Looking to purchase a boat and keep it in Chiswick.

[daveofedinburgh]

Hello all,

Im as new and unfamiliar to boating as a person can be, so please bear with me.
I have recently moved to Chiswick and live right on the Thames (Anstice Close, Chiswick if you want to check Google maps).
I am basically looking to purchase a speedboat, and keep it moored somewhere nearby on a budget. Knowing nothing whatsoever about boats, I have stumbled across what appear to be good condition small speedboats for around £1k. In terms of where it would live, I dont have storage for a boat, so it will need to stay on the river.
Can anyone advise on what to pay/ where to find good used speedboats (or are they just motor boats)? Also, can anyone advise on where I can keep a boat on the Thames locally, and the sort of costs involved?
Finally, Im not sure which if any licences or permits I would require to go out on the river.
Apologies in advance for my abject lack of knowledge here- I just happen to have moved next to the river, and have some spare money for a new toy.

 

[No Regrets]

Three problem words: 'On a Budget'

Think 'On a trailer' instead...

 

[teddington_lock]

Also , just to let you know that you won't be able to use a 'speedboat' at Chiswick as there is a 12 knot advisory limit from Wandsworth Bridge to the Pool. 8 knots above Wandsworth Bridge.

If you wanted to give it some beans you would have to head down to the barrier , which i'm not sure i'd want to do in a thousand pound speedboat.

Moorings around Chiswick won't be cheap .

 

[No Regrets]

Better perhaps, to buy a day cruiser, and launch it on the non tidal section?

As the nice man said, using a marginal vessel at high speed on the tidal waters is potentially very upsetting if something goes wrong, and with respect, given your lack of knowledge/ experience, this is fairly likely...

 

[mlines]

At the risk of diverting the thread, I have always wondered about the 12 knot "advisory" limit as the dictionary states.....

adjective

* having or consisting in the power to make recommendations but not to take action enforcing them:the Commission acts in an advisory capacity
* recommended but not compulsory:the EC has put forward an advisory maximum figure

 

[teddington_lock]

Well , you could just disregard them altogether , but that would be a little antisocial no ?

Plus the PLA would prosecute you for wash damage or something.

This has happened before .

Mr Smart Alec was taken to court by the PLA for speeding / wash damage , he got a hot shot lawyer who argued that the speed gun or whatever wasn't calibrated.

The judge accepted this , and asked the PLA man how long he had been working on the water and his best estimate of the speed the boat was travelling at , and effectively said 'thats good enough for me , heres a big fine'

Not sure how long ago this was as it was related to me by Terry from the PLA boat Richmond , who has since retired.

Would you want to try it out on your day in court ?

 

[oldgit]

"I just happen to have moved next to the river, and have some spare money for a new toy."

Hi Dave and welcome,as others have said starting your boating above the lock will be a much more pleasurable experience than below.If you have the room at home then a small budget boat on a trailer could fit the bill.Guess that there must be a slipway within a shortish drive from home and the cost of the slip and EA day ticket will not be that expensive.Just one tip when buying your splendid new command,the condition of the engine is paramount as compared to the actual glassfibre floating bit.Perhaps even 90% engine and 10% boat.
There is a lot of unreliable worn out old C***p out there just looking for a new mug/ gullable owner,take your time and buy right.
Ask anything you like,we all started somewhere.

 

[mlines]

Well , you could just disregard them altogether , but that would be a little antisocial no ?

Plus the PLA would prosecute you for wash damage or something.

This has happened before .

Mr Smart Alec was taken to court by the PLA for speeding / wash damage , he got a hot shot lawyer who argued that the speed gun or whatever wasn't calibrated.

The judge accepted this , and asked the PLA man how long he had been working on the water and his best estimate of the speed the boat was travelling at , and effectively said 'thats good enough for me , heres a big fine'

Not sure how long ago this was as it was related to me by Terry from the PLA boat Richmond , who has since retired.

Would you want to try it out on your day in court ?

I am not disagreeing about you about anti-social behaviour, including the effects of wash. It just seems strange that they use the word advisory instead of mandatory, particularly if they are going to attempt to prosecute everyone for "going against the advice".

