Ramage
Well-Known Member
Must have been for something on the Bisham side... Maybe the Dutch Barge bash at Bisham Abbey? They were rafted out a fairish way.
More problems with rowers - sorry!
- Thread starter DWT
- Start date
Brayman
Well-Known Member
That was probably something being run from Bisham Abbey, they do sometimes have some buoys out, but not normally so near the town moorings.
nrbx
Well-Known Member
Ah rowing boats, tried to warn one set once that they were about to row into a fallen down tree.
They just glared at me and kept rowing straight in to it... made my day.
Then got shouted at for going 5 knots in a 6 knot limit, and overtaken by their support rib at 20 knots that had shouted at me!
They just glared at me and kept rowing straight in to it... made my day.
Then got shouted at for going 5 knots in a 6 knot limit, and overtaken by their support rib at 20 knots that had shouted at me!
boatone
Well-Known Member
Nope, definitely a regatta of some kind, boats all over the place - and peeing down with rain as I remember it.
Brayman
Well-Known Member
In that case it sounds like a closed Marlow Rowing Club event. I would assume they still needed EA permission though.
Chris_d
Well-Known Member
The narrow channels do seem to be causing a problem, but its not new.
The rowing clubs will take as much river as they can, I certainly remember 30 years ago the "Cruiser" channels were also very narrow but average boat sizes were much smaller and the river probably deeper. It certainly used to be an entertaining challenge to navigate the narrow channel but people seem less tolerant now, but if boats are being damaged then clearly there is not enough room.
Rowing boats at racing speeds do not turn quickly so as straight a course as possible has to be made, however the river is not straight so there will be tight spots. This is a good one to raise with the EA and try and get some better guidelines in place for wider channels. If Marlow had 3 racing lanes that is a bit greedy, even Henley manage with two.
The rowing clubs will take as much river as they can, I certainly remember 30 years ago the "Cruiser" channels were also very narrow but average boat sizes were much smaller and the river probably deeper. It certainly used to be an entertaining challenge to navigate the narrow channel but people seem less tolerant now, but if boats are being damaged then clearly there is not enough room.
Rowing boats at racing speeds do not turn quickly so as straight a course as possible has to be made, however the river is not straight so there will be tight spots. This is a good one to raise with the EA and try and get some better guidelines in place for wider channels. If Marlow had 3 racing lanes that is a bit greedy, even Henley manage with two.
TrueBlue
Well-Known Member
I complained to Reading some years ago (when they had more staff....) and the reply was that the course layout was left to the organisers.
EA provide the "move over" signs at each end of the course (then go away and hide) and that's all.
Didn't want to know about complaints.
Any instructions issued by the rowing organisations are promptly ignored by the rowers - on the other hand the Notice to Mariners issued to boaters issues a stern warning to the effect that if a boater strays off the straight and narrow he will be hung, drawn and quartered (as it were).
'Ome rule for Boaters is wot I say, innit?
Try Oxford during Eights Week for total mayhem......
EA provide the "move over" signs at each end of the course (then go away and hide) and that's all.
Didn't want to know about complaints.
Any instructions issued by the rowing organisations are promptly ignored by the rowers - on the other hand the Notice to Mariners issued to boaters issues a stern warning to the effect that if a boater strays off the straight and narrow he will be hung, drawn and quartered (as it were).
'Ome rule for Boaters is wot I say, innit?
Try Oxford during Eights Week for total mayhem......
Brayman
Well-Known Member
boatone
Well-Known Member
You got fed up wiv winding paddles yet?
TrueBlue
Well-Known Member
Started off OK, Memsahib acting as Tugmaster while we worked breasted up through one of the longest flights in the country, then disaster; a bit of roughness and a tinkle (metallic) and all my generator pulleys fell off.
Bolts on the crankshaft pulley sheared. For once quite beyond me to fix. Managed to struggle to a boatyard where we waited for a week for parts(not) to arrive. When they did they were wrong, so we came home to await the work being completed.
Not a happy bunny - jolly silly time of the year for a well respected engine manufacturer to do a stocktake and refuse to send out emergency parts.
Very happy with the yard who were exemplary in helping as best they could.
So, short answer is windlass winding temporarily suspended and will resume - sometime.
Chill
Well-Known Member
Are rowing boats and umpire/safety boats exempt from the 8kph Thames speed limit?
Anyone know how fast an eight goes?
Chill
Anyone know how fast an eight goes?
Chill
DWT
Well-Known Member
Rowing regatta rules
Thanks for the various responses, especially the very helpful information provided by Boatone. The rules about not restricting navigation are pretty clear, but it appeared that near the start of the course boats were being marshalled in the navigation channel. The people oin the boat in front of us after speaking to one of the marshalls made a comment about them having changed the area they were using, but not having changed the signs. I will try and clarify this next time I see them.
I will try and make contact with the regatta organisers to explain the problems they were causing. I think it is important that this is brought to their attention so they can consider how they organise things in future.
The comments about the Marlow regatta show that this is hardly an isolated problem and it is not the first time I have experienced this. In particular I have passed a regatta just outside T&K marina with a very narrow channel indeed, made worse by overhanging trees, just like at Marlow.
