Future of the Thames?

[apollo]

Hi

Just back from a week in France, we were due to go upriver for two weeks, but saw the forecast and made a bolt for it in the car!

I must say the photos are quite terrifying especially Culham, this would put me off holidays upriver for good! I am sure it will kill the hireboat business for next year.

The thought of waking up one morning in the middle of a lake with ropes down into the water must be terrible.

I know its not the EAs fault that the weather was pants, but how much have they helped the stranded boaters?

Have they been along to help with planks/poles or is it everybody for themselves?

I have received all the emails from them, but how are they contacting all the stranded boaters without email?

Is anyone else thinking of moving to the coast after all this lot?

Mike

 

[byron]

Under very difficult circumstance Envag have done a splendid job.
As anyone knows I am not a fan of Envag, I can point to several instances where they waste our money, my opinion of their maritime knowledge couldn't be lower and that bloody expensive self praising annual they produce infuriates me.
BUT! credit where credit is due they have worked their butts off, kept us informed, ran an efficient website for the public and Angela has been most informative in this forum.

 

[apollo]

I dont dispute that the web page and Angela have been excellent, but how does the boat in the middle of the field know that?

They seem to me (maybe incorrectly) to be very much on their own in the photos?

 

[Sammo]

[ QUOTE ]


Is anyone else thinking of moving to the coast after all this lot?

Mike

[/ QUOTE ]

I don`t think so…..you`re more likely to spend time on the coast waiting for a weather window than you are at Pangbourne… It doesn`t really matter where you boat you are always at the mercy of the weather…..


...

 

[Medskipper]

Well I do my boating on the East coast, south coast and across the channel. I can tell you that it has not been much fun either! the floods are not a problem but the high winds we have had almost since May really are, they cause rough and lumpy seas, and its not a lot of fun boating in the pouring rain either!

This year is the first year in 25 years of boating that we have cancelled our usual August cruise and we have booked a villa in spain with some friends who also would have been on their hols on their boat!

So this summer season has been absolutely a washout for ALL boaters IMHO of course. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Barry

 

[byron]

[ QUOTE ]
I dont dispute that the web page and Angela have been excellent, but how does the boat in the middle of the field know that?

They seem to me (maybe incorrectly) to be very much on their own in the photos?

[/ QUOTE ]
Limited resources, how can Envag do anything? The rescue services did their damndest. The public rallied too, I cite the firm at Abingdon who provided and installed the scaffolding poles. You want to point a finger? Why didn't H.M. Coastguard provide help, they have the expertise and aren't so hidebound by crazy health & safety regs.
No mate there's only so many potatoes in the pot /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Brayman]

Having been stuck in Abingdon and now on my second visit home I would say that we were disappointed that we had no real advice from the EA on the ground. If I hadn't have received a phone call from a friend in Shillingford who had been told by the Hotel that the EA had phoned to say they were releasiong 5 foot of water in Oxford on Saturday night, then we would have been in real trouble. As it was, we were able to reset the lines and keep an overnight watch and all has been well. The emergency services have been up and down but no sign of the Navigation Authority although I gather they rescued a narrow boat when it lost one of its pins last Saturday. Reactive rather than proactive seems to be the way.