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A Thames Invasion for 2018


Naughty Cal

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3 minutes ago, mark99 said:

Petrol was £1.56 a litre today I noticed as I went past a Thames marina.

St Kats imo. Not too far from Tower Hill station.

We are trying to weigh up if it is really worth the  £55 plus electric per night (for our 7.5m boat more for the bigger boats) plus electric.

When at Limehouse we get one night free and subsequent nights  are £25.50.

Big difference in price but if the location makes up for it? 

ETA: petrol is £1.50 per litre at our marina so not that different.

Edited by Naughty Cal
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13 hours ago, Naughty Cal said:

There are plenty of petrol powered sports boats on the Thames so somewhere must sell it!

 

Petrol available from Henley and below, can’t think of any above, but could be proven wrong, so jerry cans may be needed.

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59 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

We are trying to weigh up if it is really worth the  £55 plus electric per night (for our 7.5m boat more for the bigger boats) plus electric.

When at Limehouse we get one night free and subsequent nights  are £25.50.

Big difference in price but if the location makes up for it? 

From Limehouse Station its 5 minutes on the DLR to Tower Gateway if you want to visit the City of London from the boat. And a fascinating rooftop ride it is too.

And while you're there, take the DLR right across the West India Docks through the middle of Canary Wharf or out across Bow Creek to the Royal Docks.

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10 hours ago, F DRAYKE said:

Petrol available from Henley and below, can’t think of any above, but could be proven wrong, so jerry cans may be needed.

They can always leave BW with a full tank of fuel which will be enough to see them through the two weeks. Their boat is just too big to fit on a small boat trailer so will have to be trucked down so weight isn't going to be a problem for them.

We will have to go down light again so any suggestions as to where to get fuel on the upper reaches will be appreciated.

9 hours ago, David Mack said:

From Limehouse Station its 5 minutes on the DLR to Tower Gateway if you want to visit the City of London from the boat. And a fascinating rooftop ride it is too.

And while you're there, take the DLR right across the West India Docks through the middle of Canary Wharf or out across Bow Creek to the Royal Docks.

Limehouse does seem to be the sensible option.

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There's a slipway at Lechlade - which I have used in the long-ago past and was still there when I last looked a couple of years back.

Limehouse Basin v St Katherine's Dock?  I take it you're not from London?   Whilst Limehouse basin is itself fine, the surrounding area remains gritty - and the City/west end require a trip on the DLR.  St Kat's is cheek-by-jowl with the Tower and thus the city; rather more tourists.

I have a soft spot for the east end.  One of my first jobs (early 1980s) involved acquiring house for demolition under the slum clearance programme.  Due to the perverse compensation provisions, an owner typically received  £500 - £1,000 for a three storey house in Whitechapel, Stepney or Limehouse - which didn't always go down well.  And they were the lucky ones; if the house was in a Clearance Order, the unfortunate owner had to demolish the house at his own expense.

 

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16 minutes ago, Tacet said:

There's a slipway at Lechlade - which I have used in the long-ago past and was still there when I last looked a couple of years back.

Limehouse Basin v St Katherine's Dock?  I take it you're not from London?   Whilst Limehouse basin is itself fine, the surrounding area remains gritty - and the City/west end require a trip on the DLR.  St Kat's is cheek-by-jowl with the Tower and thus the city; rather more tourists.

I have a soft spot for the east end.  One of my first jobs (early 1980s) involved acquiring house for demolition under the slum clearance programme.  Due to the perverse compensation provisions, an owner typically received  £500 - £1,000 for a three storey house in Whitechapel, Stepney or Limehouse - which didn't always go down well.  And they were the lucky ones; if the house was in a Clearance Order, the unfortunate owner had to demolish the house at his own expense.

 

No we are not from London and have been lucky enough thus far to have avoided having to spend much time there other than the odd quick fleeting visit for work.

