Advice about Thames..thank you

[Bobbybass]

Hi fellow boaters. My wife and I are planning a long summer trip from our mooring near Rugby. The plan is to travel down the Grand Union, onto the Thames at Brentford...progressing upstream and finally returning on the Oxford. We are hoping to spend maybe...a month...on the Thames itself. I know we have to purchase a license for that...and I have marine VHF / license. My main question is mooring on the Thames. We took a walk down near Richmond lock a while back...and it was evident that you couldn't just 'turn up'..and park. There were also no banks you could tie to and then was the 'small matter'...of the tide !!. Could any of you kind people give advice on this ?. Should we phone/ book ahead each time we move ?. I wouldn't like to get stuck one night with nowhere to go. Thank you for your ...anticipated..kind responses. Bob.

[sueb]

Hi fellow boaters. My wife and I are planning a long summer trip from our mooring near Rugby. The plan is to travel down the Grand Union, onto the Thames at Brentford...progressing upstream and finally returning on the Oxford. We are hoping to spend maybe...a month...on the Thames itself. I know we have to purchase a license for that...and I have marine VHF / license. My main question is mooring on the Thames. We took a walk down near Richmond lock a while back...and it was evident that you couldn't just 'turn up'..and park. There were also no banks you could tie to and then was the 'small matter'...of the tide !!. Could any of you kind people give advice on this ?. Should we phone/ book ahead each time we move ?. I wouldn't like to get stuck one night with nowhere to go. Thank you for your ...anticipated..kind responses. Bob.

You need to phone Brentford lock to book your passagr. You will be let out at the correct time for the tide. You then cruise to Teddington in one go and hover around if necesary till let into lock. From then on there is no problem with tides. Plenty of moorings at Teddington and you will find moorings the rest of the trip although you may have to pay.

The Nicholsons Thames guide is the one we use.

Sue

[alan_fincher]

We have just done it in the other direction, Oxford to Brentford, at Easter.

 

We had absolutely no problem finding moorings, either overnight, or to stop to shop or dine.

 

The question of paying did not arise.

 

Mind you this was Easter, not high summer.

 

As Sue says tides only apply to Brentford to Teddington, and as the usual aim is to just shoot through that bit swiftly on the tide, (it's only about 5 miles), stopping doesn't really come in to it.

 

As I understand it VHF will be of little use if you are not going further downriver than Brentford. I seem to recall seeing that Teddington lockies don't have it, for example, but I may have got that wrong.

 

It's much easier getting on to a mooring against the flow of the river, so you will be going the right way not to need to do a 180 degree turn to point upstream. My advice is to make sure that someone is off with a rope at the front asap, because otherwise if there is a strong flow your nose quickly gets taken away from the bank, and it all becomes more fraught. If that happens simply do a full 360 turn on the river, and try again, rather than fighting to recover the original error.

 

Have fun - if you are used to canals, then it's a bit different.

[mrsmelly]

Hi fellow boaters. My wife and I are planning a long summer trip from our mooring near Rugby. The plan is to travel down the Grand Union, onto the Thames at Brentford...progressing upstream and finally returning on the Oxford. We are hoping to spend maybe...a month...on the Thames itself. I know we have to purchase a license for that...and I have marine VHF / license. My main question is mooring on the Thames. We took a walk down near Richmond lock a while back...and it was evident that you couldn't just 'turn up'..and park. There were also no banks you could tie to and then was the 'small matter'...of the tide !!. Could any of you kind people give advice on this ?. Should we phone/ book ahead each time we move ?. I wouldn't like to get stuck one night with nowhere to go. Thank you for your ...anticipated..kind responses. Bob.

 

Hi

 

As far as rivers go the Thames is a pussycat, it does have its moments though and can rise and fall quickly during the " Rainy season " The further up you go the more plentiful the moorings and as the big slum at the bottom end of the river is left far behind the Thames is very rural but also very twisty and can be shallow. Go past Oxford and up to Lechlade its not far and well worth the trip. Have a ggod one.

