Mooring on the Thames

[bpboat]

Hi

Can one moor for free on the Thames - eg around Maidenhead - Cookham sort of area? And if not, what happens if you do moor for longer than you're supposed to? Does anyone know please? Eg for a narrow boat about 15m long.

Thanks.

Edited May 8, 2013 by bpboat

[NickF]

I am not sure about the specific area you ask about but we went from Limehouse to Oxford a year ago and only paid for only one night (at Teddington Lock) The rest of the time we were either on official free moorings or more often on "rough moorings" on the Thames Path side of the river where we could find a spot to get close enough in. We normally managed to put at least one rope onto something secure like a tree but on at least one night just moored on pins.

I am sure others will reply soon with more specifics!

Have a great time!

Nick

[Grace and Favour]

Hi

Can one moor for free on the Thames - eg around Maidenham - Crookham sort of area? And if not, what happens if you do moor for longer than you're supposed to? Does anyone know please? Eg for a narrow boat about 15m long.

Thanks.

How long are you planning to moor there?

 

Days / weeks?

[bpboat]

Just planning to moor for a few days at a time, then moving on. Have a month's licence but will be using the boat mostly just at the weekends.

What about the Environment Agengy - do they come round?

[blackrose]

Officially it's 24 hours on any free mooring, but it's very unlikely that the EA will bother you if you stay longer. Apart from a few notable places such as Teddington there isn't a great deal of abuse or flouting of the rules so the EA generally turn a blind eye and for the most part this attitude seems to work for everyone and there isn't a big problem of continuous moorers. Perhaps it's different in Oxford, I'm not sure.

 

Anyway, for a few days at a time you don't even need to worry. Enjoy it, the Thames is fantastic.

[bpboat]

That sounds good news! Thanks to all three of you for your replies.

[OldGoat]

Hi

Can one moor for free on the Thames - eg around Maidenham - Crookham sort of area? And if not, what happens if you do moor for longer than you're supposed to? Does anyone know please? Eg for a narrow boat about 15m long.

Thanks.

 

 

Umm - is that a spelling error - or somewhere I don't know about - not being silly:-

Maidenham could be Maidenhead or Medmenham (as it happens). Both actually have charging schemes in effect - and quite pricey at that, just to avoid anything but overnight moorings.

 

Crookham - I assume you mean Cookham, again there are charges as well!

 

It is not physically possible to moor in the above locations apart from the chargeable bits (shallows, other people's property etc)

 

Either which way, IT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA to leave any boat unattended / unmonitored on the Thames as the rive level can change markedly quite quickly. Several boats have sunk / been carried over weirs and damaged in recent years.

Of course it could be a magic year with no rainfall...

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

There are some lovely islands to moor on below Cookhams Lock.

Very quite, and just lovely.

Free of charge.

I think they're called cookham islands.

 

About 10 mins cruise below cookham lock.

 

 

 

Just to add:

Ask the lock keepers for their local knowledge.

They are very helpful and know their stuff.

Edited May 8, 2013 by Goliath

[OldGoat]

Whoops - can't edit my post above (why not??)

 

There are NO EA moorings in any of the above locations; the banksides are owned by various riparian owners, e.g. Maidenhead council, Cookham parish council.

 

[bpboat]

Sorry, I clearly wasn't concentrating when I typed the question - yes I meant Maidenhead and Cookham not Maidenham & Crookham!

I've edited the original post now.

Again, thanks for your replies - all useful info.

[blackrose]

Either which way, IT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA to leave any boat unattended / unmonitored on the Thames as the rive level can change markedly quite quickly. Several boats have sunk / been carried over weirs and damaged in recent years.

Of course it could be a magic year with no rainfall...

 

I moored on the Thames for nearly 3 years. Water levels don't change that quickly and as long as you moor sensibly you should be fine - unless it happens to be at a time of major rainfall - in which case many other moorers will be in the same situation, including some of those who've paid.

[OldGoat]

There are some lovely islands to moor on below Cookhams Lock.

Very quite, and just lovely.

Free of charge.

I think they're called cookham islands.

 

About 10 mins cruise below cookham lock.

 

 

 

Just to add:

Ask the lock keepers for their local knowledge.

They are very helpful and know their stuff.

 

 

The Islands are owned by the National Trust - who don't collect mooring fees anymore (not cost effective), BUT they might take exception to you leaving your boat there unattended. Anyway how would you propose to get ashore?

Swim, take a dinghy??

[blackrose]

 

 

The Islands are owned by the National Trust - who don't collect mooring fees anymore (not cost effective), BUT they might take exception to you leaving your boat there unattended. Anyway how would you propose to get ashore?

Swim, take a dinghy??

Lots of people moor on those islands. Whether one leaves a boat unattended or not is not likely to concern anyone, but as you mentioned, access is a problem unless you have a dinghy.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

 

 

The Islands are owned by the National Trust - who don't collect mooring fees anymore (not cost effective), BUT they might take exception to you leaving your boat there unattended. Anyway how would you propose to get ashore?

