Thames newbie (non-tidal)

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snapper

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Sorry for my ignorance here, but it's all to do with the red and yellow stream warnings.

I'm new to the non-tidal and am based just above Kingston. Is it unwise to go for a cruise when the yellow boards are out? i'm assuming Red is a no no.
How quickly do conditions change either for the worse or better?

Although I have no experience on the non-tidal Thames, I have a decade or so on the Tidal Thames and plenty more years off shore.

I was hoping to go out this Sunday but the EA website says yellow stream increasing.

My boat is a small cuddy but with a powerful engine.

Should I cancel my plans and go for a bike ride instead?!

Many thanks
 
Look at it this way -

snapper said:
Sorry for my ignorance here, but it's all to do with the red and yellow stream warnings.

I'm new to the non-tidal and am based just above Kingston. Is it unwise to go for a cruise when the yellow boards are out? i'm assuming Red is a no no.
How quickly do conditions change either for the worse or better?

Although I have no experience on the non-tidal Thames, I have a decade or so on the Tidal Thames and plenty more years off shore.

I was hoping to go out this Sunday but the EA website says yellow stream increasing.

My boat is a small cuddy but with a powerful engine.

Should I cancel my plans and go for a bike ride instead?!

Many thanks
Click to expand...

You may think yhour boat has oodles of power to punch the flow, but give the current conditions there are oddles of rubbish - including quite substantial parts of trees lurking just under the surface. See other threadss here for actual incidents reported.
Hit some of that and you are very likely to damage your propellor, or worse.

Even if you don't hit anything or anything hits you, then you may find it difficult to navigate safely in strong flows.

SO do you feel lucky .... ?

Get on your bike; you know it makes sense.
 
Hi Snapper
This is my second year on the non-tidal and last weekend we made the mistake of going out on yellows but being caught as they changed to reds.

Wont be doing it again :D

LOTS of junk floating past and the current was frighteningly strong. Even if you can battle against the flow, I think the risk of damage to props and thus losing control just aint worth it.
 
watson1959 said:
Hi Snapper
This is my second year on the non-tidal and last weekend we made the mistake of going out on yellows but being caught as they changed to reds.

Wont be doing it again :D

LOTS of junk floating past and the current was frighteningly strong. Even if you can battle against the flow, I think the risk of damage to props and thus losing control just aint worth it.
Click to expand...

See - I'm not the only one trying to be sensible.

Most folks potter about in the summer when the River is a pussy-cat. Sensibly they tuck their boats up in the winter when it usually gets wild and cold, so they don't know what a bitch it can be.

For a bit of fun, go up to Shepperton Lock, hang a left and try to join the stream from the Wey branch. If the River's flowing reasonably fast (safety notice: just before it goes Yellow) keep to your left and as you approach the House weir, you will notice a strong force which will tend to push you towards the Weybridge side. There's a whirlpool there that can be very nasty. When it's quiet, folks just steer away /put on a few revs:

It gave me damp underwear one year when we went out on Reds, just to turn round...

It's all the fault of a gentleman named Bernoulli, but that's another story.
 
You know yourself if it worth going out or not . I was moored at Twickenham for quite a few years so i would say yellows and reds are just like punching the tide but nothing like punching the tide at Tower bridge :eek:
 
TrueBlue said:
See - I'm not the only one trying to be sensible.

Most folks potter about in the summer when the River is a pussy-cat. Sensibly they tuck their boats up in the winter when it usually gets wild and cold, so they don't know what a bitch it can be.

For a bit of fun, go up to Shepperton Lock, hang a left and try to join the stream from the Wey branch. If the River's flowing reasonably fast (safety notice: just before it goes Yellow) keep to your left and as you approach the House weir, you will notice a strong force which will tend to push you towards the Weybridge side. There's a whirlpool there that can be very nasty. When it's quiet, folks just steer away /put on a few revs:

It gave me damp underwear one year when we went out on Reds, just to turn round...

