On the Thames

[Top cat]

We have cruised the Thames from Oxford to Marlow and are on our way back. Its a very different environment to the midlands canals. Not just in the expected difference of a wide flowing waterway , you meet all sorts from lone swimmers , erratic canoeists,sailing dingies tacking across the river, overloaded rowing boats, speeding cruisers and great big passenger "steamers". You really need your wits about you, you never know whats coming your way or from which direction. Many of the locks are manned by helpful efficient lock keepers which speeds things along, just as well as the further downstream one goes the busier it gets. Finding a mooring is difficult, the banks seem to be lined with no mooring signs and many of the few mooring sites that are available charge between £10 & £25/ night. Thevery few free moorings fill up quickly and you really need to be at your chosen overnight spot by 3pm. We have ended up in some unusual informal moorings using stakes and trees, usually against a high bank. There are some nice free moorings like this one at Beale Park.

Im hoping once we get upstream of Osney bridge things will quiten down and the pressure on moorings will decrease.

 

Top Cat

[johnmck]

Our experience on the Thames is similar to yours. We try to be moored up by midday and stay put over the weekend, or at least untill Sunday afternoon. This really p****s off our plastic brethren. We were told in no uncertain terms, that they do not like us Narrow boaters as we take up too much room!

 

The lock keepers however, like us. We make up more than 50% of their traffic and maintain their employment.

 

As for beyond Osney, mooring is easier, but often not free.

[cereal tiller]

Our experience on the Thames is similar to yours. We try to be moored up by midday and stay put over the weekend, or at least untill Sunday afternoon. This really p****s off our plastic brethren. We were told in no uncertain terms, that they do not like us Narrow boaters as we take up too much room!

 

The lock keepers however, like us. We make up more than 50% of their traffic and maintain their employment.

 

As for beyond Osney, mooring is easier, but often not free.

Where were you given that view of Narrowboats?

 

It is a common joke on the Thames but have never heard it expressed in a serious fashion

 

CT

[johnmck]

Oh it was serious. It was a few years ago now, at Sonning. Almost a "I look down on him " moment.

[Bettie Boo]

What a lovely photo - Great shot

[cereal tiller]

Oh it was serious. It was a few years ago now, at Sonning. Almost a "I look down on him " moment.

30 Years ago there where many more hire craft on the River,they were often treated with the same derision.

 

 

 

Narrowboats were an uncommon sight on the Thames several Decades ago and have swelled in numbers since the mid Eighties ,I own one myself and it was built Thameside

 

The times they are a' changing

 

CT

[MtB]

Oh it was serious. It was a few years ago now, at Sonning. Almost a "I look down on him " moment.

 

 

I've had that too. Tania filled Caversham lock with plastic then beckoned me in last. I zoomed in as she anticipated and much of the plastic cacked itself. A bimbo on a £500k wedding cake was prodding my narrow boat with an aluminium mop handle and squawking "Keep that away from us, don't let it touch us". As if I would!

 

Tania was cacking herself with laughter!

[NickF]

I've had that too. Tania filled Caversham lock with plastic then beckoned me in last. I zoomed in as she anticipated and much of the plastic cacked itself. A bimbo on a £500k wedding cake was prodding my narrow boat with an aluminium mop handle and squawking "Keep that away from us, don't let it touch us". As if I would!

 

Tania was cacking herself with laughter!

 

I am with you on that one Mike, it is strangely satisfying to slip perfectly into a space inches away from a plastic cruiser while the owners look on in horror.

[ditchcrawler]

What a lovely photo - Great shot

Very long selfy stick

[mark99]

We had one of those "Thames Trouts" do that to us too.

 

She saw us come into Sunbury Lock and ran to the rear of the huge plastic boat and she brought out a massive baloon fender on a rope - it must have been 18"-24" diameter and wandered up and down the gin palace walkways with it in her hand deploying it where she thought our boat might wander sideways and touch. Quite amusing as our bote was secure with ropes either end.

