Thames conditions

[lydfordcastle]

All of the thames locks are displaying RED boards at present,this has been the case for the last 2 days.

 

Yes I know that ; why are you shouting at me?

[Jim Batty]

Just spent two cold and windy nights on a Le Boat Caprice at Benson waiting in vain for slacker water before abandoning ship and returning home to Rugby. Le Boat won't allow you to take a boat out in either of the Yellow alert states, ...

 

Interesting. We're in Windsor and the current is terrific - never seen anything like it. The speed at which all the floating stuff passes by us (entire stumps, huge tree limbs, 4x8 foot section of Windsor Racecourse's sign, footballs, bottles, ...) the current seems faster than any narrowboat normally travels, so must be at least 6mph.

 

The ONLY boats going by are the wide hire cruisers from Caversham's in Reading with engines running full tilt, billowing blue smoke, creeping slowly slowly upstream. Oh, and the Windsor tour boats, crabbing all over the place as they go under the rail bridge, carrying an average of 3 tourists each.

[AJLintern]

If you see my Trek bike bottle go past could you hook it out for me? I lost it in Abingdon at the weekend so will probably be at Windsor by now

[cereal tiller]

Interesting. We're in Windsor and the current is terrific - never seen anything like it. The speed at which all the floating stuff passes by us (entire stumps, huge tree limbs, 4x8 foot section of Windsor Racecourse's sign, footballs, bottles, ...) the current seems faster than any narrowboat normally travels, so must be at least 6mph.

 

The ONLY boats going by are the wide hire cruisers from Caversham's in Reading with engines running full tilt, billowing blue smoke, creeping slowly slowly upstream. Oh, and the Windsor tour boats, crabbing all over the place as they go under the rail bridge, carrying an average of 3 tourists each.

The caversham boats may have a 'pilot' on board,there is /was a scheme where a 'qualified'person(usually a member of staff from the hire base) would steer the boat from one location to another.

 

The pilots usually wear a red bandolier thing over their jackets.

 

I think you are right about the speed of the thames,i keep my narrowboat in windsor and have never seen it go as fast as it has done for the last few days.

[Martin Megson]

Chatting to the Shepperton lock keeper, where I am currently resident, he thinks it should start dropping tomorrow. I hope so as I need to make Windsor by Friday to meet my brother and would really like to move up to Chertsey tomorrow as I am getting low on water.

[Tonka]

ceral tiller is correct abou Thames Flood pilots. I have been one

[cereal tiller]

Chatting to the Shepperton lock keeper, where I am currently resident, he thinks it should start dropping tomorrow. I hope so as I need to make Windsor by Friday to meet my brother and would really like to move up to Chertsey tomorrow as I am getting low on water.

My guess is that the river will peak overnight,the level wont drop markedly till thurs,yellow boards wont re-appear till friday.

 

.more rain is forecast,so dont lose patience.

 

am sure your friendly lock-keeper could find you some water?

[RichardN]

I checked on the boat this afternoon and adjusted ropes, prompted by helpful messages from the boat behind us. We are at Wallingford and the river has risen dramatically - when we moored the enclosure round our cruiser stern was below the bank, now the water level is knee deep above the bank. Water seems a little slower but still running at just over 2 mph (a branch takes 17 seconds to go the length of our 60' boat). I may need a wet suit to get to the boat next time.

 

Driving up the water level above Goring Lock was only raised by perhaps 150mm, below it looked like it was up by several feet. The river looked very wide at Pangbourne but with gentle flow, the weir below looked really fierce.

[Phlea]

I can vouch for the Goring situation as I'm moored just below the lock- I reckon it's risen another six inches between me checking it at 6pm and again at 1030pm. It'll be over the towpath by tomorrow I think. Must be up three or four feet overall and running so so fast. I reckon we've now missed the opportunity to get the boats safely in the lock which was what was being mooted this morning. I'm considering going to stay onboard from tomorrow so I can keep an eye on it as it may be inaccessible soon! Scary stuff.

[annaschu]

Am moored (I hope) at Sonning, was unable to get to boat on Sunday night, thankfully another boat owner tied up there adjusted my ropes for me - another example of how wonderful our community can be - wasn't able to get back yesterday so hoping that all held when I venture back at lunchtime. River was already up on the footpath on Monday so fingers very crossed that I won't find her down at Shiplake or on Uri Gellars front lawn. Scary stuff, that'll teach me to leave those canals!

