Extremely expensive day out!!

[watson1959]

We went up to Henley yesterday with friends for a few hours.

Simple lunch of cheeses, some fresh breads and a couple of bottles of wine.

Decided to drop anchor opposite the 'Saudi-owned' house just upstream of the lock, (the renovated grey house with ultra-modern extension at the back).

Slipped....whacked ankle with anchor....smacked wrist against handrail...and watched in dismay as my Longines watch waved goodbye and sank to the bottom.

Still....at least it's waterproof

 

[dash300]

Have to say how impressed I am with your forum post rate as we are both newbies to the forum. I have only managed a puny 39 and through overzealous use of our rich English language have managed to get interesting reactions from fellow members. You will certainly be going for tea and medals with the old farts long before I do!

 

[watson1959]

Have to say how impressed I am with your forum post rate as we are both newbies to the forum. I have only managed a puny 39 and through overzealous use of our rich English language have managed to get interesting reactions from fellow members. You will certainly be going for tea and medals with the old farts long before I do!

I'd be more than happy to....those who I've met in real life have been welcoming, hospitable, informative and witty.

Apart from my loss yesterday, my first 5 months on the river have been an absolute pleasure, in no small part to the advice I've collected in here....much of it through posting naive, ignorant, newbie-style questions which people have answered with patience.

 

[dash300]

I have lived on the Thames for the past 35 years and cruised up and down in a variety of boats for the same and I have always found the Thames, particularly when I was working, to be the best way to relax and unwind.
I know I'm in the wrong post but I actually don't have a favorite part of the Thames any longer as each stretch holds lovely memories for me over the years.

 

[sarabande]

did you press the Watch Overboard button on your plotter ?



I know a good diver in the area if the rate is right

 

[pritch]

I hooked it today while fishing . I don't know what you've been doing with your spare time because you have one hell of a thick wrist

 

[oldgit]

h,mm

While you are at it,I have several pairs of specs... etc etc

 

[watson1959]

did you press the Watch Overboard button on your plotter ?



I know a good diver in the area if the rate is right

a. no I didnt

b. As the insurers appear to be responding very reasonably, you are welcome to let your diver friend rolleyes know that it is in an area approximately in line with the tree closest to Marsh lock, along the secure (trip wire) waterfront of the renovated/painted grey house. Its on the north side of the river, around 15yds out from the shore.

Of course, thats very approximate as I was more focused on not following the watch myself....but close enough

Its around £800 worth so possibly worth a splash about if it survives.

 

[watson1959]

I hooked it today while fishing . I don't know what you've been doing with your spare time because you have one hell of a thick wrist

Yes.....like a racehorse's thigh

 

[teddington_lock]

I had a customer ask me to empty Romney Lock once so they could retrieve their Oakleys that had gone swimming a few minutes before.

I had to explain that it didn't work like that.

I have to say that if my watch came off my wrist , i'd be following it into the water almost immediately , i doubt the splash would have settled.

 

[oldgit]

"I had a customer ask me to empty Romney Lock once so they could retrieve their Oakleys that had gone swimming a few minutes before. "



H,mm.Bet theres a whole load of weird stuff that appears when the chambers are drained ,most of it nicked .

 

[jecuk]

You will certainly be going for tea and medals with the old farts long before I do!

through overzealous use of our rich English language have managed to get interesting reactions from fellow members

Predictable reactions I would have thought......

 

[teddington_lock]

H,mm.Bet theres a whole load of weird stuff that appears when the chambers are drained ,most of it nicked .

Yes , we thought we had a depth charge in the lock at Teddington , turned out to be an old mooring buoy !

 

[TrueBlue]

Yes , we thought we had a depth charge in the lock at Teddington , turned out to be an old mooring buoy !

Doesn't it look narrow when it's empty!

Contrarywise that culvert looks pretty massive. I assumed you had sluices in the gates - or do you have both?

 

[teddington_lock]

We have gate sluices and culverts on the launch lock. The barge lock is filled purely by a giant culvert , but we have emergency gate sluices on it which can be hand wound with the appropriate key.

The massive culvert is sadly non-operational. The ram on it failed , and a new one couldn't be sourced for whatever reason so the it was coffer dammed and filled in with concrete.

The exit tunnel for it is visible on draw off to the right of the lauch lock gates , the divers in the past have swum right through ( before it was filled in obviously )

The small inlet you can see on the bottom left of the photo is one of the inlets (7) for the head culvert , which is still operational , but is fragile. We tend to only use it when we have a lifeboat going upstream and we need to fill the lock double quick.

 

[bulto]

Lesson learnt.

Don't wear expensive watches.jewellery,spectacles etc. on a boat.

£10.00 Casios do the same job along with Specsaver glasses (if you put them on a string)

When you go ashore that is the time to wear your designer gear, not when messing about in boats.

 

[Captain Coochie]

Get yourself a sea magnet and go fishing for it . Ive retrieved keys this way and its quite good fun

 

[teddington_lock]

Lesson learnt.

Don't wear expensive watches.jewellery,spectacles etc. on a boat.

£10.00 Casios do the same job along with Specsaver glasses (if you put them on a string)

When you go ashore that is the time to wear your designer gear, not when messing about in boats.

But then you can't indulge your 'Miami Vice' fantasies !

 

[bulto]

I have never felt the need to indulge in fantisies on the boat.

Just being on my boat is enough.

But then after 60 years that is more than I need

 

[No Regrets]

My rather lovely Swiss timepiece is insured.

A watch is for wearing, not hiding away in fear!