Thames Rules for Continuous Cruising?

[MtB]

7 hours ago, Redhawk106 said:

Im wondering if we could perhaps find a marina 'close ish' and then for the days that my partner needs to be closer to a work site, hope that its near a river or canal, and move the boat closer for those days, and then it would only be the 24hr mooring here and there and pop back to the main mooring for the rest of the time. Is that too intensive to move the boat that much every week? (Not done it yet, just been stuck in the marina).

 

In my experience there is no such thing as "popping" anywhere on a boat, especially not in a fattie. Moving, finding a space, getting moored up then walking back to get the car takes ages. 

 

You might like to explore Newbury too. It's a straight and fast run up the A34 to Oxford. About 45 mins. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tony Brooks]

8 hours ago, Redhawk106 said:

Other than the Oxford Canal, are there any other canals/rivers in that radius that have locks suitable for 10ft wide, and more suitable for our purpose?

 

That question shows that you seem not to have even looked at any of the online maps, guides or bought a guide book for the area. A guide book like Nicholsons will show where the marinas are located and TEMPORARY moorings are. They will also show that there are NO other canals/rivers available for power boating within 25km of Oxford apart from the Thames, its backwaters, and the Oxford canal.

 

There is a short disused anal above Oxford, but it has not been navigable for years, and the last time I went pas the riier banks around its mouth were full of what looked like squatter boats.

 

Your biggest problem is the 25km distance limit, if you ignore that you get the Kennet and Avon navigations so, as said, Reading and Newbury. I would mention that Thames and Kennet marina is on the non-towpath side of the river so you can't walk along the towpath into town. It is at the end of a long track at the outskirts of Caversham (south Reading) which is then a bus ride or cycle ride to the station. All day car parking at the station is expensive, so just adds to your costs.

 

If you ignore the 25km limit the Burghfield Moorings operator was on here last year saying they had spaces for live-aboards, that is on the river Kennet so subject to flood flows. No such a long walk to a bus stop for a probably hourly service into Reading. Two marinas in Newbury, I think, and walkable to the station, but that means a change at Reading for Oxford if a car is not to be used.

 

I fear that you have picked an area which is very popular with live-aboards, with all the problems that causes.

[Redhawk106]

6 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

That question shows that you seem not to have even looked at any of the online maps, guides or bought a guide book for the area.

 

I can see how that comes across yes, but we have actually researched online for maps, that's what I was doing most of the day yesterday, but maybe not found the right ones. And we bought guidebooks and maps in the past but not for this area yet as everything has come up so quick. Definately one to do and thanks for going into detail on which ones etc.

 

6 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

Your biggest problem is the 25km distance limit

 

Indeed, and there is some confusion on whether it's 25km or 25 miles and whether it's from Oxford or your main "base" site. So just in case we will consider further afield too.

 

Side note, we're actually in another country right now on the other side of the world, seeing family with the newborn, when we got all this news, so it's been hard to go in person to research or buy books until we get home.

 

But shortly we'll be back and going straight to Oxford to check it out and the surrounding areas.

 

Thanks again Tony for the further tips in your last post, it's really helpful.

Edited Wednesday at 13:46 by Redhawk106

[Redhawk106]

What about the River Cherwell? What's that like? Is that an option?

Edited Thursday at 03:52 by Redhawk106

[Midnight]

2 hours ago, Redhawk106 said:

What about the River Cherwell? What's that like? Is that an option?

I'm pretty sure it's not navigable in anything but a punt. Have you tried Osney Mill marina?

[Tony Brooks]

3 hours ago, Redhawk106 said:

What about the River Cherwell? What's that like? Is that an option?

 

At one mouth there is/was a big notice saying No powered craft. If it was a practical proposition, the OP would have been told many posts ago.

 

Like all rivers the river bed is owned by the surrounding landowners so the same problem in respect of moorings on the Thames applies, and as the Cherwell has not been used by powered craft as far as I know, the riparian owners are likely to get very upset if someone turned up and moored a huge boat on their land and then tramped across it to a road. . As far as I know, unlike the Thames, there is no public right of navigation.

 

The same applies to the other tributaries in that area

Edited Thursday at 06:55 by Tony Brooks

[magnetman]

There are quite a few unexpected moorings around Oxford. Including the backwater below Iffley where the old iron railway bridge is. Quite a lot of Boats up there but the footbridge carrying the towing path is very low. 

 

And it was a bit of a zombie land when I went up there in my canoe. 

Also Castle Mill stream and the backwater opposite the college Boathouses. 

 

 

[Redhawk106]

ok cheers all, got lots of good info from you on places/marinas to contact. When we come down to Oxford in the next week we'll be sure to check them all out!

Edited Thursday at 16:43 by Redhawk106

[magnetman]

14 hours ago, Redhawk106 said:

ok cheers all, got lots of good info from you on places/marinas to contact. When we come down to Oxford in the next week we'll be sure to check them all out!

It can be fun looking at satellite views of backwaters. 

 

Like this one which is accessed under the iron footbridge just below the Oxford boathouse on the towing path side. 

 

Several quite large canal Boats down there. 

 

[Cheese]

The top of the Aylesbury arm on the GU is only about 30km from Oxford. So if it is 25 miles you could perhaps cc up and down bits of the GU.  No issues with flooding etc