Too small for Thames?

[swissarmywife]

Hello all,

 

I'm still picking my way through the interesting threads about boating in London because I'm hoping to get a shot at it later in the year, and I'm particularly interested in locking out at Limehouse and travelling up to Teddington.

 

What is beginning to worry me (apart from the usual stuff i.e. big boats, fast tides etc, etc) is the nagging doubt that my boat is TOO SMALL for the job. It's 33 foot. (I wouldn't be going any lower than Limehouse). Am I going to get into horrendous difficulties with waves? I've seen comments suggesting the longer your boat the better it can handle through the waves.

 

And I'm confused about what to do with deck drain holes. Open or Blocked off?

 

My wee craft has navigation lights and a full-length keel (welded over the flat-bottom construction, apparently, but I'm no expert here), so I'm guessing she's no stranger to a little bit of river. But is it up to this bit of the Thames?

 

Will I be tossed like a match?? Should I forget about it and go out at Brentford?

 

Susan

 

PS I'll be avoiding the Olympics.

[Springer Skipper]

I did the thames down tide to Limehouse in a 20 foot water bug ,bit of a struggle on the turn into Limehouse but all ok ,Go for it . My waterbug had a 9.9 hp outboard to push it so not a lot o excess power!Great fun just watch out for trip boats leaving piers in front of you,theres plenty of help on this forum.

[David Mack]

Hello all,

 

I'm still picking my way through the interesting threads about boating in London because I'm hoping to get a shot at it later in the year, and I'm particularly interested in locking out at Limehouse and travelling up to Teddington.

 

What is beginning to worry me (apart from the usual stuff i.e. big boats, fast tides etc, etc) is the nagging doubt that my boat is TOO SMALL for the job. It's 33 foot. (I wouldn't be going any lower than Limehouse). Am I going to get into horrendous difficulties with waves? I've seen comments suggesting the longer your boat the better it can handle through the waves.

 

And I'm confused about what to do with deck drain holes. Open or Blocked off?

 

My wee craft has navigation lights and a full-length keel (welded over the flat-bottom construction, apparently, but I'm no expert here), so I'm guessing she's no stranger to a little bit of river. But is it up to this bit of the Thames?

 

Will I be tossed like a match?? Should I forget about it and go out at Brentford?

 

Susan

 

PS I'll be avoiding the Olympics.

 

You should be fine. Butfor a first trip it might be better to do it in company - some insurers require this.

St. Pancras Cruising Club organise regular convoys on the tidal Thames.

[GUMPY]

I know your boat well

In fact I used to own it along with my Ex partner.

It has already been up the tidal rent but we never got to do Limehouse to Brentford, did Brentford to Teddington and back quite a few times.

We never blocked the drains as its far better for the water to be able to get out if it gets in.

Good little boat we had it from 1997 to 2002 and in that time covered most of the system is it really 10 years ago

 

Just been looking for a decent picture but cant find one....

[alan_fincher]

You will be fine, I'm sure.

 

One thing is that boats that are that kind of length just seem to look very small set against the scale of the Thames in Londin

 

[MtB]

I think the best possible advice is to do it with company. That way if you get into trouble the other boat is there to help you out on the spot.

 

Just my opinion, having never done Limehouse to Brentford.

 

Actually, mebbe later this year!

 

Fancy a cruise??!

[LEO]

Hi,

 

My wife and I went from Brentford to Limehouse in a 30ft NB, great fun and we got tossed about, particularly around Westminster Bridge and passing HMS Belfast.

 

The trip boats take no prisoners, meet the waves 'bow on'.

 

Had a fair bit of spray over the front of the boat so leave drain holes open.

 

Only regret - camera, a plastic bodied Panasonic suddenly developed a fault going through Tower Bridge and a battery short made it become so hot parts melted and it started smoking (it may have been nervous) so we had to ditch it there and then. It was a replacement - it's predecessor did the same.

 

My wife would not do the trip again.

 

Leo.

[blackrose]

You will be tossed about, but as long as your boat has some ballast it will always right itself. Judging by what Julian says the boat will be fine - it's generally the contents and the passengers that fare less well!

 

As others have said, do it in the company of another boat. If someone's engine fails or a prop gets fouled the other boat can give it a tow rather than dropping an anchor.

 

Keep the bow doors shut and the bow deck drain holes open and free from objects which could block them.

 

Print this out before you go.

 

http://www.waterscape.com/media/documents/33.pdf

 

Have someone standing next to the steerer who can keep a good lookout behind for fast approaching boats and can read out the instructions as you approach each bridge. It's like a step by step guide and makes the journey a bit less daunting for the first time.

Edited May 13, 2012 by blackrose

[Guest wanted]

If I did it I would go with somebody as Mike has said. The St Pancras Cruising club seem to do this trip and other intresting cruises fairly regularly so it might be worth getting it touch with them. In fact we were treated to the arrival of 16 boats in Brentford last night some of which were SPCC - I believe they were reherasing for the Queens Pagent as they had all but gone at about 7.15 this morning.

 

It was nice to see Brentford Island looking choca bloc with boats, 4 abreast in places!

 

[OldGoat]

Go up with the tide

ata a time when the trip boats are not running

 

The cats don't go all that far upstream - they are the ones that make the wash

After Lotts Road it's much quieter.

 

 

If you do meet a lot of wash - turn into it.

 

Mind the foul mouthed rowers.....

[blackrose]

If I did it I would go with somebody as Mike has said. The St Pancras Cruising club seem to do this trip and other intresting cruises fairly regularly so it might be worth getting it touch with them. In fact we were treated to the arrival of 16 boats in Brentford last night some of which were SPCC - I believe they were reherasing for the Queens Pagent as they had all but gone at about 7.15 this morning.