As a group I think we need to decide if we can really justify the expense of mooring in St Kats. The bigger boats are looking at nearly  £100 per night plus electric!

The guy who is transporting us knows a slipway in Lechlade which is presumably the one you have mentioned?

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3 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

No we are not from London and have been lucky enough thus far to have avoided having to spend much time there other than the odd quick fleeting visit for work.

As a group I think we need to decide if we can really justify the expense of mooring in St Kats. The bigger boats are looking at nearly  £100 per night plus electric!

The guy who is transporting us knows a slipway in Lechlade which is presumably the one you have mentioned?

Well, I can't be sure which one your guy knows - but the one I mention is immediately above the road bridge.  It's just a slipway - no crane or anything fancy.   A 100m or so further upstream is Lechlade Marina which may have alternative slippage facilities - but I don't think it has anything grand and it would be a bit odd if there were two, similar simple slipways in such close proximity.  I don't know who controls the one I have in mind; I suppose it could be the Marina but they are well-seperated.

When we used to slip a boat in-and-out regularly, it was preferable to check-out the facility before arriving with the boat.  The steepness and depth of water over the toe (and any drop-off) varied considerably - but if you a boat transporter presumably he knows the locations or makes enquiries

According to this site http://thames.me.uk/s02240.htm there is a (Lechlade) Marina slip - but its not clear just where it is.  It is also showing one at the Trout Inn and other locations.

We prefer the upper Thames to its more gentrified lower reaches - but each to their own.

 

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I the one you are thinking of is by the pub next to the bridge where they hire out the rowing boats etc, then take a look on street view, it does not look like it is a usable slipway to me.  Seems to be swindonwatersports.co.uk you could give them a call to see.

According to this the marina has a slipway http://www.noblemarine.co.uk/marina/Riverside-Lechlade-Marina/

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14 hours ago, Naughty Cal said:

They can always leave BW with a full tank of fuel which will be enough to see them through the two weeks. Their boat is just too big to fit on a small boat trailer so will have to be trucked down so weight isn't going to be a problem for them.

We will have to go down light again so any suggestions as to where to get fuel on the upper reaches will be appreciated.

Limehouse does seem to be the sensible option.

You should be able to buy fuel from Lechlade Marina according to website.

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the last time I slipped at lechlade marina the marina was effectively defunct.

office, toilets, all locked up and derelict.

the slipway is good for medium sized boats, but I couldn't find anyone to pay or to tell me where to park my car and trailer.  

this will give you some idea about the conditions there.

http://www.wiltsglosstandard.co.uk/news/14346236.PICTURES__Campaigners_clash_with_Lechlade_Riverside_Marina_owner_over_litter_and_abandoned_boats/

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2 minutes ago, Murflynn said:

the last time I slipped at lechlade marina the marina was effectively defunct.

office, toilets, all locked up and derelict.

the slipway is good for medium sized boats, but I couldn't find anyone to pay or to tell me where to park my car and trailer.  

this will give you some idea about the conditions there.

http://www.wiltsglosstandard.co.uk/news/14346236.PICTURES__Campaigners_clash_with_Lechlade_Riverside_Marina_owner_over_litter_and_abandoned_boats/

Not overly concerned what the marina looks like so long as we can get the boat in the water!

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I have heard but not experienced bad things about diesel from that marina and I do not think there will be more until you get to what was Pink Hill Cruiser Station a short way above Eynsham bridge. I think they have a slip and a crane. If it was me I would look at slipping in there and boating to Lechlade and back.

Its an Anglo Welsh Hire base so the fuel should be OK.

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3 hours ago, Naughty Cal said:

Not overly concerned what the marina looks like so long as we can get the boat in the water!

but, unlike what was suggested earlier, I don't think there will be any fuel available there.

Edited by Murflynn
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22 minutes ago, Murflynn said:

but, unlike what was suggested earlier, I don't think there will be any fuel available there.

