What's wrong with the Thames?

[alpha]

What\'s wrong with the Thames?

...before I launch in with my own thoughts, I reckoned I might ask around... Have a whinge, or suggest an improvement, or even (perhaps) highlight something good...

Just one 'condition'... Can we keep this thread to the main non-tidal bit, Teddington to Osney (Oxford), please?

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[PhilF]

Re: What\'s wrong with the Thames?

too busy weekends, especially Bank Holidays
Not enough moorings unless you stop for lunch at 10am
Locks!!

However

Scenery is great and there are some lovely places to see and stop at

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[theguvnor]

Re: What\'s wrong with the Thames?

The Environmental / Conservancy agencies have, over the last 20 years or so, have done a spectacular job on cleaning up The Thames. When I was a kid you fell in and it was a stomach pump job, but now the water is clearer than comes from my tap !

As far as irritations are concerned
1 Not enough moorings. Some small jetties that stop before the banks ( the EA often don`t own the land) would be helpful for lunch breaks

2 Fees charged by local councils. (Henley, Marlow, Wallingford etc) owe their prosperity to the river users and some little jobsworth wanting £6 to overnight is not tourist friendly

3 Delays in the authorities clearing fallen trees (3/4years) not enough dredging
(if you want Henley to stop flooding make it deeper than about 6ft)

4 Jan to Dec licencing with no rebates

All in all it is still one of the most beautiful parts of southern England.

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[miket]

Not a lot.

Unless you cruise in an area close to 1 or more marinas queues at locks are extremely infrequent. If you are in that area, consider moving!

I have 2 complaints:
1. dredging - not enough caried out. Even with 1 metre draft grounding in the channel, not whilst mooring, is moderately common.
2. moorings - can be busy at weekends, regretably more so now that there are more canal boats. This could be easily overcome by EA alone making far better use of the lock islands, installing finger piers complete with power and water. Charge £5 a night. Boat owners could also help by ensuring that all rubbish is removed when they vacate a mooring.

The non tidal Thames is still one of the treasures of England. It just needs a little more initiative by the EA, together with some more funding to kick start it back into life.

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[Andrew_Fanner]

Re: Not a lot.

Retentive/money grubbing attitude towards licencing of boats sub 10' in length, having been told that I must have a licenec for my tender.
Shortage of moorings but I am prepared to pay a fiver or so per night, if I get anything more than just a muddy bank in return. Windsor is good, others less so.
Still like the place though, even if I do use the sloshy bit downstream from teddington as often as I can.

<hr width=100% size=1>Two beers please, my friend is paying.

 

[Chris_d]

Very Little really..

Having boated nearly all my life on it and at sea, I think its great. Its been even better for the last few years because its now so quiet, nobody seems to buy (or sell) river boats anymore. No shortage of moorings if you know where to go and don't mind not being near facilities.
However at the moment its being ruined by Motorised skip's... sorry Narrowboats! not that I really find the people a problem (dodgey liveaboards excepted) they are just boat enthusiasts as well. They are just too slow and too long for the river. Also the crews seem to have no seamanship skills, yes I know its only the river but most of them seem to struggle to manouvere in a wide lock and don't even know which way round to moor (bow facing upstream) etc..
They are also very boring to look at, once you have seen one you've seen them all.

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[PGD]

Re: What\'s wrong with the Thames?

Been on the Thames for years, boating for about 8 now, moorings are a problem but if yu know the good spots then not so. Bray lock used to be a problem, queues can be a nightmare, 3 big marinas all feeding into the smallest lock on the Thames.

EA has done a lot of bank side repairs and improvements to the lock waiting areas, but yes more dredging and clearing trees would be good.

Lock Islands should be made more of.

Policing is also poor in terms of yobs kicking in mooring lines and the old bill not prepared to do anything about it.

Holiday boaters need more training before setting out most haven't a clue unless they have done it before, then the same can be said of people who have just bought big new boats, followed one Sealine F40 or so, into and out of a lock, the guy had no idea, if the boat had corners he'd knocked off all 6! and as for rope throwing no one told him to hold the other end when mooring up in a lock. After that he preceded to hit the bank 4 times up river.

Marina facilities are normally a good standard but after 5:30pm most are closed and there is nothing to do, no shops near by and no pubs either.

Narrowboaters, I used to think they were all miserable but not now, got a wave and hello off all the ones I saw between Marlow and Brentford over the last couple of weeks.

They could do more to help out with moorings and raft up to make more of the bank available to other craft. Being only 6-7 foot wide two a breast isn't a problem, that then frees up 100 foot of bank for other folk.

