Town moorings and services: advice please

[Stuart Walker]

Hi
I am contemplating buying a boat on the Thames. At present she does not have a genset.

Do overnight town moorings on the river have electricity and water provided for a small fee as is the case I France and the Netherlands? If in general this is the case, I won't need the gen set. If they are not provided I'll have to factor a genset, or a big house bank, big inverters and a smart regulator into my costings.

I am based in Australia but plan to cruise Oxford to Limehouse and back, slowly and probably several times (!) over 3 months on board each northern summer.

Any help you can give me will be greatly appreciated!

Cheers

Stuart

 

[DT42]

In general Town Moorings have no facilities, maybe sometimes rubbish disposal. There are a few bookable EA moorings at locks with electricity (eg Goring) Water and other services is situated at various locks.

 

[Actionmat]

you can go from marina to marina plugging your boat in for the night, but there is absolutely no need to use a generator on the Thames on a boat with a working alternator, good wiring and a leisure battery or two. Fridges are 3 way, a lot more economical to run than they use to be, TVs are LED, as are lights, heating' usually diesel, cookers are gas etc. Generators are anti social and a potential carbon monoxide hazard.
I can usually do two to three days without turning the engines on, with a family of three, before my 2 x 110ah leisure batteries get low. If you're cruising, at Thames speeds your batteries will be well topped up after a couple of locks.
If you factor anything in, think about a calorifier for your hot water. I can't think of anything that can't be run off 12 volts, apart from a washing machine and a Nespresso

 

[AuntyRinum]

If the OP is planning to cruise for three months at a time, he will need a washing machine and a generator.
The requirements are completely different to those boaters who just pop out for a long weekend. My boat, for example, uses 2Kw per day and needs lots of generator power for washing machine, power tools, wet vac, and so on.

 

[Actionmat]

If the OP is planning to cruise for three months at a time, he will need a washing machine and a generator.
The requirements are completely different to those boaters who just pop out for a long weekend. My boat, for example, uses 2Kw per day and needs lots of generator power for washing machine, power tools, wet vac, and so on.

Who mentioned long weekends?. It's the Thames, not a chain of islands and there are plenty of launderettes. I doubt he'll need power tools unless he's planning to liveaboard and renovate at the same time

 

[oldgit]

For long term livaboard a genny is important.,otherwise you will be restricted to a life constantly governed by your power storage.
Having to move a certain distance each day merely to recharge batteries or only mooring where there are power hook ups will be pain and in the case of marinas,expensive.
For real freedom ...genny and nice washer dryer would be nice.
The need arrange to moor close to a launderette could suspect also become a pain.
All possible with planning but precious little spontaneity.

 

[Brayman]

For long term livaboard a genny is important.,otherwise you will be restricted to a life constantly governed by your power storage.
Having to move a certain distance each day merely to recharge batteries or only mooring where there are power hook ups will be pain and in the case of marinas,expensive.
For real freedom ...genny and nice washer dryer would be nice.
The need arrange to moor close to a launderette could suspect also become a pain.
All possible with planning but precious little spontaneity.

A good bank of domestic batteries and a good alternator is all you need. Then if stationery for 5 days or more call in at a marina for a power boost of mains electricity. We went 15 years and only needed the generator when moored on the booms at Henley. Our longest outing was 24 days.

 

[rosssavage]

Hmm, wildly opposing opinion! I'm firmly in the pro generator camp - fitted a proper diesel cocoon jobbie in 2010 and it's the best thing I've ever bought (apart from the boat itself!)

This idea of 'popping' into a marina to charge I find a bit odd - you're going to need to be there for 12 hours to get a full charge....

The important bit is being considerate to your neighbours. No running before 10am, no running after 6pm. If I'm static for a week (e.g. Henley festival on the booms) I couldn't do without it.

That said, IF you gave a large capacity bank of good quality deep cycle batteries I'm sure you can live without it - B1 of this parish is a bit of an expert..

 

[oldgit]

with most craft boasting a pair of engine start batteries and a couple of domestics at best,problems with somewhere to locate any extra capacity and charge it are going to arise.
A couple of festoon bulbs feebly glowing just sufficent to enable you to stumble around your boat while you sit wondering if the PP3 battery in your 3 transistor radio,tuned to the "Light Programme"., will last the week are history.
My last boat was fairly well powered up, but after 24 hours or so with no charge the batteries are starting to drain and once 50% is gone things can go expensively down hill.
When the family were aboard, became a nightmare too find enuff sockets to plug everything in.
4 mobile phones.
Assorted tablets I phones.
Video games machines.
Freeview TV/ DVD player.
DAB radio.
Electric Bogs.

Enough interior lighting to be seen from space.
Add to that the ebers and microwave, water pump and shower pump,
..all from a couple of batteries capable of producing 150 amp max( when new) without self destructing.
Course you could always cover the boat in windmills and solar panels.
Or get a nice quiet genny.

 

[AuntyRinum]

.... I doubt he'll need power tools unless he's planning to liveaboard and renovate at the same time

Then you clearly haven't needed to keep a boat going on a daily basis for long periods.

 

[AuntyRinum]

A good bank of domestic batteries and a good alternator is all you need. Then if stationery for 5 days or more call in at a marina for a power boost of mains electricity. We went 15 years and only needed the generator when moored on the booms at Henley. Our longest outing was 24 days.

My longest outing in the last year has been 365 days, and life wouldn't be comfortable or convenient doing it in the manner which you suggest.
It's the difference between your method which is camping, and having the same comforts you would have on land which requires power. My power comes from an inboard 4 KW diesel generator, 440Ah of leisure batteries, and I am just about to fit 600watts of solar panels as well. Which is why my answer to the OP is that, if you are going to be out for three months at a time, you will need a good generator.

 

[ChrisHanley]

I have to agree with the generator camp. A battery banks, no matter how big, is just like a piggy bank. You can only get out what you put in. Therefore you must always consider your electrical draw for an average day and have the ability to replace that back into the system.
The alternator on the main engine is designed to charge the start battery and although it will also charge the services batteries, a modest generator will be so much more efficient. If for example you were moored near Oxford and wanted to do justice to such a beautiful city then you do not want to be running the main engine on idle x number of hours a day when a generator can do the same job in a fraction of the time.
With the arrangement I have, the boat can operate for two days off the batteries, but then I need to run the generator for four hours to get everything back onto a float charge. During that time the washing machine is on and with (almost) free hot water available on-tap the crew can do their ablutions in a more leisurely style.
Stuart, going back to your original post; Cruising between Oxford and the last lock at Teddington is easy, stress free and highly recommended. However the tidal part of the Thames between Teddington and Limehouse is a bit more challenging. Before leaving Tedders you must consider the times of the tides because entry into Limehouse is impossible either side of low water. So check and book with the lock keeper at Limehouse the opening hours for that day. You can also find the tide can be quite fierce, especially through the many London bridges and if you find yourself trying to go against the tide it can be very slow progress.
From leaving Teddington the river becomes a lot less friendly towards pleasure boats with limited places to stop. Between Battersea and beyond Tower Bridge the river can be very busy with commercial traffic and be aware, neither the trip boats, the tugs towing the rubbish barges or the numerous high speed water buses (The Clippers) take any prisoners. Having said all that, I would still recommend you do the trip as it is very rewarding and in my opinion, the best way of seeing some of the great sights of London.
Chris