Advice needed - is London commuting by boat possible?

[mixmaster]

Hello,

This is my 1st time posting in the Thames Forum as I'm a raggie. As I'm about to start a job in London I wanted to ask if commuting on ones own boat, say a RIB is at all possilble. I will be working very near London bridge and am likely to live somewhere up the river in Chiswick or Richmond. It would obviously just be mooring up during the day at the work end.
I'm pretty sure this is impossible but wanted to see what the experts here thought.

Thank you.

 

[pheran]

Without even thinking about the mooring up complications, it gonna be a lengthy old commute Richmond to London Bridge if only because of the 8k speed limit as far as Wandsworth.

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

Richmond to London Bridge will be 90 minutes to 2 hours at best and probably a lot worse, given that your employer is unlikely to fit his day around the times of the tides. Anything that will be civilised for commuting probably wont want to bob around in the river while you are at work. But, the tourist ribs must live somewhere so some reaserch may turn up possibilities inside a pier.

 

[mixmaster]

More likely to be Chiswick but anyways, with the speed limit better off taking a scooter!
Thanks.

 

[teddington_lock]

'Advisory' 12 knot limit below Wandsworth to the Upper Pool now as well.

No more 'jollys' for small Rinker / BinLiner / Maxum owners any more

 

[Celica]

commuting by boat

Firstly well done for exploring the possibilites of commuting by boat. Its a shame there isn't more chance of commuting along the thames from its lower reaches from places like Gravesend or even Sheppey or Southend. This would save alot of traffic from the roads heading into london and utilise the biggest non used motorway in the south east i.e the river. I remember reading about a russian hydro foil that was used many moons ago. Shame it didn't take off.

 

[alruss]

There are river busses that run from Putney to London town piers, not sure which ones, they
seem to get away with ignoring the speed limits, advisory of compulsory. With a hull as dirty,
wash wise, as theirs they are a pest, polite.

 

[CJL]

Limited mooring spots, tides can be worked around, £5 a day for Richmond Lock and Wier (£10 if you get the tides wrong) and the journey times can be massive.

If it rains are you gonna turn up at work in a soggy suit?

The tourist ribs moor up on Cadogan Pier and behind Tower Pier.

Chris

 

[the_wanderer]

The answer is definately no.

I worked in The City for thirty six years and regularly walked along the Thame in my lunch breaks. I have also navigated my little 14 ft boat through the tideway a number of times.

The tides are strong and unless you have a mooring , say around Westminster just give it up.

You may have to have a permit from the PLA (I could stand corrected on this subject) but the wash from the trip boats is horrendous for a small boat and as the tide recedes you will usually be landed on a barge bed. Your boat will be smashed to pieces.

Sorry to be so negative regarding this subject but there is not a snowballs chance in hell that I would just leave my boat which is probably slightly more durable to yours without a non drying mooring to the ravages of trip boat wash.

Regards.

Alan.