All in all it's a lovely spot

Peter

<hr width=100% size=1>Who gives the best service? tell us <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.mssa.org.uk>Marine Service Standards Assistance</A>

 

[oldgit]

Re: Pretty good really.

Having completed my first trip to Windsor in the company of Boatone,can honestly say that everthing was just fine.River was clean and from my observations the surroundings looked well cared for.All the lock keepers were very friendly and helpful,and having not to operate the locks yourself results in a fast easy transit.New moorings at Teddington will be pretty neat when finished.
Personally,noted that that the narrow boats tended to moor very close together.which saved space and it was the gin places which needed 30 feet each end of them to enter and exit the berth.Only found Windsor to be bit crowded,but managed to squeeze in,despite consternation from owner of two adjacent craft who prob thought no one would be able to squeeze in available space.
Ohh and another thing all the locks are lined with wood,nothing posh as that down here on Medway,just the gentle crunch of gelcoat as,exhausted with winding paddles,you exit lock.
Only one further comment,would like to buy some shares in which ever company makes all them NO MOORING signs.

<hr width=100% size=1>There I was,upside down with nothing on the clock....../forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

 

[theguvnor]

Re: Pretty good really.

I was thinking of changing my boat nams to "No Mooring" or "Private" - that should do it

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[oldgit]

No Mooring(esp poor people with small boats)

They really do not want anyone to stop anywhere.Still gives you something to aim at when you want to chuck your rubbish bags/old bicycles/bedsteads ashore shortly after you emptied your holding tank./forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>Just nipping down to the boat for a few moments ,will not be long../forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

 

[alpha]

Re: What\'s wrong with the Thames?

Well, for what it's worth, I've stopped enjoying it...

Biggest gripes as above, mostly, especially lack of mooring space and inconsiderate mooring by others (narrowboats in particular).

Also, expensive powered lock mechanisms which have to be wound by hand out of hours (just unforgiveable in my view), ludicrous licence cost, very poor or non-existant facilities, absence of dredging, inconsiderate, arrogant, sometimes just plain hostile behaviour by other 'user groups', filthy lock walls, badly-helmed craft of all descriptions causing 'moments' in locks, delays at peak times especially Bray and Boveney, and I'm sure I'll think of more later!

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[TrueBlue]

For: Alpha

If you are so unhappy why don't youy copy your post to eileen.mckeever@environment-agency.gov.uk The Waterway Manager(ess) ? The Thames is just but a tiny part of the vast Environment Agency's empire - most of its function IMHO seems to be concentrated on prosecuting people for getting it wrong.....

However, the Ea is deeply concerned that fewer boats are using the river - probably for some of the reasons outlined in your post but only seems willing to listen to User Groups, these being so fragmented that they can be safely ignored. If enough **hollamby'ed** off users make clear, concise and justifyable complaints on a regular basis, the possibly, ultimately she might take notice and begin to do something to correct the situation, othewis they think the position os just hunky dory.


FYI All the locks below Windsor (Romney) are available for you to operate via pushbutton from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m when unmanned; it's the curved top control box one's which must be wound by hand. That was fine when they were first installed with wooden gates; over the years the mechanisms have got more unpleasant to operate, and I agree it's a complete pain in the fundament. Even the commercial operators are similarly **hollamby'ed** off when they have to wind the system occasionally.

FYI also all locks can be activated with a key avaialable to "selected" users - I think EA makes up the rules as to who is qualified. Again pressure needs to be brought o bear either for a formal declaration as to who is qualified, or widening the scheme.

I was old the other day that the whole area of out of hours operation is being "looked at". Draw your own conclusions.

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Stop what you're doing and wait my signal

 

[alpha]

Re: For: Alpha

I've encountered Mrs McKeever previously, to an unsatisfactory outcome.

I'm aware of the arrangements at locks - I simply don't accept that paying hundreds of pounds a year shouldn't entitle one (somehow) to using the mechanisms 24 hours a day.

For me, the answer lies in following the river downstream, and then turning right and keeping on going for a while!

Meatime, the only thing that surprises me here is the volume of contented comment - I can't help feeling that some expectations are on the conservative side...

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[oldgit]

Re:a lot better than just about anywhere else.

Regarding satisfied comments,while appreciating that to maintain standards it does need a moan now and then,a little trip to other waterways would bring into focus just how fortunate Thames users are with regard the amenities providee for boaters on the Thames.You still have at least a boat going around collecting the larger lumps of rubbish,long gone everywhere else once water was privatised.
Just as a comment,very much doubt that all the fees paid by licenced users of the waterway goes anywhere near meeting the total costs of maintaining the overall Thames watershed and that a fare chunk of it paid for by the general public via the water rates.

<hr width=100% size=1>Stupid place to leave an island anyway......