Liveaboard on the Thames

[Battersea_on_Sea]

Can anyone tell me, are there many temporary mooring sites on the Thames for liveaboards? I'm intending to buy a narrowboat this year and do some touring but I would like to spend some time in the London area before heading north. Thanks

 

[byron]

[ QUOTE ]
Can anyone tell me, are there many temporary mooring sites on the Thames for liveaboards? I'm intending to buy a narrowboat this year and do some touring but I would like to spend some time in the London area before heading north. Thanks

[/ QUOTE ]

This has got to be a wind-up. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I sit back in anticipation of all the warm and welcoming comments here /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[boatone]

Depends how long you want to stay in one place really.
Limehouse Marina (British Waterways) would be my first point of enquiry, followed by British Waterways themselves for info on other marina and moorings operators around the Regents Canal/Grand Union Canal area. There are also marinas at Gallions Point and South Dock. Moorings actually on the tidal river are pretty hard to come by, I think you will find, although you may find something in the Richmond to Teddington stretch if you shop around.

Ignore Byron - he's expecting me and others to react cos you mentioned narrowboats but if you follow the etiquette of being on the river and behave considerately to other users as far as I am concerned you will be welcome on a lovely waterway.

 

[Battersea_on_Sea]

Thanks, Boatone. At the moment I'm considering buying a narrowboat to give me greatest flexibility in terms of inland waterways, but I'm open minded and would consider other liveaboard vessels. I've done some walking around in the Little Venice / Paddington Basin area and spoken with a few people there. I've picked up some tips for travelling around and staying in the London area on the canals. I'm just checking out the situation on the rivers.

Picking up on what you said... Are there some bad feelings over narrowboaters using the Thames? Do they tend to follow different rules?

 

[nickcred]

oooh Byron are you really going to be able to resist /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Sammo]

Narrowboat drivers can’t swim,
they attract enemy radar,
they overtake at 60 mph,
they sleep late,
they nudge people while they’re steering,
they can`t take orders,
they hog moorings
they don`t listen
they can`t read charts,
they sleep with each other,
they look like potatoes,
they play loud music,
they steal tables,
they smell of diesel,
they sometimes swear,
they can`t cook F/bentos pies,
they can’t tie a bowline
they attract sharks,
They pee off the pontoons, and worse,
they MUCK ABOUT.

Imagine the fear of knowing you have a narrowboat moored nearby: when you turn in you`d think to yourself, “God, will I wake up and find everybody dead?”.


Breathes.


Now ….what was the question??

………… /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Landale]

/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
They have matching handknitted cardigans
They *like* morris dancing
They like Morris Marinas
They erm erm ....
/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Landale]

Oh and I forgot:
They are probably into bell ringing!

 

[Brayman]

....and they overtake in locks

 

[tazzle]

You forgot the beards.

 

[byron]

[ QUOTE ]
You forgot the beards.

[/ QUOTE ]
Don't insult their women

 

[TrueBlue]

It's all very silly; Byron doesn't like narrow boaters because he thinks his lovely rustic seat was nicked by a nb owner - 'cos they have wood burning stoves. Other folk don't understand them 'cos they're are said to hog the public moorings.

The problem t=is that there a few liveaboards who are probably on benefits and / or have New Age traveller mentality meaning that they don't give a tinker's cuss for anyone else and are often hostile. In my experience they are a tiny minority, but it tends to colour public opinion.

In general there are no spare moorings on the tidal stretch and if there were they would be very expensive because they are priced per length. If you feel lucky there is a development (since your "handle" implies a nearness) just upstream of the Albert Bridge on the nearside which has empty pontoons, and a similar one downstream of Putney Bridge. These are for the development owners but you might be able to blag something. Otherwise there's not much, and if you get anything it'll be by chance.

 

[hastylady]

and they take over all the EA free moorings without a thought for anyone else.

 

[Ramage]

Proper sailors have beards.

Or did you mean the female Narrowboaters?

 

[Battersea_on_Sea]

Not sure about the long list of points but I do have a beard so maybe that'll get me in and I'll pick up the other habits as I go along /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Ramage]

You could try watching some "Rosie and Jim" videos for some tips...

NB. Do not confuse with Jules Et Jim!

 

[charliespan]

Cadogan Pier near Albert Bridge ?
Mega££££ though I expect. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[oldgit]

They also have a thing a bout growing stringy looking plants in painted galvanised buckets ............a dog sitting on the coach roof is also a highly desirable option by all accounts,this must by law be some sort of spanial or other soppy breed.No Rottweilers need apply. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[RutlandMike]

I know of a 50ft x 10ft converted tjalk on a residential mooring Hammersmith that's just come on the market - PM me for details (not mine, a mate has just finished extending her by 15 feet or so - and done a lovely job too!)

BTW, Cadogan Pier is a sister of The Dove Pier and the moorings are really expensive. They're run by the London Tideway Harbour Company - see here.

 

[ADLS]

Lazy Days used to be moored on Cadogan Pier previous owner called it her balcony on the Thames. Bluebird of Chelsea moores there but then she is historical.