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Mooring on River Thames - reality?


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Hi there

we are planning to cruise the River Thames from Brentford to Dukes Cut but are struggling to get any real life info on mooring on the river.

 

During the cruise there will be periods where we need to leave the boat for a number of days and then return to it to continue the cruise.

 

What is the reality of doing a journey like this? Are mooring spots hard to find? Are there areas where leaving the boat for say a week is possible and again easy to find?

 

all tips gratefully received!!!

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It's a stunning trip: the upper Thames is so much more interesting than much (not all) of the canal network.

 

Paid for moorings are available, but several times when we did it we dropped the anchor a couple of metres from the bank behind thickets of trees and bushes. We were never disturbed and had restful nights with no worries about undesirables and no problems with angry land owners. Only something you'd do if you were staying on board and only perhaps for a single night in any one place.

 

We have done the same many times also on the River Nene, where proper moorings are often completely unavailable; another beautiful River.

 

Have a great trip!

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17 minutes ago, Boat afloat said:

What is the reality of doing a journey like this? Are mooring spots hard to find? Are there areas where leaving the boat for say a week is possible and again easy to find?

 

Broadly speaking, no. The Thames is not like the canals where you can just pitch up and moor randomly on the towpath. Booking into marinas etc is almost your only option. I've an idea there are a few EA moorings at locks but moorings on the Thames are (almost) never free. Expect to be charged £5 or £10 a night. 

 

Overnight mooring for free is not so hard if you are happy to stay on the boat. Just tie to an overhanging tree! 

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Plenty of Moorings at Richmond, Windsor, Shepperton, Henley, Goring, Abingdon and more than enough past Osney as most cruisers can’t get under the bridge. You can also moor at many rural places such as fields etc. If leaving the boat I’d phone a few lock keepers as many have mooring available or leave it at a marina. You may/will have to pay at many of these places. 
As for anchoring in a river overnight , Hmm not sure I’d advise of that. You need to display an anchor light if you do and you may still fall foul of the EA 

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Thanks for these replies - it’s not what we wanted to hear but sounds broadly in line with what we thought it might be like. 
 

we hoped there would be more towpath spots though where we could just tie up but that’s sounding challenging…

3 minutes ago, Chris John said:

Plenty of Moorings at Richmond, Windsor, Shepperton, Henley, Goring, Abingdon and more than enough past Osney as most cruisers can’t get under the bridge. You can also moor at many rural places such as fields etc. If leaving the boat I’d phone a few lock keepers as many have mooring available or leave it at a marina. You may/will have to pay at many of these places. 
As for anchoring in a river overnight , Hmm not sure I’d advise of that. You need to display an anchor light if you do and you may still fall foul of the EA 

Thanks for that!!!!

 

when you say plenty of moorings at those locations like Richmond are they mooring spots on the towpath you mean? Are they typically 24 hours though or can be much longer?

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1 hour ago, Boat afloat said:

 

when you say plenty of moorings at those locations like Richmond are they mooring spots on the towpath you mean? Are they typically 24 hours though or can be much longer?

 

Richmond is still tidal. Ideally I'd wait until you're upstream of Teddington before you start looking for moorings. 

 

Teddington itself has moorings upstream of the lock but it's very popular. If there's no room then Kingston just after the bridge on the right and Hampton Court have pubic moorings. Last time I was there it was free for the first night and paid for after that. 

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1 hour ago, MtB said:

 

Overnight mooring for free is not so hard if you are happy to stay on the boat. Just tie to an overhanging tree! 

 

I once got a bollocking from a passing crusty in Reading for doing that. He said "You're killing the tree man". The rope was just taken around the 18" dia trunk and back to the boat. Plenty of slack as required when mooring on a river. 

Edited by blackrose
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8 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

I once got a bollocking from a passing crusty in Reading for doing that. He said "You're killing the tree man". The rope was just taken around the 18" dia trunk and back to the boat. Plenty of slack as required when mooring on a river. 

