Will dads "raft" make it up the Thames?????

[Tony Wonfor]

Hi all,

 

My dad has reached what sounds like quite a dangerous part of his journey and has asked me to ask this,

 

He apparently has to travel around 3 miles along the tidal Thames from (he thinks) Teddington lock to Brentford to pick up the canal and start heading towards Thetford. Does anyone have any thoughts on this bearing in mind he is on little more than a man made raft/catmaran. He says he's learnt how to deal with difficult washes from larger boats and says although it sounds crazy, the idea is to get as near as possible to the boat as the wash gets bigger, the further you are from it (!!!!!)

 

For anyone who hasn't seen his craft, here it is in all its glory!

[sueb]

Try chatting to other boaters that are doing the trip and ask if they will keep an eye on him. We haven't found this part any more difficult than the rest of the Thames.

[ditchcrawler]

Take the advice of the lock keepers, its a very quiet stretch of water and should be no more of a problem than what he has already done. What's he using for an engine?

[David Mack]

He should be fine. The lockie at Teddington will advise best timing to catch the falling tide at Richmond. The tricky bit is to spot the entrance at Brentford and then turn back upstream to make your way into the Brent.

Edited May 22, 2013 by David Mack

[Tony Wonfor]

Thanks Brian. He says he's gonna take advice from them. Just wanted some "heads up" from previous travellers along that path. Not sure what his engine is but we're hoping to get him a 2nd one. You probably know more than me just by looking at the picture.

[alan_fincher]

He should be fine. The lockie at Brentford will advise, but he should leave Brentford early to catch as much of the incoming tide as possible. Makes for a much quicker trip up to Teddington.

But the original post implies he is travelling the other way, and will be leaving Teddington for Brentford......

 

By the time the lock keeper at Brentford gets involved he'll be off the Thames!

 

I think he will find the tidal bit is more than 3 miles though - from memory I would have said more like 5 (possibly!).

[Jim Batty]

He should be fine with that outboard and light craft. The Teddington lockkeeper will advise him to leave just before the tide starts to go out and he will have the outward tide all the way to Brentford -- about an hour and a quarter to hour and a half away. There's a good chance he won't be alone so can let someone else show the way in to Brentford. There are very good upstream and downstream guides available as downloads on, I think, the Port of London Authority site. They show all the bridges he'll pass under. He just needs to turn left before Kew Bridge!

[ditchcrawler]

The way he has been covering the ground I doubt anyone else will keep up with him The comment on what engine is he using was because I thought he had broken it.

[Tony Wonfor]

No its just that he's obviously covered some miles now and the original idea was to use the electric one and keep the petrol as backup. He was told that he would find lots of places to charge but has found hardly any. Thats why hes used the petrol one most of the time and he's a little worried about not having a backup if his one conks out.

He should be fine with that outboard and light craft. The Teddington lockkeeper will advise him to leave just before the tide starts to go out and he will have the outward tide all the way to Brentford -- about an hour and a quarter to hour and a half away. There's a good chance he won't be alone so can let someone else show the way in to Brentford. There are very good upstream and downstream guides available as downloads on, I think, the Port of London Authority site. They show all the bridges he'll pass under. He just needs to turn left before Kew Bridge!

Thanks Jim! Very useful info. I'll pass it on.

He should be fine. The lockie at Teddington will advise best timing to catch the falling tide at Richmond. The tricky bit is to spot the entrance at Brentford and then turn back upstream to make your way into the Brent.

Thanks for the info David.

But the original post implies he is travelling the other way, and will be leaving Teddington for Brentford......

 

By the time the lock keeper at Brentford gets involved he'll be off the Thames!

I think he will find the tidal bit is more than 3 miles though - from memory I would have said more like 5 (possibly!).

Yr quite right Alan. Hes in Godalming now and tomorrow he'll make his way back up the Wey to the Thames then turn right for Teddington.

Its a real shame about the electric motor as he loves it! The few times he got to use it he said its a dream because its almost silent. Not much use for that in London I suppose but up north it would have been heavenly!

[WJM]

It will take him well under an hour for the trip from Teddington to Brentford. It is an easy run, no special problems. He can leave Teddington anytime from top of the tide to an hour after. He would be foolish to do the trip without an anchor though. If that timing does not work then come back to me - there are lots of other options to achieve a passage at other times using Richmond Lock.

 

The method for turning into the Brent / Canal is: After you pass Syon House (on your left) watch out for the red buoy midstream. Move out towards the buoy. Then watch the left bank for the silver monument/sculpture thing and start turing towards it. The entrance to the canal is just upstream of it. Don't confuse the entrance to Soaphouse Dock with the GU Thames Lock - Thames Lock has a big bridge over it.

 

Make sure he has a BW key - he will need it to operate the second lock on the GU, Brentford Gauging Locks.

[Tony Wonfor]

It will take him well under an hour for the trip from Teddington to Brentford. It is an easy run, no special problems. He can leave Teddington anytime from top of the tide to an hour after. He would be foolish to do the trip without an anchor though. If that timing does not work then come back to me - there are lots of other options to achieve a passage at other times using Richmond Lock.

 

The method for turning into the Brent / Canal is: After you pass Syon House (on your left) watch out for the red buoy midstream. Move out towards the buoy. Then watch the left bank for the silver monument/sculpture thing and start turing towards it. The entrance to the canal is just upstream of it. Don't confuse the entrance to Soaphouse Dock with the GU Thames Lock - Thames Lock has a big bridge over it.

 

Make sure he has a BW key - he will need it to operate the second lock on the GU, Brentford Gauging Locks.

Thankyou very much! Very informative!

[Dekazer]

And let us all know when he's heading up the Hanwell flight - there may well be some locals who could help him lock through

[David Mack]

But the original post implies he is travelling the other way, and will be leaving Teddington for Brentford......

 

By the time the lock keeper at Brentford gets involved he'll be off the Thames!

 

I think he will find the tidal bit is more than 3 miles though - from memory I would have said more like 5 (possibly!).

I know. I was mislead by the thread title referring to "up the Thames". I edited the post almost immediately, but you had obviously already read it!

[Tony Wonfor]

Well, he made it (JUST!) but not without a bit of a scare! He decided to follow a narrow boat which was all going swimmingly. He turned around to notice that the RNLI were following him. He said they followed him for ages at 4mph so thought someone had given them the heads up and they were escorting him. Just before he got to Brentford (to turn off the Thames and into the Grand Union) they powered past him and nearly turned him over! (of all the people to have nearly ended his trip!).

[Barry]

Did yer dad make the turn into the lock at Brentford on his 5hp outboard or did he back it up with the extra 4 horses?

[Paringa]

I saw him as he was coming out of Teddington and i was waiting to go in... Fantastic, good for him.

[Tony Wonfor]

Did yer dad make the turn into the lock at Brentford on his 5hp outboard or did he back it up with the extra 4 horses?

Not sure mate. Will find out tomorrow.

[ditchcrawler]

I have contacted Waterways World and Towpath about his exploits. I could well be worth contacting GOBA when you know when he will be down on the Ouse.