Henley this weekend anybody?

[No Regrets]

Claire, myself and Simba (The Dog) are off to Henley on Thames this coming weekend, and wondered if anybody would like to meet us there!

We're fairly new to the Thames (Three months) so not entirely familiar with etiquette, but can, at least spell it.... /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Here's the Dog, by the way. He's not a hunting Dog, as you can see /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[boatone]

Won't be there myself, but its Trad boat Rally at Henley this weekend. Lots of lovely old boats to see and a lot of other boaty stuff. Enjoy.

 

[chuckaduck]

[ QUOTE ]
Won't be there myself, but its Trad boat Rally at Henley this weekend. Lots of lovely old boats to see and a lot of other boaty stuff. Enjoy.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just looked at the trad rally website lots of mentions of vintage BOATS but ther was no mention of Byrons vintage BOAT

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[Doolittle]

Yes, Doolittle is going to be beaten into life for the first time in two years. Myself and my daughter are setting off at 10am on Friday and joining a flotilla of cruisers and slipper launches from Dennetts. Absolutely can't wait as there is simply nothing better than the river, wooden boats, a box of San Miguel and Faithless on the sound system. How much better can it get?

My only concern, and it's a serious one is the reliability of Doolittle. The water pump's been in and out like a fiddlers elbow. She's on her second starter motor, third carb refurbishment and second set of control cables! But what the hey, with Byron one end and Gavi and Boatone the other and possibly Shamby shadowing, Doolittle might just make it!

I'll run a blog en route. Could be a laugh. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[ianc1200]

Well I'll be there (ie the Trad Rally) trying to disguise my flakey varnish; the Blackwater salt hasn't done it much good.

Ianc

 

[Gavi]

Would be glad to help!

Should be around Friday afternoon... Saturday afternoon I have to go Twickenham for a "party" (you don't know the Blackburns on Lincoln Ave do you /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif )... and would prefer to be at The Stoop for Quins RL... and Sunday I need an excuse to get out of another party. I think there is flexibility there!!!!

 

[byron]

[ QUOTE ]


Just looked at the trad rally website lots of mentions of vintage BOATS but ther was no mention of Byrons vintage BOAT



[/ QUOTE ]

I am not showing this year but the boat is looking as lovely as ever.

 

[ccscott49]

Looks more like a bloody Ewok to me!

 

[miket]

Could be entered for the "special interest" category.
Delighted that so many are coming. Join us in praying for sunshine.

 

[Doolittle]

Shamby, did you venture out to Henley?

 

[boatone]

Water level in the marina at Chertsey this afternoon was around 18" above normal and likely to flood onto the perimeter paths.
Spoke to friends moored up at Fawley Meadows this evening. Water lapping edge of the meadows. Trad Rally a bit of a washout, something like half usual number of boats.

Just noticed this on the Trad Rally website :-

LATEST NEWS! A contingent of 40 Gondoliers from Venice with their gondolas are visiting the Rally on their way downriver from "source to sea" of the River Thames.

They must be finding the conditions quite "interesting" /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Doolittle]

Well Doolittle made it! We set off at 11.30am on Fri and arrived at 9.30, accumulating a number of red advisory cards from the lockies on the way.

We gave up trying to keep up with some of the flotilla from Dennetts as they could attain 8 knots without creating much wash whereas Doolittle would sit up like a begging dog and send a tsunami over the banks! Was following Bluebird of Chelsea out of Old Windsor to watch her catch the weir stream and career off starboard towards the island and dissapear in clouds of blue smoke as they took evasive action.

A narrow boat couldn't get off the tail lay-by at Bray because of the eddy. But they were happy to stay put as they followed us under the railway bridge before hand and were trully shaken by the experience and barely had enough power in hand to get through.

Mooring amongst the Dunkirk boats beggerd belief. I think some of the owners must have their boats bought to them once a year for the trip and wouldn't know the difference between a cleat and a kingston cock. Furthermore, the snobbery amongst some of them was a very sad indictment of the group.

We stuck around until 9.30 Sat am having feed 2 or 3 of the Dunkirk boats bacon and sausage sandwhiches for allowing us the privilage of mooring alongside them. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

The journey back was fairly uneventful but we payed out the anchor chain onto the deck which was just as well because the mouldy tethering rope parted company in my hands! We donned lifejackets, tethered the lifebelt onto the roof and finally promised ourselves not to consume too much brandy and left the bottle in full view so no one took sneeky snifters!

It was absolutely imperative to watch the water like a hawk and know beforehand where the weir stream changed to slack water as this could turn any boat on a sixpence and sure enough it did that to three boats on the way back in different places.

We stopped in Windsor just below the bridge South side up against the wall and dispatched the crew to find some lunch. While I was waiting I had a word with a couple of chaps with scrambled egg on their collar and cuffs to seek their advice in moving away from the wall. The problemm was, there was 30' of eddy pushing us into the wall and I wanted their suggestions of how to get out to the stream. I probably shouldn't have bothered because one of the captains had tetherd our starboard sternlines for a pivot and could untie the knot once we started to move and dragged our stern up onto the stairs!!

Finally arrived home at 6.30 to find that SWMBO had already moved the other boats herself due to the high water.

I was very pleased to have done this trip and it was a tiring but great experience. I've usually been in a kayak in whitewater conditions but never a 25' boat!

 

[NEB]

I have heard this about some Dunkirk ship owners as well. I'm not sure if this is true but I did hear that a few years ago someone suggested inviting a few Germans on one of the Dunkirk trips. There was general uproar and upset, a guy I knew then stood up and mentioned that without the Germans there would be no Dunkirk ships at all.
I'm not sure if he's still a member of the association!!!