Sonning bridge closed for one hour

[Captain Coochie]

Thats from the Middle Thames Navigation office and B1 has been told a couple of hours from Reading .
Sorry to make a new post of this but i wanted to make sure it was seen by those on the river and not lost in another post /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Brayman]

Good idea.
I wondered if a boat might have hit it over the weekend, I saw one T&K boat have two goes at getting through, there was still a strong stream coming in from the weir on Monday afternoon.

 

[jecuk]

Haven't been through there yet, does the weir stream hit as you are going through the bridge?

 

[Brayman]

It hits you just as you approach the bridge going upstream. The trick is to head for the willow tree to the right of the bridge and at the last minute turn to address the bridge hole. The back end will wobble a varying amount depending on the strength of the stream and how early you head off from the tree!

 

[No Regrets]

I also find a slow approach combined with a little power applied on the final run through to stabilise the vessel helps too, if it's a little'un.

Going downstream there is another slight issue if another boat is waiting for you to pass, as the front end wanders a bit when you have passed through /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[jecuk]

Being a bit longer and heavier might help me a tad - so long as I get the approach right. Must create a bit more stability.

 

[Chris_d]

Latest Info..

Latest email:

Further information on Sonning Bridge closure today. The closure duration will be about an hour while emergency repairs are made from a barge that will prevent passage under the bridge. If the repairs take longer than this, boats will be allowed to past before work recommences. Road traffic will not be affected.

Regards,

Kim Pottinger
Business Services Team Leader
Waterways

 

[Geoffs]

Just come up through the bridge, I was well on my up when B1 called with the better news. I left Marlow at 6:30am just to sure.

The bridge was hit by a dutch barge (type rather than nationality, I think), which tore away one of the bracing struts, leaving a nasty jagged bit of iron sticking out.

Talking to the lock keepers they are not at all pleased with their dear Eileen. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[jecuk]

Interested to know how long Marlow to Sonning took you. 7.5hours?

 

[TrueBlue]

[ QUOTE ]
Just come up through the bridge, I was well on my up when B1 called with the better news. I left Marlow at 6:30am just to sure.

The bridge was hit by a dutch barge (type rather than nationality, I think), which tore away one of the bracing struts, leaving a nasty jagged bit of iron sticking out.

Talking to the lock keepers they are not at all pleased with their dear Eileen. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmmm, Something like "Queen" and "African" come to mind. If so, it's one of his party tricks - he *** nearly reversed into me last season at the same spot, no signal just full astern! I managed to avoid him by diving up the weir stream.

Never a dull moment on this river...

 

[Geoffs]

Left 6:30, tied up above Sonning lock about mid day, so thats erm, erm, oh you work it out /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif, 5.5hrs, innit.

 

[boatone]

Theres quite a large dutch barge type up here at Henley a few hundred yards behind me. Badly damaged wheelhouse, smashed windows etc. I wonder if.......?

 

[Chris_d]

There was a dutch barge vandalised at Wallingford last weekend, sounds like the same one.

 

[boatone]

THis one looks very much as if it has hit something - wheelhouse structure actually smashed.

 

[Gavi]

[ QUOTE ]
Theres quite a large dutch barge type up here at Henley a few hundred yards behind me. Badly damaged wheelhouse, smashed windows etc. I wonder if.......?

[/ QUOTE ]

What was your dog doing while you were out for dinner?

 

[boatone]

[ QUOTE ]
What was your dog doing while you were out for dinner?

[/ QUOTE ]

Ha ha....!

Actually had a very nice curry with Nick2 (he of Nick and Joanne who used to have a Fairline at Bray and then Hythe).

We reminisced about the very first Thames forum get together at Byrons 5 or 6 winters ago. Not a rally as we wll went by road. We remembered Pauline and MrB, Leyton C and his Dad, Steve, Long John Silver, Sid and several otrhers whose names escaped us.

Looks like only Byron and I will be there this time /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Chris_d]

There can't be too many dutch barges with smashed wheelhouse's on the river this week, perhaps the skipper was too embarrassed to admit it /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[byron]

[ QUOTE ]
There was a dutch barge vandalised at Wallingford last weekend, sounds like the same one.

[/ QUOTE ]

Was it vandalised Chris? I heard that one hit a bridge too.

 

[Chris_d]

I think your intelligence is better than mine, have to have words with my Wallingford agent, bless her /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Outinthedinghy]

A replica dutch barge recently had a fight with Clifton Hampden bridge the Sonning Bridge incident was a different boat. Its intriguing that the error at Sonning, going upstream, is to overcompensate and hit the right hand side - there is no damage to the left of the bridge at all. Henley bridge also recently had a discussion with a motor vessel, and lost a fair bit of stonework in the process.