Locki
Active Member
I've got a Fairline Squadron 55, which I recently had moved to Imperial Wharf (for the second time) where I plan a few end-of-season cruises on the tidal Thames.
Putting my day-skipper training to good use, I thoroughly researched my short plan for a trip to the Millennium Dome and back, ensuring that I'd checked tide data from at least three different sources (PLA Book, my Garmin 7012, and the Almanac). All agreed on the times for high tide, and from this I calculated all the bridge heights for my trip. I even hired a deck hand so I wouldn't have to rely on my wife (who has her hands full with our 16-month old).
My boat is almost brand-new, and loaded with most safety equipment.
Around 45 minutes after we had set off, gently cruising under bridge after bridge, I reached Southwark bridge and realised the height looked completely wrong. I turned around, and realised I wouldn't make it back under Westminster either! All my data and planning showed that I had at least another hour and a half until high tide, but I had made a significant mistake! I hadn't added an hour for BST, which all three of my sources required, meaning that high-tide was one hour later, AND, because of its state, was also nothing like the bridge/HAT numbers.
Much later, after some fantastic river police assistance (what a truly incredible bunch of guys!) and two hours plus bouncing around moored next to a tug opposite Temple tube station (not a particularly posh way to spend your time as a 58.5 foot motoryacht!) and a little altercation with a party-boat who claimed I broke their glasses, I was on my way... I took three or four attempts at Westminster bridge, and only went for it once I was sure I had a good couple of meters clearance (I needed 5.5ish), so I spent perhaps three or four trips motoring back and forth waiting for the tide to drop. Safe to say, testing bridge heights against the tide is more fun than testing heights with tide!
The route back to Imperial Wharf became weirder still, when flush with the previous assistance of the police, I found myself surrounded by three police boats, lights flashing, search lights going crazy - I'm sure my wife below must have wondered what I'd done now! It was actually pretty sad though - they were clearly looking for a body/missing person for several miles of river bank. I dropped to tick-over, and travelled at around 4 knots in the middle of them the entire way. It was a sombre, but beautiful, end to a really warm evening.
So anyway, despite not posting here very much at all, and otherwise lurking constantly, I thought I'd just write up my story quickly in case anyone else benefits from it. I'm loving big boat ownership, but EVERY TRIP has a few heart stopping moments!
The Thames crash that was just on television this evening, was the next evening on the same bridge.
Here's a photo from Sunday on Imperial Wharf:
Putting my day-skipper training to good use, I thoroughly researched my short plan for a trip to the Millennium Dome and back, ensuring that I'd checked tide data from at least three different sources (PLA Book, my Garmin 7012, and the Almanac). All agreed on the times for high tide, and from this I calculated all the bridge heights for my trip. I even hired a deck hand so I wouldn't have to rely on my wife (who has her hands full with our 16-month old).
My boat is almost brand-new, and loaded with most safety equipment.
Around 45 minutes after we had set off, gently cruising under bridge after bridge, I reached Southwark bridge and realised the height looked completely wrong. I turned around, and realised I wouldn't make it back under Westminster either! All my data and planning showed that I had at least another hour and a half until high tide, but I had made a significant mistake! I hadn't added an hour for BST, which all three of my sources required, meaning that high-tide was one hour later, AND, because of its state, was also nothing like the bridge/HAT numbers.
Much later, after some fantastic river police assistance (what a truly incredible bunch of guys!) and two hours plus bouncing around moored next to a tug opposite Temple tube station (not a particularly posh way to spend your time as a 58.5 foot motoryacht!) and a little altercation with a party-boat who claimed I broke their glasses, I was on my way... I took three or four attempts at Westminster bridge, and only went for it once I was sure I had a good couple of meters clearance (I needed 5.5ish), so I spent perhaps three or four trips motoring back and forth waiting for the tide to drop. Safe to say, testing bridge heights against the tide is more fun than testing heights with tide!
The route back to Imperial Wharf became weirder still, when flush with the previous assistance of the police, I found myself surrounded by three police boats, lights flashing, search lights going crazy - I'm sure my wife below must have wondered what I'd done now! It was actually pretty sad though - they were clearly looking for a body/missing person for several miles of river bank. I dropped to tick-over, and travelled at around 4 knots in the middle of them the entire way. It was a sombre, but beautiful, end to a really warm evening.
So anyway, despite not posting here very much at all, and otherwise lurking constantly, I thought I'd just write up my story quickly in case anyone else benefits from it. I'm loving big boat ownership, but EVERY TRIP has a few heart stopping moments!
The Thames crash that was just on television this evening, was the next evening on the same bridge.
Here's a photo from Sunday on Imperial Wharf:
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