Thames permanent mooring

[blackrose]

I might be starting a new job not far from Henley. What are my changes of finding a mooring on the Thames anywhere between Shillingford to Cookham? It may influence whether I take the job or not. The boat is 57 x 12 and I live aboard. I once lived on a garden end mooring further downstream on the Thames for a few years and I've lived on other rivers in winter so I know what's involved. Although I've been through that part of the Thames several times on my boat I don't really know the area or what my chances are of finding a permanent mooring. I spoke to a guy on a coal boat moored at Henley recently and he told me it was possible to stay on the visitor moorings all year round as long as you paid, so that may be a possibility to start with, but ideally I'd like a safer mooring. If anyone has any leads please let me know - garden ends by PM. Thanks.

Edited August 13, 2017 by blackrose

[GUMPY]

You certainly change jobs often do you get bored easily?

[blackrose]

23 minutes ago, Loddon said:

You certainly change jobs often do you get bored easily?

It's the modern way Julian... It's what you do when you want a better job. Nobody at my last company can remember anyone in my position who stayed for more than a year. The place has very high staff turnover. I did 15 months there, got the production experience I needed, been to a few interviews and now there are a couple of better jobs on the cards. I'd be stupid to stay there. 

Edited August 13, 2017 by blackrose

[Alan de Enfield]

11 minutes ago, blackrose said:

It's the modern way Julian...

I'm just glad I'm not 'modern'

Had my 1st job out of school for 4 years (after having worked part time - school holidays, weekends etc for them for 4 years) and my 2nd job for 23 years and then took early retirement at aged 45.

[Slim]

One job (employer to be more accurate) in 42 years

[blackrose]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I'm just glad I'm not 'modern'

... and then took early retirement at aged 45.

That sounds quite modern to me! I thought traditionally retirement was taken a bit later than that.

Edited August 13, 2017 by blackrose

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, blackrose said:

It's the modern way Julian... It's what you do when you want a better job. Nobody at my last company can remember anyone in my position who stayed for more than a year. The place has very high staff turnover. I did 15 months there, got the production experience I needed, been to a few interviews and now there are a couple of better jobs on the cards. I'd be stupid to stay there. 

Good luck with both the job and the mooring

[blackrose]

Anyway, if anyone has anything useful to add to this thread perhaps we could keep it on topic?

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, blackrose said:

That sounds quite modern to me!

No - I think anyone who could do, always did.

I wanted to spend more time boating

[blackrose]

Just now, ditchcrawler said:

Good luck with both the job and the mooring

Thank you

[billS]

The Thames and Kennet marina outside Caversham has a lot of boaters who "visit their boats very frequently" and it's a nice enough place. I would have a look at that for a start.

[blackrose]

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

No - I think anyone who could do, always did.

I wanted to spend more time boating

Well I'm glad I am modern. I've had loads of different jobs and loads of different experiences. One job for decades sounds like my worst nightmare, but each to their own.

Just now, billS said:

The Thames and Kennet marina outside Caversham has a lot of boaters who "visit their boats very frequently" and it's a nice enough place. I would have a look at that for a start.

Thanks, I have moored there before for a few days but for a long-term mooring it's way too expensive for me.

[mrsmelly]

3 minutes ago, blackrose said:

Anyway, if anyone has anything useful to add to this thread perhaps we could keep it on topic?

For what its worth you are doing absolutely right. My old Dad did only about four jobs in his life and I have done loads of different things all totally different many with differing courses I have needed by law to take. Being in the one job for my 46 working years would have driven me barmy ( oh hang on a minute )  I have lived and worked in many countries early on and all over England in the past several years and its been fab. Never moved for the money just lifes experience.

[Alan de Enfield]

3 minutes ago, blackrose said:

Well I'm glad I am modern. I've had loads of different jobs and loads of different experiences. One job for decades sounds like my worst nightmare, but each to their own.

 

Apologies I may have misled you :

I worked for one company for 23 years, but within that time had many different roles and responsibilities. In the end the travel involved in co-ordinating 12 divisions all over the world became too demanding.

 

Anyway - wish you luck, &,  if you find a job further North I may be of more use to you finding a mooring.

[billS]

5 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

Thanks, I have moored there before for a few days but for a long-term mooring it's way too expensive for me.

Them's Thames prices. A cheaper option might be the Kennet. There are  moorings with liveaboards at Tyle Mill lock (CRT) in field below Towney lock and offside above Aldermaston lock. No water or power at any of them but with water points reasonably close.

