River condition Temple to Marlow

[gordontytler]

Over the last few weeks I have been waiting for the red boards change to yellow so that I can go down river from Henley to Mosley.

It looks like Temple to Marlow is the last reach still on red. Should I wait or will more rain come?

 

[Chris_d]

That's odd looks like it might be an error, although Marlow lock layby can be a pain if the weir is wide open.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

Marlow is always the last to go off red boards. One is exposed for quite a long time to that weir.

Red boards are dictated by the position of the main large gates approximately opposite the slipway.

It does have a strong pull and there would be very little time to deal with problems.

 

[gordontytler]

The high pressure is forecast to continue for a few weeks more so I will wait at Henley for the yellow board.

If there is nobody coming out of the lock, I might make an approach far away from the weir.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

The high pressure is forecast to continue for a few weeks more so I will wait at Henley for the yellow board.

If there is nobody coming out of the lock, I might make an approach far away from the weir.

View attachment 185162

Yes that is a good approach. It is quite shallow around the back of that layby. One of my Boats draws 3ft4" and I was hitting the ground a little bit around there.

Main thing is to keep well over to the graveyard side as the pull starts just below there opposite the slipway.

In these conditions its not all that strong but I think the red boards are because if one did get a prop foul in the wrong place there would be very little time to deal with it. I have seen a hire Boat go on the lines there in the summer when one of the big gates was only partly open.

Also obviously the former mill has a control structure probably a sluice which can cause quite a lot of flow.

If you come onto the landside waiting area there where your arrow is you can expect to be pushed sideways onto the jetty as you go broadside across the mill leat.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

Anyway lots of shutting in today. There was a hole in the River earlier which looks to have been dealt with so no red boards now anywhere.

 

[gordontytler]

I was surprised to see the red board at Marlow change to normal in one day.

Anyway lots of shutting in today. There was a hole in the River earlier which looks to have been dealt with so no red boards now anywhere.

Sir,

You were most helpful advising on the approach to the lock and I was surprised to see, yesterday, that the Marlow reach went from red to normal in one day, but what is "shutting in" and "hole in the river"?

This whole stressful episode started for me in early September. The lock keeper at Sandford advised me that the ground is very saturated and I should make my way back to London quickly. He said last time it was this bad was when we had the floods in 2014.

Well, bad things did happen. I might confess my mistakes, adventure, and the near disaster - once I am safely back to my marina.
For now, I would advise, always have a bank card in you pocket when jumping off the boat!

 

[Outinthedinghy]

Shutting in is when the weir gates are closed.

A hole in the River sometimes happens if the weirs are not shut in at the right time. An unusually low water level occurs and can take time to get back to normal.

Not sure if there was a hole further up but the reach between Bray and Boveney was very low yesterday.

It might help explain why Marlow went from red to green so quickly if there was a big weir movement at Marsh lock.

Marsh is a gauging weir and triggers movements downstream.

 

[Chris_d]

Shutting in is when the weir gates are closed.

A hole in the River sometimes happens if the weirs are not shut in at the right time. An unusually low water level occurs and can take time to get back to normal.

Not sure if there was a hole further up but the reach between Bray and Boveney was very low yesterday.

It might help explain why Marlow went from red to green so quickly if there was a big weir movement at Marsh lock.

Marsh is a gauging weir and triggers movements downstream.

I think the hole was Marsh closing the sluices on Wednesday.

 

[Chris_d]

Saw you leave Henley thus morning, did you have a good trip?