mooring on rivers

[frygood]

Hi all

 

A few years ago i hired a narrowboat on the Thames around the Lechlade /Oxford area.The boat yard told me on rivers its best to allways moor facing upstream. I followed their advise but didnt really understand the reason for this.

 

Could the more expericanced boaters amonst you please explain this to me..

 

Thanks in advance

 

Carl

[FadeToScarlet]

Hi all

 

A few years ago i hired a narrowboat on the Thames around the Lechlade /Oxford area.The boat yard told me on rivers its best to allways moor facing upstream. I followed their advise but didnt really understand the reason for this.

 

Could the more expericanced boaters amonst you please explain this to me..

 

Thanks in advance

 

Carl

It means you're less likely to get crud on the blade whilst moored, any weeds, branches etc going with the current are less likely to end up on the blade.

 

More importantly, it's generally easier and a lot safer to moor and depart if there is any kind of flow, because you can do things like ferry glide sideways into a mooring space, and you're travelling slower- your speed minus the speed of the flow, versus your speed plus the speed of the flow.

 

However, it's not always necessary, on canalised rivers or rivers with a very low flow, or where you can't turn around because the river is too narrow!

[Paul C]

As above really - when mooring and unmooring, you're using the flow of the water to your advantage, not disadvantage. Not been on a river upon which it wasn't possible to turn the boat though. Been on River(s), (well, Weaver) where the flow is so slow as to be negligible, so moored either way without turning etc.

[Phil Ambrose]

All of the above and with the flow coming towards you it is easy to get the stern in once the bows are into the bank, just match your throttle to that of the flow, turn the helm and the stern will just glide in.

Phil

[OldGoat]

Just try to pick up a mooring when going with the stream - then you'll see -

Put your bow in towards the bank and the stern will be pushed out.

 

Probably not to much hassle when there's not too much flow (as is currently the situation in most rivers 'darn towards the sarf'), but try it in normal conditions AND trying to get into a space that's not much longer that your boat....

[ditchcrawler]

Hi all

 

A few years ago i hired a narrowboat on the Thames around the Lechlade /Oxford area.The boat yard told me on rivers its best to allways moor facing upstream. I followed their advise but didnt really understand the reason for this.

 

Could the more expericanced boaters amonst you please explain this to me..

 

Thanks in advance

 

Carl

And in Norwich it depends which way the tide is flowing.

[Phil Ambrose]

And in Norwich it depends which way the tide is flowing.

Of course that applies to any tidal river.

Phil

[Laurie Booth]

Don't do as I did, Moored up for the night and set off in the morning in the wrong direction.

[Keeping Up]

The essential thing is always to step ashore with the UPSTREAM rope in your hand. If travelling downstream in a strong current, unless you would be able to step off with the BOW rope after turning round, then surprisingly you will do better to use lots of power in reverse gear to bring the boat to a halt and then step off with the stern rope. I never like using the centre line either way if the river is flowing fast, because it can all go horribly wrong if you can't hold it in tightly enough.

[PaulG]

I never like using the centre line either way if the river is flowing fast, because it can all go horribly wrong if you can't hold it in tightly enough.

Quite right. Never use the centre line in fast flowing water.

The first time we went up the Upper Avon on "amber" we found a narrowboat sunk by Cadbury lock.

The boater had tried to moor up on the outer part of the lock landing, which is right in the flow from the tail of the weir.

The current had caught the bows, the rope must have become tangled around the bollard,, and the boat capsized and sank.

By the time we got there, the boater was in Coventry hospital having his mangled hand put back together.

[OldGoat]

The problem with 'doing it the wrong way around' - going with the flow - is that you have to slow the boat down and that tends to push the stern out.

Doing it headup to stream means that the river is pushing your bow into the bank - so there's time to get both ends in and hop off with a long rope before the boat floats away. I have the luxury of The Management as a crew, so she hop off up front and I can use the throttle and tiller to hold the boat in place.

[Tony Dunkley]

If you have no option other than stopping 'end on' in a strong tide or current, for instance, if there's no room to round up or coming above above a river lock with no lock cut and no real run-in, it can be done provided you get the stern against the wall, or whatever you're stopping against, with the fore-end, or bows, angled out at least one to two boats widths from the wall.

Any vessel of any size and handling characteristics will keep it's stern end against a wall or piling under full astern power if positioned in this way, irrespective of which way it normally swings in astern gear.

It is vital to concentrate on getting the stern against the wall, to the total exclusion of any other consideration. Wherever the fore-end or bows finish up in relation to the bank or wall, and however far away from it just does not matter. Get a rope ashore at the stern before doing anything else, and you can then sort out what's happening at the other end if necessary. If you're turning a lock round, such as on the Nene, for instance, then there's really no need to even bother doing that, because you'll be taking it back on board again a matter of minutes later.

Edited August 10, 2015 by Tony Dunkley