[ditchcrawler]

You need to phone Brentford lock to book your passagr. You will be let out at the correct time for the tide. You then cruise to Teddington in one go and hover around if necesary till let into lock. From then on there is no problem with tides. Plenty of moorings at Teddington and you will find moorings the rest of the trip although you may have to pay.

The Nicholsons Thames guide is the one we use.

Sue

The first good mooring in my oppinion is right outside Hampton Court, I can't remember if its 24 or 48hr but its free

 

Hi

 

As far as rivers go the Thames is a pussycat, it does have its moments though and can rise and fall quickly during the " Rainy season " The further up you go the more plentiful the moorings and as the big slum at the bottom end of the river is left far behind the Thames is very rural but also very twisty and can be shallow. Go past Oxford and up to Lechlade its not far and well worth the trip. Have a ggod one.

I would go along with that, Lechade is lovely in my opinion, mooring on the field. While there go up to the entrance to the Thames and Severn canal, plenty of room to wind.

[sueb]

The first good mooring in my oppinion is right outside Hampton Court, I can't remember if its 24 or 48hr but its free

 

 

I would go along with that, Lechade is lovely in my opinion, mooring on the field. While there go up to the entrance to the Thames and Severn canal, plenty of room to wind.

A visit to the Christmas shop is a must.

Sue

[CRAGGY]

Hi,as said the thames above teddington is a different animal to below.The lock keepers will insist on shutting down your engine when you have your ropes(stern and bow)ready.Plenty of 24hr environment agency free mooring,and plenty of rabbits at cookham,regards Malcolm

[Proper Job]

You need to phone Brentford lock to book your passagr. You will be let out at the correct time for the tide. You then cruise to Teddington in one go and hover around if necesary till let into lock. From then on there is no problem with tides. Plenty of moorings at Teddington and you will find moorings the rest of the trip although you may have to pay.

The Nicholsons Thames guide is the one we use.

Sue

I've never had to 'hover' at Teddington. You might have to wait at Richmond for the sluice gates to open (unless you pay to go through the lock). Once Richmond is open, Teddington will be ready when you get there.

 

Mooring is never usually a problem, but the popular spots tend to get busy by mid afternoon. There is always some where to moor out in the countryside.

 

As per previous posters. Make time for the Thames above Oxford and a trip up to Lechlade (and beyond if your feeling brave . It's by far the best part of the river.

[Berty]

I've never had to 'hover' at Teddington. You might have to wait at Richmond for the sluice gates to open (unless you pay to go through the lock).

 

Pay to go through Richmond lock? I've never heard of that, but I haven't been through for a while... Who did you have to pay, and how much?

 

Cheers,

Berty

[Keeping Up]

I thought it was free for private craft these days?

[Ads]

Ive never had to pay going from Teddington to Brentford and ive done that run a few times this year infact im going through there this Sat.

 

theres now a massive mooring area above the lock but just before you go into the lock as said you will have to hover about till they let you in.

 

Ads

[mark99]

What about the situation with waterborne rubbish these days?

 

An incoming tide could maybe bring loads of prop fouling bags and other such things to catch the unwary out.

 

TIA

 

Mark

[alan_fincher]

What about the situation with waterborne rubbish these days?

 

An incoming tide could maybe bring loads of prop fouling bags and other such things to catch the unwary out.

 

TIA

 

Mark

I can't say we saw any significant debris on the Thames, and certainly nothing I recall on the tidal stretch from Teddington to Brentford.

 

However on the Grand Union from Brentford up to Bull's Bridge and beyond...... No comment !

[saltysplash]

Dont bother with trying to moor between brentford and teddington, You may be able to find a mooring bouy or two but you'd have to check with the PLA for authorisation to use them also the landing stages should be kept clear for trip boats unless you have an emergency. Stop overnight on the EA moorings above teddington lock or if still early in the day, plod on to Kingston or Hampton Court.

