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Thames Tideway advice please


Martin Megson

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Hi,

I'm planning on doing the Thames Tideway shortly on my 55' narrow boat and having read much useful info, mainly through links on the forum, I'm still a little wary of getting into Limehouse lock on an ebbing tide.  I'm currently on the Thames at Kingston and I have a choice of doing the tideway from Teddington to Limehouse, or crossing London on the Regents canal and doing the Tideway upstream instead.  I have travelled on the tidal Trent and had no difficulty getting into Kidby but it seems the flow at Limehouse could be stronger.  I must admit I'm leaning towards crossing London on the canal and then heading up the Thames from Limehouse.  Any advice from experienced welcomed.

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It boils down to how fast your boat is and timing. When a spring tide is really running I guess we need to do about 5mph through the water, neaps way less. If you are used to the tidal Trent I doubt if you will have any issues do your homework though as nasty eddy at Limehouse catches people put all the time. Lots of guidance on the spcc website and thamescruising.co.uk

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Getting into Limehouse going downstream on the ebb tide can be nerve wracking, but it's really not that difficult. 

Firstly, by the time you get through London and reach Tower Bridge (the final bridge before you lock in) you will be moving quite quickly with the tide relative to the bank. For that reason it's probably best to do the downstream trip from Brentford rather than Teddington as it will gain you at least an hour which means the ebb tide won't be running out quite as fast by the time you reach Limehouse. Entering Brentford may also give you a mild taste of what to expect when you enter Limehouse (i.e. getting swept sideways when you turn in). You should leave Brentford about 20 mins to half an hour before slack water which again means that the ebb tide won't be running out quite as fast at the end of your journey.

There are basically 3 ways to tackle the Limehouse lock approach:

1) U-Turn: As long as you have adequate power, the safest way is to start your turn across the river roughly when you are on the other side opposite the lock. You will be swept sideways of course but don't panic. Once your boat clears the middle of the river and gets onto the other side the current is reduced and you should be able to make your way back up to the lock. Just be careful of any eddy currents around the entrance and try not to clout the walls.

2) Torpedo: I've never done this myself and think it sounds a bit dangerous, but assuming there are no boats coming the other way, some people just steer straight into the lock entrance. It's tricky because your downstream velocity will be very fast relative to land and as you need water flowing over your rudder to steer there is no way of slowing down until you're in the lock entrance. Make a mistake and it could be curtains!

3) Ferryglide: Again, assuming there is no river traffic coming the other way, you can begin your turn upstream of the lock and let the current sweep you down to the entrance in a controlled manner with your bow pointing upstream and the boat at a slight angle to the current. You'll still need plenty of forward revs even though you'll be moving backwards. When your bow reaches the lock entrance you simply power your way in. Ferrygliding looks cool, is immensely satisfying and is my preferred method. But it's a matter of balancing forces, so unless you know the technique perhaps entering Limehouse for the first time isn't the best place to practice.

Edited by blackrose
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The only other thing I would add - it's in RichardN's website - is to call London VTS on Ch14 before you start to cross the river. That way everyone else in the area knows what you are doing.

I can't find anything very helpful on youtube. But here is an album of photos (taken by Richard and Sue) of a number of boats entering Limehouse, having come down from Brentford.

Edited by Scholar Gypsy
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8 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

The only other thing I would add - it's in RichardN's website - is to call London VTS on Ch14 before you start to cross the river. That way everyone else in the area knows what you are doing.

I can't find anything very helpful on youtube. But here is an album of photos (taken by Richard and Sue) of a number of boats entering Limehouse, having come down from Brentford.

Thanks for that and your kind offer of to take a photo which would be great.  I'll let you know when I have a firm date and time.  

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Unless something unusual happens then don't worry, keep your eyes open for other boats and enjoy the trip. Personally I try to go early if I can to avoid the chop from trip boats but it depends on tides.

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2 hours ago, Bee said:

Unless something unusual happens then don't worry, keep your eyes open for other boats and enjoy the trip. Personally I try to go early if I can to avoid the chop from trip boats but it depends on tides.

You have to leave Tedington very early to do that

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