Final trip in 2020

Old Crusty

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Yesterday was my last trip this year, in fact the first over an hour given lock down and self-isolation. Moved the boat down from Abingdon to Moulsford for winter lay up, servicing, anti-fouling, varnishing rubbing strakes and a good polish before she goes up for sale next spring. The river was sparkling with a billion diamonds as it does in sunshine, quite windy on some reaches with 9" to 12" wavelets.

Four locks, no duty keepers except at the last moment at Clifton when a relief turned up and assisted in his lunch hour (thanks Curtis). Just one Anglo-Welsh hire boat travelling down with us and an EA crane barge that hung up in Culham Lock (I said I wouldn't mention names). Saw two patrol boats (moored up, obviously), three sunken vessels tied to the bank, several navigation buoys out of position below Days Lock and Clifton Hampden Bridge and at least a dozen boats sporting EA unregistered notices in those very sticky plastic envelopes. The sunken boat above Benson Lock on the starboard side of the river has a red can port buoy on it, not the brightest deployment of such a mark that might confuse the inexperienced boater.

Four hours including the locks with the tail stream pushing us along at 11kph most of the time but still no visible wash. Joyful.c355fae9-0fcc-485f-9e60-6ab4a818188e.jpg
 
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Chris_d

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The sunken boat above Benson Lock on the starboard side of the river has a red can port buoy on it, not the brightest deployment of such a mark that might confuse the inexperienced boater.

Saw on the Twitter feed they had put a buoy on that, has it actually sunk now? There is a spare green below Henley bridge that has moved from below the weir they could use, EA launches have so far just ignored it.
However did notice that some new channel arrow markers have gone up on the Islands around Medmenham, but still waiting for the channel marker on Cookham bridge to be straightened up, been tempted to do it myself every time we go past.
 

25931

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Yesterday was my last trip this year, in fact the first over an hour given lock down and self-isolation. Moved the boat down from Abingdon to Moulsford for winter lay up, servicing, anti-fouling, varnishing rubbing strakes and a good polish before she goes up for sale next spring. The river was sparkling with a billion diamonds as it does in sunshine, quite windy on some reaches with 9" to 12" wavelets.

Four locks, no duty keepers except at the last moment at Clifton when a relief turned up and assisted in his lunch hour (thanks Curtis). Just one Anglo-Welsh hire boat travelling down with us and an EA crane barge that hung up in Culham Lock (I said I wouldn't mention names). Saw two patrol boats (moored up, obviously), three sunken vessels tied to the bank, several navigation buoys out of position below Days Lock and Clifton Hampden Bridge and at least a dozen boats sporting EA unregistered notices in those very sticky plastic envelopes. The sunken boat above Benson Lock on the starboard side of the river has a red can port buoy on it, not the brightest deployment of such a mark that might confuse the inexperienced boater.

Four hours including the locks with the tail stream pushing us along at 11kph most of the time but still no visible wash. Joyful.View attachment 101068
kph ?
 

Old Crusty

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Saw on the Twitter feed they had put a buoy on that, has it actually sunk now? There is a spare green below Henley bridge that has moved from below the weir they could use, EA launches have so far just ignored it.
However did notice that some new channel arrow markers have gone up on the Islands around Medmenham, but still waiting for the channel marker on Cookham bridge to be straightened up, been tempted to do it myself every time we go past.

Only the tip of the pulpit rail is above the surface. The tiny yellow marker looks like a deflated kid's balloon.
 

Old Crusty

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must have been great, having the river to yourself

It was but a touch of tortoise & hare, each time I arrived at a lock and prepped it to enter the chamber, that pesky NB arrived despite me being well ahead of it. The lady crew on the NB commented that their timing was excellent. I shook them off on the run from Wallingford.
 

Mark26

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Glad you had a good trip. Hope the winter works goes well.
I had the same experience with a single-handed lady narrow boat today from Cookham to Bray.
Small(ish) narrowboat? Maybe 30ft? Lady from Paddington?

