Thames River Buses - SPEED LIMIT AT LAST!

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I see that from today 3rd January 2008 a 12 knt. speed limit is being introduced for the river buses on the River Thames in London.

This can only be good news for anyone approaching London from the tideway but, according to BBC London t.v. the users of the service are bleating that it will take them longer to do their journey albeit just a few minutes extra.

This new speed limit will certainly make going through London on a boat a hell of a lot safer and calmer and should have been introduced years ago. Apparently some of the river buses traveled at about 27 knts. before the introduction of the speed limit - no wonder it was like a 'washing machine' going through London and not to mention the damage that must have been caused to the bank sides.
 
Would it not be more sensible to have the rules based on wake rather than speed?

The river buses that I saw on the Thames last summer generally appeared to have been specifically designed for minimum wake with very slender hull forms - especially those built by NQEA in Australia.

I am sure that many boats going at 12 knots would be capable of kicking up more wash than some of these long river buses going at twice the speed.
 
Last summer we made a trip up the Thames and, as you said, the slim twin hulled river buses appeared to leave little wake.

However what was less obvious was the 'draw off' they caused after they passed. This really pulled you round and required substantial helm input to counteract.

After all, all that energy they use pushing the hulls through the water at speed has to go somewhere and while there may be little surface disturbance, it is still there behind the craft.

Tom
 
While on this subject, I experienced an extreme example of this sort of thing when lying at anchor in flat calm conditions in the DW anchorage off the Sunk LV waiting to take a 300,000 tonne/320 mtr /13 mtr draft tanker into the Thames.

The fast Harwich/Hook ferry passed 3 miles away and shortly afterwards we started to gently roll, only a couple of degrees or so but still very noticeable in those conditions.

Interesting.

Tom
 
Yes - of course you're right. I think the same thing should apply in harbours etc - but the problem comes with self-regulation and enforcement. How do I know if my wake is less than the prescribed limit? How does a harbour patrol bod prove that the wake was too large to a court?

Rick
 
This river boat just goes hell for leather.

1945572125_9da7c72b4d_b.jpg
 
I agree that last year when i was on the thames the buses when travelling created less wake than most boats would at that speed. And with there every day use of the thames im sure most of the accidents are caused by other users. But i must admit when i was moored outside St Kats they did not care how close they came to your boat and the wash they made when they hit the pick up point at full speed and pulled straight into reverse and created a large wash which knocked everything over on my boat left me shouting a few harsh words.
 
There is in the Port of London regs a permanent ease down for the river boats outside St. Kats at high tide.

I know this because a couple of years ago I nearly lost 2 crew members overboard when one of these boats came past at high speed. I called the captain on 14 and he didn't answer (he later wished he had!).

I spoke to the PLA who told me about the ease down and suggested it was best resolved by the boat's owners. I wrote to them and the company formally apologised and said that they were going to point out the ease down to all their skippers again. They then made the captain call me personally to apologise. I felt they took it very seriously.

Have to say, as a very regular user of the tidal Thames a 12kn limit makes a lot of sense as I'm very tired of keeping to a safe, low wake, 8 knots and then being rapidly undertaken or overtaken.
 
Bloody stupid idea if you aske me. What the hell has wake got to do with speed. Most planing boats will create much less wash at planing speeds than at 12 knots. Just about the worst speed for wash there is for planing boats.
 
I am confused. This thread started with a note about river buses being kept to a 12 knot maximum, now it has degenerated into a 'all boats are restricted to 12 knots maximum' thread.

Anyone clarify this?
 
Its not the high speed Cats which cause the worst wash,its the other "housebrick" type single hull tour boats most of which are very ancient hull design with later additions topsides.A good example of this is the "Pocohontas" mainly lurking around Gravesend and sometime visitor to my neck of the woods.
When you see her coming,you hold on and tight.
 
the was problem IS bad and any attempts to settle it down are welcome. The waiting buoys outside sT Kats are imho untenable. We usually tied up to a rubbish barge downstream to wait for access - much calmer. size of wash is impossible to quantify and therefore unenforceable, so speed is only workable criteria.
 
If you read the report, the PLA are considering extending the limit to all craft, so almost garanteed they will then. The perceived danger of anyone traveling at speed is enough to bring out all the health and safety faciests, then the greenies will say how reduced speed limits are better for the environment etc... Better enjoy your freedom while you can /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
"enjoy your freedom while you can"

To create excessive wash in a very confined area one presumes!

Be very interested to hear why your experiences of hanging on to those bouys outside of St Kats have been so different to everyone elses ?
 
I've never hung onto the bouys at St Kats, it would be mad because of all the flippin trip boats generating maximum wash at 10-12knts. What exactly will a speed limit achieve? I have a planing boat, so in the pool area I can do either about 7knts or over 17 knts, I always thought there was an unofficial 10knts limit anway unilt the barrier, but clippers always seem to be exempt.
Now reading this http://www.portoflondon.co.uk/News/index.cfm/flag/2/id/2962/site/news
it would appear that they will introduce a limit then allow high speed passenger vessels to apply for an exemption, so what exactly is this all about /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif Its not speed.
 
Thanks for that, MC - my son, a Thai-ophile! thought that's where it was. I'll show him your other photos tomorrow.

Nighty night.

S x
 
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