the tideway - foreshore and boats

Outinthedinghy

Outinthedinghy

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I am.vaguely planning a trip in a small boat (14ft) from Lechlade to Leigh on Sea. It will go at 5 knots and no faster.

I am familar with the reaches above teddington and i can do that bit in 3 days. I have navigated the tideway in several canal boats and my barge but I would like to know if anyone has ever used the foreshore for stoppping to wait for the next tide. .

What I mean is just drag the boat up on the 'beach' and wait for the next tide. I would be on the boat apart from possible emergency beer acquisition movements.

I don't think I can do teddington to Leigh on sea in one go at 5 knots. Once the tide turns it is going to be very slow.

I was thinking of going down on the tide from teddington then at low water beach the boat somewhere like Gravesend (Bawley Bay perhaps) drag it up the foreshore a bit then take the next tide down to Leigh on Sea. Ideal timing would be an overnight wait for the next tide. I would lay an anchor as well.

Its a bit of a barmy idea but might work?
 
Outinthedinghy said:
I am.vaguely planning a trip in a small boat (14ft) from Lechlade to Leigh on Sea. It will go at 5 knots and no faster.

I am familar with the reaches above teddington and i can do that bit in 3 days. I have navigated the tideway in several canal boats and my barge but I would like to know if anyone has ever used the foreshore for stoppping to wait for the next tide. .

What I mean is just drag the boat up on the 'beach' and wait for the next tide. I would be on the boat apart from possible emergency beer acquisition movements.

I don't think I can do teddington to Leigh on sea in one go at 5 knots. Once the tide turns it is going to be very slow.

I was thinking of going down on the tide from teddington then at low water beach the boat somewhere like Gravesend (Bawley Bay perhaps) drag it up the foreshore a bit then take the next tide down to Leigh on Sea. Ideal timing would be an overnight wait for the next tide. I would lay an anchor as well.

Its a bit of a barmy idea but might work?
Click to expand...

3 days Lechlade to Teddington! 5 would be pushing it even with long days.
I guess beaching is viable but if you can only do 5 knts it will be a struggle in a small boat even with the tide in your favour, is it seaworthy?
 
It is a seaworthy boat yes. I am going to do some trials on the tideway before the long trip as the and I know that the pool of London is VERY rough from my experience in much bigger boats !!

I reckon about 3 days at 15 hours a day for travelling Lechlade-teddington. That is very long days but it is a small boat and believe I can travel continuously dawn til dusk with perhaps one shop and fuel stop per day..

It is an outboard powered vessel by the way.
 
IMHO. opinion the chances of you being lucky enough to get the weather (ie no wind) to enable you to do that trip from Teddington to Leigh in comfort is close to zero.That will be a long trip and at some points 1-2 knots against the tide for 5 hours or so and nowhere to go if it gets unpleasant will really suck.
Whimping around for 10 hours a day through balmy water with the locks to break the journey is not the same as being anywhere in Sea Reach in wind over tide situation.
Possible yes,but the more I think about it, :(
 
Guess it is doable in an extreme endurance sort of way, but its doesn't sound like much fun. Why not at least break the TIdeway trip up by stopping at Chiswick pier or Imperial Wharf, you may have to anyway for timing. You could also stop at Tilbury I think. Your going to be knackered when you get to the riskiest bit.
If outboard powered how much fuel can you carry? there is nowhere to get Petrol after Teddington without walking ashore to a Petrol station.
 
You make a good point.

May be better to do the tidal section as a seperate journey with a different planning routine and emergency backup options.

I have to admit I don't have any experience of the tideway in a small open boat so it is possible that it is just plain unpleasant..

It has been done though

Its not a dinghy as it has a cuddy cabin so its not completely exposed..
 
It is something I would like to do though. chiswick pier is a good tip as it saves time compared with going into Brentford. Whereabouts at Tilbury?

I have visited Gravesend and it looked pretty practical to drag up onto the foreshore at Bawley Bay but I'm not sure if you are actually -allowed- to do that ??

I suppose just do it and find out is the best approach. Its a small boat so nothing offensive. I suppose there may be a yobbo issue that's a bit of a concern. Lots of stones about the right size for throwing..
 
Heavens - the silly season has started early this year....
There aren't many beaches on the tidal Thames. Below Putney, there's very little exposed at low tide and the River - being constrained rushes out and in at quite a rate, Awkward for real barges in the old days, but for a small light boat, you'll be thrown around and not much to hold onto shoreside.

Spirit of adventure - fine, all luck to you but you have to do a sensible risk analysis??
 
Actually you are wrong. There is a lot of exposed foreshore at lower states of tide below Putney.

I live in Limehouse and regularly walk by the River up to the Tower or down to Woolwich and there is plenty of foreshore. Also a bit at Gravesend which is why I was asking for advice about the legality of dragging a boat up on the beach - bearing in mind it would not be ideal to be told to leave by a land owner !

The River is also significantly more rough (Cory tugs etc) and subject to the effect of tide and weather so your comment about risk assessment is correct.

I don't find your silly season comment helpful however.

This is probably the wrong place to ask for advice on this type of thing!!
 
