Thames mooring

[russ]

I am on the brink off getting my first ever boat and wanted to keep her on or near the Thames in the Shepperton/Chertsey/Windsor/ areas.
As its a boat that could be towed i do have a place nearby to me that will store it for a tenner a week but this means towing for 20 miles to a slipway which cuts into my usage time but it is cheaper than mooring.
Can anyone suggest a mariner that's not too expensive, maybe just for the season months?
I would like to take it to the coast once i have more experience but the Thames will do for the first year at least until i get a trailer big enough.

 

[rr_123]

the Thames will do

How to win friends and influence people...

 

[Captain Coochie]

I doubt you will find anything for anywhere near a tenner a week . My mid river mooring is nearly 1K this year for 25ft and i'm trying to find somewhere cheaper without much luck .

 

[Gavi]

How to win friends and influence people...

(Yorkshire accent) Now then RR_123, that's no way to treat a new enquirer. Now remind me... you took Ali G out of the river for a bash on the bouncy stuff a year or two ago didn't you? How is Halcyon's windscreen after you found the barrier height out is lower than in at your nearby slipway. AND.... have you told anyone about your motor/sail plans?

 

[rr_123]

(Yorkshire accent) Now then RR_123, that's no way to treat a new enquirer. Now remind me... you took Ali G out of the river for a bash on the bouncy stuff a year or two ago didn't you? How is Halcyon's windscreen after you found the barrier height out is lower than in at your nearby slipway. AND.... have you told anyone about your motor/sail plans?

Oh, ok. Suitably chastised. I did put a "tongue in cheek" smiley on!

I am firmly in the "trailable is good" camp, but that is partly because I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time on my boat in 2009 and have previously done a lot of messing about on the river, so I want to be able to explore more distant "shores" (actually was overwhelmed by the Shannon and the Arndacrusha dam/lock on "three men").

HOWEVER; there are downsides to trailing. You need a big wagon to tow a comfortably sea-capable boat around, and even with little boats like my dory, you can, as Gavi says, suddenly discover that the exit gate to a slipway is 3" lower than the entrance gate, with distastrous consequences to the boat's windscreen (c: Or, as a friend of mine discovered amidst a shower of sparks behind MY van, trailer wheel bearings don't last for ever!

My advice would be to find a mooring for your first season or two, and enjoy discovering the river. You don't say what sort of boat you are looking at, but if it is something that you can weekend on, the river as far as Reading/Pangbourne and down to Teddington (then Richmond etc when you are comfortable with "going tidal") would be reachable from the Windsor area, and there are scores of places to visit along the way to then discover your favourites; personally I probably wouldn't moor in Windsor because it's a great town to visit (c:

Don't know about marina costs, but I would have thought that for economy a private rental or a council bankside mooring would be more affordable - a bit daunting at first to just leave your boat and walk away, but you don't think twice about doing it with a car. Bad stuff does happen but it still pretty rare. Local papers might be a reasonable source, I had two delightful and very reasonably priced private moorings in the Henley area from the local paper.

Keep us posted, and if you do end up in the Shepperton/Chertsey/Windsor area, it is quite possible that I will see you in one of the riverside watering holes,

R

 

[russ]

I've been looking at a sport cruiser which i think covers mostly what i want to do with a boat. A 25' Bayliner,Regal or Maxum with 4 berth for weekending.Probably not the best boat for the river but i have seen attachable rudder blades for the legs for better control.

I will be towing it with a large Chevy 4x4 truck so i'm okay there although i have never towed before.

It has crossed my mind to pay for a years mooring at a mariner, though its going to be £2500 for the pleasure. The other determining factor will be how long a drive it is to get to the mariner.

The £10 a week was a dry storage place in Eversley where they also deal in boats, pwc and servicing.I don't expect to get anything like that near water.

I have put an offer in on a boat last Saturday but it was declined so not sure whether to up it a little or wait and see what comes along. In no real rush.

How busy does it get in the summer months? Can you relax with so many using the river?

 

[No Regrets]

Seriously, I did the Sport cruiser thing, it was a baaaad move!

Stick to nice old Cruisers like the rest of the world use, they are a million percent better for Thames use!

 

[BrendanS]

Why is it a bad move, when he only plans on doing it for a year. I had a 44knt capable boat on the Thames for 2 years while on the waiting list for Lymington. It was great, even though only pottering along.... and he already knows it's not a perfect type of boat for the Thames.

 

[mlines]

I would have thought that a 25ft sports cruiser was probably overweight for domestic towing, even behind the largest Chevy 4x4

I would also consider how you are going to launch it, this is a large heavy boat to be winding on/off a trailer on a regular basis, and the Thames slipways I have seen so far tend to be small anyway

Martin

 

[neale]

I would have thought that a 25ft sports cruiser was probably overweight for domestic towing, even behind the largest Chevy 4x4

I would also consider how you are going to launch it, this is a large heavy boat to be winding on/off a trailer on a regular basis, and the Thames slipways I have seen so far tend to be small anyway

Martin

I have a 25ft sportscruiser which, when on it's trailer is just under 3.5 tons meaning it can be legally towed but only behind a proper 4x4.