It's all the fault of a gentleman named Bernoulli, but that's another story.
Click to expand...

We went up there last weekend, I think it was yellows by the time we got there with most of the river on reds, very interesting as you say with the whirlpool in the middle. Rather interesting turning around at the weir at the end of that stretch as well where you can see the Thames Court, not for the faint hearted!
 
We were out a couple of weeks back under yellows (decreasing). Trip to Hampton Court was ok but some very odd currents and eddies everywhere, and often where you'd least expect them.

Only stayed an hour or so and got a call from Brooms to say they were coming the next morning to to repair my arch hinge. Decided to head back part way and moor at Weybridge to lessen the journey the next day. Came back through Sunbury and the lock keeper said the yellows had now been taken down. Still had a very "interesting" time mooring up at Weybridge.

Was sitting on the boat yesterday evening in the marina with reds flying and saw a Sealine opposite me leave with family on board at 6:20pm :eek: Hope he had a safe journey wherever he was heading but IMHO that was sheer madness.
 
"saw a Sealine opposite me leave with family on board at 6:20pm :eek: Hope he had a safe journey wherever he was heading but IMHO that was sheer madness."


Oooo.....most Sealines are probably perfectly safe on the Thames,river banks close by, no waves over 6",lock keeper every 100 yds or so, mind you I would not want to risk my life in one below Teddington :):):)
 
The speed with which the recent apparent improvement in river conditions has been reversed and reds are prevalent again indicates just how fragile the position continues to be and, therefore, how difficult to forecast.

Some here have quoted river levels as being at, or near, normal, but the whole point of working the weirs is to try and maintain reasonable levels rather than speed of flow so, IMHO, levels themselves are not as good an indicator as apparent speed of water movement. This tends to be very much a visual assessment as flow-speed meters are few and far between. There is one at Maidenhead Bridge and the information can be found on the Maidenhead Rowing Club website :
http://www.mwronline.net/mrc/default.aspx

There is also some concern about the annual Swan Upping week which should have started on Monday 16th July, now delayed until Tuesday 17th and starting at Eton instead of Sunbury:

The River Thames is in flood and Swan Upping will not commence until Tuesday 17th July 2012 at Eton Bridge at 9.00 am.

At the present time, the remainder of the week will follow our published schedule. However, the situation remains subject to change dependent on weather and river conditions throughout the week.

http://www.royal.gov.uk/royaleventsandceremonies/swanupping/swanupping.aspx
Click to expand...
 
bradtarga34 said:
We went up there last weekend, I think it was yellows by the time we got there with most of the river on reds, very interesting as you say with the whirlpool in the middle. Rather interesting turning around at the weir at the end of that stretch as well where you can see the Thames Court, not for the faint hearted!
Click to expand...

Great "fun" in something that's 60ft long and norralot of space either side....
(under normal flows of course)
 
Wavey said:
We were out a couple of weeks back under yellows (decreasing). Trip to Hampton Court was ok but some very odd currents and eddies everywhere, and often where you'd least expect them.

Only stayed an hour or so and got a call from Brooms to say they were coming the next morning to to repair my arch hinge. Decided to head back part way and moor at Weybridge to lessen the journey the next day. Came back through Sunbury and the lock keeper said the yellows had now been taken down. Still had a very "interesting" time mooring up at Weybridge.

Was sitting on the boat yesterday evening in the marina with reds flying and saw a Sealine opposite me leave with family on board at 6:20pm :eek: Hope he had a safe journey wherever he was heading but IMHO that was sheer madness.
Click to expand...

Which marina was that?
 
I've had enough of the river for this summer :mad:.

Boat's now on the trailer at home ready for a few weeks (months?) on the Norfolk Broads :). No rowers :p, no locks and plentiful free moorings. Just a few raggies to contend with in certain parts :rolleyes:.
 
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