Now back from an excellent Thames trip.....BUT !

[watson1959]

you pay by the inch down there.

I've heard that the ladies think you are relatively inexpensive for the same reason

 

[Wavey]

I've heard that the ladies think you are relatively inexpensive for the same reason

Coffee/keyboard - Very near miss

 

[Ramage]

I've heard that the ladies think you are relatively inexpensive for the same reason

ROFL!!!

 

[chief1]

ROFL!!!

+1

 

[Elessar]

Lots of issues here. Simply not enough mooring space on the Thames, particularly in popular places, and enough selfish people to make sure that what space there is can't be used as efficiently as possible because they won't shove up or raft when it makes sense. At Hampton Court last Friday there were enough spaces of 10-20 feet between boats to provide room for at least 4 more 32 footers if people had just been prepared to move up and close the gaps. Not all NB's either, quite a few cruisers guilty one of which flatly refused to move up or back a little to make room for me to get in even when I asked politely. Same thing happened at Cookham earlier in the week - "sorry mate, having our lunch".

astonishing this. I haven't been on the Thames for 3 years now, the licence fee and lock closures are enough to stop me coming round from the south coast for the winter as I used to do. I never saw selfishness, only helpfulness, then. (One rude cretin at henley waiting for a lock standing out as the only exception)

Simple though, moor alongside them, whether they are having lunch or not. If they refuse to move up I wouldn't care if they were a bit small for it to be appropriate. I don't see that permission is needed to raft.