Small craft on the tidal Thames

J

JCBOATING

New Member
Joined
5 Oct 2016
Messages
21
Visit site
I wish to launch an Avon 2.81 inflatable dinghy with a 4 hp motor on the tidal Thames .I have checked the tides and weather for 9/10/16 any tips journey Eel Pie Island to Chiswick and may only go as far as Brentford depending on conditions any tips. The PLA have told me the tide does not run to hard there and it will low at midday turning for my return.Any tips thank you.
 
Last edited:
Low tide per the tide tables is 5pm.

It depends on your definition of the tide running hard. I am in Barnes and used to keep a boat in Brentford and it does run hard!

There is a Thames forum where you would get s better reply but don't under estimate the power of tidal rivers.

It is essential you wear a life jacket.
 
Yes "Midday" is a very early description for LW around Chiswick that day. I believe you'd wouldn't see it turning until around 3.30 to 4.00. It is quite a small tide that day though, and river flows are relatively low.

I've had many pleasant trips in small boats with limited power on this bit of river - of course it helps to have a sunny, calm day! In all seriousness don't underestimate the effect that a strong wind would have on your progress, and your comfort.

So the main advice is indeed plan around the tide, thinking about how long you want to be out, whether you want to go ashore at Chiswick (actually you might consider going ashore at Strand on the Green - a couple of nice pubs there).

Assuming you need to get back in daylight, then I think you won't get all that much actual help from the flood tide on that day - you'll need to leave Chiswick before you see it turn I think, but it will be running slowly.

In any case, take plenty of fuel, and two good torches!

Oh - and the Richmond Lock sluices will be down from (very roughly) 10 am to 7 pm, so you'll likely be going through the lock at £5 a time.

You don't say how many people in this inflatable - makes a big difference of course to the speed you'll make.
 
Last edited:
Go to the Thames forum for more " local" advice .That engine power /boat combination will need careful consideration at anything other than around high or low water.
Personally I would be worried with more than one or two folks in that dinghy ?
 
I don't know if it still exists, but there used to be an annual event called the "Round London Marathon", following the river and canals in a big loop round london, in inflatable boats much like yours.
I did it sometime in the mid/late eighties, but it had been going for years before that.
No idea whether it is still going, but I doubt it. It was a fun event that did no harm to anyone, so it will probably have been shut down in the name of either health and safety or the environment.
 
Thank you will be cruising with great care did not know about the lock at Richmond two man crew anyone know about the lock or sluices at Richmond May to keep cost down circle Teddinton upstream and down to Richmond PLA say that far up river tides are less keep in close to bank stay out of mid stream where current is faster I ways wear life jacket and apply kill cord look forward to first launch on this part of the river and thank you for advise to help with sensible boating

Jeremy JCBOATING
 
On a PC now so simpler to type.

Ask on the Thames Forum, but whatever you do dont think " oh, it only a river". People are killed falling out of boats and then getting trapped under water or in the eddies of the bridges.

The RNLI station at Chiswick is one of the busiest in the country! They used to practice at Barnes Bridge out of my window trying to recover a dummy from the bridge Eddy. It took a while.

The only reason for me expressing caution to you is that its a small boat, and if you have heard the tide is about noon, but its actually 5 hours later, It suggests you are very unfamiliar with the river so whilst there is no need to be scared of it per se, you should treat it with the respect it deserves. The canal boats can only make the trip between Brentford and Limehouse if the tide is with them.

If its just a jolly, try the upper thames which is far nicer and has many places to stop on the river bank without the hassle of tide.
 
On your advise I may keep higher up stream I went to Putney last week and this tide on the out did look stronger than I fancied for a trip I can only licenced from Jan 1 upper Thames and ten days proir for day ticket other that would be my first option I will access the water on Sunday at about noon on site it looks like there is not much distance to Teddington form eel pie island but it may give me an insight to this stretch .You are 100 percent on the hidden Dangers of tidal water I have been to Teddiington below the lock and I think my chances against the tide at that time with 4hp should be ok I respect that down at Bannes the tide moves fast and for the few hours I will be on water it may be nessasary to stay as up stream as I can be with my craft the Avon is quite a sturdy inflatable, not like a light tender as you can see I like to do my research before any launch if I feel my craft struggling I will leave the water .After my visit to Putney I ruled out a launch from there and Spoke to the PLA as regards this that's why Eel pie became an option I will taking heed of your post and may not launch if observation of water looks un manarable after the weekend the worst way with no launch it 's Sunday by the river I will post my findings

Thank you
For your advise

Jeremy
 
While I think it's very sensible to have small ambitions for a first trip, and everything said about safety is correct, please do not feel that the upper Tideway is "out of bounds" for a small inflatable, if you take care, make sensible plans, and adapt them to conditions.

