Narrowboats on the river Thames

[fencemaster]

Hello there. About 19 years ago I was by HMS Belfast, pausing on my walk to work from london bridge station, looking at the ship and plotting how to steal it (long story,I will tell you later) when I saw a narrowboat appear from under Tower Bridge.

 

Just to better date when this was, Tower Bridge was closed to traffic for some weeks, as a Fathers for Justice protestor was up a crane, refusing to come down. I enjoyed this because it meant I got to walk across the bridge in the middle of the road every day. Not something that's usually advisable.

 

The narrowboat was followed by another, then another, then several more, until there were at least 20 passing me.

 

Does anyone here know if this was an event of some sort, if so, is it an annual event? It can't have been just a bizarre narrowboat coincidence surely?

 

I look forward to your responses.

 

Raymond

[Proper Job]

Probably just Limehouse lock letting a batch of NB's out and they're all heading up to Brentford/Teddington.

 

I'm not sure of the largest number of NB's Limehouse lock will hold, but 10 - 15 could easily be achieved.

Edited April 10, 2014 by Proper Job

[RLWP]

Or, it could be one of the St Pancras cruising club's events

 

Richard

[Proper Job]

They tend to be a bit more adventuress and turn left when they leave

[David Mack]

They tend to be a bit more adventuress and turn left when they leave

But quite a lot end up at Brentford/Teddington, so could well be one of those the OP saw.

[Proper Job]

Date was October 2003?

 

David Chick climbed a 120 feet (37 m) crane near Tower Bridge, London dressed as Spider-Man. The Metropolitan Police set up a cordon around the area that disrupted traffic through some of East London for several days

 

If the date (October) is correct I doubt there would be that many NB's on the river unless it was an organised event

Edited April 10, 2014 by Proper Job

[fencemaster]

Yes, good spot, that was the fellow. Definitely October 2003. It was pre-camera phone days (for me at least) otherwise I'd have been snapping away. It was certainly a large number of narrowboats, in excess of 20 - I'm thinking about it now because I once again pass HMS Belfast everyday (and re-hatching those 2003 plans), this time on the Thames Clipper, from Blackfriars where i get off the train, to Canary Wharf.

[alan_fincher]

I'm not sure of the largest number of NB's Limehouse lock will hold, but 10 - 15 could easily be achieved.

About 100 feet long, 30 feet wide apparently.

 

So, no, unless they are very small narrow boats, I think double figures isn't possible.

 

8 times 50 foot would seem to be the upper limit.

 

Because a fatter boat pushed ahead of us when three narrow boats were in the lock the last time we did it, the lockies wouldn't let us in, (the others being over 50 feet), and we ended up travelling alone - if they need to operate the lock multiple times, you are highly unlikely to catch up narrow boats that left in the previous operation, I think.

[Proper Job]

So that pretty much makes it a special event (such as a SPCC cruise) as they would have to marshal the boats together somewhere before setting off

[Scholar Gypsy]

The previous ship lock was 350 x 60 ' - you can still see one of the inner gates. There is a photo somewhere here of the last cruise before the new lock was built inside it in the late 1980s.

 

The most I have seen in the new lock is five narrowboats at a time. I don't believe the 30 foot width measurement - closer to 25 feet (three boats plus a bit of air).

 

The spectacle the OP records will be repeated this year on Saturday 17th May, at approximately 1200 - the Limehouse-Margaretness-Brentford/Teddington cruise. (Low Water at Woolwich is 1015).

[alan_fincher]

The most I have seen in the new lock is five narrowboats at a time. I don't believe the 30 foot width measurement - closer to 25 feet (three boats plus a bit of air).

 

Yes, I think you are correct - I think I used an unreliable source.

 

The BW "Maximum Craft Dimensions" document shows it as only 91 feet by 24 feet, so to guarantee more than 3 narrow boats at a time seems to require some shorter ones than I thought.

Edited April 10, 2014 by alan_fincher

[BGA]

Yes, good spot, that was the fellow. Definitely October 2003. It was pre-camera phone days (for me at least) otherwise I'd have been snapping away. It was certainly a large number of narrowboats, in excess of 20 - I'm thinking about it now because I once again pass HMS Belfast everyday (and re-hatching those 2003 plans), this time on the Thames Clipper, from Blackfriars where i get off the train, to Canary Wharf.