That's why I used the anchor...

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1 hour ago, Boat afloat said:

when you say plenty of moorings at those locations like Richmond are they mooring spots on the towpath you mean? Are they typically 24 hours though or can be much longer?

 

I'd say there are plenty of moorings which are typically 24 hours but towpath moorings where you can leave the boat for a week unattended are rare. 

 

Also, you haven't clarified if you are seeking free moorings for the week, or if you are happy to pay a tenner a night.

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Having only done this once, from Bourne End to Dukes Cut in November as fast as possible to dodge winter stoppages, can agree it’s totally unlike canals for mooring.

 

They all seem to want you to pay per night, and the quality varies from nicely concrete edged with rings to basically a crumbling edge of farmers field you can just about jump from the boat to the bank.

That said, being the end of November nobody turned up to ask for payment and we didn’t hang round to give it willingly.

 

Very nice scenery though

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 Mooring overnight is not a huge problem of itself - the challenge is that mooring near shops (etc) can be a problem as CMers grab most of the space. Leaving a boat unattended for more than two days can be risky.

Where there are short term moorings at locks these are not bookable in advance. There's more (but limited) information here:-

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/river-thames-locks-and-facilities-for-boaters#short-stay-mooring

 

If you need more security then a boatyard or small marina is your best bet - but it won't be cheap.

 

Anchoring "doesn't work" because the river bed is gravel and IME won't take hold and you'll need a big mudweight to stop the boat swinging. There's a good choice of potential moorings - but the CMers have got there first and the EA have given up the unequal struggle of moving them on. 

 

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1 hour ago, MtB said:

 

Broadly speaking, no. The Thames is not like the canals where you can just pitch up and moor randomly on the towpath. Booking into marinas etc is almost your only option. I've an idea there are a few EA moorings at locks but moorings on the Thames are (almost) never free. Expect to be charged £5 or £10 a night. 

 

Overnight mooring for free is not so hard if you are happy to stay on the boat. Just tie to an overhanging tree! 

We’ve just come onto the Thames this morning. Moorings at Iffley lock were signed as free for 24 hrs, then a charge after that. IIRC from our last trip about 5 years ago it is quite easy to get free overnight moorings above Henley. Henley and below you are likely to have to pay, and ditto for any “official” extended stay. As mentioned, longer stays other than “camping wild” are likely to be payable

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13 minutes ago, OldGoat said:

Anchoring "doesn't work" because the river bed is gravel and IME won't take hold

Did you not read above? I've anchored on many occasions along the non-tidal Thames and never dragged. Correctly position the rudder so the current pushes the stern towards the bank and use a mud weight or a kedge anchor for a belt and braces approach.

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Thanks all - this is super helpful stuff.

 

We will be travelling from the Brentford end and then ultimately onto the Oxford via Isis Lock. It’s the earliest bit of the trip that makes us most nervous, because we have some knowledge of the river from Oxford to Dukes Cut so know what we could potentially do.

 

As for the question around paying to moor, we are prepared to do that if 1) we have to realistically, and 2) it’s advantageous ie much safer etc

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2 hours ago, Boat afloat said:

Thanks for these replies - it’s not what we wanted to hear but sounds broadly in line with what we thought it might be like. 
 

we hoped there would be more towpath spots though where we could just tie up but that’s sounding challenging…

Thanks for that!!!!

 

when you say plenty of moorings at those locations like Richmond are they mooring spots on the towpath you mean? Are they typically 24 hours though or can be much longer?

Sorry I didn’t mean Richmond I meant Kingston. Say Abingdon is 3 days free. Others you’ll have to pay. Many you can moor up in fields with no charge (just before Wallingford bridge for example). Also some after Wallingford bridge but are under trees. I’d say upper Thames is mainly field moorings with no charge. Beware of the killer cows at Leachlade (those that know know!) 

Edited by Chris John
Typo
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2 minutes ago, Chris John said:

Many you can moor up in fields with no charge (just before Wallingford bridge for example.  


stupid question alert but how would you know when you stop? Is it just a matter of stopping and seeing if you get told to bugger off?