 

[mlines]

A quick Google has helpfully revealed the actual answer to the question I asked.

To make the speed limit mandatory they would require a new Bylaw. These take time and effort to do. Therefore, until they enter and complete a new round of Bylaws they can put an advisory in place, its not a law but gives them the mechanism to judge you went against advice and this makes it easier to claim you were behaving in a dangerous manner.

 

[daveofedinburgh]

So at the moment then, the verdict is that it will be too expensive to moor a boat in Chiswick, and on my budget, it wont be a boat that Id want to take far anyway.
I live minutes from Chiswick pier, so I could head down there and have a chat to some of the owners.
Im only looking for a small boat to scoot around the river on and take in some sights with my fiancee, not planning on any kind of long journeys at all.
Where I live just now, as lovely as it is there is very little parking, and Im not sure my fellow residents would take kindly to a trailer taking up spaces so its not an option at the moment.
For arguments' sake, if I could find a spot to moor it, how realistic is it to have a small boat (4 seater, with an outboard and a cover on it) moored on the river long-term? Also, what would be a ballpark price for a decent, used boat of this type?
Alot of these sizes of boats seem to be sold with trailers, so its a shame that I cant have one!

 

[teddington_lock]

I am not disagreeing about you about anti-social behaviour, including the effects of wash. It just seems strange that they use the word advisory instead of mandatory, particularly if they are going to attempt to prosecute everyone for "going against the advice".

They don't look to prosecute 'everyone' for going against advice , just the ones full up of Stella , who have the blatant 'i don't give a s***' attitude , doing thirty knots bouncing everyone up and down.

 

[Cliveshep]

Do you have a car? Because if so you might be able to joint a club further up-river and arrange to park a boat on a trailer and launch whenever you like. Alternatively, perhaps a boatyard above Teddington Lock, (the actual lock, not the forum member!). OK, you would need insurance and a navigation licence, and probably a basic BSS, but at least you'd be on safe waters, not bothered by tides and acres of low-tide mud and filth. Another option is find a haulage firm or farm who will rent you a small amount of parking space up in an unused or unusable corner and that might be a cheaper option. There are still plenty of slipways for public use above Teddington, well, not perhaps plenty any more but certainly some.

Mooring on the tidal Thames almost inevitably means being out on a trot, how are you going to get out to your boat anyway? Mooring on a floating pontoon would cost an eye-watering amount and with a limited budget you'd be stuffed. I had a mooring out in the stream, short of flagging down a passing boat the only way to get out to the boat was using an inflatable and trust me, if the stream is running that is fraught with danger. There are boat-yards on an island at Hampton that might accommodate you for example, there is a small hire boat place in Hampton right alongside the road who might also offer advice as well as hire you a day boat you could use to pootle up and have a look-see.

 

[IAIA3259]

Hi Dave welcome to the forum, I know of some safe private moorings just down stream of Kingston that are very reasonably priced (cheap), if you want details just drop me a private message, as others have said this is a nice safe enviroment to start your boating, Hampton Court is only about 25mins running time from these moorings and then when you have gained experiance and confidance the tidal section from Teddington Lock is only 15mins so makes a day trip down to St Kats area (Tower Bridge) and return back to Kingston also possable for a day trip, gives yo the best of both worlds, if you dont have a car they are about 15mins walk from a tube station and 10mins from a good bus route, what budget have you got for the boat?

 

[mlines]

Quite a few marinas and boatyards have hard standing for boats on trailers.

Thats exactly what we do.

The advantages are that you can then go off down to the coast for a different experience. In fact, with trips to the coast in between river trips we actually go on the river less than ten trips a year which means we can go on a visitors licence and save money. Also, because a trailered boat spends so little time in the water relative to the time spent parked up things like anti-fouling is not required and anodes etc. last for ever.

The downside is having to launch every time you go out, but you can get pretty quick at this after a few attempts. You also have to buy a visitor licence at the first lock you reach however this can be a pretty painless task as well (our local lock keeper recognises us coming and has the paperwork half filled out before we even get there, I don't think he issues many visitor licences normally!)

Martin

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

I am not disagreeing about you about anti-social behaviour, including the effects of wash. It just seems strange that they use the word advisory instead of mandatory, particularly if they are going to attempt to prosecute everyone for "going against the advice".