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Anything is doable,You will need to get weather,tide times,journey times spot on.
Wouldn't be for me but then I like my comfort:)
Safety equipment obviously.
Break the journey up.
Go very very early and the pool of London is as flat as a witches tit.
You do not want any wind with east in it.

Did this shadowing a slow(5knot) woodie.Once the tide turned progress was painfully slow and frankly a waste of time/fuel.Stopped in Gravesend on a bouy.Dont know anything about dragging a boat up on a foreshore.Ring the sailing club at Gravesend and ask.
 
I think it's entirely feasible if you are happy that you can take a wave or 3 over the bow without issue. Yes you'll find places where the foreshore is clean and firm enough to do as planned. I have done Lechlade to Teddington in a small boat in a little less than 4 days elapsed without breaking speed limits. Yes it's a bit of an endurance exercise, but why not?
 
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All sorts of craft do that journey down through central London and out into the lower esturary, including of course narrow boats but extreme caution is usually the order of the day.A little while ago a small twin engined 25 ft cabincruiser joined one of our club trips round to the Thames.
It became obvious after a couple of hours , its speed even with the favourable tide was not going to be sufficent and when the tide turned it would be making no progress at all.
Reluctantly he had to turn back.
The boat did make it round to the Thames the following year....on the back of a trailer.
Cannot see a real problem with the down to Teddington bit but perhaps best to stage the tidal section over a couple of decent weather weekends. ?
Comments regards fuel need seriously thinking about.Can well recall trying to refill a outboard fuel tank from can in bouncy sea. Petrol everywhere but in the outboard..
You are also going to have problems if the outboard fails,rowing against a fast ebbing tide is soon going to exhaust any rower,no matter how fit.

Have a look this ..:)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pslkgZVeOdc&ab_channel=Aaaaaagggghhhhhh
 
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I wouldn't be too put off by some comments, but a trip down the tideway shouldn't be taken lightly so planning is essential with the weather and tides.
I would definitely think about a bigger engine and investing in some safety kit, LJ's, VHF, GPS etc...
 
It's about 30nm from Tower Bridge to Leigh-on-Sea so doable in one tide. As you will get past Canvey it will be approaching LW so you won't get into Leigh. You will have to go as far as the Leigh Buoy nearly at Southend Pier before turning back into The Ray where there are some buoys and sheltered anchoraging at LW. The sand back on the outer side of the Ray dries to firm flat sand. Then take the next tide into Leigh where you can rest alongside Bell Wharf or at the top of the tide get into Leigh Marina (a bit industrial) next door to the station.

If you don't think you can make it in one then there are mooring at various places down the river - Greenwich, just before the QE2 bridge on the south side, Erith, Gravesend etc.
 
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What happens when something goes wrong then!?

It's easy to come her asking for advice, and then dismissing some of it 'because you already know the answers' but I guess thats not the case.

What you're planning is marginal at best, and has many many risks, noe of which will change anybodies life here, apart from your own.

So, just go and do it. You're going to anyway :encouragement:
 
Hello there, I see you plan on pulling up on the foreshore to await the next ebb tide.
There is a problem with this proposal.
When the tide stops going out, you will see plenty of foreshore.
That's when the tide starts coming IN !
Unfortunately, the next time the tide is going out, that same bit of handy foreshore will already be submerged under several metres of water.
There aren't many bits of beach left uncovered at high tide.

I would slightly disagree with some previous posts, IMO there is always something or other to get a line round, but you risk being told off, or even towed off, by the PLA or Police. Which might make you feel like a bit of a d!ck, I got the T-shirt years ago!

I wont pour cold water on your adventurous plans, we did absurd things on the River which would probly get you locked up today :)

The PLA have plenty of free info to look at in the leisure section of their excellent website, have a butchers, time spent in reconaissance is seldom wasted, good luck LD

Just definitely take a waterproof VHF locked on Ch 14
 
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Thanks for that. I had an idea it probably wasn't really ok to pull a small boat onto the foreshore randomly.

The example I used of the small foreshore at Gravesend known as Bawley Bay seems to be a "beach" for quite a long time, depending on the tidal range obviously. Clearly once the beach was covered the boat would be taken out onto open water rather than banging against the wall..

Probably best to do things in accordance with the PLA guidance anyway though !! They are pretty hot on what is happening on the tideway.

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I thought it was axiomatic that you would be in attendance when the tide reaches the boat again.....
BTW it really isn't unusual to see kayaks, inflatables, dinghies etc pulled up here and there.
 
Yes I would be on the boat at all times. I can hang a water sensor alarm over the side to wake me up if the tide comes in while I am asleep in the luxuriously appointed 6ft cuddy cabin (smiley needed)
 
Watch the wash from the Ro Ro ships and anything else doing 20 knots in Sea Reach.The 1 metre hole in the water will affect you.:)
Do not not forget there will be a wave from both the bow and depending on the size of the ship,a few moments later,the stern.
Personally would join the Thames navigators club and get one of their free laminated maps,this will give you details of all the radio frequencies you will need and details of what you need to do to pass through the barrier.
 
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