Trip up Thames

Leighb

Leighb

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Having decided that we should be OK with a Porta Potti for our proposed trip, thanks to all who replied, we are now starting to make some plans.

We are based on the Orwell, so will be coming down to the Medway and then up the Thames from there. We have made the trip up to St Kat's a number of times in our previous sailing boat so that part of the trip is familiar. However it seems that it probably doesn't make sense to try and call at St Kat's if heading up to Teddington as the lock opening times around HW are unhelpful?

Is it better to do the trip direct to Teddington from Queensborough say? Boat will cruise at around 12-15kn where allowed. Is there time to do the whole distance in one tide?

Another question concerns an EA visitor licence, is there a limit to the time allowed for a visitor, on the Broads you can only "Visit" for a shortish time before having to buy an Annual licence?
 
Leighb said:
Having decided that we should be OK with a Porta Potti for our proposed trip, thanks to all who replied, we are now starting to make some plans.

We are based on the Orwell, so will be coming down to the Medway and then up the Thames from there. We have made the trip up to St Kat's a number of times in our previous sailing boat so that part of the trip is familiar. However it seems that it probably doesn't make sense to try and call at St Kat's if heading up to Teddington as the lock opening times around HW are unhelpful?

Is it better to do the trip direct to Teddington from Queensborough say? Boat will cruise at around 12-15kn where allowed. Is there time to do the whole distance in one tide?

Another question concerns an EA visitor licence, is there a limit to the time allowed for a visitor, on the Broads you can only "Visit" for a shortish time before having to buy an Annual licence?
Click to expand...
Nothing's entirely free on the Thames... but there's s a scheme of short term licences and in practice you can buy a mix of types to give you what you want :-

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/river-thames-boat-registration-charges

Everybody's welcome. No sea toilets allowed so stick a piece of tape over the hole - even though many 'resident's don't bother.... (Contentious)
You can buy the licence(s) at Teddington lock at whatever time you pass through.
 
TrueBlue said:
No sea toilets allowed so stick a piece of tape over the hole - even though many 'resident's don't bother.... (Contentious)
.
Click to expand...

Can you be a bit more specific about the hole please? :ambivalence:

It's a good idea, but not for more than a day :p
 
Frequently done the trip from the Mudwaye to Richmond.
First time in my old Princess 33.
All at around 8-10 knots.
Main plan is to be off Southend a tad before LW on your day of travel.
Tootle up with the flood tide, you may have to even slow up to ensure you do not run out of water after transiting London.
About 6 hour run from Queenborough to Richmond at 10 knots (3 of that will be tide) until about Westminster and then about 8 down to 6 knots after that.
Total distance 55 NM.
The clever skipper arrives calm and collected just as Barrier rises.

 
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Parabordi said:
Boat safety says "can it be rendered inoperable?" - with a bit of duct tape it sure can!
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All boat toilets can quickly become inoperable with a combination of two things. An uneducated guest and a wet wipe:disgust: Now all guests get the full run down, wether they're planning on using it or not
 
Surely if you can do 12-15kn then you can do from the Orwell in one trip. First time I did the return trip in a 6.5kn boat got from Ipswich Haven Marina to Erith Yacht Club to pick up a buoy, then up to Teddington. But the next few times I went from Bradwell, got to the Spitway buoys for LW, and essentially was going too fast & had to wait for Richmond Sluices to open - and had time in one days voyaging to get up to Shepperton. I always felt going into Queenborough - either way - was a waste of 1.5 hours going in another hour and a half getting out.
 
Yes I suppose we could do it all in one go, however we like visiting the Medway and Chatham en route to London and we haven't been for a couple of years. I said Queenborough, but we would probably go up to Chatham for a night or two and visit the Museum again. Queenborough around LW would be a departure point.
 
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