People leaving the River in droves?

Outinthedinghy

Outinthedinghy

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Talking to someone in the next generation up from me (I'm 48 and counting) got me wondering if there is an exodus going on or about to happen.

He has been boating on the River for 30+ years. I've only done 36 years on the Thames in my short lifetime but it did get me wondering what the deal is.

Things happen, people do other things but do I detect a general shift away from what could be described as the best river in the world for boating?
 
Dodgy situation if it does happen.

Where are the younger generation? Living on boats because they can't afford anything else?

In my brain I am about 70 except when out on the River when I revert to 11 year old mode. Somewhere in between is the reality.
 
Outinthedinghy said:
Things happen, people do other things but do I detect a general shift away from what could be described as the best river in the world for boating?
Click to expand...

Some of us on the Norfolk Broads would dispute that, we even get classes like the Thames A raters coming up to have a go at our trophies...:D
 
I don't know if that many are leaving, there have been 100's on new boats appearing on the river, mostly wide beam floating apartments and expensive grp cruisers. What might be happening is that they are using them differently to boaters in the past, mostly short weekend trips to popular spots and back to the marinas, the type of boat limits what they can do with them and where they can moor. Wide beams seem to be bought by dreamers who have seen all the barging programmes on TV as liveaboards, but when the realities of living on a boat dawn and no where left to go as they don't fit on the narrow canals the For Sale signs start appearing. Then bought up cheaply by peeps who can't afford a house, and start to fill up all the rural moorings the cruisers used to use as quiet overnight stops.
One thing is for sure there are plenty of boats!
 
Chris_d said:
I don't know if that many are leaving, there have been 100's on new boats appearing on the river, mostly wide beam floating apartments and expensive grp cruisers. What might be happening is that they are using them differently to boaters in the past, mostly short weekend trips to popular spots and back to the marinas, the type of boat limits what they can do with them and where they can moor. Wide beams seem to be bought by dreamers who have seen all the barging programmes on TV as liveaboards, but when the realities of living on a boat dawn and no where left to go as they don't fit on the narrow canals the For Sale signs start appearing. Then bought up cheaply by peeps who can't afford a house, and start to fill up all the rural moorings the cruisers used to use as quiet overnight stops.
One thing is for sure there are plenty of boats!
Click to expand...

A movement away from the middle ground boats which have dominated the navigation in the past to both bigger and smaller boats ?
Small day or weekenderboat id affordable to own and keep, a barge livaboard is a home, the cost of running and mooring a necessary household expence, not a discretional option.
 
I forgot to mention the dayboats which sell like hot cakes around the Henley, Marlow areas. Val Wyatts and Bushnells are dealers for the Dutch Interboats and Antaris types etc... and they can't get hold of enough to sell. But the usage is very different to boaters of old, mostly used as drinking and eating platforms for the wealthy's offspring.
 
I met a chap at Bourne end recently who had a lovely little double diagonal dinghy with a Stuart turner in it.
Beautiful boat it was. I did overhear his other half wistfully looking at a passing small Antaris and murmuring "that's what I would like".

They are certainly incredibly popular specially around Henley. Not cheap those boats !! Crazy prices for small day boats.
 
Outinthedinghy said:
I met a chap at Bourne end recently who had a lovely little double diagonal dinghy with a Stuart turner in it.
Beautiful boat it was. I did overhear his other half wistfully looking at a passing small Antaris and murmuring "that's what I would like".

They are certainly incredibly popular specially around Henley. Not cheap those boats !! Crazy prices for small day boats.
Click to expand...
Yes its the toilet facilities on the day boats that keep the females away :) The dutch boats are quite clever and have something hidden in the bows, as you say £75K for 22 foot open boat is a bit steep but they aren't short of takers!
 
Chris_d said:
I forgot to mention the dayboats which sell like hot cakes around the Henley, Marlow areas. Val Wyatts and Bushnells are dealers for the Dutch Interboats and Antaris types etc... and they can't get hold of enough to sell. But the usage is very different to boaters of old, mostly used as drinking and eating platforms for the wealthy's offspring.
Click to expand...

I'm sort of one of those... although at 47 years of age I fall in between! I wanted a boat for Tedd after selling my lockdown boat which was a lifesaver, that said I didn't want a 'boat' I wanted something that I can step on, sit down with friends, eat, drink and have protection from the weather. I also wanted a toilet but I have pubs for that!

I thought long and hard about a small ish (27ft ) cabin cruiser but was lucky enough to find, in my view, something better than the Dutch delights and that's the Scandi secrets! it does everything the dutch open boat do and more, I do have a toilet and it's well hidden, you have to hide too if you want to use it but so far it's all I want and need.

A Marex 21 Duckie.
 
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Yes I've noticed one of those before. Lovely boat.

I'm a big fan of Scandinavian boats. I did own what is probably the only Viksund boat on the River for a couple of years. Now moored on a garden opposite the waterworks below Sunbury.

That is a 24ft double ender motorsailer. Nice boats they do.

Some of the Fiskari boats out of Finland are incredible.
 
"Marex 21 Duckie is a 6.76 meters designer rabbit with accommodation for 8 people and the draft of 0.65 meters which can reach up to 26 knots."

Not come across a designer rabbit before but it certainly seems an interesting item.

From here

Marex 21 Duckie
 
Outinthedinghy said:
"Marex 21 Duckie is a 6.76 meters designer rabbit with accommodation for 8 people and the draft of 0.65 meters which can reach up to 26 knots."

Not come across a designer rabbit before but it certainly seems an interesting item.

From here

Marex 21 Duckie
Click to expand...

Ha, a great translation! I spoke to the Marex sales manager at a show recently and he tells me it was called a 'Duckie' because it looks like one from the front, I'm not so sure myself but I like it anyhow.

Scandi boats are great for the Thames as there are a lot of similarities in the way they use them, in particular bow access which is a godsend for single-handed trips.

I see your old boat a lot, a few doors down from a very famous yacht designer, the one that pumps oxygen into the water from his garden so it keeps the fish happy! You can see the bubbles as you go past.

But back to the original post, yes I think people are using the old larger cabin cruisers less (Broom Crown / European etc) but there is a massive increase in day boats like mine and of course narrow/wide beam boats.
 
I left my mooring on the trots at sunbury after the theft of my outboard and other unwanted boardings. Probably as a result of being the only boat left on the moorings. Bought a yacht and loving the Solent now, but still go for a paddle board up and down ‘my stretch’ of the river.
 
I don’t know about people leaving in droves, but it is very quiet for the time of the year.

Very few boats moving, even very few hire boats out. I spoke to one Le Boat crew yesterday who were American tourists and had probably booked from home some time ago.
They are very expensive which may be putting people off, and maybe the fuel price is having an effect?
In the meantime, I have to admit, I’m rather enjoying having locks to myself and very little traffic.
 
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Travelled from Penton Hook to Marlow yesterday, very few boats moving.
Out of nine locks we had company in only three locks and one of those was a trip boat from Windsor.
Marlow moorings were full last night though.
 
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