Thanks for the various responses, especially the very helpful information provided by Boatone. The rules about not restricting navigation are pretty clear, but it appeared that near the start of the course boats were being marshalled in the navigation channel. The people oin the boat in front of us after speaking to one of the marshalls made a comment about them having changed the area they were using, but not having changed the signs. I will try and clarify this next time I see them.
I will try and make contact with the regatta organisers to explain the problems they were causing. I think it is important that this is brought to their attention so they can consider how they organise things in future.
The comments about the Marlow regatta show that this is hardly an isolated problem and it is not the first time I have experienced this. In particular I have passed a regatta just outside T&K marina with a very narrow channel indeed, made worse by overhanging trees, just like at Marlow.
boatone
Well-Known Member
The 8 kmh speed limit applies to power driven vessels only. Also some coaching boats etc are exempt even tho power driven:
anyone noticed any such pennants?
Dave_Seager
Well-Known Member
Yes, they look like this:
bradtarga34
Well-Known Member
The older single hull boats, normally with the light blue hull, seem to display the pennant, but the newer yellow multi hull vessels don't seem to for the most part. Given that they aren't displaying the pennant would mean they are not approved and in breach of The Thames speed restrictions...
We had a situation at Cookham on the weekend that a coaching boat came within a boat hook of our boats way above the speed limit and causing considerable wash, when told to watch his wash he turned around just to accelerate past our boats, charming... If only I had the boat hook to hand. The speed limit is there in regards to wash, different boats at different speeds give different wash as we all know, but there was no excuse for this coaching boat to do what he did, why not just stick to the other side the river so the wash can dissipate?
We had a situation at Cookham on the weekend that a coaching boat came within a boat hook of our boats way above the speed limit and causing considerable wash, when told to watch his wash he turned around just to accelerate past our boats, charming... If only I had the boat hook to hand. The speed limit is there in regards to wash, different boats at different speeds give different wash as we all know, but there was no excuse for this coaching boat to do what he did, why not just stick to the other side the river so the wash can dissipate?
boatone
Well-Known Member
Information reports
I am in the process of setting up an information report form on the TMBA website which will make it easy for me to collate reports of different types of incident and present managed reports to the EA.
I hope to have it live in the next few days.
I am in the process of setting up an information report form on the TMBA website which will make it easy for me to collate reports of different types of incident and present managed reports to the EA.
I hope to have it live in the next few days.
Last edited:
watson1959
Well-Known Member
coaching boats
Yesterday at around 5.20pm, passing under Caversham Bridge on our return to T&K we had the same with a speeding yellow coaching boat. He wqas way over the limit and with a considerable wash (accompanying a ladies 8....who were no doubt doing their utmost to escape him).
As I know zero about the regulations, I've been respecting previous posts and keeping an eye on my speed and wash just as a general rule of reasonable behaviour. Having slowed to almost zero whilst passing canoes and rowers at Rivermead....I was disappointed at this pratt's arrogance. Complete disregard to anyone else whether moored or not.
Yesterday at around 5.20pm, passing under Caversham Bridge on our return to T&K we had the same with a speeding yellow coaching boat. He wqas way over the limit and with a considerable wash (accompanying a ladies 8....who were no doubt doing their utmost to escape him).
As I know zero about the regulations, I've been respecting previous posts and keeping an eye on my speed and wash just as a general rule of reasonable behaviour. Having slowed to almost zero whilst passing canoes and rowers at Rivermead....I was disappointed at this pratt's arrogance. Complete disregard to anyone else whether moored or not.
kds
Well-Known Member
rowers
Rowing is a competitive sport - one in which we in UK do well and have done for many years - and so they need competition.
Is this a weekly, monthly or annual event. If it is only annual - surely we can be reasonable and give them a day to race ?
If there are 8 + 1 men or women in each boat - surely they have as much right on the river as you and your family do - how many are you taking ? out for pleasure ?
Should you be using a boat on the river which can't slow down safely ?
And no - I don't and never have rowed.
Ken
Rowing is a competitive sport - one in which we in UK do well and have done for many years - and so they need competition.
Is this a weekly, monthly or annual event. If it is only annual - surely we can be reasonable and give them a day to race ?
If there are 8 + 1 men or women in each boat - surely they have as much right on the river as you and your family do - how many are you taking ? out for pleasure ?
Should you be using a boat on the river which can't slow down safely ?
And no - I don't and never have rowed.
Ken
Richard Shead
Slipped Anchor
Now what about canoeists....
apollo
...
Its only a day a year for ....Marlow, Henley, Cookham, Walton, Kingston, ,.....yada yada.
Adds up to a lot of days!!!
As to "as much right", mmmmm if they paid the same as we do then maybe that would be true.....
To recap..
MotorBoats pay £2.4Million a year, Rowing £150K.....
For the amount of disruption they cause, I dont believe they are contributing enough..
On the subject of megaphones and noise pollution, in these modern times with electronic gadgetry - is it not possible to have earphones for the rowers X 8 and a transmitter microphone for the coach with digital selected channels so as not to clash????
After all these clubs all seem to have plenty cash to build flash Clubhouses, why not invest in some kit to make other river users lives more pleasant.
As there is the Thames Path all the way along the river for coaches to cycle along, I believe coaching boats should be banned as there is no need for them any more. If wash destroys banks, then there should be no exceptions. Long Overdue.
Nurse, where are my pills!!
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