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Cashbuyer

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Will be doing the 'London thing' in May from Harleyford. I know many of you good folk have done this trip.

How many days to allow for a relatively easy journey and return without pushing along all day?

Can stay at Shepperton. Would that make sense? Can we do Shepperton to Tower Bridge in a day? Will probably stay at Imperial Wharf and then return.

I know some of this will depend on tides etc.

Your thoughts much appreciated
 
tides

You're right - it all depends on the tides. We, coming down from Windsor, usually stop at the Thames Court at Sheperton for a pub dinner and overnight, then press on to Teddington for an afternoon tide outwards. If its an early morning tide then we continue down to Hampton Court and time our departure from there. Occassionally we do from the marina to Teddington in one hop, but this is usually when we are going further than the estuary and time is a factor.

It all depends on your plans beyond Teddington.
 
You're going to get lots of different answers on this as there's lots of ways to do it!

For us, (starting Windsor) we get to Teddington on the first day, eat out and overnight on the lock layby.

Second day is very tide and destination dependant. We always go to st kats, but they have an awkward and restrictive lock timetable. We can't traverse Richmond at low tide as there's not enough water on the tidal side at this point. If we wait until there's enough water at Richmond, it's a struggle to get to st kats without breaking the speed limit or upsetting rowers, so we usually wait for the Richmond sluices to open, go to Imperial wharf on a high tide and wait there for a full tidal cycle before ambling to st kats at our leisure.

If your final destination is Imperial wharf, it's actually much easier as there are no tidal restrictions there, so wait for the sluices at Richmond and progress with lots of water under the boat to Imperial wharf. It can get a bit lumpy at imperial wharf though, so be prepared for that!
 
Thanks guys. I thought we would do the sights from Teddington as far as Tower Bridge and then return to Imperial for an overnight before returning upstream? I'm assuming we can do Teddington to Tower Bridge and then back to Imperial in a day. Assuming of course that the height at Richmond is fine and we aren't passing through at 6 in the evening. Looks like we will have to do the early morning run to catch the water at Richmond and carry on through to Tower Bridge. Don't fancy St Kat's as the forum has no good words for it apart from position (don't need to sightsee) and don't fancy waiting outside and trying to pick up a buoy with inexperienced crew. Oh dear, so many questions...
 
Despite what you might have heard about St Kats (don't think on here?) St Kats is must do stop-over, the only point in stopping at Imperial wharf is to make the entry into St Kats easier there is not much to recommend it as a destination in it own right.

Nobody else has mentioned it but if leaving Richmond sluices on the tide check the height of Hammersmith bridge, you won't get under with a flybridge if its high spring tide.
 
Yeah, funny - I've also seen negative reports on St Kats here, especially in a Limehouse v st kats thread. (Yes, I have used both..)

Personally, we love St Kats and it is always our marina of choice when visiting the smoke. It's almost a destination in it's own right.

Yes, the locking procedure is a PITA, and you quite often find yourself bouncing around in the pool of London for an hour or so waiting for them to let you in. You'll be under VHF control from the Marina and the actual locking in and out is well controlled, but there are quite often lots of boats milling around the entrance at this time. Personally, we go over to the other side of the river and hide amongst the liveaboard barges and keep well out of the way. We stem the tide rather than tieing up, and I've never tried for one of the mooring bouys by the marina entrance.

Forgot about Hammersmith bridge - we have an air draft of 11'6" with the radar arch down, and have never had a problem, including spring high tide (cleared with a few inches to sprae) but Chris_d is absolutely right in that you should consider it's (and your..) height.
 
We love St Kats, the entrance is less hairy than Limehouse, and it's lovely once inside.

It's a few quid more than Limehouse, but a week rate is better value, and there's loads to do and see, such as the South Bank, Tower bridge, The tower of London, and loads of eating places too.

It beats the **** out of Limehouse in every way.

Imperial Wharf takes all the tidal worries away too, and is worth a stopover, as theres plenty to do there too!! Also, you can take the free ride through Richmond (£5 saving) and leave more or less whenever you want!

Take an early lock out of St Kats on the way home, and take it nice and easy, the tide will carry you back just in time to get e free ride through Richmond!

We go to St Kats every June (early) you're welcome to tag along...:D
 
Thanks Guys. Very helpful, as usual. And thanks for the offer, No Regrets, of joining you. Tres kind. And I could get to see the handsome beast close up and personal. And the boat ;)
 
Funnily enough, I'm compiling a 'Fifty Shades' photographic guestbook of Ladies, in the red room*

And guess who's in it :D

Of course, you could buy the negatives, but these digital jobbies.... :o

This is not actually a joke :)

Be frightened. be very frightened....:eek:
 
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