A Nice Weekend on the Thames

[LeeME3]

Just some random pics from the weekend really. My parents were passing through Reading on their annual narrowboat trip along the Thames so met up with them whilst getting some work done on The Blue Goat. No real reason for posting other than I enjoy looking at other people's pics of their time on the river so hopefully other people do too. The Blue Goat is a Palomino 24, originally built in 1992/3 for the Broads, been in my ownership nearly 3 years now and is used a fair bit whilst I work through the plan of upgrades and improvements. She is no gin palace (and never will be!) but gives a lot of pleasure and I'm learning much from her - both about boat ownership / maintenance and the ways of the river!

First off how the cockpit used to look on TBG:

And then how it looks now (a bit more trimming to do but it's getting there):

Parents' boat and mine next to each other for the first time:

We cruised down to Sonning and had a wander around. As usual the grounds of The French horn were just stunning with a gorgeous Thames launch lying on mooring:

And finally TBG on her mooring at Fry's Island taken from the river on board Wot no Name as she cruised past:

 

[thamesS23]

nice photos.

We have only been down to the boat once so far this year, and that was spent cleaning and scrubbing.

This weekend will be our first weekend on it relaxing, so your pictures have put me in the mood and looking forward to it.

 

[oldgit]

excellent pictures.....anybody else got any pix to post ,lots of free image hosts out there.
Personally have never had much luck with this forums own picture upload system ?

 

[LeeME3]

@Oldgit I use tinypic - works well and generates the code line you need for the image, just copy and paste it into your post and it works fine.

I agree - we need more pics posted of boats being worked on / enjoyed! I’m sure everyone on here is an active boater but I’m constantly staggered by how many boats are on the Thames / in Thames marinas and how few I see out and about. Even at my mooring where there are only maybe 10 private boats moored I’m almost invariably the only one dong any work or heading out. Maybe everyone else has got so much cash they don’t need to do the work themselves and don’t feel the need to use their boats much!!!

 

[c.buck]

Has anyone on here got recommendations for hiring small motor boats to cruise up the thames anywhere? I'm thinking day trips, and nothing fancy. Must be able to have a picnic on board sort of stuff.

 

[LeeME3]

Starting from where? In Reading Caversham Boat Services have some stuff that will do the job. It's sightly older / less posh stock than, say, Hobbs of Henley, but it's reflected in the price.

 

[TrueBlue]

Kris Cruisers of Datchet have a fleet of small day boats
There are similar boats at Abingdon
and some posher driven boats at Oxford

 

[Gibeltarik]

+1 for Kris cruisers - you can get from Datchet to the Cookham / Boulters reach with time for a picnic lunch and walk at Cliveden on the National Trust moorings - island or bankside and back in a day's hire. (However the map they provide runs out at Boulters lock!)

 

[Old Crusty]

Has anyone on here got recommendations for hiring small motor boats to cruise up the thames anywhere? I'm thinking day trips, and nothing fancy. Must be able to have a picnic on board sort of stuff.

Hobbs of Henley offer a range of day boats for hire.