Mooring a boat on the upper Thames for the winter.

[Scotty_Tradewind]

A friend has just asked what he might do to make sure his boat is safe on its mooring from rising fast flowing water if he leaves it in over winter.
It's on a private mooring with a house nearby in view so security may be better than some.

I used to have a cruiser moored in Shiplake at a similar mooring to this.
I aquired a long scaffold pole and fixed at each end a car type tow hitch. I added a ball to where the bow deck post had been and drove a long scaffold pole into the bank and had welded to it another tow ball. I then attached the pole between the two keeping the boat some two metres away from the bank.

With very long bow and stern spring lines doubled and a fair amount of length left on the bow and stern lines, she rode out the winter very well. I did have a daily report from the owner of the house but it never required serious adjustment all winter.

What other methods could members of this parish advise please?

 

[rr_123]

wow that sounds a bit involved. I loosen the lines when the water comes up and tighten them when it goes down.

If the river is navigable, use the boat.

Simple

If your friend can't access his boat the set up will depend on what the arrangements are on the mooring? Ideal is to have a couple of risers which prevent the boat drifting over the bank/pontoon when the river is high, and put a couple of steel loops around the risers - tie onto the loops and the boat can go up and down to its hearts content.

 

[TrueBlue]

wow that sounds a bit involved. I loosen the lines when the water comes up and tighten them when it goes down.

Further upstream (well above Oxenford) where the channel is very narrow, the river can rise and fall several feet without much excuse (!), I've noticed the towball technique used on several bankside moorings coupled with long poles to stop the boat being swep' ashore.

Nearer civilisation (whoops) large level swings are very, very unusual and access to moorings is often better.

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

many thanks for your replies......... passed on
S.