[RichardN]

Well it was nice and sunny yesterday in Wallingford (note carpentry in progress)

http://indigodream.wordpress.com/?attachment_id=13307

 

 

When we moored our deck surround was below the bank, the bank now has knee high water (and stinging nettles so note to self: Bare foot is not a good idea, they sting more venomously under water!)

 

http://indigodream.wordpress.com/?attachment_id=13306

 

This site is a little comforting: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/3days/125305.aspx

 

You can get to see the downstream lock levels on the EA site. This is Benson so the lock immediately above us. It looks like it is levelling out but it still rose a bit over night

[Phlea]

Thankfully no higher in Goring this morning. A fair old bit of rain due tonight though...

[Chris-B]

Thankfully no higher in Goring this morning. A fair old bit of rain due tonight though...

 

Definitely topped out at Caversham, checked this morning and the levels are the same as yesterday

hopefully starting to go down a bit soon, the water is rushing down the backwater at Sonning keeping the Mills turbine spinning !!!

Chris-B

[alan_fincher]

The pilots usually wear a red bandolier thing over their jackets.

I thought they were pirates, not pilots.

[cereal tiller]

I thought they were pirates, not pilots.

Yes,am sure that some of them are retired pirates,they have been seen moving holiday boats with parrots on their shoulders and swigging rum from a cask.

 

[Proper Job]

Yes,am sure that some of them are retired pirates,they have been seen moving holiday boats with parrots on their shoulders and swigging rum from a cask.

 

Retired Pirates?

 

Most of them round our neck of the woods seem way to young to have retired .

 

There must be rich pickings on the canals

[OldGoat]

Definitely topped out at Caversham, checked this morning and the levels are the same as yesterday

hopefully starting to go down a bit soon, the water is rushing down the backwater at Sonning keeping the Mills turbine spinning !!!

Chris-B

 

 

[Anorak On]

 

I thought the turbines were at Mapledurham?

 

Are there turbines at Sonning as well?? Just interested.

 

 

 

[Anorak Off]

[Bunny]

The lock moorings at Caversham went down about 6ins yesterday, went up 6ins between 2.30am and 4.30am this morning, so back where we started. The lockie warned us that the water would be coming up again overnight, hence checking ropes in the early hours. Bunny

[Steilsteven]

[Anorak On]

 

I thought the turbines were at Mapledurham?

 

Are there turbines at Sonning as well?? Just interested.

 

 

 

[Anorak Off]

 

The Mill Theatre at Sonning receives it's electricity via a turbine installed in the mill race, didn't know there was one at Mapledurham but there's also one at Romney Lock which supplies Windsor Castle.

 

Keith

[cereal tiller]

The Mill Theatre at Sonning receives it's electricity via a turbine installed in the mill race, didn't know there was one at Mapledurham but there's also one at Romney Lock which supplies Windsor Castle.

 

Keith

Not yet,the turbines are installed,but they are not producing power ,there have been delays and confusion regarding the cable conecting them to the castle.

 

The turbines are capable of producing one quarter of the castle's power requirements

[Tonka]

You are referring to the new turbines but sailsteven is referring to the old turbine which is upstream of romney lock on the left. EA often have a launch in the cut

[Phlea]

How long given no more heavy rain should it take for the river to return to navigable conditions? Days? A couple of weeks? I need to plan a trip away but can't go anywhere at the moment!!!

[rodgarrish]

Levels here below Shepperton lock were down a couple of inches yesterday morning but gradually went up during the day. They are, however, down on the peak when the the water was about three inches over the bank behind Desborough Island. This AM they are still at the same level as last night. The lock keeper said that they are hoping to get to amber boards for the weekend, but was unsure of that.

 

I would think it unlikely, we arrived her last Saturday and cabin fever has taken a firm hold, fortunately we have a large water tank, and we can walk the Elsan cassette up to the lock. Looking at water levels on the EA site, can't see much improvement, but this is my first experience of red boards.

[cereal tiller]

How long given no more heavy rain should it take for the river to return to navigable conditions? Days? A couple of weeks? I need to plan a trip away but can't go anywhere at the moment!!!

Usually 3 days after heavy rain the yellow boards appear.

 

The longest period i can recall was 5 days after rainfall ceased.

 

Still running at 5 mph in windsor,same level as it has been since the beginning of this week.

[AJLintern]

Was higher in Abingdon yesterday evening than the same time the previous day. Takes a while for all the streams to drain down into the Thames so expect it to be pretty high for a while yet.