Any advice for someone new to boating in Thames?

I used to be comfortable on winter nights to about -10, due to a good sleeping bag. BUT had a sobering experience one morning in the middle of nowhere and alone. Firstly I slipped on the icy deck and nearly fell in. secondly, having regained composure I brought the mooring lines aboard, put the engine to forward and then realised the steering cables were frozen stuck. Sh@t myself!
 
Mirror Painter said:
I used to be comfortable on winter nights to about -10, due to a good sleeping bag. BUT had a sobering experience one morning in the middle of nowhere and alone. Firstly I slipped on the icy deck and nearly fell in. secondly, having regained composure I brought the mooring lines aboard, put the engine to forward and then realised the steering cables were frozen stuck. Sh@t myself!
Click to expand...
How unpleasant for you. How did you manage to clean yourself up? Do you have a shower on board?
 
prof pat pending said:
I thought you were going to add.....and then used it to thaw the frozen steering cables :disgust:
Thought that'd make a great tip for PBO :ambivalence:
Click to expand...

Ha ha - no, after some tens of seconds, (which seemed like minutes), of drifting downstream with no steering, my frantic tugging on the wheel broke the ice off the cables. After that I always checked the steering before casting off.
 
Oz23 said:
Dear all, thank you so much for all the advice. Being a new member, all my messages go for approval within 12 hours hence I cannot reply immediately.

- Advice on lifejackets, 100% agreed, I already ordered for all the family as part of the package.
- Kill cord should be on the boat, seller was showing it before.
- Regarding my choice of boat, of course I can't argue with experience. As I mentioned, it was a conscious decision to avoid excessive costs and maintenance needs. Many "simple" things can be difficult for me in the beginning. Plus, if it wasn't a new and nice looking boat I guess my wife wouldn't be that keen to support :)
- Toilet is an issue. I will keep a portable chemical toilet for kids, and I'll use the pubs when I can. No immediate plans to go downstream over Teddington, eventhough I'd love to when I feel more comfortable.
- I'll take the 2-days course recommended, thanks for the advice.
- Boat safety scheme (BSS) certificate is not needed for new boats as I read. They accept Declaration of Conformity (DoC) doc, which I believe should come with the new boat.
- Thanks for the insurance link of craftinsure, looks pretty cheap, they don't even ask for boat details. I found it a bit weird, is anyone using them?
- I know winter is the wrong time to put the boat on water, but we are all excited. Is there a particular reason (other than it being cold) that I should avoid using my boat in winter?
- I didn't have an immediate plan to use a gas cooker but I was always thinking about a camping gas. Is there a reason for not to?

Again, thanks all for the encouragement, I look forward to a long boating years. I hope we enjoy it as much as you all certainly do.
Click to expand...

1) get a second kill cord - attach it somewhere near the engine. If driver goes for a swim, someone else may need to pick him up.
2) be aware of other river traffic, rowers and sailors can accelerate and turn fast.
 
Boat is on the water today. I will get it tomorrow. Just got the insurance from CraftInsurance for £122, super cheap and easy. Thanks for the suggestion "bumperdump".
 
Got my first boat in June this year, have to admit that it hasn't been used as much as it could (should) have been due to my lack of confidence, maybe only 4 or 5 days on the river. Still can't put my finger on what is scaring me but hoping I can get it out of my system for 2017.

Already have my RYA Powerboat 2 and as a former assistant lockie they don't worry me, think I'll take the helmsman course at Bisham in the new year, but if things don't change it may be the shortest boat ownership ever on here :dread:
 
sidaorb said:
Got my first boat in June this year, have to admit that it hasn't been used as much as it could (should) have been due to my lack of confidence, maybe only 4 or 5 days on the river. Still can't put my finger on what is scaring me but hoping I can get it out of my system for 2017.

Already have my RYA Powerboat 2 and as a former assistant lockie they don't worry me, think I'll take the helmsman course at Bisham in the new year, but if things don't change it may be the shortest boat ownership ever on here :dread:
Click to expand...

I spent some time yesterday on the boat and I have to say approaching for mooring is pretty scary to me. Today I'll spend a few more hours to see if I can get the grasp of it. Even though I have such a small boat, I found it very tricky. I guess the only way to beat is to keep doing it. Good luck.
 
No Regrets said:
Get advice. It'll shorten the anguish.
Click to expand...

Huge +1 to that.

My first boat, 22' on a tidal river... Mooring got to be so traumatic that I wouldn't take it out in the end.
Did a couple of hours tuition, enjoyed it so much that I immediately booked another 2 hours. It's still the best investment I've ever made in boating by a huge margin.
When we upgraded to a 40' twin screw at the beginning of the Year, first thing I did? Yup, another 2 hours tuition with the same guy :)
 
I've been driving boats for 40 years, but have to admit the first lock at the start of the season is always a little bit nervy after the break if the boat hasn't been used for a few months. Its just confidence and the secret is to just get out there as often as possible and just get to know how a boat feels, any course will only show you a few basics and only one instructors idea of how to do it.
Keep trying it gets easier but you never stop learning :encouragement:
 
Without wishing to attract unwarranted critique....

I was the first respondent to your original post that said you were going to buy a boat.

Having gone back and looked at it, I responded with 'There will be loads of people happy to teach you a thing or two, but it may be worth speaking to Roy at Bisham Abbey for some professional help. It's well worth while doing things properly even if it's just for health and safety, but also for self respect!'

