The Thames - 'strong stream' red boards

[dmr]

Yea I had a look on web Iffley closes on the 1st and Abingdon the 5th with Whitchurch.

 

Do you have a mooring on the K&A?

I'm wanting to winter down there to work on the boat. Any ideas for a reasonably priced marina that I can use on an 'on and off' kind of basis. Maybe near Devises?

I used Alvecote, in Tamworth , in the early summer. Ideal for coming and going and paying only when I used it.

I'll still cruise about and explore the k&a but a safe base to leave a boat would be useful.

I might put this out on another topic. It seems there are a few who like to head there for the winter.

 

Glenn

 

We will "continuously cruise" the K&A for the winter, with maybe a little bit of "bridge hopping". Its fine as long as you don't take the Pss

 

The best marina to use is probably the new Caan Hill Marina at the bottom of Devizes flight. Its filling up but they may still have space available on a casual basis. Cheapish diesel and coal too. However like many places they may limit what type of work you can do on the boat..nothing major and external!

There are indeed quite a few boats who head back to the K&A every winter (and even more who never leave it). We find the people on the K&A to be more friendly and tolerant than anywhere else, just a shame about the price of beer!

 

There is also a closure on the K&A from the 5th so you really should be onto the K&A by the 3rd.

 

Dave

 

PS you shared Cherwell weir lock with us!

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

We will "continuously cruise" the K&A for the winter, with maybe a little bit of "bridge hopping". Its fine as long as you don't take the Pss

 

The best marina to use is probably the new Caan Hill Marina at the bottom of Devizes flight. Its filling up but they may still have space available on a casual basis. Cheapish diesel and coal too. However like many places they may limit what type of work you can do on the boat..nothing major and external!

There are indeed quite a few boats who head back to the K&A every winter (and even more who never leave it). We find the people on the K&A to be more friendly and tolerant than anywhere else, just a shame about the price of beer!

 

There is also a closure on the K&A from the 5th so you really should be onto the K&A by the 3rd.

 

Dave

 

PS you shared Cherwell weir lock with us!

 

 

 

Ah ha! I was keeping an eye out for you

I saw you pull in at thrupp

I guessed you'd turned off at duke cut because I didn't see you down here at the end of the canal.

Edited October 22, 2012 by Goliath

[Proper Job]

Blimy....... It was all go at Thrupp at the weekend

 

Sounds like most of the Forum were either holed up in Tawny Owl for the weekend or passing through Thrupp

[Starcoaster]

I missed you yesterday. It wasn't until you'd gone past that I realised it was you (or not as the case may be). I was expecting to have seen you a lot earlier

 

We crossed path's about a mile below Allens lock (Upper Heyford). Must have been about mid afternoon. I was expecting to see both of you, but you were obviously inside in the warm leaving Mike to himself on the stern. We were stern to stern before my brain registered the boat name.

 

You did we to get to Banbury before dark

 

Hmm I can't think where I would have been at that point, I did most of the steering yesterday afternoon! (It's generally in the mornings that I'm to be found inside, hogging the whole bed in the warm while MB grumbles about having to get going. )

 

Tesla, we only got round the corner to the tearooms after seeing you when I spotted Maffi and we stopped off for tea, cake, and a game of engine meerkats... (That's what I call it when people hear the K1 and pop out of boats left and right and wander over).

We ended up leaving it running while we went to the cafe!

[Tesla]

Tesla, we only got round the corner to the tearooms after seeing you when I spotted Maffi and we stopped off for tea, cake, and a game of engine meerkats... (That's what I call it when people hear the K1 and pop out of boats left and right and wander over).

We ended up leaving it running while we went to the cafe!

 

so you cruised 50 yards from pub to cafe!

[Proper Job]

so you cruised 50 yards from pub to cafe!

Can't knock'em for that

[Tesla]

I'm not, I think it is a damn good plan....

[Starcoaster]

Yeah, you'd be amazed at how long it takes us to get anywhere... MB's a terrible washerwoman, he never shuts up, I keep having to chivvy him along to get going... I know Cath Fincher has the same problem with Alan.

[JDR]

Interesting story on YBW Thames forum-in the last week a narrowboat travelling late at night passed through Sonning, was unable to find a mooring and preceeded to Shiplake. For reasons unknown the boat ended up stuck above the weir in a strong flow.Luckily the resident lockie was alerted, the sluices by the boat shut down and the boat successfully recovered. To me as a single handed boater the lockies are amazing, I'll never forget approaching my first Thames lock after Teddington on a windy day and the ear to ear grin when the gates opened without any need to moor and I was greeted by a friendly and helpful lockie.The lock keepers are the Thames to me, it would be a very shortsighted body that reduced their numbers.

[kremmen]

I understand that it was travelling very late ( after 10 pm ) and that the fire ambulance and police all.turned up at Sonning before being re directed to shiplake . As an aside it appears that a visitors licence was bought some time after the incident which may account for the late running.

[Serenity Malc]

Yello,

 

 

The Thames Lockies are on the whole excellent fellows and very accommodating. Quite a few volenteers though, which I can't help but think may pressure their job security.

 

 

Many thanks for the email Keith ..

 

 

Malc.

Edited October 23, 2012 by Serenity Malc

[Whitewater]

Much of the upper Thames is on red boards at the moment.

 

From the EA site:

"Caution strong stream" We advise users of all boats not to navigate because the strong flows make it difficult and dangerous.

 

The first thing I always want to know is what speed the 'strong stream' is running at? What is the actual speed of the current? This is important to me as the owner of a low-powered and slow NB! Unfortunately the EA website never says, and lock keepers never seem to know either. They only seem able to talk in terms of 'levels', and whether the river is 'level' or not, and how drawn their weirs are...

 

Walking along the towpath downstream at Goring yesterday showed the current to be roughly the same as the fastest I can walk, striding along very smartly, as I could just about keep up with bits of debris floating down the river. 4mph perhaps.

 

To me, the volume of water passing over each weir would give a very good indication of the likely speed of the current, . I'm sure the volume passing over each weir must be known, but is it published anywhere? Does anyone know?

 

Thanks.

 

Mike

Mike you can only work out the speed of the water, depending on where you are. The speed of the water is faster on the outside of a corner than then inside. The Strong Stream Boards are put out depending on the amount of weir tackle pulled at the weir. On average with most weirs on the Thames the Strong Stream Conditions come out when approx 50% total weir tackle is pulled. You can use the volumetric flow rate found on the webiste to calaculate an average speed. The other consideration are you insuranced for Strong Stream Conditions, also don't want to stand up in coroners court and try and explain what happened,to many close calls( Pics of boat stuck on weir on the Nene).