<old cynic>
It allows professional skippers to do what they like, including PLA ones, means they don't have to nick any police boats hooning around because they are bored and means they can ignore irritated private boaters nearly drowned by a Clipper running late and trying to catch up on the timetable
</old cynic>
The comment I've had several times when this one has been discussed is that its partly aimed at Thames boaters who feel a bit unleashed once downstream of Wandsworth Bridge, open up and then find they are in a boat they don't know how to control at that sort of speed. IMO not totally unfair to all concerned. I dont have many miles under my belt helmig Jedi at WOT and shooting bridges like that seems...unwise. If not duffers etc perhaps?

 

[Richard Shead]

Its the police that get me, I walk (everyday) a loop over the wobbly bridge and back over Hungerford so walk past what could be considered the busiest part of the pool (ok not actually the pool).

Everyday (ok Mon - Fri for many years) I see the police Targas opening up and then dropping off the plane quite needlessly and creating far more wash than they would if they stayed at high speed or below six knots and they are not on an emergency as they dont have their lights on.

PLA normal poodle (not sure on that word..) up and down with no wash at all.

 

[apollo]

Its the police that get me, I walk (everyday) a loop over the wobbly bridge and back over Hungerford so walk past what could be considered the busiest part of the pool (ok not actually the pool).

Everyday (ok Mon - Fri for many years) I see the police Targas opening up and then dropping off the plane quite needlessly and creating far more wash than they would if they stayed at high speed or below six knots and they are not on an emergency as they dont have their lights on.

PLA normal poodle (not sure on that word..) up and down with no wash at all.

I agree, have been working recently in an office overlooking Tower Bridge and the most blatant wash producers are the Police, have never seen one go past at displacement speed yet.

 

[Chris_d]

I agree, have been working recently in an office overlooking Tower Bridge and the most blatant wash producers are the Police, have never seen one go past at displacement speed yet.

Well if I had Targa 31 overendowed with horsepower, superb handling and a uniform which meant nobody would dare tell me off, I'd give it beans at every opportunity as well

 

[Lazy Days]

Well if I had Targa 31 overendowed with horsepower, superb handling and a uniform which meant nobody would dare tell me off, I'd give it beans at every opportunity as well

indeed ...and especially with not having to worry about picking up the fuel bill

 

[vandy]

So at the moment then, the verdict is that it will be too expensive to moor a boat in Chiswick, and on my budget, it wont be a boat that Id want to take far anyway.
I live minutes from Chiswick pier, so I could head down there and have a chat to some of the owners.
Im only looking for a small boat to scoot around the river on and take in some sights with my fiancee, not planning on any kind of long journeys at all.
Where I live just now, as lovely as it is there is very little parking, and Im not sure my fellow residents would take kindly to a trailer taking up spaces so its not an option at the moment.
For arguments' sake, if I could find a spot to moor it, how realistic is it to have a small boat (4 seater, with an outboard and a cover on it) moored on the river long-term? Also, what would be a ballpark price for a decent, used boat of this type?
Alot of these sizes of boats seem to be sold with trailers, so its a shame that I cant have one!

Dave,
My advice to you would be not to think about a cabin boat or speed boat for the first season, as you are not familiar with the area and what is actually available here.

I can tell you that you can find a cheap pantoon mooring along tidal thames.

When I first started boating (back in Canada) my first boat was an inflatable dinghy with an outboard. with like £1k-£2k you can buy a very decent even brand new inflatable dinghy with a high HP outboard that you can easily cruise on tidal part. You can then deflate it and pack in somewhere in your bedroom! so no need for the mooring etc..

To be honest with you, Tidal Thames is quite an exciting place for boaters, but it can also be very boring. (NOW everybody may disagree!!!!) as there are not many places to stop, and after 2-3times being on the river you have already seen everything... I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT A BOAT AND THEN LOST INTERETS!

So, think about a 3m+ inflatable dinghy, with an outboard over 10hp. That should give you a very good speed and also very easy and cheap to maintain.

Then you can upgrade to something better next season.

If you PM me I will discuss it more in details.