We will have a bit in the tank (maybe 40 or 50 litres which will see us through a few days on the river) so if as Tony suggests above we can get fuel at Eynsham we will be ok if we launch at Lechlade.

Edited by Naughty Cal
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52 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

I have heard but not experienced bad things about diesel from that marina and I do not think there will be more until you get to what was Pink Hill Cruiser Station a short way above Eynsham bridge. I think they have a slip and a crane. If it was me I would look at slipping in there and boating to Lechlade and back.

Its an Anglo Welsh Hire base so the fuel should be OK.

I go along with that suggestion,took the Dingy in that Marina July 2004 too top up the 4x 20 Litre Jerrycans for my Narrowboat,the Chap refused to serve me saying that the Fuel was for Boats only,I pointed at my Narrowboat on the other side of the River and assured him it was intended for it.

 Could not get the Narrowboat  in the Marina as there were Boats Blocking the Channel,tried to get a Gas Cylinder there a few Years later and could not find any Personnel,the place was all locked up on a weekday morning at 11.30.

There is a Slipway by the Trout Pub just below ST. Johns Lock ,maybe worth trying there?

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44 minutes ago, cereal tiller said:

I go along with that suggestion,took the Dingy in that Marina July 2004 too top up the 4x 20 Litre Jerrycans for my Narrowboat,the Chap refused to serve me saying that the Fuel was for Boats only,I pointed at my Narrowboat on the other side of the River and assured him it was intended for it.

 Could not get the Narrowboat  in the Marina as there were Boats Blocking the Channel,tried to get a Gas Cylinder there a few Years later and could not find any Personnel,the place was all locked up on a weekday morning at 11.30.

There is a Slipway by the Trout Pub just below ST. Johns Lock ,maybe worth trying there?

The guy who is towing us down there had a slipway in mind which we assume is the one in the marina. He uses it on a regular basis so we have left the choice of slipway to up to him as he knows the area far better then we do.

For coming back again we are heading to Chatham.

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1 minute ago, Naughty Cal said:

The guy who is towing us down there had a slipway in mind which we assume is the one in the marina. He uses it on a regular basis so we have left the choice of slipway to up to him as he knows the area far better then we do.

For coming back again we are heading to Chatham.

There is a Hire boat business next to the Trout Pub,a Chap named Gregg runs it,cannot remember the Company name but worth contacting them for Info.

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2 hours ago, cereal tiller said:

I go along with that suggestion,took the Dingy in that Marina July 2004 too top up the 4x 20 Litre Jerrycans for my Narrowboat,the Chap refused to serve me saying that the Fuel was for Boats only,I pointed at my Narrowboat on the other side of the River and assured him it was intended for it.

 Could not get the Narrowboat  in the Marina as there were Boats Blocking the Channel,tried to get a Gas Cylinder there a few Years later and could not find any Personnel,the place was all locked up on a weekday morning at 11.30.

There is a Slipway by the Trout Pub just below ST. Johns Lock ,maybe worth trying there?

The boatyard in question is about 20 minutes or so upstream from Swinford Bridge at Eynsham and called Oxford Cruisers. This page says they do diesel and LPG and have crane and slipway... http://www.oxfordcruisers.com/Oxford_Cruisers_Boatyard/Services.html

I can vouch for them selling LPG as I bought a bottle from there for £28 a week ago.

I rang them half an hour earlier and was told where to moor (on the river right outside the shop). The hire fleet gets moored on the river so it should be easy enough getting fuel, just give them a call to ask exactly where to moor.

 

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7 hours ago, cereal tiller said:

 

There is a Slipway by the Trout Pub just below ST. Johns Lock ,maybe worth trying there?

.... not.   I enquired about launching a 20ft boat and was told that the slipway and the creek are not suitable for anything over 16ft.

Lechlade marina's slip is fine but the organisation appears to be run by the liveaboards and there is (was) no discipline in keeping the slipway clear for use (in the water and on the concrete). 

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