Overnight mooring at Reading

[LimL]

Usually I avoid this as Sonning is very pleasant, occasionally I might moor on the left bank (going upstream) by the festival site, or otherwise go on to Pangbourne or Beale Park. But with two teenagers on this trip who wanted to go shopping in Reading...

So asked the (relief) lockkeeper at Caversham if he would mind if we moored downstream of the lock at the extreme end of the layby, and as forum members will appreciate, very little river traffic, but he was unco-operative (of the jobsworth variety!). So had to moor further upstream.

It's ironic that the old wharf just on the left under Reading Bridge, now new Thames Water offices, have removed all the mooring points on this bank (all ground off down to the concrete so they can't be used!).

So had to moor on the opposite bank near the playpark where the bollards are insecure and you have to put your anchor down and try to tie through the timber protection at water level to provide security against local louts.

I can't help but think that Reading Council would do better by being more boat friendly!

By the way, on our journey up from Windsor, only three of the locks were manned (in normal hours), makes one wonder what our licence fee is supposed to cover...

Feeling very slightly grumpy :-(

 

[LimL]

Btw Tesco moorings now full with "boats that appear to have been there for some time"!
Presumably, Tesco do not wish to encourage others to visit their store?

 

[Actionmat]

Tesco moorings are to be avoided, unless you leave a crew member behind with a boat hook and a can of pepper spray.

I've moored for the night at Caversham. Haven't bothered asking, but left very early in the morning.
I have some sympathy for the Lockies there. They must deal with unlicensed junkies all day every day - they've probably forgotten what a normal boater looks like.

 

[ianc1200]

Some irony here EA stops moving boater from a shopping trip but can't sort out hoards of illegal moorers.

 

[No Regrets]

Never had an issue mooring at Tesco to be honest, and no issues with the liveaboards other than the upstream tw@t who always shouts 'WAKE' however slowly one is travelling...but there are moorings just above the huge concrete bridge alongside the park just above the lock. Had a quiet night there last year apart from the kid on an illegal Moped at 11pm, who was dispatched with a swift blow by a boathook when he failed to stop.

Now looking for a new boathook, as the old one is so bent it won't retract...