[WJM]

The BW Thames Lock at Brentford; you do not need to pre-book during the summer. It is manned two hours either side of the top of the tide from April to October. Booking is only required in winter.

 

Richmond Lock is free, there was a charge a few years back but use of the lock is now free. That said, the tidal weir is lifted up out of the river two hours either side of high water, exactly when Thames Lock Brentford is open - so boats coming out of Brentford will almost always find the weir raised so they ignore the lock and pass under the weir.

 

VHF is not required when going from Brentford to Teddington. It is no harm to have for an emergency but it is not a requirement. Make sure you have an anchor though, you will be travelling on a very strong tidal flow and a drifting boat would be dangerous.

 

There are good moorings directly above Teddington Lock, at Kingston opposite the town and at Hampton Court. Generally, mooring is not a problem on the Thames, you will always get a spot. The Thames at Richmond is tidal so not at all representative of the rest of the river. The tidal range is big and it is a pig of a place to moor.

[Hairy-Neil]

Ive never had to pay going from Teddington to Brentford

 

I have. Working boats pay a toll to Port of London Authority. It's collected on their behalf by the lock keepers at Teddington.

[Ads]

I can't say we saw any significant debris on the Thames, and certainly nothing I recall on the tidal stretch from Teddington to Brentford.

 

However on the Grand Union from Brentford up to Bull's Bridge and beyond...... No comment !

 

 

Haha! i hate that bit so much rubbish and weed. had to open my weed hatch four times i last went up there!

 

Ads

[Chubby Chaser]

Don't mess about. Go for the full Monty and get onto the Thames at Limehouse. You'll need to book moorings at Limehouse unless you moor against the wall. Tide considerations apply when you go out onto the Thames, but you'll find the lock keeprs very helpful.

 

Here are some links:

 

http://www.the-river-thames.co.uk/riverthames.htm

http://www.teddington-lock.co.uk/page_1149710270562.html

http://www.pla.co.uk/display_fixedpage.cfm/id/867

 

The lock keepers put together a very useful guide for travelling upstream and downstream on the tidal section. Might be worth giving Teddington Lock a call.

 

If you are really up for it, then have a look at the St Pancras Cruising Club site: http://www.stpancrascc.co.uk/home.html

[Charlie Breakfast]

We are hoping to spend maybe...a month...on the Thames itself. My main question is mooring on the Thames.

 

Hi

 

Its been a few years since i went on the Thames but I would suggest the following.

 

Never had a problem finding somewhere to stop but sometimes I did begin to wonder.

 

Mooring up in awkward and out of the way places can get you away from the crowds. We have moored to trees and also anchored overnight (anchor front mud weight back).

 

Avoid mooring overnight where the trip boats run disco cruises past you! Locky should be able to tell you where they cruise..

 

PUT an anchor out when moored to the bank . If a rascal casts you off you wont go far. Helps you sleep at night !

 

Mooring up on some of the small uninhabited islands in the middle reaches is great fun.

 

The river upstream of Oxford is fab.. best bit I think! Go to Lechlade and push on up past Lechlade for the last mile or so.

 

A month on the Thames might get boring , the Wey and first bit of the K&A are worth a visit . The Wey will cost extra ...but not a lot and its a great 4 day side trip.

 

Unlike canals ....tourist towns and some farmers charge for mooring . Going for a month this might add up if you keep stopping at places like Henley . Also places like Hampton court get very full ...turn up at 12 noon for best chance of mooring!

 

If I was going for a month I think I would stop everytime I saw a good spot... otherwise you could easily get up the Thames in a week.

 

Some (well there were) really superb restaurants with moorings ... if money is no object check them out...agree a reserved mooring and turn up for lunch..It will cost but its a lovely experiance ... from memory the one at marlow overlooking the weir was pretty good ... but things do change.

 

Hope this helps

 

Chas

[blackrose]

Hi

 

As far as rivers go the Thames is a pussycat,

Its a different story if you head east through London though. Try the entrance to limehouse and you might change your mind. I almost didn't make it in last Sunday.