Suggestions for a trip please!

[dash300]

Find a local sailing school and invest a couple of hundred quid in a day of one-to-one own-boat-tuition. We did that when we bought our first relatively large boat and it was the best money we've ever spent. Concentrate on close-quarters work - the rest will come pretty easily with practice, but being able to slip in and out of tight spots is the most painful thing to learn by trial and error. Elite Sailing at Chatham dod a great job for us - I know that they are quite a long way from Windsor, but I think they would probably find you a tutor for the day if you paid the travelling expenses.

Good advice. Have you heard the cacophony of bow thrusters in the locks these days, operated by skippers with anxious looks on their faces resorting franticly to the bow/stern thrusters. We all make mistakes and get crossed up occasionaly in a lock and take it on the chin, but the bow thruster brigade use the thusters as a matter of course rather than trying to understand how to use their prop/props to best effect. Or have I become a boating geek

 

[TrueBlue]

Good advice. Have you heard the cacophony of bow thrusters in the locks these days, operated by skippers with anxious looks on their faces resorting franticly to the bow/stern thrusters. We all make mistakes and get crossed up occasionally in a lock and take it on the chin, but the bow thruster brigade use the thrusters as a matter of course rather than trying to understand how to use their prop/props to best effect. Or have I become a boating geek

Sadly, I don't think boaters nowadays are much concerned about the art of "navigating". Locks are seen as a necessary evil rather than as an obstacle to be attacked with skill. Being 60ft: long and not having any thrusters other than arms and legs, we've had to develop techniques to pass through locks painlessly and perhaps with an element of style.

It's great fun to slide silently (well almost) into a lock and deploy our lines with a minimum of fuss and shouted commands. Mrs. TB derives great pleasure in lobbing her forward line over the nearest bollard from the depths of some locks - no high decks or flybridges for us to casually drop a line down.

Perhaps we're geeks too, but it's part of the fun in using this River.

 

[Sulley]

I have a bowthruster and single engine, however I always challenge myself NOT to use it unless absolutely necesary.

I am quite happy controlling the boat on one engine without the bowthruster the majority of the time.

Maybe I am just odd!

Do agree the bowthruster noises coming into the locks and marina are sometimes crazy, I think people forget they have engines

 

[boatone]

I was going to comment but, on second thoughts, I won't bother.

 

[Brayman]

I was going to comment but, on second thoughts, I won't bother.

Glad you told us that.

 

[thejonesey]

Having learned handling and navigation pre bowthrusters, I always forget it is there. That said the thruster is a useful get out of jail item, as I found the other day!

 

[Chris_d]

I was going to comment but, on second thoughts, I won't bother.

Chicken we've only had a dozen bow thruster debates this year.

 

[boatone]

Chicken we've only had a dozen bow thruster debates this year.

Yes, and they usually all end in tears with peeps throwing their toys out of the pram

Suffice to say I've had a single engined 36 foot steel boat with one and I loved it to bits.

 

[maby]

Chicken we've only had a dozen bow thruster debates this year.

Bow thrusters are old-hat - I'm enviously eyeing up that rather nice Jeanneau joy-stick parking - anyone seen that? I'm definitely having it on our next boat!

 

[Deefor]

Bow thrusters are old-hat - I'm enviously eyeing up that rather nice Jeanneau joy-stick parking - anyone seen that? I'm definitely having it on our next boat!

Or jet drives on a Swordsman 40? I'll just carry on dreaming for the forseeable future.

 

[Chill]

You need to take things slowly, with 760hp things can go from bad to worse in seconds, you should be able to get out of your mooring by just clicking into gear on tickover dont be tempted to give it the beans just take things slow. If you do get in trouble put both engines in neutral and fend off. You will soon get the hang of it.

Chill

 

[dash300]

The trouble with the thrusters is that they are usually not positioned deeply enough in the water,spin too fast and cavitate which adds to the noise.
I have used them in the past on Dutch barges which are at the mercy of currents and wind and yes if you need them in certain circumstances they can save ones pride and prevent damage. I'm with those who take pride in conventional boat handling. However if you are out of control around my boat and you've got a thruster you have my full permission to use it as much as you need to.

 

[thejonesey]

Great day

Dear all,

Fantastic day out on Saturday! I now feel I have the measure of the new boat and berth and wish that it was the beginning, rather than the end of the half term break. We thoroughly enjoyed our first lock and the general civility of the river. The Thames towards Maidenhead was magnificent in its autuminal beauty. We hope to get up to the Cliveden stretch next Sunday when I will try to post some more pics... if people are interested!