Thames above Oxford

dylanwinter

dylanwinter

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www.keepturningleft.co.uk
I have built myself a duck punt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgHoxtC46zg

I live near Bicester

and I wanted to take the punt for a sail on the Thames above Oxford

any suggestions about a good place to park the car and launch where I can get a pleasant little sail, where there are a few gaps between the trees

how do a buy a day license for a canoe?

and how fast will the River be running at the moment

Dylan

PS the punt is like a big canoe so it is car toppable and I can carry it. If I get a good sail I will post a short film
 
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obviously if I am asked

teddington_lock said:
:eek:
Click to expand...

obviously if I am asked I will pay straight away

but it just a canoe in the winter

I do pay over a lot of license money each year for the slug on the river systems so I do contribute towards the upkeep

I paid £40 for a month on the rivers between the Wash and the Humber and never got to do the journey = at all




Dylan
 
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A 1-6 day licence is £7.50
A months licence is £15
A whole years licence is £32

So not fortunes.

All the money you pay goes towards the upkeep and running of this lovely river. Anything you contribute on other rivers , doesn't help the Thames.

If you want to use it , please do your bit. :)
 
righto

I will stump up then

just applied for a canoe england license that allows me to use it almost everywhere for the whole year for £37

so I am now good for the broads, the canals and most of the rivers in the UK

now.... where is the best place to play for two hours above Oxford



D
 
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dylanwinter said:
I will stump up then

just applied for a canoe england license that allows me to use it almost everywhere for the whole year for £37

so I am now good for the broads, the canals and most of the rivers in the UK

now.... where is the best place to play for two hours above Oxford


D
Click to expand...

Good lad! - we (all) get a bit touchy here (to coin a new phrase) on God's Wonderful River about licence fees 'cos the EA is skint.
So that's settled.

Having paid your money, there's not a lot of places to sail and launch; it's very tree-y and narrow, quite apart from a shortage of launching points....

Here's some ideas:-
Lechlade by the bridge to launch. Sail upstream to Inglesham roundhouse or downstream to St. John's lock. Very narrow and twisty below.

Bablock Hythe slipway alongside the Ferryman pub. Downstream past the caravan park to Pinkhill lock, OK. Up towards Northmoor lock, perhaps.

Port Meadow just below Godstow Lock is nice - there's a sailing club there who might let you launch.

Below Oxenford - just a tad (can you manage that?) -
Abingdon has a slip just by St.Helen's Church, nice sailing down to Culham Lock. There is a sailing (Abbey YC) and rowing club with facilities.

That's about it - especially as EA have dumped VisitThames website.

Sudden thought - does your punt tack? - Otter boards?

Oh, and welcome to a wide ditch....

Edit: Hacked around a bit and found a disorganised list here on the EA website which show a few more. The ones that I quoted have some form of parking nearby.
 
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wonder how

TrueBlue said:
Good lad! - we (all) get a bit touchy here (to coin a new phrase) on God's Wonderful River about licence fees 'cos the EA is skint.
So that's settled.

Having paid your money, there's not a lot of places to sail and launch; it's very tree-y and narrow, quite apart from a shortage of launching points....

Here's some ideas:-
Lechlade by the bridge to launch. Sail upstream to Inglesham roundhouse or downstream to St. John's lock. Very narrow and twisty below.

Bablock Hythe slipway alongside the Ferryman pub. Downstream past the caravan park to Pinkhill lock, OK. Up towards Northmoor lock, perhaps.

Port Meadow just below Godstow Lock is nice - there's a sailing club there who might let you launch.

Below Oxenford - just a tad (can you manage that?) -
Abingdon has a slip just by St.Helen's Church, nice sailing down to Culham Lock. There is a sailing (Abbey YC) and rowing club with facilities.

That's about it - especially as EA have dumped VisitThames website.

Sudden thought - does your punt tack? - Otter boards?

Oh, and welcome to a wide ditch....

Edit: Hacked around a bit and found a disorganised list here on the EA website which show a few more. The ones that I quoted have some form of parking nearby.
Click to expand...

I wonder how on earth they divvy up my £37

thanks for your suggestions

I shall have a look on google earth

the duck punt tacks and sails to windward

no lee boards no centre plate

just clever physics

d
 
True Blue; your question about tacking; does this mean you haven't yet seen Dylan's video's? If so, you have a treat in store. Watch one of the latest about sailing on a canal. Others here may enjoy Dylan's meetings with motor boats; the kind that can't get above Osney Bridge.

Dylan, I would have thought a British Canoe Union membership would suit your purposes best, as this gets you access to most British canals and rivers.

Apart from the places noted, I would have tried Radcot Bridge (pub with carpark immediately adjacent) - interesting area with several backwaters. If somebody is prepared to drop you off at Cricklade, the paddle of 10 miles down to Lechlade takes about 3 - 4 hours is enjoyable in the winter (when there aren't any reeds). Eynsham down to Kings and Port Meadow would be the two best areas for a sail above Oxford.
 
If you choose to launch at Lechlade I might be able to meet you and lend a hand if required, (my boat is at Lechlade but not in the marina).

I think there is a small charge for using the marina slipway. If all your money is spent on that new river license ( :) ) there is a spot with parking a mile or so downstream of St John's lock where canoes go in. I've only seen that in the summer mind so don't know what the bank is like in winter.
 
