(Hopefully) short term (ish) mooring options

pavlosimou

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So at the moment I am stuck here. It's all rather lovely, alas I can only stay another week. Am having to look at the possibility that I may have to leave the boat here (currently at Henley) due to the Hammersmith bridge closure. Can anyone recommend somewhere safe I may be able to leave her for a while? Which is the cheapest end? Bearing in mind I am still paying for her home berth.
 

plumbob

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Mmmm, tricky one. No safe haven except the marinas of which there are quite a number close to Henley. Thames and Kennet did do 2 months at a time. Why not have a ring round. Good luck
 

Outinthedinghy

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You could moor at Medmenham (left bank going down after the sharp bend below Hambleden and ask Steve at SRB moorings about leaving it there when he comes for the mooring fee.

Mooring fee on the notices is £8 per day.

It is a field mooring but it's a good spot and Steve is up and down the field every day so acts as a security man.

SRB 07774701314

Another possibility is Cookham above the bridge but that is quite a lot more public and I'd say less secure. However the bankside at Cookham is better made up ie it is piled.
 

Lower Limit 1909

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Do check your insurance. Leaving the boat 'unattended' for multiple days outside of a formal marina / harbour may be cheaper but you may find you are not covered.

You have a large number of 'secure' options between Henley and Teddington (and indeed a few below that will save you an EA licence).

The bridge is going to remain closed unless multiple engineers are bold enough to say they fully understand the problem and there is zero chance of it falling down. It's hard to see that saying it is 'completely safe' and taking on the associated responsibility is going to be easier than saying that a risk of it failing exists. Add in the political pressure to put pressure on the government to fund a temporary replacement and come up with the funds to fix this one and there has to be a very real possibility that this closure lasts for a very long time (I hope I'm wrong but at very least you need a Plan B for this eventuality).

The fact that they spent most of last week spraying it with hoses " ...to prevent the bridge from failing" (in the words of the Council Leader) gives an indication of the seriousness. (You do wonder how many people using the bridge were aware the only thing apparently stopping it from collapsing was a man with a hosepipe).

Marina 'day rates' are going to be £25+. You are also going to have to factor in trains and taxi fares etc. and additional 7 day licences at £40 a week etc. or an annual licence. If you end up hauling out and trucking around in 6 weeks time those 'hundreds' will all be sunk costs with no return so I would probably be looking at getting a Plan B costed up sooner rather than later. As I said - I hope I'm wrong but ....

In addition to all the easily identified Teddington Harbour / Swan Island / Hammertons / Brentford Dock / Chiswick Pier / etc. possibilities some more informal possibly lower cost short/medium-term options below Teddington might include:

Mark at Eel Pie Island 020 8892 3636 may have some lower cost rafting up opportunities.
Chas Newens 020 8788 4587 have various trot / mooring buoys but most are below Hammersmith.
Mark Edwards 020 8948 8270 can sometimes help with some short-term trot mooring / rafting options.
Pat Walsh 020 8977 8414 manages a small pontoon Richmond and various trot moorings.

If you get really lucky somebody might pop up on this forum who is stuck downstream on the other side unable to get back to their mooring on this side and you can arrange a mooring swap.
 

Outinthedinghy

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I had my 16 tonnes 30x10ft6 motor cruiser road hauled from near Boston to Reading last year.

Approx cost was truck £1000 and cranes (actually they were travel hoists) £250-300 each way.

So best part of £1600. At £25 a day that would be 2 months I suppose.
As mentioned earlier South Dock is an option but you would have to check what height vehicle can get there.

Might be more convenient just to take it to Chatham or Rochester as cost probably won't be much higher.

Bushnell's can do lift to transport as well as more obvious ones on the River .

I didn't use them but have heard good things about boat-shift.com
 

PeterBoater

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"If you get really lucky somebody might pop up on this forum who is stuck downstream on the other side unable to get back to their mooring on this side and you can arrange a mooring swap. "
Brilliant idea; let's hope it works for some people and that marinas etc are sympathetic. I suggest that, if you can, inserting 'Hammersmith Bridge' into the thread title would attract relevant punters.

For the one who suggested taking a chance under the bridge, the PLA exclusion zone should be considered.
 
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st599

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As TfL are reporting they've not got money to run the bus and tube network, it may be a while before they find the £100m+ needed to fix Bazalgette's bridge. Apparently only 1 of it's kind to remain in the UK - may be a reason why.
 

PeterBoater

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As TfL are reporting they've not got money to run the bus and tube network, it may be a while before they find the £100m+ needed to fix Bazalgette's bridge. Apparently only 1 of it's kind to remain in the UK - may be a reason why.
The bridge is not owned by TfL but by the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (LBHF); however, LBHF is apparently seeking money from TfL because the latter allegedly allowed more than one bus on the bridge at a time, in contravention of the rule. LBHF might also be seeking a contribution from the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, on the Barnes side. As I said on the other thread on this subject, they're all squabbling.
 

pavlosimou

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Do check your insurance. Leaving the boat 'unattended' for multiple days outside of a formal marina / harbour may be cheaper but you may find you are not covered.

You have a large number of 'secure' options between Henley and Teddington (and indeed a few below that will save you an EA licence).

The bridge is going to remain closed unless multiple engineers are bold enough to say they fully understand the problem and there is zero chance of it falling down. It's hard to see that saying it is 'completely safe' and taking on the associated responsibility is going to be easier than saying that a risk of it failing exists. Add in the political pressure to put pressure on the government to fund a temporary replacement and come up with the funds to fix this one and there has to be a very real possibility that this closure lasts for a very long time (I hope I'm wrong but at very least you need a Plan B for this eventuality).

The fact that they spent most of last week spraying it with hoses " ...to prevent the bridge from failing" (in the words of the Council Leader) gives an indication of the seriousness. (You do wonder how many people using the bridge were aware the only thing apparently stopping it from collapsing was a man with a hosepipe).

Marina 'day rates' are going to be £25+. You are also going to have to factor in trains and taxi fares etc. and additional 7 day licences at £40 a week etc. or an annual licence. If you end up hauling out and trucking around in 6 weeks time those 'hundreds' will all be sunk costs with no return so I would probably be looking at getting a Plan B costed up sooner rather than later. As I said - I hope I'm wrong but ....

In addition to all the easily identified Teddington Harbour / Swan Island / Hammertons / Brentford Dock / Chiswick Pier / etc. possibilities some more informal possibly lower cost short/medium-term options below Teddington might include:

Mark at Eel Pie Island 020 8892 3636 may have some lower cost rafting up opportunities.
Chas Newens 020 8788 4587 have various trot / mooring buoys but most are below Hammersmith.
Mark Edwards 020 8948 8270 can sometimes help with some short-term trot mooring / rafting options.
Pat Walsh 020 8977 8414 manages a small pontoon Richmond and various trot moorings.

If you get really lucky somebody might pop up on this forum who is stuck downstream on the other side unable to get back to their mooring on this side and you can arrange a mooring swap.
Can you check the number for Mark at eel pie island? Bt says I have dialled an incorrect number. Thank you.
 
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