A Thames Invasion for 2018

[Naughty Cal]

1 hour ago, Murflynn said:

.... 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). 

Pretty sure that can be sorted out at a later date. 

[Naughty Cal]

Can I pick you brains for good places to stop for the evening as we wind our way down the Thames please?

Now we know that we won't all get moored in the same place at the same time and are not worried about this. We will all catch up with each other throughout the week and will all be on the tidal river together at the same time and in central London together at the same time. 

[Naughty Cal]

A licencing question for you today.

For our non tidal section of this trip we are looking at tagging a couple of extra days on. So will need a licence for 9 days.

Looking at the various forms etc. It seems that the most cost effective way to do this is to buy two one week licences back to back.

But the form I have for the visitors licence doesn't give me this option. 

Am I right in assuming I can just buy two consecutive one week licences?

[john6767]

There was a thread recently where this came up.  I was refused this by the lock keeper at Onsey lock, I had to buy 1 week and then when that ran out buy another week at the next lock.  Others have said that you should be able to buy 2 x week licenses upfront.  I can't see why I was refused this, but I guess you are down to the individual lock keeper and how they interpret it.

[Naughty Cal]

Just now, john6767 said:

There was a thread recently where this came up.  I was refused this by the lock keeper at Onsey lock, I had to buy 1 week and then when that ran out buy another week at the next lock.  Others have said that you should be able to buy 2 x week licenses upfront.  I can't see why I was refused this, but I guess you are down to the individual lock keeper and how they interpret it.

We are going to get the licences in advance of our visit so we are not messing about at the locks. 

Might just doctor the form and see what comes back. If not can always send two forms in that follow on from each other.

[Peter X]

I can't see your boat with the 9 foot air draught getting under Osney Bridge, unless you can take something down to reduce the height.

It's a river so the water level varies of course, but on the three occasions I've been under it, all on narrow boats in normal summer conditions, there hasn't been much to spare. It's like a low-ish flat canal bridge, probably requiring a chimney to be taken down.

I'm excluding punting under it long ago, when I just had to lower the pole temporarily!

[Peter X]

The DLR is indeed a fun ride, like a very tame roller coaster, and little children in particular love it. When I was commuting on it 20 years ago to an office in Canary Wharf, there was an unspoken rule that you give up the front seats for anyone with children. To get the real London experience, cram yourselves in with the hordes of office workers in the rush hour.

[Lily Rose]

5 minutes ago, Peter X said:

I can't see your boat with the 9 foot air draught getting under Osney Bridge, unless you can take something down to reduce the height.

It's a river so the water level varies of course, but on the three occasions I've been under it, all on narrow boats in normal summer conditions, there hasn't been much to spare. It's like a low-ish flat canal bridge, probably requiring a chimney to be taken down.

I'm excluding punting under it long ago, when I just had to lower the pole temporarily!

I took my narrowboat under it 6 times recently. There wasn't much room, I had to duck down so low I couldn't see where I was going and had to hope for the best.

It doesn't look like the sort of bridge you want to catch your head on, either as you go in or while under it. The word decapitation springs to mind, it looks so unforgiving.

[cereal tiller]

41 minutes ago, MrBeethoven said:

I took my narrowboat under it 6 times recently. There wasn't much room, I had to duck down so low I couldn't see where I was going and had to hope for the best.

It doesn't look like the sort of bridge you want to catch your head on, either as you go in or while under it. The word decapitation springs to mind, it looks so unforgiving.

Godstow Bridge,upstream of Godstow lock,has more Headroom but catches more Boaters out as is Skewed across the River,at least one fatality has occurred there.

Osney Bridge has 7'6" clearance at normal Summer Levels.

Edited August 9, 2017 by cereal tiller

[Naughty Cal]

2 hours ago, Peter X said:

I can't see your boat with the 9 foot air draught getting under Osney Bridge, unless you can take something down to reduce the height.

It's a river so the water level varies of course, but on the three occasions I've been under it, all on narrow boats in normal summer conditions, there hasn't been much to spare. It's like a low-ish flat canal bridge, probably requiring a chimney to be taken down.

I'm excluding punting under it long ago, when I just had to lower the pole temporarily!

Our air draft is 6'6"

ETA: It was the air draft of one of the bigger boats that was 9ft!

Not a problem with them now as they have dropped out and we have lost a couple of the other bigger boats as well although we have gained some to replace them.

We are now looking at having NC, another S23, 3 Dutch steel cruisers and a Fairline 34.

Cal and the other small boat will be the only two boats being dropped in upstream of Oxford. The others think they are heading to the Thames and Kennet Marina to be dropped in and we will meet up with them somewhere downstream of Oxford.

Edited August 9, 2017 by Naughty Cal

[Dharl]

Quick look at my cruise log for last year and heading down stream from Oxford can suggest following mooring locations down to Reading: Culham, Shillingford, Wallingford (good for Waitrose, had to moor up stream against a tree, great fun) Goring, Beale Park (great overnight moorings), and North of Kennet Mouth (handy for Tesco at Reading).     

All if I remember except Goring (limited pontoon space) was pins in the ground (on one occasion head line around a tree!) moorings.  Wallingford has very limited VMs with rings, we arrived later in the afternoon and had to moor upstream in the wilds a bit.    Very nice town, handy Waitrose for stores and some nice pubs.     Beal Park is a large expense of VMs so if you are traveling in a flotilla then a good RVP.     No services close by there, but great place to meet up with friends, have a BBQ and a beer or two in the evening!

