How far up the Thames could I get in a bradwell 18?

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steve yates

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Hello, I have just moved down to Benfleet from cumbria, tho my business is still there and I will commute.
My wee boat is in Stranraer at the moment, once I sail her back to Maryport in cumbria, I will probably trail her down here and find a mooring somewhere. I can see loads of exploring across to Kent and around the Essex rivers,plus over to Ostend etc, but I am intrigued, since I am a country bumpkin from the far north, with the idea of pootling up the Thames right through London.

Can this be done? How far could I get, she is 18ft long with a lifting keel, so draft can go down to 40 cm.

Anyone done it? Can you get into any canal systems and explore further inland? Though dropping the mast would be a pita. Any reccomendatioms for places to overnight on the trip, and good pubs to visit nearby. Can you leave a boat unattended or will it be knicked or sunk?

What should I look out for? Any rules or regs I won't know about? My only sailing experience is the Irish Sea and the west coast of Scotland. Rivers and lots of traffic are all new to me.

Thanks.
 
With 18 ft LOA and drawing only 40 cms you will be able to get all the way to St John's Lock.

However passing "through the bridges" in central London is not for the faint-hearted, regardless of boat size. As Marmalade stated you will need to stow the mast, the air draft at Westminster and Hammersmith bridges being of particular concern.

I would recommend that you find someone with experience to help you from The Barrier to, at least, Putney.
 
With the mast up, Tower Bridge/ St Katherines Dock is as far as you will get. Mast down and keel up you will be able to through to the non tidal Thames.

Call Thames VTS for permission to pass through the Thames barrier. 8 knot speed limit from Wandsworth Bridge.

More info http://www.boatingonthethames.co.uk/
 
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Pump-Out said:
With 18 ft LOA and drawing only 40 cms you will be able to get all the way to St John's Lock.

However passing "through the bridges" in central London is not for the faint-hearted, regardless of boat size. As Marmalade stated you will need to stow the mast, the air draft at Westminster and Hammersmith bridges being of particular concern.

I would recommend that you find someone with experience to help you from The Barrier to, at least, Putney.
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At HW with the barge traffic carting waste it gets surprisingly rough water due to refraction from the enclosed river banks..
 
Pop on to Thames forum with this query.
It is not uncommon for sailing yachts to have the mast stepped and then continue beyond Teddington.
With the mast down it is only draft that will affect you and only then when trying to moor on the river bank.Most moorins spots will have mixture of depths.Our larger club motorboats boats do draw a bit of water, so its head in on the river bank and disembark over the bow.
Some while ago a 40ft yacht flying the Stars and Stripes appeared at the Maidstone River Festival on the Medway during a round the world cruise.
Chap was determined,having come all this way,to get inland.His next destination was the Thames.
Yes it can be a bit bumpy in the Pool but suspect a small yacht is far better at handling the chop than many small motorboats and no worse than anything you have seen before.Everyone uses the tides to their best advantage.
The trip through the city centre at helm of your own boat is never to be forgotten.
 
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I'm may be wrong here but I don't think the depth or air draft will be the problem, I tried to register a small dinghy for use on the Nene near Peterborough and eventually gave up due to the regulations and rules imposed by the NRA. It maybe your boat complies already, but that might be something to look at?
 
Boz said:
I'm may be wrong here but I don't think the depth or air draft will be the problem, I tried to register a small dinghy for use on the Nene near Peterborough and eventually gave up due to the regulations and rules imposed by the NRA. It maybe your boat complies already, but that might be something to look at?
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No rules as such for transiting the tidal Thames and i'm pretty sure he doesn't have to comply with inland regs (BSS etc) for a visit up the non-tidal bit.
 
Hi Steve and welcome to the East Coast,

With your mast up, you will have to give 24 hours notice to the bridge keeper at Tower Bridge to get it lifted, then you will have to turn round at London Bridge, so you may as well give Tower Bridge notice for both lifts in one go, you'll only be 20 minutes.

If you want to go further it's worth a stop at St. Katherine's to drop the mast and get it safely stowed, then you will need a reliable engine to cope with the tides to get you through the bridges up to Teddington lock, where the river becomes non tidal.

From there, with your minimal draft and air draft you could certainly get above Oxford on the Thames or as a previous contributor suggested, take the Kennet & Avon Canal to get into the River Avon and thence through Bristol into the Bristol Channel, where you will need an even more powerful engine to cope with the tides. Stand the mast up again in the floating Harbour in Bristol.

Peter
 
Boz said:
I'm may be wrong here but I don't think the depth or air draft will be the problem, I tried to register a small dinghy for use on the Nene near Peterborough and eventually gave up due to the regulations and rules imposed by the NRA. It maybe your boat complies already, but that might be something to look at?
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Thank you everyone for your help and ideas, (and the welcome peter) I might be sticking as far as tower bridge for the moment, as Boz points out, I would need certified etc, and she is an old boat, I'm doubt she would get the safety certificate.
 
steve yates said:
Thank you everyone for your help and ideas, (and the welcome peter) I might be sticking as far as tower bridge for the moment, as Boz points out, I would need certified etc, and she is an old boat, I'm doubt she would get the safety certificate.
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As i already said, you don't need a BSS for a visit.
 
we need---- teddington lock---for a definitive answer on whether you need to be certified to go on the non tidal thames----my understanding is you can self certify as a visitor---pay your for your day/week/month pass and away you go----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------i could be wrong
 
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steve yates said:
Oh sure paul, was thinking of going further on into some canals if I went that far and bothered to drop the mast tho.
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If you are going as far as Tower Bridge and St Kats and it's not a big job to drop the mast i'd highly recommend going further Steve. We did the Thames a few years back in a mobo and went as far as the Millennium Wheel. Afterwards we wished we had stayed a day longer and gone further. Now i have a 10m cruiser is won't be possible.
 
PaulRainbow said:
As i already said, you don't need a BSS for a visit.
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From Page 7 of thr EA booklet

Do I need to register my boat?All boats kept or used on the River Thames(including backwaters and marinas) must becurrently registered with the EnvironmentAgency. Visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk/boatregthames for more information.If you are visiting the River Thames fromanother waterway for a short period, you areeligible for a short period registration. You canbuy one in advance by post or from a numberof River Thames locks during published hours ofduty. Visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk/boatregthames for more information.

I think you need to register to get a lock key
 
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