[billS]

If you do decide to go for the Kennet, I would just ask you to wait until Mr Norman has completed his  "Progress" on the K&A. He has already expressed some dissatisfaction with the amount of "slum boats" there, and whilst yours would not justify such a description, I seem to recall it did have a lot of plants and stuff on the roof.

[Steilsteven]

1 hour ago, billS said:

Them's Thames prices. A cheaper option might be the Kennet. There are  moorings with liveaboards at Tyle Mill lock (CRT) in field below Towney lock and offside above Aldermaston lock. No water or power at any of them but with water points reasonably close.

There are no vacancies at Tyle Mill but there might be one at Aldermaston since 'Rainbow Runner' left. Towner lock moorings don't allow living aboard full time. It might be worth asking boaters moored along The Warren, Caversham if they know of any vacancies.

Keith 

[Jim Riley]

2 hours ago, billS said:

If you do decide to go for the Kennet, I would just ask you to wait until Mr Norman has completed his  "Progress" on the K&A. He has already expressed some dissatisfaction with the amount of "slum boats" there, and whilst yours would not justify such a description, I seem to recall it did have a lot of plants and stuff on the roof.

Mr Norman was grumbling, rightly, IMHO, about the number of badly moored boats  slowing progress and the unfriendly treatment doled out to Bargees who travel, nationally, be they owners or hirers, by the static dwellers.

[Drayke]

9 hours ago, blackrose said:

I might be starting a new job not far from Henley. What are my changes of finding a mooring on the Thames anywhere between Shillingford to Cookham? It may influence whether I take the job or not. The boat is 57 x 12 and I live aboard. I once lived on a garden end mooring further downstream on the Thames for a few years and I've lived on other rivers in winter so I know what's involved. Although I've been through that part of the Thames several times on my boat I don't really know the area or what my chances are of finding a permanent mooring. I spoke to a guy on a coal boat moored at Henley recently and he told me it was possible to stay on the visitor moorings all year round as long as you paid, so that may be a possibility to start with, but ideally I'd like a safer mooring. If anyone has any leads please let me know - garden ends by PM. Thanks.

You could try looking around Shillingford as there does seem to be some liveaboards near the hotel. You could also try Dreadnaught Reach near T&K they are a bit cheaper than T&K but not by much. Sorry don’t have phone numbers. T&K have a waiting list.

[Drayke]

If you don't mind travelling a bit further down river you could try this one http://www.apolloduck.co.uk/boat.phtml?id=413307

 

[Dharl]

11 hours ago, Steilsteven said:

'Rainbow Runner' left.

Slightly off topic but do you know where did she went? I used to walk along that stretch fairly often (though not since last October) and always admired her.       Nearrly convinced Mrs Dharl that if we where to go for a Wide Beam then that would be the style for us.    However she is more than happy with NBs for the time being  

 

Good luck with finding a perm berth along the Thames, when we cruised along their last summer there seemed to be several live aboard's directly opposite the Kennet Mouth, however no contact details I am afraid.   

 

[Laurie Booth]

14 hours ago, Slim said:

One job (employer to be more accurate) in 42 years

I've lost count of the number of jobs I've had.

[blackrose]

15 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Apologies I may have misled you :

I worked for one company for 23 years, but within that time had many different roles and responsibilities. In the end the travel involved in co-ordinating 12 divisions all over the world became too demanding.

 

Anyway - wish you luck, &,  if you find a job further North I may be of more use to you finding a mooring.

Cheers, you never know...

15 hours ago, billS said:

Them's Thames prices. A cheaper option might be the Kennet. There are  moorings with liveaboards at Tyle Mill lock (CRT) in field below Towney lock and offside above Aldermaston lock. No water or power at any of them but with water points reasonably close.

Thanks, I hadn't thought of the Kennet. I had a garden end Thames mooring at Wraysbury for 3 years and it was about £3.5k/year but I know that they are rare. I will check 

[blackrose]

2 hours ago, Dharl said:

 

Good luck with finding a perm berth along the Thames, when we cruised along their last summer there seemed to be several live aboard's directly opposite the Kennet Mouth, however no contact details I am afraid.   

 

Yes, I thought that was an illegal encampment? Not sure I could cope with the boat crusties there. Some of them look like extras from a zombie film.

[Dharl]

3 hours ago, blackrose said:

Yes, I thought that was an illegal encampment? Not sure I could cope with the boat crusties there. Some of them look like extras from a zombie film.

lol yes I did think they looked fairly informal........