Can you cruise round the Olympic Park?

[Supertramp]

I'm planning a trip through London this summer, and want to divert off up the Limehouse Cut and then round the Olympic Stadium and the Orbit Sculpture.

Reading some entries on the web, it seems most people have been in organised trips, (St Pancreas Crusing Club etc).

Does that mean its not possible for 'Joe Bloggs' to turn up and cruise round?

[adam1uk]

No, it's not possible to do it yourself. They're only opening up the Olympic waterways for organised trips. The St Pancras Cruising Club may well have some planned. Check their website to see.

[Supertramp]

Thanks Adam, There is some gossip that the waterways will revert to Cart control this year - perhaps that will make a difference.

[adam1uk]

I thought CRT already had control. But one of the rivers is tidal, which makes things difficult anyway, and I suspect they won't want to open up more waterways if they're likely to become full of moored boats.

[pearley]

At present there is a blockage from the Crossrail works.

 

Having walked along a lot of it I don't think there will be many opportunities to moor in the park itself unless they put in some pontoons.

 

There was a post recently on London Boaters FB page where someone was trying to organise a cruise.

[Scholar Gypsy]

I thought CRT already had control. But one of the rivers is tidal, which makes things difficult anyway, and I suspect they won't want to open up more waterways if they're likely to become full of moored boats.

 

With apologies for pedantry, the Waterworks River is no longer tidal. If there is a lot of water coming down the Lea, the level can go up quite a bit, making it unnavigable due to lack of headroom..

[pearley]

With apologies for pedantry, the Waterworks River is no longer tidal. If there is a lot of water coming down the Lea, the level can go up quite a bit, making it unnavigable due to lack of headroom..

And, on occasions with a spring tide it will overtop the floodgates at Bow Locks as it did last month, according to fb.

[Scholar Gypsy]

And, on occasions with a spring tide it will overtop the floodgates at Bow Locks as it did last month, according to fb.

 

I think/guess you mean this photo?

 

I have been through Bow (inwards) once when it was like that, when the water in the tidal section was just below the top of the bottom gates, but was getting the lock sides a bit wet. If we had been five minutes later, the lock would not have been useable, and we would have had to wait for an hour or two, for the water to go up to high tide and then down again.

 

I would expect that if the tide was threatening to overtop the outer gates, and all the flood walls in the area, then the Thames barrier would be closed.

[GUMPY]

And, on occasions with a spring tide it will overtop the floodgates at Bow Locks as it did last month, according to fb.

I don't belive that it overtops bow locks unless tides are significantly higher than they used to be. The photo clearly shows the flood wall and lock gates a couple of feet above river level I think that it may overto. somewhere furthur upstream and run back.

[Scholar Gypsy]

 

I think/guess you mean this photo?

 

I have been through Bow (inwards) once when it was like that, when the water in the tidal section was just below the top of the bottom gates, but was getting the lock sides a bit wet. If we had been five minutes later, the lock would not have been useable, and we would have had to wait for an hour or two, for the water to go up to high tide and then down again.

 

I would expect that if the tide was threatening to overtop the outer gates, and all the flood walls in the area, then the Thames barrier would be closed.

 

I've found a photo. As you can see the lock was brim-full -- you can only just see the outward pointing gates at the other end. In the foreground on the right you can see that the island between the two locks was well under water.

 

[pearley]

I don't belive that it overtops bow locks unless tides are significantly higher than they used to be. The photo clearly shows the flood wall and lock gates a couple of feet above river level I think that it may overto. somewhere furthur upstream and run back.

The photo clearly shows a good 18 inches of flood gate above the water level so you're probably right. Even so, someone has made a bit of a design fault.

 

There used to be a tidal barrier on Bow Creek downstream from the locks and another one by the road bridge just before Limehouse.

[GUMPY]

The photo clearly shows a good 18 inches of flood gate above the water level so you're probably right. Even so, someone has made a bit of a design fault.

 

There used to be a tidal barrier on Bow Creek downstream from the locks and another one by the road bridge just before Limehouse.

Limehouse Basin, cut and the lower River Lea used to be "semi tidal" on spring tides. Then about 20 or so years ago the flood walls/gates at Bow were improved so the whole area became non tidal even on the highest springs.

 

Looking at the photo carefully there is no water on the towpath and only a puddle between the locks. I would now think that there has been a breach in the wall to the left of the picture and its just overtopping rather than upstream.

Last time (before the improvements) I saw that area flooded it was all under a foot or so of water.

Edited March 22, 2015 by Loddon

[john6767]

Can i ask if the restrictions are temporary, or that you will never be able to use these waterways on an ad-hoc basis?