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ianc1200 said:
True Blue; your question about tacking; does this mean you haven't yet seen Dylan's video's? If so, you have a treat in store. Watch one of the latest about sailing on a canal. Others here may enjoy Dylan's meetings with motor boats; the kind that can't get above Osney Bridge.
Click to expand...
No I haven't - T'internet here is over a bit of wet string and speeds go up and down like a T ****** ****s

Dylan, I would have thought a British Canoe Union membership would suit your purposes best, as this gets you access to most British canals and rivers.

Apart from the places noted, I would have tried Radcot Bridge (pub with carpark immediately adjacent) - interesting area with several backwaters. If somebody is prepared to drop you off at Cricklade, the paddle of 10 miles down to Lechlade takes about 3 - 4 hours is enjoyable in the winter (when there aren't any reeds). Eynsham down to Kings and Port Meadow would be the two best areas for a sail above Oxford.
Click to expand...

If he can get around the twisty bits below Radcot - then the whole River's suitable... :D
 
Moxon said:
If you choose to launch at Lechlade I might be able to meet you and lend a hand if required, (my boat is at Lechlade but not in the marina).

I think there is a small charge for using the marina slipway. If all your money is spent on that new river license ( :) ) there is a spot with parking a mile or so downstream of St John's lock where canoes go in. I've only seen that in the summer mind so don't know what the bank is like in winter.
Click to expand...

Used to be £10 to park and launch your boat at the marina in Lechlade but no idea if thats the same .
 
BCU and canoe England

ianc1200 said:
True Blue; your question about tacking; does this mean you haven't yet seen Dylan's video's? If so, you have a treat in store. Watch one of the latest about sailing on a canal. Others here may enjoy Dylan's meetings with motor boats; the kind that can't get above Osney Bridge.

Dylan, I would have thought a British Canoe Union membership would suit your purposes best, as this gets you access to most British canals and rivers.

Apart from the places noted, I would have tried Radcot Bridge (pub with carpark immediately adjacent) - interesting area with several backwaters. If somebody is prepared to drop you off at Cricklade, the paddle of 10 miles down to Lechlade takes about 3 - 4 hours is enjoyable in the winter (when there aren't any reeds). Eynsham down to Kings and Port Meadow would be the two best areas for a sail above Oxford.
Click to expand...



I think BCU and Canoe england are the same thing

BCU send me to canoe england website where I have ponied up

D
 
We did a Cricklade to Lechlade paddle Nov 2010. We left some cars in the car park about 1/2 mile south of the bridge (free I think), simply follow the road away from the town/bridge and it's on the LHS. Dylans punt is very lightweight; easy carry from the car park to the river. We found parking easy in Cricklade and could launch alongside the bridge where there's a type of village hall & the users let us use their garden.

There's a home boat building club who do a trip from Lechlade to the Beale Park show in June, camp alongside the river, they either sail or row. Would think the duck punt would fit nicely with that group.
 
Kings Lock?

From Bicester; south and over the M40; over Peartree and you can see the lock over to the right. Google maps to get you there

Eynsham Lock?

Off at Peartree going West ; turn left at Eynsham roundabout. Over the toll bridge and on your left. Advantage being The Trout pub for a beer afterwards and you should be able to get your day licence from the Lockie.

Alternative is the canal - access close to you just outside Kirtlington
 
short distraction

ianc1200 said:
We did a Cricklade to Lechlade paddle Nov 2010. We left some cars in the car park about 1/2 mile south of the bridge (free I think), simply follow the road away from the town/bridge and it's on the LHS. Dylans punt is very lightweight; easy carry from the car park to the river. We found parking easy in Cricklade and could launch alongside the bridge where there's a type of village hall & the users let us use their garden.

There's a home boat building club who do a trip from Lechlade to the Beale Park show in June, camp alongside the river, they either sail or row. Would think the duck punt would fit nicely with that group.
Click to expand...

thanks for your advice chaps

thinking of trying kelmscott or radcott

this is just a short distraction from KTL

fuel costs are curbing my proper saiiling

I need three decent days of light to justify the £40 worth of petrol to get to the boat in wells

I have been asked to join the boat builders on their "raid" but I would be ashamed to let them see my seven day boat


it has glass tape on the outside of the chines to protect the edges from being abraded when I hit the bottom

- so the punt it is not a thing of any beauty

although it is wonderful thing to sail

I paddled it for six miles on the Grand Union around MK last week

and I really prefer the luxury of sails or engine rather than sails or paddle

the idea of the duck punt is to try to get better films of the sea birds

but before I can trust the expensive non-waterproof cameras in the duck punt I need to get good enough in the punt to give myself a reasonable chance of not drowning another camera

Dylan
 
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I think Port Meadow would be a great place for that, nice and treeless so you should be able to find a breeze

I don't think you need a sailing club or a slipway to launch a canoe, just find a suitable bit of riverbank

R
 
Fine, put to shame, I've now watched the wrong video - unbuilding a boat - and blown my month's download allowance. Minimalist music backwards (?) is quite pleasant (hate John Cage's music and his ilk). Then watched the correct video...

Now wonder why a slipway is needed, the punt is light enough to chuck - ahem - place gently over a bank and you're away.

Very practical boat - gosh - actually goat a sail number; what class is that ( :p :p ) Two most enjoyable videos (I don't often watch videos - so that's high praise from me). Has even encouraged me to refurbish a project dinghy for which I was saving up for some proper wood...

Seriously "Going-left-all-the-time" is to be encouraged to do a bit more on this Ditch to show that all sort of folk can have great fun on GWR without a lot of expense and amuse (kindly meant), onlookers as well.


Walliams has done his bit (badly reported)
now it's
Winter's turn (same initials different emphasis)

DW, you can see that this forum is quite the best place to be so come along and HELP.

Nurse is calling, must go.
 
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