said:

Eccles cakes don't have to come from Eccles (but Cornish pasties do have to come from Cornwall!)

 

Perhaps someone should get the Dutch government to apply for protected status . . . 

An Englishman must be English. 

[Tonka]

1 hour ago, Steilsteven said:

An Englishman must be English. 

Not to play for the national team

[magnetman]

On 08/07/2021 at 23:32, Steilsteven said:

It's been recovered

 

Nice one. Interesting to see  Frisby wagon there. I used them for a heavy boat transport a couple of years ago. Good company I would recommend. Based out of Peterborough if I remember right.

 

 

 

[MarkH2159]

On 07/07/2021 at 10:11, Hudds Lad said:

Has anyone thought of offering the local RAF Chinook crew a few crates of beer to shift it?  

Last week I was talking to a surveyor who was involved in this case.

The boat is all electric and was put ashore by the river floods of last winter.

The owner has taken the opportunity to carry out maintenance and blacking etc.

The land is too soft for a crane and trailer to get in there to move it.

He was given an offer from the team at nearby RAF Benson to use a heavy lift Chinook they have for exercise purposes and free of charge, however that was thwarted by the local authority eco warriors who were concerned about possible damage to wildlife and trees from the rotor downwash. There are apparently a lot of bats in the area.

Other plans to excavate and build an earth ramp so as to be able to push the boat back into the water have similarly been thwarted by wildlife issues.

The use of a Pulling Barge situated mid river and in place for when the river next floods has been explored and may well be the only option.