Heading into the Thames

[RubyII]

Can someone please put me in the right direction for information source on how far the flight will take you up the Thames from Queensborough. I can find lots of information on gauge heights but I can't seem to find any on where the flood starts backing off, and how long you have on the tide to take advantage of going west.
thanks in advance

 

[Pump-Out]

I'm not sure I understand your question.

If you are asking how far up the river that you can expect a "push" then the answer is Richmond.

There are two caveats:
a) When there is a significant fluvial flow from the upper reaches the river tends not to flood as strongly as predicted.
b) Perfect timing will put you through Richmond weir two hours either side of high water, in which case you will get around a knot of flood stream to Teddington.

On any old day 3/4 knots at Putney is not unusual.
Does that help?

 

[RubyII]

That certainly helps to ,rephrase my question, I am leaving Queensborough approximately an hour before low water and wanting to get far up the thames as I can (ideally south dock) . The information I can’t find is where the flood stops and turns to Edd along Thames. ! Thanks all best

 

[Outinthedinghy]

@oldgit knows about this.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

I came up from Putney to Teddington a couple of weeks ago (31MAR24) when the River itself was really shifting. The barrage at Richmond was open almost continuously and I was hammers down all the way to Teddington. Tide was coming in water was flowing out.

I phoned Richmond lock and asked and they said they had not closed the barrage all day.

River is a down a fair bit since then but still some water about.

 

[oldgit]

It helps if you can give an idea of your hoped for cruising speed.
However just for starters and a comfortable passage, folks usually suggest that no Easterly or NE winds above F5, not so critical when wind is with tide but can be distinctly not nice with wind against tide in Sea Reach.

Leave Queenborough Harbour and plan to get across the Swatchway and off Southend perhaps to punch the last hour of the ebb slack water and start to catch the benefit from the flood going up Sea Reach.
.It is 35 nautical miles from the Nore Sands to South Dock.
At 6 knots it should take you 6 hours max.
Would suggest that any half decent Thames flood tide is going to give you 2 knots over most of that trip. so journey more like 5 hours or less.
South Dock Lock remains open (providing they know you are coming) up to 2 hours after HW.
At 6 knots you should be there around HW with 2 hour window if you are a bit late.
In the past have moored over night on a lighter just outside the lock gates.

Observations.
Monitor CH68 and then CH14.
Watch out for ships coming up behind you.
Watch out for tugs, the hole in the water wash they create will ruin your collection of crystal wine flutes.
Stay on the correct side of the river.
Call the barrier when insight not before.
Just tell them who/what you are, where you are, that you are inbound and request permisson to transit the barrier.
They will tell you which arch to take and if like me you instantly forget just look for the big green arrows.
Its usually more lumpy beyond Greenwich than in Sea Reach, so get you ropes ready and your fenders out as soon as you go through the barrier.
All at your own risk etc.
Motor boating

If it all goes wrong Greenwich YC is not far away.

 

[PeterBoater]

It helps if you can give an idea of your hoped for cruising speed.
However just for starters and a comfortable passage, folks usually suggest that no Easterly or NE winds above F5, not so critical when wind is with tide but can be distinctly not nice with wind against tide in Sea Reach.

Leave Queenborough Harbour and plan to get across the Swatchway and off Southend perhaps to punch the last hour of the ebb slack water and start to catch the benefit from the flood going up Sea Reach.
.It is 35 nautical miles from the Nore Sands to South Dock.
At 6 knots it should take you 6 hours max.
Would suggest that any half decent Thames flood tide is going to give you 2 knots over most of that trip. so journey more like 5 hours or less.
South Dock Lock remains open (providing they know you are coming) up to 2 hours after HW.
At 6 knots you should be there around HW with 2 hour window if you are a bit late.
In the past have moored over night on a lighter just outside the lock gates.

Observations.
Monitor CH68 and then CH14.
Watch out for ships coming up behind you.
Watch out for tugs, the hole in the water wash they create will ruin your collection of crystal wine flutes.
Stay on the correct side of the river.
Call the barrier when insight not before.
Just tell them who/what you are, where you are, that you are inbound and request permisson to transit the barrier.
They will tell you which arch to take and if like me you instantly forget just look for the big green arrows.
Its usually more lumpy beyond Greenwich than in Sea Reach, so get you ropes ready and your fenders out as soon as you go through the barrier.
All at your own risk etc.
Motor boating

If it all goes wrong Greenwich YC is not far away.

"Call the barrier when insight not before." Technically and legally, call at the specified reporting point; VTS will undoubtedly ask you to call again with the Barrier in sight. One VTS Officer is/was not known for his leisure user friendliness; best not to provoke his ire.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

"Call the barrier when insight not before." Technically and legally, call at the specified reporting point; VTS will undoubtedly ask you to call again with the Barrier in sight. One VTS Officer is/was not known for his leisure user friendliness; best not to provoke his ire.

Was this Frank? I really miss him and his dead pan reporting voice. He was brilliant.

His voice was identical to the swimming pool guard from The Day Today. 'No one died'.

 

[Mark26]

The information I can’t find is where the flood stops and turns to Edd along Thames. ! Thanks all best

To simplify oldgits answer:

The Thames is tidal to Teddington.
Where the tide turns depends on your speed and how far you get before that happens. You would have to be cruising at about 3 knots or less, over the ground, for the tide to change before you get to Teddington. Given the strength of the tidal stream, that’s unlikely to happen.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

I came up from Limehouse to Teddington on 31MAR24 and I had to use two days due to the fluvial flow ie land and ground water from upriver. Although the tide was coming in the flow once past Emma Smith bridge was actually going out and was really quite swift at Richmond. The tide also goes as far as Molesey on a big tide.

Its all calmed down since then and most of the red boards/SSA have been lifted now.


Worth noting that if you call Hurlingham yacht club they will probably allow you to pick up a buoy at Putney of you need to. I did

 

[Outinthedinghy]

Buoys at HYC.