Tidal Thames

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Sirus

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Am quite new to boating, just been plodding up and down the none tidal parts of the Thames but would like to go and see are lovely capital and was wondering whats the procedure for navigating below Teddington ,ie going through locks,tides,moorings if any and is it like the M25 at rush hour when you get there.
Would like to spend a night at St Kats also if possible.
Thanks for any info...........
 
You can leave Teddington about an hour before high water(London Bridge) and pass through the half tide lock at Richmond when there is enough water in the reach below. This means pushing the last of the flood for a while before slack high water, but gets you to St Kats in plenty of time to lock in. ( I'm assuming you have a bit of power, and can do the eight knots top speed when the rowers will let you.)
Leaving half an hour later can get you to Richmond when the barriers have been lifted, which means you can pass straight down and still get to St Kats in time, but it can get a bit tight if you meet any delays.
Monitor channel 14 VHF and listen for Nav messages regarding river works.
It can be a bit daunting the first time in the tideway, but nothing to worry about really.
I plan on locking out of Teddington at about 1000 on Sunday 18th, but I'll probably not be stopping in the City.

Trev
 
Hi Sirus I have been up and down a few times and last time I put together a very useful list (ask Boatone)
of the trip, bridge to bridge with distances and nav notes. You have for example to call Charing Cross radio
on ch9 when you get to Lambeth bridge to ask for passage under Hungerford Railway bridge,
(one down from Westminster) Also a bit past the Dome call ch14 Woolwich Radio for passage through
Thames Barrier.

Marinas humm, St Kats you know not many others Lime Hse Marina just past St Kats downstream, and
South Dock a bot further down on Stb side. Lime Hse has GOOD access HW + or - 4.5hrs South Dock
HW + or - 2.5 hrs.

I you want a copy of the nav notes on excel spread sheet, send me a PM with your email.

"The Med is calling me"
 
There's some good advice here - I asked the same question a long time back and can vouch for the info - it is a bit scarey at first but if you have plenty of power you can cope fine with tides and get out the way of large wash from commercial traffic. And as for rowers we were doing 3ktns past them being pushed backward by the tide on a friends boat and were asked to cut the wash - told them to get an engine :-)

The capital is great from the river - also watch out for the tugs that tow the large barges about and don't get broadsided by the wash - we used the bridges as cover - looked well ahead with binocks and went under a bridge when the upstream wash was coming our way - bridge took most of sting out of it.

have fun

peter

I too have a spreadsheet for lock times at all the marina's based upon HW london Bridge - and the time you need to be at Richmond by to get to St Kats

pm me if you want a copy
 
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