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Narrowboat on Tidal Thames This Morning


Tim Lewis

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One of the posters on the Thames Forum suggests that you could 'break the back' of a narrow boat by taking it to sea in inappropriate conditions.

 

I somehow doubt that. Swamping is very possible but I am now wondering if a (steel) narrow boat has ever actually been broken up by being subjected to heavy seas unsure.png surely it would sink first

 

It is always hard to put this into perspective, these are tidal waters so you must make sure you are prepared and treat tidal water with great respect but we never felt scared, the boat coped remarkably well.

 

After the video we did alter course slightly to try to find calmer waters and succeeded. Yes it was still bumpy but nothing like on the video, much calmer. To be honest I am not sure if the video was shot in the middle of an awkward knuckle of water or changing course did the trick. More importantly by the time we got to the turn it was much calmer and then really calm on the Medway apart from when fast movers went past.

  • Greenie 1
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  • 2 weeks later...

Just checked the area and my own GPS track on my Navionics app and yes the exclusion zone is apparently in line with the north bank side of arch no.2.

 

I was just outside it (by about 10 metres) and I would have to now say that the narrow boat on the op probably is inside it as it is an unmarked exclusion zone (marked on charts but not on the water)

 

Or so it would seem.

 

Here's a photo I took this afternoon, looking downstream. I have also got round to consulting the Mariner's Guide to Bridges on the tidal thames, published by the PLA. And see their definitive notice here

 

post-13477-0-50863600-1465421483_thumb.jpg

 

As others have suggested it's pretty clear that:

 

1) the buoys are more or less in line (not a very straight line) with the pier between arch 1 ("north" bank) and arch 2. About 15 metres from the wall.

 

2) the exclusion zone extends to the pier between arch 2 and arch 3 - 70 metres

 

3) there are a variety of reasons why boats might use arch 2 - inbound or outbound. It is marked (and lit) as a navigable arch but if you do then (even if briefly) you will have to use the exclusion zone. See the link above.

 

So all inbound narrowboats should use arch 3, unless they think using it is dangerous due to other boats overtaking them etc, in which case arch 2 can be used but then move left pronto to get out of the zone....

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Indigo Dream, Enbeee and Tempest on Friday morning, inbound from Limehouse. Full album here.

 

DSCF8118.JPG

 

 

 

 

We're coming out of Limehouse inward bound at 0530 on the 27th July. When I booked it I think I saw Plover and Clover booked for 0500 on the same day.

 

Iirc they are a pair of unconverted Joshers so a nice photo opportunity for anyone around the River early on that day :)

Edited by magnetman
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We're coming out of Limehouse inward bound at 0530 on the 27th July. When I booked it I think I saw Plover and Clover booked for 0500 on the same day.

 

Iirc they are a pair of unconverted Joshers so a nice photo opportunity for anyone around the River early on that day smile.png

 

Much as I enjoy early morning boating (see separate thread), this is probably testing my enthusiasm a bit too far ...

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Was thinking of Tim Lewis possibly unsure.png

 

5.30 !!!!!!

 

Would love to try (The owners of Plover had already mentioned it to me) but unfortunately I am working in Cambridge for the next few weeks so will not be around.

 

Tim

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We're coming out of Limehouse inward bound at 0530 on the 27th July. When I booked it I think I saw Plover and Clover booked for 0500 on the same day.

Iirc they are a pair of unconverted Joshers so a nice photo opportunity for anyone around the River early on that day :)

And a lovely pronunciation exercise to confuse non native English speakers :-) Edited by Chertsey
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And a lovely pronunciation exercise to confuse non native English speakers :-)

 

Pluvv-er and Clow-ver?

 

The best name I have come across so far was narrowboat WHOIO, I think they were planning to use the callsign "Who ten" when talking to London VTS...

Edited by Scholar Gypsy
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Four narrowboats and a widebeam on an early morning run today - I could only read the name of one of them, CHARLOTTE MAY from Thorne. If you know them please pass it on.

 

We were on a party boat (at 7am!) to welcome in the Clippers from the round the world race -- more photos here

 

dscf8266.jpg

 

dscf8296.jpg

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I did. The manoeuvre involving the two outgoing trip boats, the incoming tug, and the two incoming narrowboats, looks quite challenging. A very good illustration, I suspect, of how important it is to have VHF radio - in this case to know that the trip boats want to pass Green to Green.

 

In return, here's a photo from near Southend earlier today (not taken by me, from https://indigodream.wordpress.com/)

 

img_3148.jpg

 

Not everybody makes it:

 

 

 

Tim

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Not everybody makes it:

 

 

 

Tim

 

Thanks - I had spotted an earlier tweet from Gravesend RNLI, but that did not give as much detail.

 

Some choice understatement in that article. Best to run aground on a rising tide...

 

Similar incident in 2014: http://rnli.org/NewsCentre/Pages/Sheerness-RNLI-lifeboats-assist-narrowboat-which-ran-aground.aspx

Edited by Scholar Gypsy
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  • 4 weeks later...

I understand a Narrowboat was towed in when transiting up from Limehouse last week with dirty fuel. I don't have any further details.

 

Here you go, I think - Teddington to Limehouse

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/73933281285/permalink/10153710172176286/ (video)

and

https://www.facebook.com/groups/73933281285/permalink/10153708049966286/ (discussion beforehand)

 

The continued debate as to whether VHF or a mobile phone is more useful strikes me as rather odd!

 

I gather the boat pictured above turned around fairly soon - I guess they were out for an evening jaunt from the moorings at Chiswick Pier?

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Here you go, I think - Teddington to Limehouse

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/73933281285/permalink/10153710172176286/ (video)

and

https://www.facebook.com/groups/73933281285/permalink/10153708049966286/ (discussion beforehand)

 

The continued debate as to whether VHF or a mobile phone is more useful strikes me as rather odd!

 

I gather the boat pictured above turned around fairly soon - I guess they were out for an evening jaunt from the moorings at Chiswick Pier?

Yes that was the one, I got the info verbally from another boater.

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Who built those white sheds on top of the HoP?

 

I hope they have Planning Permission or I predict there will be trouble...

That would be the roofer's, The roof has more leaks than the goverment. Summer is the only time the work can be done, otherwise the layabouts in both houses complain.

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Further comments about this incident (weed hatch seal failed, apparently) are in the post on facebook - the first of the links above, here. Ouch.

I notice it blew out a section of weed hatch seal. I use a single sheet of closed cell foam for my weed hatch seal, it has a hole cut in the centre so that it can be threaded over the bottom plate and the support between the two. I find it seals much more efficiently that the sticky back 1 in tape stuff.

Edited by ditchcrawler
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