You do realise that when it turns up missing you will now be in the frame,

[Proper Job]

I think someone might notice him sneaking off with it

[Tim Lewis]

The previous ship lock was 350 x 60 ' - you can still see one of the inner gates. There is a photo somewhere here of the last cruise before the new lock was built inside it in the late 1980s.

 

The most I have seen in the new lock is five narrowboats at a time. I don't believe the 30 foot width measurement - closer to 25 feet (three boats plus a bit of air).

 

The spectacle the OP records will be repeated this year on Saturday 17th May, at approximately 1200 - the Limehouse-Margaretness-Brentford/Teddington cruise. (Low Water at Woolwich is 1015).

 

This was one of two lockings that day:

 

 

Some more pictures from the day:

 

http://timlewis.smugmug.com/Other/London-Ring-Cruise-17th-Autumn#!/i-nG2Lkbq

 

Tim

Edited April 11, 2014 by Tim Lewis

[Tacet]

The previous ship lock was 350 x 60 ' - you can still see one of the inner gates. There is a photo somewhere here of the last cruise before the new lock was built inside it in the late 1980s.

 

The most I have seen in the new lock is five narrowboats at a time. I don't believe the 30 foot width measurement - closer to 25 feet (three boats plus a bit of air).

 

The spectacle the OP records will be repeated this year on Saturday 17th May, at approximately 1200 - the Limehouse-Margaretness-Brentford/Teddington cruise. (Low Water at Woolwich is 1015).

 

 

 

This was one of two lockings that day:

 

 

Some more pictures from the day:

 

http://timlewis.smugmug.com/Other/London-Ring-Cruise-17th-Autumn#!/i-nG2Lkbq

 

Tim

Strong representations were made at the time, that the width of the new lock should be 28ft rather than its actual 25 or 26ft; but alas to no avail.

[RLWP]

I knew we would get some pictures eventually! I tried to google for them using the date and failed. Well done Tim

 

Richard

[Proper Job]

 

 

Strong representations were made at the time, that the width of the new lock should be 28ft rather than its actual 25 or 26ft; but alas to no avail.

 

When was the lock rebuilt?

[David Mack]

 

This was one of two lockings that day:

 

 

Some more pictures from the day:

 

http://timlewis.smugmug.com/Other/London-Ring-Cruise-17th-Autumn#!/i-nG2Lkbq

 

Tim

 

I can remember locking through on an earlier occasion when there was a line of boats along each side of the lock, and a small cruiser doing figures of eight in the middle as the lock emptied!

[Peter X]

They tend to be a bit more adventuress and turn left when they leave

 

Are they mostly female then?

[fencemaster]

This is super-interesting, what a great community the world of narrowboats is. My mum's house backs on to the Bridgewater canal in Cheshire, which is sadly as close as I've got u til now.

 

Great photos from the 1980s. Pretty sure it was more boats than that.

 

HMS Belfast - it's more of a plan to save it rather than steal it. Although I do have to move it. Without authorisation, which could lool like stealing, depending where you stand on such things. I'll keep you informed.

 

Thanks ever so much.

[RLWP]

If you look in the background of that picture, there are more boats coming

 

Is that you on the bridge?:

 

Richard

Edited April 11, 2014 by RLWP

[Peter X]

If you look in the background of that picture, there are more boats coming

 

Is that you on the bridge?:

 

 

Richard

 

It's a relief to see in your picture that HMS Belfast is still in the right place. However I don't think the picture is very recent, because if it were I'd expect to see the Shard a little left of centre.

[RLWP]

No, it's one of Tim's from 2003, on the voyage the OP was talking about

 

Richard

[RichardN]

 

It's a relief to see in your picture that HMS Belfast is still in the right place. However I don't think the picture is very recent, because if it were I'd expect to see the Shard a little left of centre.

 

It is surprising how far left the Shard is. Here is almost the nearest I could find to the same angle:

 

 

And here is a photo with the Shard:

 

 

Obviously treat the tidal Thames with respect but it is a simply wonderful cruise. If you have never done it before then go for it. Sadly we have now said goodbye to Limehouse so we won't be about for escort duties but the St Pancras Cruising Club will have a series of excellent cruises. They do sometimes come out of Limehouse and turn right so do have a look on their web site

[Peter X]

No, it's one of Tim's from 2003, on the voyage the OP was talking about

 

Richard

 

Are you sure? Thinking about it, the old wharves on the left of the picture were demolished to make way for City Hall, which opened in 2002.