Edited July 16, 2016 by mark99

[Murflynn]

A near lock-load of boats waited for about 5 minutes whilst a huge polished piece of tupperware carefully entered Sonning lock with two of those ridiculous white balloons hanging from the bow, moving at a snail's pace and steering by repeated use of the bow thruster.

 

A portly gent wearing the obligatory blue jersey and captain's hat stood at the controls on the flying bridge, clearly much admired by his guests as he commanded this difficult manouevre.

 

He didn't even manage to get the boat to the side, a guest had to throw a line to a gongoozler in the end.

 

The lockie standing next to me was choking with suppressed laughter.

[Top cat]

Actually this trip we have experienced nothing but friendly relations with owners of shiny plastic boats, quite a contrast to last time we were here 12 years ago. They seem to be getting used to sharing with tin slugs.

Just spent quite a while in the Pendon museum looking at the models of britain in the 30s oh and a few trains too. Got there by going up a backwater by Clifton lock, missed the pub which is the normal limit of navigation , overshot and surprised some fishermen who were NOT pleased to see us. They were even less pleased once I had winded in the narrow channel, despite hardly using any power and letting the current do the work.

 

Top Cat

[cereal tiller]

We had one of those "Thames Trouts" do that to us too.

 

She saw us come into Sunbury Lock and ran to the rear of the huge plastic boat and she brought out a massive baloon fender on a rope - it must have been 18"-24" diameter and wandered up and down the gin palace walkways with it in her hand deploying it where she thought our boat might wander sideways and touch. Quite amusing as our bote was secure with ropes either end.

Gin Palace?

 

Such an outmoded expression,you were sharing a Lock with a Wedding Cake!

 

CT

[john6767]

A couple if years ago whe spent a week in August between Henley and Windsor, over the weekend it was crazy with wedding cakes, and the locks were certain entertaining, fenders everywhere when they see you coming

 

The best case inducing fear in plastic though was at Gloscester. Coming down the Severn just reopened after heavy rain approaching Gloucester lock, when I spoke to the lock keeper on the radio he said to hug the wall and don't back off until I am in the lock, it's plenty long enough to stop in. Trouble was there was a cruiser that he had made wait in the lock as he needed me to be able to go straight in, the look on the guy on the criusers face as I flew into the lock carried by the perhaps 3mph flow was a classic, but I missed him!

[Lady Muck]

We were on the Thames in August and September, last year, it wasn't a great summer and it was totally dead, the wedding cakes only come out in good weather. We were even one of only two boats moored at Lechlade and we had no problems mooring wherever we liked.

[Drayke]

Our experience on the Thames is similar to yours. We try to be moored up by midday and stay put over the weekend, or at least untill Sunday afternoon. This really p****s off our plastic brethren. We were told in no uncertain terms, that they do not like us Narrow boaters as we take up too much room!

 

The lock keepers however, like us. We make up more than 50% of their traffic and maintain their employment.

 

As for beyond Osney, mooring is easier, but often not free.

Always found plenty of free moorings above Osney and only paid at Lechlade. The lock keepers are saying that it is very quiet on the river this year.

[Sea Dog]

Can this really be the same forum where folks in robust narrowboats have palpitations about hire boaters and their potential for bashing and crashing? Do we really not understand why someone in an expensive yet vulnerable fibreglass cruiser might take the precaution of fendering when a lumbering steel hull bearing the everyday scuffs and scars of canal cruising comes alongside? Even our fenders would cause nasty black marks on polished white fibreglass, and our blacking is going to ruin his fenders, so a bit of empathy and consideration for our fellow boaters wouldn't go amiss. You norty narrowboaters you!

