River "closed" on 1st December

[Outinthedinghy]

Is this allowed?

I thought the Thames was a PRN waterway but this EA notice seems to imply that the River can be closed to navigation in favour of rowers.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wallingford-head-of-the-river-2019-river-closure-notice


I hope I am wrong about this.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

I think someone is pulling a fast one.

Probably the rowing club which took over the old Maid Boats site downstream of Wallingford.

Not acceptable. I just hope it's on red boards full bore river flow.

 

[Old Crusty]

These closures have been taking place for years. The Thames does have PRN benefit under statute and the EA in its role as navigation authority, has the right to modify the PRN from time to time as it sees fit.

 

[Pump-Out]

I think someone is pulling a fast one.

Probably the rowing club which took over the old Maid Boats site downstream of Wallingford.

Nope. That's Oxford University Boat Club, they would not be running Wallingford Head of the River.

Running a Head of the River is a big undertaking, with many crews on the river at the same time. This occurs quite regularly on the Boat Race Course between Mortlake and Putney (heads usually row the other way from the Boat Race) and The Port of London always put in full closures on these occasions.
https://server1.pla.co.uk/assets/u2...-riverclosures-2019-20headoftheriverraces.pdf

 

[TrueBlue]

There are diddly-squat number of other boats around at this / that time of year - thus no point in getting 'one's knickers in a twist'

'We' have the summer season, let the rowers have the winter....

 

[Chris_d]

Head events have been happening on the River for probably 100 years+, alwasy in the off season.
I remember competing in them over 40 years ago, Wallingford was our home event, all organised by Wallingford Rowing Club not the Oxford Uni's, you never saw any cruisers out at all so nobody was inconvienienced.
"Closed" doesn't exactly mean they have put a barrier across the river, but if faced with 100 eights all heading downstream flat out at 30 second intervals, it would be sensible to just wait a couple of hours.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

I use my boats on the River all year round.

There is no "season" although prefer not to move during red boards conditions.

I have never come across a full closure of the navigation and never bothered looking at the website apart from the bit about lock closures.

Just never noticed it before ! Should have done considering its 33 years since I started boating on the Thames !!!

Maybe the old grey matter is failing.

 

[oldgit]

Maidstone Rowing club held its annual get together recently in Maidstone Town centre.Other clubs invited from all over Kent, around 120 craft on a navigation considerably smaller than the Thames.
No EA presence noted or required.
MRC provided all the safety folks required to run the event.
We waited, enjoying the action, they let me know when there was a gap to get through the couple of miles of the course.
Nice to see the river so busy and folks of all ages taking part.
All gin palaces, in the marinas quietly going green until bought out of hibernation next Spring.

 

[st599]

I use my boats on the River all year round.

There is no "season" although prefer not to move during red boards conditions.

I have never come across a full closure of the navigation and never bothered looking at the website apart from the bit about lock closures.

Just never noticed it before ! Should have done considering its 33 years since I started boating on the Thames !!!

Maybe the old grey matter is failing.

The local Reach Users Groups liaise with all the relevant clubs to produce the annual reach calendar.

Some events will get priority (so other clubs can't organise an event at the same time), some a partial closure (a "lane" is required to be kept open to traffic) some a full closure.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

So how does it work if you need to move a boat past the event at the time the River is "closed"?

Would the EA be entitled to prevent you navigating or do you have the PRN to fall back on?

I'm not particularly interested in being a nuisance, would be happy to wait, I just think it could become problematic if the ability to close the River temporarily was abused.

 

[Chris_d]

So how does it work if you need to move a boat past the event at the time the River is "closed"?

Would the EA be entitled to prevent you navigating or do you have the PRN to fall back on?

I'm not particularly interested in being a nuisance, would be happy to wait, I just think it could become problematic if the ability to close the River temporarily was abused.

Not really sure what the issue is, Highways Agency have been closing Henley road bridge all this week from 8pm until 6pm which is big deal if you want to get to other side every day, but we just have to grin and bare it.

In comparison there can't be many reasons why you would absolutely have to move a boat on any given day, its not going to be life and death surely.

If you absolutely insist and don't mind being a nuisense then I very much doubt the EA will even be there, it will just be volunteer safety boats and you can press on regardless Although if you cause an incident you aren't going to have leg to stand on in court.

As these events have been going on for years why would anybody abuse it?

 

[st599]

Not really sure what the issue is, Highways Agency have been closing Henley road bridge all this week from 8pm until 6pm which is big deal if you want to get to other side every day, but we just have to grin and bare it.

In comparison there can't be many reasons why you would absolutely have to move a boat on any given day, its not going to be life and death surely.

If you absolutely insist and don't mind being a nuisense then I very much doubt the EA will even be there, it will just be volunteer safety boats and you can press on regardless Although if you cause an incident you aren't going to have leg to stand on in court.

As these events have been going on for years why would anybody abuse it?

Can always contact them: http://thamesriverusersgroup.org/index.php

 

[Old Crusty]

So how does it work if you need to move a boat past the event at the time the River is "closed"?

Would the EA be entitled to prevent you navigating or do you have the PRN to fall back on?

I'm not particularly interested in being a nuisance, would be happy to wait, I just think it could become problematic if the ability to close the River temporarily was abused.

Failure to comply with a harbourmaster notice or instructions from a patrol officer or river inspector would render you liable to prosecution and a possible fine. That said, the EA is reluctant to pursue licence evaders so my guess is that you'll be ok should you choose to ignore any warning.

Like many in the law enforcement world, the EA relies on compliance from the majority.