 

    

[mark99]

https://www.thamesvisitormoorings.co.uk/moorings/

 

 

[Naughty Cal]

57 minutes ago, mark99 said:

https://www.thamesvisitormoorings.co.uk/moorings/

 

 

Very useful thank you.

[Scholar Gypsy]

Have you thought of including a run down to the Medway? I am sure lots of places there you could lift your boat out

[Naughty Cal]

10 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

Have you thought of including a run down to the Medway? I am sure lots of places there you could lift your boat out

Yes. That is the plan.

After 9 days on the non tidal river we will have three or four days in London and then we will head down the estuary onto Chatham where the big boats will be lifted out.

Unfortunately Chatham Marina don't have a slipway so the two smaller boats then have a choice of heading around to Gillingham Pier to use the slipway there, although this is only available for 2 hours either side of high water and it isn't clear if there are facilities to flush out the trailer after the boats have been recovered. Or the second option is to head further up river to Allington where there is a nice EA slipway on the non tidal Medway. This will mean buying  24 hour visitors licence but that isn't expensive and it looks to be a nice spot to spend out final evening before being picked up the next day.

[Scholar Gypsy]

23 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Yes. That is the plan.

After 9 days on the non tidal river we will have three or four days in London and then we will head down the estuary onto Chatham where the big boats will be lifted out.

Unfortunately Chatham Marina don't have a slipway so the two smaller boats then have a choice of heading around to Gillingham Pier to use the slipway there, although this is only available for 2 hours either side of high water and it isn't clear if there are facilities to flush out the trailer after the boats have been recovered. Or the second option is to head further up river to Allington where there is a nice EA slipway on the non tidal Medway. This will mean buying  24 hour visitors licence but that isn't expensive and it looks to be a nice spot to spend out final evening before being picked up the next day.

Yes Allington is a very pleasant spot. Neither Port Medway nor Medway Bridge marinas (in or near Rochester) seem to have slipways.

Rochester CC were very friendly to us when we took a group of NBs there in 2016,

And finally Queenborough in the Swale is well worth a visit. NB the Trot boat doesn't run every day, details here,

[Naughty Cal]

We won't have time to visit anywhere other than Chatham and Allington on this trip. As much as we would like to we are limited with time.

[Naughty Cal]

All change on this one now.  It looks like NC will be the only boat definitely going with the possibility of one other boat the same going. So we are not worried about finding cranage now nor bridge heights.

We think we will now have the 8 days non tidal and then book in at St Kats for a week before heading down river to Gallions Reach to be slipped out. Assuming it is still operating next summer.

[mark99]

You won't regret St Cats.

[Naughty Cal]

12 hours ago, mark99 said:

You won't regret St Cats.

Daft thing is it won't cost us anymore to have a full week there then the previous 3 days planned as the weekly rate works out much cheaper then the daily rate.

[Drayke]

On 09/08/2017 at 13:51, Dharl said:

Quick look at my cruise log for last year and heading down stream from Oxford can suggest following mooring locations down to Reading: Culham, Shillingford, Wallingford (good for Waitrose, had to moor up stream against a tree, great fun) Goring, Beale Park (great overnight moorings), and North of Kennet Mouth (handy for Tesco at Reading).     

All if I remember except Goring (limited pontoon space) was pins in the ground (on one occasion head line around a tree!) moorings.  Wallingford has very limited VMs with rings, we arrived later in the afternoon and had to moor upstream in the wilds a bit.    Very nice town, handy Waitrose for stores and some nice pubs.     Beal Park is a large expense of VMs so if you are traveling in a flotilla then a good RVP.     No services close by there, but great place to meet up with friends, have a BBQ and a beer or two in the evening!

 

    

You forgot to mention Abingdon Lots of mooring there and good for the shops.

[Jess--]

10 hours ago, F DRAYKE said:

You forgot to mention Abingdon Lots of mooring there and good for the shops.

may be worth noting that the right side (when facing downstream) does not allow dogs due to the childrens play area, may not affect you, but could affect others in your group.

the other side has no such restriction but does seem to fill up earlier

[Naughty Cal]

8 minutes ago, Jess-- said:

may be worth noting that the right side (when facing downstream) does not allow dogs due to the childrens play area, may not affect you, but could affect others in your group.

the other side has no such restriction but does seem to fill up earlier

There is no group anymore!

[MikeHing]

Just noticed this post regarding facilities at Lechlade.

Good slip in marina. Regularly used for boats such as Freemans, Normans etc.

Marina should have new owners by next Spring and hopefully will be well run and organised. New name will be Lechlade Marina Ltd. It is currently called Riverside Marina. Not likely to be fuel in marina though.

The other Lechlade slip is only suitable for dinghies and canoes. It is a public (no fee) slip.

[Naughty Cal]

On 12/15/2017 at 17:56, MikeHing said:

Just noticed this post regarding facilities at Lechlade.

Good slip in marina. Regularly used for boats such as Freemans, Normans etc.

Marina should have new owners by next Spring and hopefully will be well run and organised. New name will be Lechlade Marina Ltd. It is currently called Riverside Marina. Not likely to be fuel in marina though.

The other Lechlade slip is only suitable for dinghies and canoes. It is a public (no fee) slip.

The guy who is taking us uses the slipway at the marina there on a regular basis. He says it is suitable for our boat so guess that is where we will be getting launched.