Anchor or mudweight?

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Deefor

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On my 18' Mayland Maestro (c.1000kg loaded), I carry a 7kg CQR anchor + 5m chain and a 20kg mud weight and rope when we visit the Broads. The mud weight is used at "anchor" on the actual Broads and the CQR is for emergencies on the likes of Breydon water.

I'm looking to shed some weight and space when on the non tidal Thames - the CQR takes up a lot of space and is light by comparison but the mud weight is compact but heavy.

So which should I ditch? The only time I'd need to sling one out is in an emergency like drifting un-powered towards a weir.

Your thoughts peeps :)
 
Relax.A said:
A mud weight can have its uses but on the thames if you need something in am emergency its got to be an
anchor especially after a good dose of rain and the river picks up .
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Norra lot of mud on the River; mostly shingle, so need something to dig in.

So agree with above (not that he needs my agreement :) )
 
TrueBlue said:
Norra lot of mud on the River; mostly shingle, so need something to dig in.

So agree with above (not that he needs my agreement :) )
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Yes agree as above. Most marinas up and down the Thames are expired gravel pits so thats a clue as to the river bed.(if the Government get their way they intend to create more potential marinas along the Thames!) The non tidal Thames for info is rarely more than 10 - 12 ft deep max in the main stream. Except where a WW2 bomb landed in the river and blew a massive crater in the Thames bed which is still there today. Anyone guess where on the river it is ? (sorry no prize just for interest}:)
 
dash300 said:
Yes agree as above. Most marinas up and down the Thames are expired gravel pits so thats a clue as to the river bed.(if the Government get their way they intend to create more potential marinas along the Thames!) The non tidal Thames for info is rarely more than 10 - 12 ft deep max in the main stream. Except where a WW2 bomb landed in the river and blew a massive crater in the Thames bed which is still there today. Anyone guess where on the river it is ? (sorry no prize just for interest}:)
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Windsor?
 
Above Abingdon lock, 2nd or 3rd bend?

If it's not a bomb hole, I'd like to know what it is as it goes from 1,5m to 7m and back again in the space of about 10m.
 
dash300 said:
Yes agree as above. Most marinas up and down the Thames are expired gravel pits so thats a clue as to the river bed.(if the Government get their way they intend to create more potential marinas along the Thames!) The non tidal Thames for info is rarely more than 10 - 12 ft deep max in the main stream. Except where a WW2 bomb landed in the river and blew a massive crater in the Thames bed which is still there today. Anyone guess where on the river it is ? (sorry no prize just for interest}:)
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Well, the government wants but most LAs are implacably opposed to new marina and other waterside developments - especially Oxfordshire.

Theres a giant hole - so I'm told - opposite the House weir at Shepperton. It creates a magnificent eddy, especially when the river(s) are running on Yellows as I discovered some years ago. Full blasts ahead and lots of opposite lock.

Some say a dumb barge was lost down the whirlpool and it's too deep to get it up again....
 
dash300 said:
Yes agree as above. Most marinas up and down the Thames are expired gravel pits so thats a clue as to the river bed.(if the Government get their way they intend to create more potential marinas along the Thames!) The non tidal Thames for info is rarely more than 10 - 12 ft deep max in the main stream. Except where a WW2 bomb landed in the river and blew a massive crater in the Thames bed which is still there today. Anyone guess where on the river it is ? (sorry no prize just for interest}:)
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Deepest part of the river is just downstream from Walton bridge , i have it on good authority from the fishery guys who have detailed depth charts of the river .

Just under 7.5m

However , in Teddington Weirpool , in front of our big roller sluices , several fishermen have seen depths of 30 feet on their fishfinders at low water !
 
Bomb crater answer

The bomb crater location is opposite Desborough Sailing Club Shepperton on the inside of the bend of Desborough Island (where usually the river would be shallow)
A 30ft deep classic crater shape can be seen on the depth sounder. Check it out next time you are going downstream using the scenic route.
The club weren't even aware but they had noticed there was always a 'boil' in the water near the opposite bank when the river was in full flow.
 
Without wishing to sound like one of Pythons 'four Yorkshiremen'!!!!!! but below Windsor bridge there used to be a hole of 10m (30 feet) or more prior to the early 1990's. As I understand it this was caused by the flow through Windsor bridge being drawn by the vast pull from Romney Weir which was also steered by a man made spit of land that was about 60m (200 feet) in length that protruded from the upstream point of Romney Island towards Windsor bridge. This spit was originally created so that tow horses could swim across the river to the Eton side (or vice versa ) so as to continue their journey. It was decided by the Navigation Inspectorate of the National Rivers Authority, who knew a great deal about navigational issues, to destroy the spit of land called the 'cobbler' and to discard the waste in the hole below Windsor bridge, thus improving the treacherous journey that exists coming down through Windsor bridge in high flows, I have heard of many a tale of vessels hitting the 'cobbler' and being caused severe damage to the point of sinking. Fortunately now these instances are now becoming a distant memory, but only thanks to the knowledge of experienced navigational staff who knew the river with intimate detail.
 
Wasn't the spit concrete? About 15 years ago the Dunkirk Little ship "Lazy Days" hit this in flood conditions in late December/early January. Lazy Days had a concrete sheathing with reinforcement to just above the waterline. The collision knocked in a couple of planks inside the concrete and by the time the boat was in the lock it was getting a bit desperate. There was a full family on board, grandparents, kids etc. The raw water intake pumps were somehow redirected to pump out of the bilge, and Mark Stanley was able to put slings around & save her. Later the concrete mesh was angle grinded off, and sections placed on timber bearers were impossible to smash with a sledge hammer. Incredibly strong, so what would have happened to the boat without the concrete sheathing doesn't bear thinking about. That spit below Eton bridge is a place I wouldn't want to be in a flood!
 
You quite correct the 'cobbler' was concrete. You seem to know a lot of detail about the incident with M.L. Lazy Days hitting the 'cobbler' were you on board?
ianc1200 said:
Wasn't the spit concrete? About 15 years ago the Dunkirk Little ship "Lazy Days" hit this in flood conditions in late December/early January. Lazy Days had a concrete sheathing with reinforcement to just above the waterline. The collision knocked in a couple of planks inside the concrete and by the time the boat was in the lock it was getting a bit desperate. There was a full family on board, grandparents, kids etc. The raw water intake pumps were somehow redirected to pump out of the bilge, and Mark Stanley was able to put slings around & save her. Later the concrete mesh was angle grinded off, and sections placed on timber bearers were impossible to smash with a sledge hammer. Incredibly strong, so what would have happened to the boat without the concrete sheathing doesn't bear thinking about. That spit below Eton bridge is a place I wouldn't want to be in a flood!
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watson1959 said:
Ianc & Riverleak: two great posts......its nuggets like those that make this forum a pleasure to visit IMHO.

Thanks
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Shades of days when Byron shed some of his wisdom.
Glad to see that this tradition of historical information still persists.

There's no other forum quite like this Floreat Tamesis Forum!
 
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