Rochester to PH

[oldgit]

08.00. Bright and Sunny ,lock out from MDL Chatham.
Sea Reach. A heady 10 knots.

Tower Bridge.
Very little traffic , trip boats and those annoying ribs either absent or virtually empty.

Richmond Barrier.

Came through Teddington via the Barge lock with about 6 other boats.

One was an open launch on its way back from the Boat Race, to OXFORD, Plain Blue undefaced Ensign ????, skipper doing it in stages.
Over night at Hampton Court,full at 6 pm on a grotty Monday, one single small gap in a long line of NBs LaA and semi derelict stuff.

Unable to contact mooring co either by phone or interweb, Gave up.
Nothing moving, one lock manned the rest DIY.
Somewhere en route...


Arrived a PH around mid day, boat now on the Sales Pontoon.
Certainly a lot of other boats for sale in there , one launch caught my eye, a Davinci 32 , very pretty.
Chatting to brokers, he observed not that many buyers out there and if you do want to sell you boat must be immaculate otherwise folks will walk past.
Lot of choice out there.
Good time to buy.

The volume of interior space on Greenline was impressive and fuel consumption was 2 litres an hour.
The entire transom of the boat hinges down for easy access, would thought ideal boat for the Thames.
Have never ever seen so many sunken boats before and all the LaBs just seem to have moved a bit ?

 

[Pump-Out]

One was an open launch on its way back from the Boat Race, to OXFORD, Plain Blue undefaced Ensign ????, skipper doing it in stages.

Probably Oxford's own launch, flying the plain blue "battle flag" of OUBC.

Was it this one?

 

[oldgit]

Probably Oxford's own launch, flying the plain blue "battle flag" of OUBC.

Was it this one?
View attachment 192104

That the beast.
The flag did cause some debate on our little vessel.
Some less than happy boaters at Teddington, we were overtaken just after going through Richmond by several boats in a hurry, who wizzed off ahead and disappeared in the distance.
Knowing the situation at the lock we had telephoned in advance to ask the duty lockie for advice as to exactly when the lock would be opening.
We arrived at Teddington to observe our speedy friends milling round in circles outside the defunct lock , we nipped in and moored on the waiting stage outside the barge lock and shut down.
Our whizzy friends eventually realised that they would not be getting on the non tidal Thames any time soon via a lock blocked by cranes , pontoons and small army of blokes in Hi Viz vests.
We of course went in first.
After mooring above the lock we were approached by one skipper and in less than franternal greetings he demanded to know about why we went into the lock before them.

Exchanging pleasanteries (being nosey) with the young gentleman helming when in locks , possibly a ferry skipper rather than some Oxford student relegated to finding his way back home.
He had left us far behind by the time we got to Penton.
He certainly knew how to handle that little launch and was obviously known to that young lady at Teddington.
The week previous he had been working for GPS Tugs, their head office is outside my front door in Upnor.
Apparently we share a pub.

Who is going to pay to salvage and destroy all those sunken boats, noticed the EA yard is already full up with wrecks. ?
Back up to St Kats this Friday.

 

[ianc1200]

Several times I took my boat back upriver with umpire launches returning after the Boat Race. The one I went upriver with was a different design, more like a slipper launch but with an outboard motor. Name was "Casa...."? but as soon as out of sight of look it would open up and disppear "at a rate of knots".

 

[Pump-Out]

Several times I took my boat back upriver with umpire launches returning after the Boat Race. The one I went upriver with was a different design, more like a slipper launch but with an outboard motor. Name was "Casa...."? but as soon as out of sight of look it would open up and disppear "at a rate of knots".

Casamajor.
London Rowing Club.



Named after A. A. Casamajor - Wikipedia

 

[ianc1200]

Casamajor.
London Rowing Club.

View attachment 192158

Named after A. A. Casamajor - Wikipedia

That's the one. Perhaps instead of returning from the Boat Race it was going to HRR.

 

[oldgit]

The one we followed was called "Bosphorus" ?

 

[Brayman]

Used to see that a lot up Henley way when we were boating

 

[Pump-Out]

The one we followed was called "Bosphorus" ?

The one we followed was called "Bosphorus" ?

Yep, that's the one in my post above, Post #2 in this thread.