[MtB]

Can this really be the same forum where folks in robust narrowboats have palpitations about hire boaters and their potential for bashing and crashing? Do we really not understand why someone in an expensive yet vulnerable fibreglass cruiser might take the precaution of fendering when a lumbering steel hull bearing the everyday scuffs and scars of canal cruising comes alongside? Even our fenders would cause nasty black marks on polished white fibreglass, and our blacking is going to ruin his fenders, so a bit of empathy and consideration for our fellow boaters wouldn't go amiss. You norty narrowboaters you!

 

 

This is why so many 'wedding cake' style boats now sport not only fenders to protect the boat, but 'fender socks' to protect the fenders!

We were on the Thames in August and September, last year, it wasn't a great summer and it was totally dead, the wedding cakes only come out in good weather. We were even one of only two boats moored at Lechlade and we had no problems mooring wherever we liked.

 

 

Err one explanation of this would be the wedding cake boats are prevented from visiting Lechlade but the low air draft of Osney Bridge.

 

A similar but higher air draft filter exists at Windsor Bridge. Once you get below Windsor, the wedding cakes get absolutely massive!

[Lady Muck]

 

 

This is why so many 'wedding cake' style boats now sport not only fenders to protect the boat, but 'fender socks' to protect the fenders!

 

 

Err one explanation of this would be the wedding cake boats are prevented from visiting Lechlade but the low air draft of Osney Bridge.

 

A similar but higher air draft filter exists at Windsor Bridge. Once you get below Windsor, the wedding cakes get absolutely massive!

not really theres mostly cabin cruisers up that end of the river as you know, only they are one or two tier ones rather than five tier ones. just couldn't beleive how empty it was in the school holidays usually we have to moor after the round house, nearer to inglesham as theres no space!

[billS]

 

 

This is why so many 'wedding cake' style boats now sport not only fenders to protect the boat, but 'fender socks' to protect the fenders!

 

The problem with these is that they retain dirt and grit, which then damages the gelcoat.

 

Perhaps a rubber mat hung along the hull to protect the hull from the sock that protects the fender which protects the hull would work?

[Murflynn]

 

The problem with these is that they retain dirt and grit, which then damages the gelcoat.

 

Perhaps a rubber mat hung along the hull to protect the hull from the sock that protects the fender which protects the hull would work?

perhaps they should use blacking

[Top cat]

As soon as we got upstream of Osney the river takes on a whole new persona. After kings lock the river narrows and winds dramatically and the traffic drops off to almost nothing

Those boat we did see were canoes and narrow boats. Noted lots of informal moorings.

Re wedding cakes we saw one several days ago struggling to hover in the lock queue on a windy day as the landing was full. O indicated that he could come alongside. He declined but very politely explained later that there wasn't enough depth and his props were unprotected.

But it nice to be on a waterway where you don't have to worry about who is coming up from behind at a great rate of knots

Top Cat

[Iain_S]

The problem with these is that they retain dirt and grit, which then damages the gelcoat.

 

Perhaps a rubber mat hung along the hull to protect the hull from the sock that protects the fender which protects the hull would work?

Or a scaffold plank outside three or four fenders (which wouldn't need socks!)

 

(normal practice for yachties transiting the Forth & Clyde)

 

Iain

[ditchcrawler]

We had one of those "Thames Trouts" do that to us too.

 

She saw us come into Sunbury Lock and ran to the rear of the huge plastic boat and she brought out a massive baloon fender on a rope - it must have been 18"-24" diameter and wandered up and down the gin palace walkways with it in her hand deploying it where she thought our boat might wander sideways and touch. Quite amusing as our bote was secure with ropes either end.

Similar experience with woman on the bows shouting that we would hit them until I pointed out we were tied up and it was her husband who may hit us.

[Top cat]

Just spent our last night on the Thames before exiting up Dukes Cut , this time on a very remote field mooring. Loved the experience, we certainly learnt a lot in our two weeks

 

Dukes cut is very overgrown, has the feel of a forgotten waterway. Once we got back on the cut it all seemed small and crowded, and we had to work the locks ourselves ! I expect we will get used to it again.

 

Top Cat

Edited July 22, 2016 by Top cat