Price Increases a coming...

Objection!

If the Thames was being maintained for depth at various points and overhanging trees attended to I may have more sympathy towards any increase, but as it is the Thames is fast losing it's magic for me. With trees overhanging upstream of Bray Lock and on both sides of Boulters Lock where on Saturday boats up and downstream were battling over centre stream and a single right of passage remedial work is required. Then we come to the depth of the river which seems to me to have more shallows (that need dredging) than at any time in the last ten years we have been on the Thames (and no it is not the lack of rain!).

Then we have the reduction in the number of lock keepers......
 
Oh great, increase charges to the already dwindling number of users and leave Thames Water and it's enormous profits alone. That'll get people using the Thames as a healthy outdoor retreat, spending their money in the local economy:rolleyes::disgust:
 
It would have been helpful if there was a contact email address to be able to send our thoughts on the Consultation questions.

May be they are not expecting any one wanting to reply.
 
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Big John said:
It would have been helpful if there was a contact email address to be able to send our thoughts on the Consultation questions.
.
Click to expand...
My RSVP shall be FO. If I don't see something done about the squatters down this end, I'll be contributing exactly the same amount as they do to the EA. But I'll still be paying my mooring fees, as I may be up for a protest, but I'm not a scrounger.
 
Brightside said:
Objection!

Then we have the reduction in the number of lock keepers......
Click to expand...

With the greatest respect :)
...perhaps someone outside the "golden navigation" could comment.
It may not have escaped your notice that in just about every case the days of generous public largesse are over and budgets are being slashed to the bone in some very vital services indeed such as health and education.Making a few very fortunate hobby boaters on the Thames pay a little more towards the Rolls Royce service provided on the Thames will probably will not generate to much sympathy from the other 99% of boaters operating on the majority of other navigations in the UK.
One or two farsighted voices in the background have been warning for ages that at some point the wheels will fall of the wagon.
As a comparision ( for small boat)
For 18 miles of navigable Medway with 10 locks only one manned. £230.00
For 190 miles of navigable Thames with 45 locks £300.00
Sounds like bargain for somebody ?
The only chance for real change (and new sources of funding) was missed a while ago, one got the distinct impression that the Thames was regarded as far to important to be allowed to slum it with other navigations in CaRT, worse still, the oiks might demand some of the Thames funding ?
 
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I dont mind paying my way if everyone else that uses the thames also pays, rowers, fishermen, swimmers, triathletes yada yada

Its just utter laziness on part of EA to go for the same old group of users. But not at all surprised.
 
Totally agree with the many comments here. makes me angry
Yes the River needs dredging urgently, since I can remember there have never been so many shallows as there are now ... too many to list here I thought the EA had a responsibility to keep the middle third of the river to a certain depth!
Very little evidence that they are clearing trees that have fallen in the water and are overhanging the navigation
Yes when are Thames Water and the like going to pay a realistic sum for extracting water?
When are the rowers and regattas going to pay for the use of the River. £100 for a rowing boat doesn't seem too much these days, what they pay now is a round of drinks
Most importantly when are the EA going to start enforcing the thousands of unlicensed boats to pay for a license? don't tell me they have no money it would be self funding or outsource the problem.
 
Aquafan said:
Yes the River needs dredging urgently, since I can remember there have never been so many shallows as there are now ... too many to list here I thought the EA had a responsibility to keep the middle third of the river to a certain depth!.
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Would be interested to know where at least some of these serious depth issues are. Have just completed Abingdon down to Molesey without grounding. Yes, Benson continues to be a problem but never less than a couple of feet underneath keel. We had 42 foot boats accompany us to Abingdon.
 
having just done a similar trip (Bray to Abingdon), I was expecting the river levels to be low, due to the recent dry weather we have had, but found it no worse than any other year.

The shallowest part I found was just before Clifton Hampden lock (going upstream). Depth gauge was showing 0.9 mtr at one point in the centre of the river
 
Aquafan said:
the thousands of unlicensed boats to pay for a license? don't tell me they have no money it would be self funding or outsource the problem.
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There are about 8000 registered vessels on the Thames, if you discount the commercial stuff and the holiday hire stuff and the little day boats, the numbers of unregistered boat would apparently amount to something like 20-25 % of the boats on the water, very much doubt it .
Although blimming annoying, suspect that even if every last boat coughed up on time it would not make much difference to funding.
It would be nice if the all marinas had a legal obligation to ensure that all craft on their moorings were licenced.
Simply .no insurance,no BSC, no Registration, NO mooring.
The EA could grant them the power to issue licences and perhaps take a small commission. It could easily be added to the marina mooring invoices.
The marinas seem remarkably reluctant to offer any assistance to ensure all possible pressure is bought to bear to gather any possible income on the river.
The recent case of the reluctant few lurking in backwaters/marinas refusing to contribute towards the up keep of the river being a case in point. ?
 
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A couple of feet below the keel would be a pleasure. I draw a meter
I hit the bottom coming up to Bray Lock below the island on the starboard side and reported it to an EA launch waiting to go in the lock who suggested I probably hit a log as they had no record of shallows there, strange as the gauge showed one meter
As you go upstream into Hurley Lock keep to the port side if you can as the starboard side is below one meter.
Below Goring is shallow as is Benson, I seem to spend my time looking at the depth gauge as it regularly shows less than a meter
On my last trip up river there were too many times I was in shallow water to make a note.
I know the EA claim the River is self scouring ... it's not
 
Aquafan said:
A couple of feet below the keel would be a pleasure. I draw a meter
I hit the bottom coming up to Bray Lock below the island on the starboard side and reported it to an EA launch waiting to go in the lock who suggested I probably hit a log as they had no record of shallows there, strange as the gauge showed one meter
As you go upstream into Hurley Lock keep to the port side if you can as the starboard side is below one meter.
Below Goring is shallow as is Benson, I seem to spend my time looking at the depth gauge as it regularly shows less than a meter
On my last trip up river there were too many times I was in shallow water to make a note.
I know the EA claim the River is self scouring ... it's not
Click to expand...

When you say below one meter deep and your draft is one meter do you mean one meter below your keel? Is the offset set correctly on the meter.
 
£50 or less increase....can't complain. Hitting logs and other debris in the river is part and parcel of boating IMHO, I enjoyed 7 years before hitting crap chucked in by some tent owning bar steward. Seriously, who owns a boat and doesn't miss fifty quid over a year?

I'm not interested in what rowers (don't) pay, or what Trotman gets away with, I'm interested in how my annual budget increases, and so far over the last five years it's pretty static. Owning a boat and moaning about petty increases is all very well if you're a pleb, but £550 (Soon to be £590) pa for a river licence is the least of my worries compared to a few hours alcohol/ eating out budget, or my 'Volvo Penta' tax which appears in the form of a sudden unplanned, unwanted and usually expensive repair costs to the big Green things that lurk beneath the floorboards.

Boating, when it comes to big motorised things that sleep 4-6 people is second only to flying in the expense charts, so I count myself lucky to be able to enjoy good company, great vistas and unmatched relaxation at all.

Fifty quid? Not even on the radar (And if you're paying more it's because your boat is over 32'....)
 
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