 

It was nice to see Brentford Island looking choca bloc with boats, 4 abreast in places!

 

 

When are you doing it then Rob? You can't live in Brentford all these years without a trip on the Thames through London on your own boat.

 

Go down the Paddington arm and Regents canal to Limehouse and come back upstream to Brentford. It's a great trip and you only really need a few days off work to do it.

[swissarmywife]

Yay! thanks for all the advice.

feeling really excited about it now.

 

...And Julian (hello), I will tray and upload some pics (when I get sorted with a photobucket account).I'd love to know more about where/what she's been up to in the past. We have bumped into one or two boaters in passing at locks etc who recognise her from old but I've never actually been able to have a conversation with anyone. She's still terrific. We've owned her three years now.

[Janet S]

You will be fine, I'm sure.

 

One thing is that boats that are that kind of length just seem to look very small set against the scale of the Thames in Londin

 

Resized to 61% (was 1024 x 768) - Click image to enlarge

 

 

Hey! That's us!!!

 

Go for it! We took Rosemary out from Limehouse and it was an experience not to be forgotten!

 

 

We travelled in company with another boat, which was immensely reassuring...that's Allan and Debbie on Keeping Up in front of us, with Alan taking the photo of me taking a photo of him!

 

It's an absolutely fabulous trip...you'll love it!

 

Janet

[ditchcrawler]

I know your boat well

 

 

Just been looking for a decent picture but cant find one....

I have one of a big brown dog on the rear steps.

[swissarmywife]

 

Edited May 13, 2012 by swissarmywife

[mykaskin]

 

You'll have no problems with that boat, it looks fairly decent in the bobbing stakes.

 

A lot of people have said to turn into the waves, but I usually find this more dangerous from a navigation standpoint, and make cause confusion with other boats. I found it made little difference with Shoestring (60 ft narrowboat with air cooled engine with slot less than a foot from WL), and so what is there is a little water splashed up the side, you ain't going to sink that way!

 

Cheers,

 

Mike

[GUMPY]

Ok first a couple of old pics

 

 

On the Basingstoke canal where SM just fitted under the low bridges

 

 

Moored at the end of the Aylesbury arm

 

Some details

SM was built by Davidson Brothers at Sawley, SM was one of four prototypes that were built to test the "cutwater" shape of hull which was later adopted by R&D as their standard. Davidsons built ferro cement narrowboats and the hull shape was derived from that design.

The reason for the keel is that when SM first went into the water she was directionally unstable and wandered all over the cut because of the shallow draft so the box keel was added to cure this.

 

Its a good little boat and very capable assuming that the systems are the same as when we had her. We re-proped her and added the Eber heating it was gas heating before that.

SM was used by us as a weekend and holiday boat whilst I lived on my boat Idleness, we used to leave our moorings at Marswoth in April and return in October leaving her round the system at AWCC clubs during the week and boating at weekends.

 

As for where we went there is really to much to list but some notable bits Tidal River Trent up from Keadby to Cromwell, River Severn when the level was up 2ft when we left Diglis and we got shouted at by the lock keeper at Stourport as he said we shouldn't have been out on the river.

[swissarmywife]

OMG, that boat looks familiar!

Thanks so much for the pics and info.

 

Coming up the Trent to Keadby is a trip we'd hope to do one day as we live only a few miles from Keadby. The boat is moored at Crick, where we bought her in '09 (a long way from home), so we're very slowly exploring the southern/mid reaches of the network first. The day job just keeps getting in the way!

 

Mooring with the AWCC sounds like the perfect way to fit more exploring in when working around a job.

 

Thanks again, and to everyone else too for the good advice.

[Naughty Cal]

OMG, that boat looks familiar!

Thanks so much for the pics and info.

 

Coming up the Trent to Keadby is a trip we'd hope to do one day as we live only a few miles from Keadby. The boat is moored at Crick, where we bought her in '09 (a long way from home), so we're very slowly exploring the southern/mid reaches of the network first. The day job just keeps getting in the way!

 

Mooring with the AWCC sounds like the perfect way to fit more exploring in when working around a job.

 

Thanks again, and to everyone else too for the good advice.

 

Thats down the Trent not up it

[swissarmywife]

Thats down the Trent not up it

 

 

I go 'up' in a northerly direction and 'down' to the south. I need to go up the Trent as I go down it and 'down' to London as I go up.

[Guest wanted]

When are you doing it then Rob? You can't live in Brentford all these years without a trip on the Thames through London on your own boat.

 

Go down the Paddington arm and Regents canal to Limehouse and come back upstream to Brentford. It's a great trip and you only really need a few days off work to do it.

Definitely will. We have just replaced the starter motor and blocking diode on our boat, the injectors are being done next week and..... This evening I took the exhaust wrap off because I had what I thought was a small hole and a chunk of silencer dropped out and the pipe steered off! So, all this work is being done with the Thames in mind, but it's getting a bit pricey! Charlotte has another months work and has agreed to get it done so fingers crossed we will get out of here this summer!

[nigel carton]

Definitely will. We have just replaced the starter motor and blocking diode on our boat, the injectors are being done next week and..... This evening I took the exhaust wrap off because I had what I thought was a small hole and a chunk of silencer dropped out and the pipe steered off! So, all this work is being done with the Thames in mind, but it's getting a bit pricey! Charlotte has another months work and has agreed to get it done so fingers crossed we will get out of here this summer!

Having covered 'most' of the system, there are a few missing links for me to do. Limehouse to Brentford being one of them, so if you need a galley slave when you do this Rob, count me in!!!

[Guest wanted]

Having covered 'most' of the system, there are a few missing links for me to do. Limehouse to Brentford being one of them, so if you need a galley slave when you do this Rob, count me in!!!

Will do Nige, I would defo need a hand!