Swim, take a dinghy??

It is an option.

If, like me, your narrowboat has all it's provisions.

Then an over night stop on an island is a lovely idea.

The OP mentioned cookham.

So I thought I'd suggest cookham islands.

[ditchcrawler]

It is an option.

If, like me, your narrowboat has all it's provisions.

Then an over night stop on an island is a lovely idea.

The OP mentioned cookham.

So I thought I'd suggest cookham islands.

I thought the OP had bought a months licence but was only spending weekends on board.

There use to be a free bit below Marlow but I can't remember the time restrictions. Also Maidenhead use to be free but its 5 years since I have been on the Thames.

Like others, I wouldn't want to leave a boat on pins in the bank for a few days on the Thames,I would want rings or bollards.

Edited May 8, 2013 by ditchcrawler

[Scholar Gypsy]

I think the moorings just downstream of Maidenhead Railway Bridge ("north" bank) are free, and a good bank. I agree with comments above about moorings in Cliveden Reach - magical!

[Scholar Gypsy]

I would commend the pontoon moorings at Gravesend - photo from this weekend's trip below.

 

 

[Lady Muck]

I thought the OP had bought a months licence but was only spending weekends on board.

There use to be a free bit below Marlow but I can't remember the time restrictions. Also Maidenhead use to be free but its 5 years since I have been on the Thames.

Like others, I wouldn't want to leave a boat on pins in the bank for a few days on the Thames,I would want rings or bollards.

Maidenhead isn't free anymore, they've done it to deter overstaying as some boats were spending rather a lot of time there. Such a shame so many of the free Thames moorings are now not free because of overstaying. Yes you can moor on the islands for free but I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving my boat unattended on that sort of mooring. Could the OP arrange a mooring with a boat club or marina if they need to abandon ship for a few days?

[bpboat]

In the end we moored just above Boulters Lock outside Maidenhead, a few pins and a tree (or two), and it was fine, we left it there for about 4 days but checked up on it once during that time. Later on we left it near Shiplake Colege - that was fine too. Really enjoyed the Thames, it was a lovely few weeks.

 

Scholar Gypsy - I love the Gravesend pictures!

 

Thanks for your help and advice everyone.

[Alway Swilby]

Is it possible to moor overnight at Richmond on the semi tidal bit above Richmond lock but below Teddington?

[Paringa]

I can't think of anywhere so I would suggest a stop at Kingston by the bridge or on the island just above Teddington. 24hrs free and non-tidal.

[OldGoat]

Is it possible to moor overnight at Richmond on the semi tidal bit above Richmond lock but below Teddington?

 

Not really - semi tidal means in effect "half tide" and not "just a bit". There's several feet difference and the banks slope considerably.

 

There are some paid for moorings - but you have to book.

 

otherwise get a dinghy and drop an anchor.

[RichardN]

I would commend the pontoon moorings at Gravesend - photo from this weekend's trip below.

 

 

 

It is awful when people clog visitor moorings

 

 

 

 

 

 

That is apparently a PCC - pure car carrier which 6500 cars .....

[WJM]

Is it possible to moor overnight at Richmond on the semi tidal bit above Richmond lock but below Teddington?

Sadly no. The tidal range is big (3m?) and the flows are very strong. The only way to comfortably moor would be to a good pontoon and there are no public ones available. I don't think an anchor mooring is an option, there would be a real risk of it dragging and breaking free.

 

A few years ago the council did consider creating visitor moorings at Ham House or in East Twickenham but nothing ever came of it. Pity, it would be an excellent place to stay.

I can't think of anywhere so I would suggest a stop at Kingston by the bridge or on the island just above Teddington. 24hrs free and non-tidal.

It is worth mentioning that the reach between Molesey and Teddington does have a significant rise and fall that is indirectly related to the tide. The weirs at Teddington tend to be closed off as the tide rises below them, and then opened up when the tide falls, thus creating level changes above the weir that need to be considered when tying up. Leave a bit of slack, just because it is not raining and the river is like a millpond does not mean the levels will stay constant.

[Alway Swilby]

Sadly no. The tidal range is big (3m?) and the flows are very strong. The only way to comfortably moor would be to a good pontoon and there are no public ones available. I don't think an anchor mooring is an option, there would be a real risk of it dragging and breaking free.

 

A few years ago the council did consider creating visitor moorings at Ham House or in East Twickenham but nothing ever came of it. Pity, it would be an excellent place to stay.

It is worth mentioning that the reach between Molesey and Teddington does have a significant rise and fall that is indirectly related to the tide. The weirs at Teddington tend to be closed off as the tide rises below them, and then opened up when the tide falls, thus creating level changes above the weir that need to be considered when tying up. Leave a bit of slack, just because it is not raining and the river is like a millpond does not mean the levels will stay constant.

 

We are going to a wedding in Richmond with the reception in Twickenham so Richmond would have been ideal. However in the light of these replies I think we'll moor up on the safe old canal network in Brentford and catch a bus. Are there normally 5 day visitor moorings available at Brentford?