Now you asked for advice, received it, but why on earth didn't you act upon it!? There are relatively few serious Boating accidents and even fewer deaths on the Upper Thames, so please don't become one of the special few... :ambivalence:
 
No Regrets, thanks for advice earlier, I just shared my feeling after first day of boating (as a response to someone else), didn't say I was alone. I got the boat literally 48 hours ago and both on Saturday and Sunday I was actually with an experienced boatsman from the sales team few hours each mostly practicing mooring, which was very helpful. So, I'm receiving help. I have my plan to do RYA training as well.
 
I'm sure Roy can get you sorted pretty quickly! You'll enjoy yourself a lot more afterwards!

So will the lock-keepers! :p
 
On the Norfolk Broads all the rivers are tidal, and in the upper reaches the current rarely causes issues, but on the lower reaches, people come in to moor against the tidal flow. So try this approach on the Thames, come into moor against the flow, ie face upstream. You will have great control of the boat, come in slowly and you can easily come in parallel to the bank.
Loosly tie off the bow line first, otherwise the flow will get between the boat and the bank.

For the same reason, casting off with the flow on your bow is easy too, cast off stern first then bow line, but with care and planning, you could do bow first and let the tide start to turn you before casting off the stern, caution... experience needed for this one especially if there is a boat downstream of you.
Mooring is all about control, the right speed, and observation of what is around you. Then experience wins hands down, but getting that experience takes time.
Don't be afraid about practicing, find a quiet mooring, no other boats about, practice mooring, do it from either direction, coming in with the tide is tricky, but with an outboard that can steer in reverse can be achieved.

Hope it helps, been on the Narrow canals for over 25 years and the Broads for over 6, now we are on the Thames, and... it's the same boat a Viking 23. In the early days it suited 2+2 and when the kids got older, it's a great boat for a couple.
We are not without comforts either, standing headroom, hot shower, porta loo, fridge, inverter, hot air central heating, shore hook up, cd/radio, 4 speakers, TV /dvd wait for this... a portable satellite dish, but not used on the Broads as the Digital signal was excellent..
So small can be beautiful, oh and we can squeeze into small mooring spaces too, once one space was shorter than our boat, it was for a short water stop, and with the boat behind we sneaked our outboard under his bow lol. We got in, never touched the boat on either side, did not need to fend off either. This is what experience and knowing your boat can achieve, but then look at how many years we have been boating. Same boat too...
Just take each manoeuvre with low speed and care, the faster you go... the harder the impact.

Tip... boats turn around a point just behind the centre of a boat, so if you are close to a boat along side, do not turn the helm too sharply, as the stern cuts in and can hit a moored boat. It's a pity that hire craft companies on the Broads don'r mention this to hirers, as most of the impacts we have sustained has been from hire boats being too close when they turn.

Best regards,
Richard
 
rustic said:
On the Norfolk Broads all the rivers are tidal, and in the upper reaches the current rarely causes issues, but on the lower reaches, people come in to moor against the tidal flow. So try this approach on the Thames, come into moor against the flow, ie face upstream. You will have great control of the boat, come in slowly and you can easily come in parallel to the bank.
Loosly tie off the bow line first, otherwise the flow will get between the boat and the bank.

For the same reason, casting off with the flow on your bow is easy too, cast off stern first then bow line, but with care and planning, you could do bow first and let the tide start to turn you before casting off the stern, caution... experience needed for this one especially if there is a boat downstream of you.
Mooring is all about control, the right speed, and observation of what is around you. Then experience wins hands down, but getting that experience takes time.
Don't be afraid about practicing, find a quiet mooring, no other boats about, practice mooring, do it from either direction, coming in with the tide is tricky, but with an outboard that can steer in reverse can be achieved.

Hope it helps, been on the Narrow canals for over 25 years and the Broads for over 6, now we are on the Thames, and... it's the same boat a Viking 23. In the early days it suited 2+2 and when the kids got older, it's a great boat for a couple.
We are not without comforts either, standing headroom, hot shower, porta loo, fridge, inverter, hot air central heating, shore hook up, cd/radio, 4 speakers, TV /dvd wait for this... a portable satellite dish, but not used on the Broads as the Digital signal was excellent..
So small can be beautiful, oh and we can squeeze into small mooring spaces too, once one space was shorter than our boat, it was for a short water stop, and with the boat behind we sneaked our outboard under his bow lol. We got in, never touched the boat on either side, did not need to fend off either. This is what experience and knowing your boat can achieve, but then look at how many years we have been boating. Same boat too...
Just take each manoeuvre with low speed and care, the faster you go... the harder the impact.

Tip... boats turn around a point just behind the centre of a boat, so if you are close to a boat along side, do not turn the helm too sharply, as the stern cuts in and can hit a moored boat. It's a pity that hire craft companies on the Broads don'r mention this to hirers, as most of the impacts we have sustained has been from hire boats being too close when they turn.

Best regards,
Richard
Click to expand...

Totally agree with all the above, except the statement that on the Broads boats moor against the flow, it is true for residents, but hire craft may do anything, and having a large hire boat coming at you downtide on the ebb - and also incidentally downwind - at the Berney Arms obviously intending to moor just upstream and the only
visibly ready mooring line being at the bow certainly concentrates the mind!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

Rascal Joe
Real Time Conditions and more for Apple users
Replies
0
Views
1K
Rascal Joe
Rascal Joe
S
Starlight 39 propeller removal advice
Replies
2
Views
156
Star stream
S

Share this page

Top