River Pageant - 2015

It's not the EA organising this , it's up to the organisers who the include / exclude surely ?

You wouldnt rock up in a Princess 45 to a dinghy sailing day , and if the people organising it don't want powered boats then while it may be a bitter pill to swallow , that's their prerogative.

Nothing to do with what you pay to the agency , or how they man their locks.
 
Can see the organisers point, a load of river cruisers cuising from Bisham to Runnymede will just look like, a load cruisers crusing down the river the same as any other day of the week.
Likely to cause chaos, take over the event and become an ATYC rally.
 
It's not the EA organising this , it's up to the organisers who the include / exclude surely ?

You wouldnt rock up in a Princess 45 to a dinghy sailing day , and if the people organising it don't want powered boats then while it may be a bitter pill to swallow , that's their prerogative.

Nothing to do with what you pay to the agency , or how they man their locks.

I think it boils down to what restrictions may be put in place. I have no desire to be involved with their event, but if this means the river is closed and locks jammed, then we have a problem!
EA needs to make an announcement and make arrangements known.
 
My point is what Apollo said really.

I have no interest in attending the event in my giant stinkpot, but I'm more concerned about inhibiting my paid-for navigation of the river for someone else's event.

At least the rowers let us use a six foot strip of river during their very, very important events!
 
That peed me off. Their coaches in the powered boats don't give a monkeys about other river users. I regularly get bumped around very early in the morning on the Royal Palace moorings, like it's some sort of game for them.
I don't see why they should get preferential treatment, the river is wide enough for all of us. Even for rowing coaches with massive egos.
 
That peed me off. Their coaches in the powered boats don't give a monkeys about other river users. I regularly get bumped around very early in the morning on the Royal Palace moorings, like it's some sort of game for them.
I don't see why they should get preferential treatment, the river is wide enough for all of us. Even for rowing coaches with massive egos.
Other than being permitted to exceed the speed limit when actually coaching, they don't get preferential treatment. If they behave inconsiderately you should make a complaint. Make a note of the 6 digit code printed on the boat or the coaching craft which identifies the craft and the club - ABC123 etc- and file a report through the British Rowing website.
 
By preferential, I was referring to closures that prevent owners of powered craft like myself from mooring or navigating. Not even a small channel letting us through.

I had words with a coach a couple of weeks back(while standing on the fore shore)as he flew past a swimming dog at about 15 knots, having just done that speed past moored boats. He told me that he was allowed to, as he had to get in front of the rowers. What he was actually doing was flying up and down between two practising teams.

I will take your advice re reporting, but from what I've seen, they all do it. It seems a bit like complaining to a poacher about poaching.
 
There was some discussion about this event at the Thames Navigation Users Forum at Reading on Monday and I asked for clarification. Even those who had been in contact with the organisers - and I am still not sure who they are - did not seem to have any clear information and the EA themselves, although aware, do not seem to have agreed any particular arrangements at this stage. RUG 7, within whose stretch this event is proposed, is on the case and we hope to learn more in due course.
 
One has to consider treating speed limits as casually as the dreaded rowers.

If they want to break speed limits and ignore the rules of the river, then let the party begin.

As far as my ageing-but-powerful Norwegian vessel goes, I doubt I would lose.....

Whilst I have never taken advantage of this situation, I am going to before my time on the river expires. Seeing as this is my last year on the river, I absolutely will treat rowers like they treat me. And post footage.... :-)
 
Oh dear please don't, whilst the coaching launch my appear to be an arrogant git and in some cases may well be, his nothing displacement boat and apparently massive wash is generally
mostly harmless, unlike the 5 tonnes of water a Scand at 15knts will be trying to push out of the way :(
 
There's nothing harmless about the wash generated from those coach boats when you're not expecting it, they come within a cats whisker of your boat you're operating a frying pan.

No Regrets, I would be delighted to volunteer my services as second cameraman;) I'm also good with props. Have you considered installing a giant bow mounted fly swat?:D
 
No Regrets, whilst I obviously can't condone such a plan on a public forum, if you must act like a loon, I need a heads up!! This I want to see!

Did you know Eton Excelsior rowing club was founded in 1826? ;)
 
Whereas, I agree that coaching boats can (mostly) be a pain - the Hampton Court reach can be particularly uncomfortable when moored, probably due to the shelf that runs along most of the Palace side.

OTOH they are on the river (nearly) every day, so a siting of anyone cruising / using the river is unusual for them. Perhaps in their minds THEY own the river.

(putting tin hat on now)
Oh , John - no need to remind us that the only pay four and sixpence a year for the privilege....
 
.... If they behave inconsiderately you should make a complaint. Make a note of the 6 digit code printed on the boat or the coaching craft which identifies the craft and the club - ABC123 etc- and file a report through the British Rowing website.

Oh dear. We are always being told this, as some kind of answer to the problem. But in truth, how many people have tried (and succeeded) in noting the minuscule name and numbers identifying a speeding coach boat as it makes its unannounced fly past at full throttle?!! Not easy, I would imagine even for young 20-20 vision eyes, and a near impossibility for many of us folk of a more mature age (he says modestly!).

If it's a real problem - and I believe it absolutely is - then I guess we motor boaters are simply going to have the take the matter into our own hands, because it is clear the authorities really don't consider it a priority issue. (If indeed they consider it an issue at all.) NR has his plan for next season, and like others I too would like to watch and see the YouTube footage! But in a more formal/'legal'(!) footing, I personally would like to see both British Rowing and the community of Thames rowing clubs start to take the issue more seriously themselves. Im not sure under what 'forum' that would best be achieved, but I'd be interested in considered views...
 
Oh dear. We are always being told this, as some kind of answer to the problem. But in truth, how many people have tried (and succeeded) in noting the minuscule name and numbers identifying a speeding coach boat as it makes its unannounced fly past at full throttle?!! Not easy, I would imagine even for young 20-20 vision eyes, and a near impossibility for many of us folk of a more mature age (he says modestly!).

If it's a real problem - and I believe it absolutely is - then I guess we motor boaters are simply going to have the take the matter into our own hands, because it is clear the authorities really don't consider it a priority issue. (If indeed they consider it an issue at all.) NR has his plan for next season, and like others I too would like to watch and see the YouTube footage! But in a more formal/'legal'(!) footing, I personally would like to see both British Rowing and the community of Thames rowing clubs start to take the issue more seriously themselves. Im not sure under what 'forum' that would best be achieved, but I'd be interested in considered views...

If you cannot make out the registration then at least submit the report giving location, time and number of people in the boat. Raise it with British Rowing and they will start to see they have an issue.

Less legal approaches are likely to get you into trouble with the authorities.
 
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