Going, going, gone!

[bradtarga34]

Went for a pootle about yesterday around Desborough Island, up to Shepperton lock, then through Sunbury lock to moor up at Lower Sunbury to go the the Moon in Moon for a great Sunday feast. First half decent day to be out for a while and had some friends onboard as well and all was quiet until we saw another boat coming down river from Shepperton, except this boat was under water! I mean, seriously sunk, with just part of the coach roof showing so we decided to follow it incase it sunk completely and wanted to let the EA know where. The boat continued to weave and bump along and eventually went through Walton bridge and collided with one of the Walton pleasure trip boats which almost jumped out of the water when it hit! Needless to say that was the very last trip that boat made and was then a crumpled mess under the Walton Monarch which back out the way furiously, but too late to avoid the collision. Well, a bit of excitement for what is normally an uneventful day out!

 

[chuckaduck]

Almost gone! and a lesson learnt

we had a mini drama yesterday

Our Binliner is moored at the entrance of the river crane and the thames at Isleworth

When we went there to check it in the morning we found that the bowline had broken and she was jammed across the crane she is approx 24 foot with out drive and the crane is approx 23.5 foot

When I say bowline I actually mean cycle lock
we use the halfords type combination locks at stern and bow secured to the slip rails

We assumed that these heavy duty locks would be strong enough for the job and they were until yesterday

with the heavy gales of late the lock must have come under considable stress on inspection we find the centre rod had snapped !!! turns out it is only made from ally !!

Anyway we purchased some more locks and cables waited for the tide threw a grapple and swung her back in to safety.

She is now secure with locks and lines both bow and stern .

the lesson I have learnt is just because we are on the river it doesnt mean that we can take things for granted I fully know that you should use 4 lines when mooring I just got complacent.

As an aside the river yesterday was angry even with the tide coming in there was still river flow downstream and there didnt seem to be a low tide as such I recon we could have gone out even at low tide

 

[Ramage]

What was the skipper of the sinking boat playing at?
Why didnt he ground it somewhere, or head for the slip at Bridge Marine?

Sounds like panic set in! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Cliveshep]

Saw a Freeman 23 sunk on the Wey Navigation river section last year, went down in 2 metres of water with only the foredeck left above water. Apparently and according to my friend who had to salvage it, the owners/crew saw the water coming in to the engine bay and followed the old Navy adage

"When in danger, when in doubt,
Run in circles, scream and shout"

It wasn't that effective and they just got off with valuables and let it sink. As there is little to sink a Freeman unless you hole it, which they had not, one can only assume an engine intake problem, possibly a corroded seacock or something similar, there are no other below waterline holes as far as I know and the shaft/rudder were still attached I believe. You'd have thought that they would have done something like bung up the hole to slow the inrush down but clearly that didn't occur to them. It seems they just sat on the bank and watched it fill up and sink !

 

[BrendanS]

Why do you think there was a skipper onboard? Seems it was mostly impersonating a submarine at the time

 

[Cliveshep]

As an afterthoughht, many years ago I saw a Freeman on Breydon Water (the Broads) moored against a bank and tied to two convenient poles fore and aft. The poles bore the signage "Danger, Do not Moor, Obstructions at low water"

We came past near low water, the "obstructions" were the stumps of old timber piles retaining the bank, the bank had eroded behind them and all that was left was a line of "dragon's teeth" onto which the Freeman had impaled itself.

What is it with Freeman owners?

 

[Gavi]

[ QUOTE ]

What is it with Freeman owners?

[/ QUOTE ]

Now you've got me worried /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[byron]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

What is it with Freeman owners?

[/ QUOTE ]

Now you've got me worried /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

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Could it be that there are more Freemans around than any other and the smaller ones are often first boats?

 

[Cliveshep]

Maybe it's the nautical version of the "Volvo-bashing" on the roads?

 

[Captain Coochie]

I heard it was a 35ft wooden broads cruiser . It ended up half way over Sunbury weir .

 

[Ramage]

[ QUOTE ]
I heard it was a 35ft wooden broads cruiser .

[/ QUOTE ]

Looks like a major carpentery project now.