Brentford to Kingston

[isandell]

I may be helping a friend take his narrowboat down the Grand Union to Brentford and then up the Thames towards the Wey. Can anyway give any general advice about locking out of Brentford and travelling upstream, please?

I am assuming that we would aim to lock out a couple of hours before high water and catch the last of the flood up to Twckenham.

Thanks

Ian

 

[TrueBlue]

I'm putting this together on the fly, so it may be a bit disjointed.


You'll need this, if on for reference Tidal lock availability

This one's quite useful if you don't know the London Region

Boating in London

This is the real meat for coming up the Tideway (even if only from Brentford)

London Tideway Handbook

Well worth a read are the next two publications from EA:-

Thames Users' Guide

Tips for visitors

Now, my thoughts:-

From what you're saying about your departure time it's plain sailing; the tide will flush you through Richmond barrier, though it may begin to ebb as you approach Teddington.

With the tide pushing you, you will roar along, just keep to the right of the channel so that you don't upset the regulars; don't hug the bank, though, as it creates wash and upsets the fishermen.

You must use lines (ropes to you) in all Thames locks one at either end of the boat. They should be at least 20ft long for your passage.

Teddington is manned 24/7. You need to select the right hand lock (the bankside lock empties the river - very large) and is only used occasionally.There are traffic lights to show you where to go. There is now a posh landing pontoon before the lock. Tie up if the gates are closed and if no one appears in ten milliseconds, pop up and see if anyone's awake / not on their computer /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

A day ticket should do you to get to the Wey. "Teddington_Lock" will be happy to extract the fee from you. I can't remember if you need to show TP insurance or a BSS cert - but being BW registered should indicate that both of those are in order.

There are only three locks up to the Wey
Teddington,
Molesey,
Sunbury.

They are nominally manned 9 to 5, 6, 7 depending on the season, lunch breaks and essential duties excepted.
If a yellow circle on the lock gate is displayed it means DIY, and you operate it yourself - read the instructions on the pedestals by the gates. All electric.

When you get to Shepperton, hang a left and the channel to the Wey is slightly left of straight ahead. the National Trust has kindly placed a sign - coloured green; matching the foiliage..... Beware the wash from Teddington's "House" weir which, when running strongly creates a whirlpool. Stick in the centre and gun it a bit.

Well worth downloading this map for Teddington lock area
Teddington

That's quite enough for Christmas Day. I must now join the frolics.

 

[isandell]

Many thanks. That's excellent. I have downloaded the docs and will look at in slower time.

We are now looking at 10th Jan. High Water Richmond is 1350, so I'm thinking that maybe we would not do it one day.

Just one question. Are there any hidden dangers (shoals etc) between Brentford and Richmond?

Thanks

Ian

 

[TrueBlue]

"We" only draw 2' 3" and don't have any sticky-out-bits to worry about, so it's never been a consideration for me.

If you keep towards the centre of what you perceive to be the channel, and as you're coming up with the top-of-the-tide, you should have no problems. It's between half tide and low water where there can be problems, end then mostly on the inside of some of the islands.

More of an issue it the Wey which is very shallow (very evident in the summer)- even in the middle of what passes for a channel. You are more likely to slide across the mud. It depends on your length, shorter boats (45ft) are easier to manoeuvre, and the Wey is fun, full length craft do have a challenge as there are few places to moor without causing an obstruction and some of the bends are very tight. The National Trust have a policy of keeping the channel "V" shaped rather than "U". They use the margins to grow lesser-spotted-bladderwort, or some such. They don't really like ant powered boat.

BTW
Thames Lock has a rubbish steel landing stage which will destroy your paint - use fenders.
It is manned 9 to darkness, with an hour for lunch and if the bottom gate is closed you must not enter the lower of the pair (sort of a staircase) without checking with the lockie.

The lock is padlocked out of opening hours, and you must not navigate in the dark - else the tree hugggers will scream at you.

Best to check also that the river is not in flood - ring 01932 843106. You may be able to moor just above the lock if it is.

All the other locks are manual, but you will need a long handled windlass (longer that a GU key, and a different square). Buy/ rent one at the lock.

The next lock, Town is accessed by a sharp RH turn, so hop off on the layby as you can't in the lock entrance. There is also likely to be a shoal on the LHS as you turn. NT's test of boatmanship...

The following lock - Coxes has a wicked weir stream to the right, which pins you to the LH bank so you can't get in, or throws you off course if moving.
Our technique was to drop the crew off under the railway bridge, open both gates,
run flat out past the stream and slam it into reverse once you are sheltered. It's a deep lock so use ropes as the head paddles are quite fierce.
You are supposed to use lines on the Wey, and it's a good idea anyway.

We had a happy four years on the Wey, but the restrictions got us down, and are now on the Thames - for less money!!!

If you / your friend intend to cruise the Thames regularly I recommend getting a copy of The River Thames Book by Chris Cove-Smith, published by Imray
from Amazon, only a tenner or less
Covers the Thames - both bits, Wey, Basingstoke, K&A. Quite the best book, IMHO

 

[isandell]

Many thanks again.

The boat in question is really a refugee from Basey and I am not sure what the longer term will be as far. However, the book slooks a good buy.

I dont know if the boat has a suitable windlass. Do you know what size the square is?

Ian

 

[TrueBlue]

"Basey" Computer says what? Shorthand for Basingstoke??

I'll see if I can dig out our old Windlae and measure, but for now the throw was about 4" longer that a large GU one and the squares were larger than the standard BW section, and smaller than the "Hatton" or large GU. Anyway they are a parallel shank and not tapered as BW's are.

Even if you're fit you need the long arm as the paddles are exceedingly heavy due to the clever mechanism which has a built in clutch. We gave up after a couple of trips and bought "proper" Wey keys; cheap enough.

Looky here - towards the end on the RHS

Navigation notes here

 

[TrueBlue]

[ QUOTE ]
Many thanks again.

The boat in question is really a refugee from Basey and I am not sure what the longer term will be as far. However, the book slooks a good buy.

I dont know if the boat has a suitable windlass. Do you know what size the square is?

Ian

[/ QUOTE ]

The square is 1 1/8" and the throw is 15 1/2"