Anyway if you adopt plan B, remember that between Eel Pie and Teddington the tide only affects things for about 2 hours either side of HW, because of Richmond half-tide weir, and in any case the tide up here will be very weak on this Sunday's neap tide.

Regarding "ten days prior for a day ticket", yes it says on the online/postal application form that you need to allow ten days for that, but you can just turn up at Teddington Lock and register on the spot for £11, if you decide to explore up beyond there - a decent outing would be to Hampton Court and back.
 
Last edited:
Just looked again at this post

On Sunday Richmond HW 0755 LW 1545 so you will fighting the tide as you head up steam.

The boat will be fine two up - I tried a similar sized Avon RIB lite with a 5 HP and it was wet with four up!

I keep a 4m Avon on the river and like to take the flood to Richmond or Teddington and then arrive at HW and enjoy the ride back to Fulham Reach on the ebb

Your date/tides mean you will doing the opposite if daylight navigation.
 
Really pleased I joint this forum and thanking all for your contribution to my planned day on water might be a small craft but enjoying being part of the boating community .

BIG THANk FROM SMALL BOAT

Jeremy
 
This site is very good for tides btw:

http://www.ukho.gov.uk/EASYTIDE/EasyTide/SelectPort.aspx

I used to keep a small 4.8m RIB near Kew and the speed the tide comes in (or goes out) is still quick!

In terms of safety equipment, we had:

Lifejackets
Fixed VHF
Lifebuoy
Mobile Phones in waterproof bags
Kill Cords (1 each for the 3 of us)
Keys on a floating keyring (ha well I did, one of my co-owners didn't and had to wait until low tide to retrieve them one day...luckily he managed it)
Inland flares
Electric Bilge pump
Bailing bucket
Nav lights
Fire extinguisher
Spare fuel (hence definitely a need for the above)
A knife (a lot can get caught up in your prop on the Thames)
Spare rope
An anchor (remember to tie it on before casting ;-)

Now most of that is probably overkill, but we did venture as far as Dagenham on occasions so we were prepared for trips on the much rougher bits too. The biggest concern we had (other than the constant flow of rowers appearing) was the engine cutting out, having an anchor was a relief as it allowed us to stop and think if the engine cut out (in reality when that did happen it was genuinely due to fuel and we managed to tie up to a buoy if pre-planned or change the fuel very very quickly if not)!

So in essence, for me the biggest concern was what to do if the engine cut out and we couldn't stop, the current can take you quite far, quite quickly and the last place you want to be is stuck in the pool of London without a working engine on a small boat!
 
Alan ashore said:
Re VJ's list, (which as he says may be a bit OTT for the Upper part of the Tideway) I don't see paddle or oars. (?!)
Click to expand...

oooops you are right...we had 3 bizarrely (and we did have to use them once when our engine cut out on the Medway....had to row back from roughly where the 6 knot limit ends to Gillingham...albeit a lot slower than 6 knots ;-)
 
Trip completed 9/10/2016 thank you to the forum . Above Richmond, lock barrages up so there was only a current downstream which only made the motor work a bit harder with no other effect ,so the craft held well . I could not see the slipway on street view of Eel Pie Island Church St prior to visit ,and parked at the other end and had to pull the boat set up aprox . 200 metres which I felt on my arms on back the next morning .I Looked for members boat moored at Teddington and saw two similar to the member description and waved .I moored at Richmond on the south bank and to the amazement of all there was a seal midstream bobbing about I got a photo.The weather was fair sunny at launch ,shower at retrieve, temperature 14 centigrade average . A good trip 5 hours including stopping, which included a return to Teddington lock second time and back to Eel Pie Island.

Thank you to all contributors of this thread

JCBOATING
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

T
Notices to Mariners - Week 3
Replies
0
Views
483
tillergirl
T

Share this page

Top