hire boat damage

[thamesS23]

have just seen this on a twitter page (Romney Weir) :





anyone know the story behind it?

 

[CLB]

I've heard it took a wrong turn down a backwater and hit a low foot bridge. Not sure where though.

 

[thamesS23]

that is some serious damage so I suspect that it must have been travelling at some speed.

 

[AuntyRinum]

I shared a lock with that boat yesterday while it was being taken back to its base at Caversham.
I was told later that it was hired by a family. Up river from Benson they decided to drive it up a weir cut and under a footbridge which took the roof off. At some speed by the look of it.

 

[mlines]

I would guess momentum was more at play for the damage rather than outright speed.

 

[NEB]

I heard it was near Days Lock?

 

[thamesS23]

If it was near Days Lock, I wonder if they tried to get under the bridge that takes you onto the river Thame nearer to Dorchester, although I can't remember if that footbridge is a low one or not?

 

[Prima]

As featured on "Great Canal Journeys" with Timothy West and Prunella Scales

 

[Chris_d]

Yes looks like they tried to go up the River Thame, the foot bridge is about the same height as Osney.

 

[AuntyRinum]

I would guess momentum was more at play for the damage rather than outright speed.

Which is a product of mass and velocity created by speed.

 

[AuntyRinum]

Yes looks like they tried to go up the River Thame, the foot bridge is about the same height as Osney.

As I said, they drove it up a weir cut. It was moving fast, apparently, as it grounded 50 yards further on.

 

[Chris_d]

As I said, they drove it up a weir cut. It was moving fast, apparently, as it grounded 150 yards further on.

Days lock House Island then? the bridge round the back is certainly low enough! Not really a weir cut though.

 

[The Glassman]

Perhaps they were hoping to play ‘Pooh Sticks’ - which is played there every year.
If they managed to get through that (Pooh Sticks) bridge, the water shallows-off very quickly before joining the lower end of the weir-pool.

 

[The Glassman]

BTW, the landing stage in the first pic. is the one for the Elsan/rubbish service, so Days Lock it was.

 

[mlines]

Which is a product of mass and velocity created by speed.

Exactly what I said, mass was a factor as much as speed.

 

[Actionmat]

I blame the hire company, for not showing them how to operate the brake pedal

 

[AuntyRinum]

Exactly what I said, mass was a factor as much as speed.

Do you think that if it had been driven at the bridge at only 1kt it would have suffered the same damage?

 

[Chris_d]

Do you think that if it had been driven at the bridge at only 1kt it would have suffered the same damage?

Yes definitely, not a structural roof on those Caversham boats just glass and thin pillars.

 

[TrueBlue]

It's quite easy to miss the lock turn at Day's, especially if the lock sign is obscured (as some are) - but I've always assumed there's not much depth there, anyway is the bridge between the lock island and the shore that low?
Perhaps the hirer is due for some sympathy?

 

[thamesS23]

here is a photo taken from the bridge at Days lock, I assume that this is the area we are talking about. it is facing downstream, so would be where the hire boat would have come from.