 

presumably those farmers who wish to charge will put signs up?

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7 minutes ago, Boat afloat said:


stupid question alert but how would you know when you stop? Is it just a matter of stopping and seeing if you get told to bugger off?

 

presumably those farmers who wish to charge will put signs up?

 

No, you are supposed to know that riparian owners own the bank and river bank and can charge you for mooring. If there are no signs I would suggest that you decline to pay unless you are either given a proper receipt/mooring ticket or the person asking shows decent identification.

 

There are official EA moorings at intervals where you can moor for 24 hours free. There are also council moorings where similar applies. These are normally signed. There are also plenty of no mooring sings, some backed up with a threat of a "fine" if you ignore it.

 

I normally only moored where it is signed as moorings plus the charge to be levied or where I knew no charge was made. Trouble is the EA got involved with a car parking control setup and also some riparian owners did the same and demanded you phone them even if you are only availing yourself of a free 24 hour mooring. I don't know the current position, but that was enough to persuade me that the Thames could be a very expensive place to cruise.

 

The free moorings tend to fill up, so a very early start and an early finish seems the best way to ensure a mooring where you what it. The CM's make this situation worse.

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I carry 2 small collapsible grappling anchors. Chucked into convenient bushes or even reeds, they mean mooring can be achieved pretty much anywhere, as long as you don't need to go ashore. If you do need to go ashore there are many fishing pegs where you can get a pin in, and anchor the other end as described above.

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4 minutes ago, billS said:

I carry 2 small collapsible grappling anchors. Chucked into convenient bushes or even reeds, they mean mooring can be achieved pretty much anywhere, as long as you don't need to go ashore. If you do need to go ashore there are many fishing pegs where you can get a pin in, and anchor the other end as described above.

 

 

But, but... the OP asked specifically about leaving the boat for a week or so. 

 

"Are there areas where leaving the boat for say a week is possible and again easy to find?"

 

 

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37 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

 

But, but... the OP asked specifically about leaving the boat for a week or so. 

 

"Are there areas where leaving the boat for say a week is possible and again easy to find?"

 

 

 

That's the bit that I think will be very difficult or exceptionally expensive. I think the Windsor/Eton moorings may be happy but a few years ago it was £8 a day, and the public have full access. I dread to think what a Thames marina would charge for a week's casual moorings. I think the OP should ring a few and ask for quotes. I suspect a number will not be geared up for narrow boats, so the length may be a limiting factor.

 

Edited to add. Caversham Boat Services in Reading have been happy to provide a week's mooring for my narrow boat at  a fair price, but access is by ferry during business hours. A big advantage is that it is within fairly easy walking distance of Reading station. I don't think they have parking though.

Edited by Tony Brooks
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27 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

That's the bit that I think will be very difficult or exceptionally expensive. I think the Windsor/Eton moorings may be happy but a few years ago it was £8 a day, and the public have full access. I dread to think what a Thames marina would charge for a week's casual moorings. I think the OP should ring a few and ask for quotes. I suspect a number will not be geared up for narrow boats, so the length may be a limiting factor.

 

 

Quite. The "leave the boat on a mooring somewhere for a week" thing seems to be getting ignored or glossed over by most contributors to the thread. I think the OP is in for a nasty shock on both cost and availability.

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2 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

 

Quite. The "leave the boat on a mooring somewhere for a week" thing seems to be getting ignored or glossed over by most contributors to the thread. I think the OP is in for a nasty shock on both cost and availability.

 Just edited my last post to pint them to Caversham Boat Services who have always accommodated our boat for a week or so at reasonable cost. As it is on an island it is also pretty secure.

1 minute ago, Tonka said:

Henley regatta moorings do a weekly rate

 

Seeing the rates for the Town moorings and as I think the Leander Club have let the moorings to a third party I dread to think what that would cost. Any idea?

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