As mentioned, launching and recovering a boat of this size is quite an operation and I for one would not recommend it every time you want to use the boat. It is OK for beginning and end of season and for occasional forays into new cruising grounds, but for regular launching it will become such a hassle that it will put you off going boating.

IMO either go for a smaller boat (sub 20 foot) and keep it on a trailer or bite the bullet and get a mooring.

 

[mlines]

and width???

http://www.ntta.co.uk/law/law/dimensions.htm

 

[Dave_Seager]

Trailer Boating

You could try a boatyard that will store your boat on its tralier and lauch and recover it for you when you want to use it. This should be cheaper than a mooring in a marina.
Try contacting Jenny at Bridge Marine at Shepperton to find out what it would cost. Don't try calling until the Boat Show is finished as she has a stand there this year. Alternatively, if you are at the show you could chat with her there.

 

[neale]

and width???

http://www.ntta.co.uk/law/law/dimensions.htm

The law states that the trailer should be no wider than 7'6". The load though is allowed to project by up to 12" either side.

This means that a boat of up to 9'6" can be legally towed, although most 25 foot sportsboats that are within the towing weight tend to be less than this, typically 8' or 8'6"

 

[rr_123]

You could try a boatyard that will store your boat on its tralier and lauch and recover it for you when you want to use it.

That's a very good point - Penton Hook do a deal for I think around £20/metre/month to store a boat on its trailer, which for a 25' boat would work out at around £600 for six months (they give a discount for a six month booking) then take it home.

You have to launch and recover it every time, but you don't have to lug it around so you can leave all your gear on board; gotta be yer best bet!

R

 

[Nina Lucia]

How about Greenwich Yacht Club, there are moorings available, but you have to become member?

 

[heron]

We have a 24` sport cruiser, in all honesty its going to be far to big to trail, you will get fed up with the hassle of launching, pulling around even behind a big 4 x 4 is not easy. I want to get a trailer for mine, purely for getting it out of ther water for the winter and possibly the odd month or 2 on the south coast, but for week in week out stuff, it would be just too much hassle. Weight wise, my 24` Rinker is just over 2 tonne, a trailer to suit brings the whole rig to just under 3.5 tonne which is the limit.

We did the whole trail boat thing up until 2 years ago with an 18` sports boat, now we had a great time exploring new areas, we kept her down at Chichester for a season which was great, back to the river for the winter etc. I really wouldn`t want to trail anything much bigger than that though.

Marina wise, if you are on a budget, race course Marina at windsor is ok, we were there for a year and enjoyed our stay. From memory the annual fee was a shade over £2000.

 

[Cliveshep]

For towing law you'd better have a look here: http://www.ntta.co.uk/law/index.htm

And if you can afford the (presumably) twin petrols in a Binliner good luck to you!

 

[oldgit]

"I am on the brink off getting my first ever boat"

Well done you for bothering to find out the ins and outs before you go out and buy something totally possibly unsuitable for your needs..
Something obviously sparked your interest and wonder what it was,a casual trip to old Farter Thames one sunny day perhaps ?
A quick look from the river banks can fill you with all sorts of ideas and up some very short but expensive dark alleys.
Everyone wants that shiney mountain of glassfibre sliding gracefully past with a jolly chap at the helm and his adoring wife/girlfriend/ bunch of city crooks as crew.However we normally then arrive back on planet earth and then we all decide that a little sporty number on trailer will do at a pinch,well thats fine and dandy go and buy one if you must,I did.
However for every becanvassed zipp infested slightess breeze deflected rocket ship that catches the newbies eye on the river there will be another 10 small boring economic cabin cruisers of all flavours chugging about .
If you have any long term significant others to consider ie wife/kids as opposed to mates you want to show off too,then do consider something other than a sports boat( at least for 10 secs anyway)esp. if you want your expeditons to be anything ever other than day trips.
Good luck whatever you buy.

 

[Cliveshep]

.......cut........Can anyone suggest a mariner that's not too expensive, maybe just for the season months?

Well, oldgit's fairly cheap!
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Sorry oldgit - couldn't resist that one!

Back on topic - as suggested, a cruiser you can sleep on and that won't break the bank might be a better bet long-term, perhaps as a starter boat a Freeman 23,(inboard 1100cc petrol) Norman 23, (outboard or inboards around) or an Elysian 27 (wide beam and usually a diesel). The latter is very roomy for a 4-berth, can have hot water and shower, has full headroom, can sleep 2 extra in the cockpit generally. All are fairly cheap but sound boats and sell well later on.