Bank Side mooring and flooding

[Wilko999999]

Hi all,

I'm looking at moving my boat to a more convenient location for us and I've been offered a mooring on a Thames Side garden. banks are quite low and it does flood. Anyone recommend the best course of action to do in this event? Local Marinas are all full and no space if I had to take out the water (27ft Seamaster) I've seen the scaffold pole solution using rings but not sure how reliable that might be or if the property owner would let me do it...not sure on what permission either I'd need to put poles in temporarily each winter! Obviously if there's a flood coming then generally it's too late to move the boat any distance or a bit dangerous. Any tips/recommendations from anyone? thanks

 

[Chris_d]

Used to have this issue every year, scaffold poles not always the answer and I have damaged the boat with them as they weren't long enough for a big flood and the end started to gouge the side of the hull .

You need to look at your mooring and the direction of flow to the bank, I used to be able to fit long lines fore and aft to bits of protuding bank or trees which effectively limited how far in the boat could move, also with the use of springs angle the bow out into the stream so it was held off the bank or landing stage. Permanent high risers are the answer but not always possible.

 

[Portland Billy]

The only obvious solution is for the property owner to tend your moorings in the event of rising waters. There is no easy alternative.
I gather you are paying him/,her for the use of the mooring,

 

[Wilko999999]

Hi I’m very local to the mooring so it is something I can do but when in a big flood it’s pretty hard to get near the river bank there as it can come up 4ft

 

[Chris_d]

As long as the lines are set long the river coming up is not an issue, its going down you have watch to see it back over the edge

 

[Wilko999999]

As long as the lines are set long the river coming up is not an issue, its going down you have watch to see it back over the edge

Thanks...Ok, that gives me a lot less fear! As I'm local it's easy for me to go there a lot and keep a close eye on it all in the event this happens...well...it no doubt will happen at some point!

 

[Chris_d]

Thanks...Ok, that gives me a lot less fear! As I'm local it's easy for me to go there a lot and keep a close eye on it all in the event this happens...well...it no doubt will happen at some point!

Yes you just have to keep an eye on it, find the Environment Agency gauge for your reach e.g River Thames level downstream at Marsh Lock - GOV.UK (check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk) ignore the stream warning stuff as thats no help you need the live gauge height on your reach and the exact number in cm. If you follow it you will get to know the height at which it bursts the banks and height when you need to go down and maybe give the boat a push so it doesn't get stuck on the side etc... If you are local it shouldn't be an issue to keep an eye on it and get to know how the gauge height corresponds to the level at your mooring.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

Its worth having a heavy anchor out quite a long way in front of the boat and a little way out into the River. You don't want it in the navigation channel but it does want to be outside the boat. Ideally you have one bow and one stern anchor but the bow is more important.

That way you can encourage the boat to remain off the bank once the River starts flowing properly. This can make boarding the boat more awkward so needs to be done carefully.

Setting the rudder to a fixed position is also worth doing. If done right the boat will tend to stay clear of the edge due to the shape of the hull and the rudder effect.

Obviously high winds can blow the boat onto the edge which is where the anchor(s) would be useful.

Adjustments need to be made. Another thing worth bearing in mind if you are going down a garden in waders to check the boat is how do you know where the edge of the bank is? If there is a lawn I would be very tempted to line the edge with some bamboo sticks or something if the River looks like coming over the side. Muddy water is not transparent.


My favourite levels data website is GaugeMap – Latest River, Flow and Groundwater Levels Map for Britain & Ireland

(ETA just checked and looks like its not working properly for some reason so maybe River Levels UK - river and sea level monitoring stations, flood alerts, flood warnings and flood forecasts for your local area is better at the moment)

I don't use it but they do have a twitter feed which I think you can set to automatically go to your phone if you have the right hardware.

Nice graphs.

 

[Flynnbarr]

As post 5 says it’s not the river rising that’s the problem it’s when it goes back down.
Group of us all on bankside moorings used to use scaffold planks,hole in one end to tie a rope through it onto boat,other end in water weighed down with lead wrapped around it….…horizontal fender to protect hull.
We then used to take it in turn to visit daily and communicate with each other.
Bankside moorings are great as you get to see the world go by……enjoy!

 

[Brayman]

Don't think you only need to take precautions in the winter. We were stuck in Abingdon for three weeks one July.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

2007. I was at Henley the trad rally was on. I remember the River coming over Fawley meadow and rapid evacuation of the site taking place.

A remarkable flood that was. Floating booms from the regatta course coming down the River with metal forks on the end. Nasty.

They have since been fitted with chains.