I passed through10 locks in 2 days, saw 2 keepers. Both were very welcome as I was single-handed
 

oldgit

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Looked very nice.
Our last club outing of the year (Covid regs allowing ??? ) will be a night down at MDL Chatham. Looking to be good turn out .
It might have something to do with power/water being available and only 30 mins downstream.
Unfortunately we are next door to London , full of lurgy, club members who reside there are no longer allowed to even visit their boats.
Normally some mug would organise a collective meal in a particular restuarant, the organiser would get the blame when it all goes wrong.
This time folks will have to make their own, max of six, arrangements.

Will miss all the helpful comments about how the choosen resturant is a dump/dangerous/expensive /awful etc.
One place we used to go was frequently mentioned in the local press regards health inspections , figured if they were there so often, it must be good.
Will miss divving up the bill between the you only live once "third bottle" of wine crowd and the "But I only had only had a lettuce leaf and a small glass of free of tapwater " mob , who also no doubt will be brandishing badly printed discount vouchers at the till.
All somebody elses problem next year. :)
 
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Outinthedinghy

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River nice and quiet finally.

I'm hoping for a few more little trips up and down before the River gets to too fast. Not a fan of red or yellow board boating. Just not relaxing enough.

Boat based at Medmenham for winter. Last Christmas I was rowing my dinghy across the field to access the boat. That was fun.
However on balance prefer it when I can do boating on the toy trawler.

Up to Shiplake and back down to Cliveden then back to Medmenham last weekend, that was pleasant. Cliveden very pleasant at this time of year.
I am single handed but never ask for any assistance at locks as prefer to do it all myself as I have always done.

The few times that keepers have insisted on helping with ropes it all ends up in the wrong place. I've done Limehouse to Lechlade and back single handed in a variety of boats largest being 58x12ft barge never had any problems. I just prefer it that way. Everything under control and nobody to issue instructions to.

Raining again now so suspect River might be going up again soon.

I like the peace and quiet but do miss the sunny summer days.
 

Barge

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Just seen a EA launch out on a jolly on patrol. No boats around me, but i am sure they diligently stopped and checked every one they passed...
 

Old Crusty

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Just seen a EA launch out on a jolly on patrol. No boats around me, but i am sure they diligently stopped and checked every one they passed...

My feedback to the EA has prompted a response so the red can buoy marking the sunken boat at Benson is to be changed today.
 

Riverleak

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Yesterday was my last trip this year, in fact the first over an hour given lock down and self-isolation. Moved the boat down from Abingdon to Moulsford for winter lay up, servicing, anti-fouling, varnishing rubbing strakes and a good polish before she goes up for sale next spring. The river was sparkling with a billion diamonds as it does in sunshine, quite windy on some reaches with 9" to 12" wavelets.

Four locks, no duty keepers except at the last moment at Clifton when a relief turned up and assisted in his lunch hour (thanks Curtis). Just one Anglo-Welsh hire boat travelling down with us and an EA crane barge that hung up in Culham Lock (I said I wouldn't mention names). Saw two patrol boats (moored up, obviously), three sunken vessels tied to the bank, several navigation buoys out of position below Days Lock and Clifton Hampden Bridge and at least a dozen boats sporting EA unregistered notices in those very sticky plastic envelopes. The sunken boat above Benson Lock on the starboard side of the river has a red can port buoy on it, not the brightest deployment of such a mark that might confuse the inexperienced boater.

Four hours including the locks with the tail stream pushing us along at 11kph most of the time but still no visible wash. Joyful.View attachment 101068
Are you getting another boat Mr Crusty, or giving up the boating lark?
 

Old Crusty

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Are you getting another boat Mr Crusty, or giving up the boating lark?

I'm not giving up boating, it's not possible, but I will be returning to the coast to do the estuaries, rias and harbours of South Devon and Dorset. The Thames has lost its lustre for me but I shall still post on here, if for no other reason than to wind up B1 ;)
 

Outinthedinghy

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As far as I'm concerned the River is excellent. I first stepped into a boat on the Thames in 1986 and the more I can continue doing this the better.

Yes it has changed over the years and some parts are a bit wrong but overall it is amazing and a real asset. I feel privileged to be able to go boating on such a pleasant waterway.

Obviously this time of a year a bit less available and I noticed a red board just came on at Oxford which is a nuisance.

Still, it is a great waterway.
 
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