Who's been out today?

[Elessar]

Who\'s been out today?

Wanted to go out today, but would have had kids/novices with me. Boat currently at Hampton.
Teddington lock advised against it, but before doing so didn't ask engine size/experience etc so I think they're over cautious.
Are they?
If I'd had my sea going crew I'd have given it a go, as it was I had a barbeque in the garden.
(this is not a cue for an insurance lecture, it's a genuine question - do you think a powerful sea going boat with an experienced crew would have been OK today)

 

[byron]

Re: Who\'s been out today?

In my humble opinion, the worst the Thames can throw at you is milder than a tide at Langson Harbour or even a tide going through bridges in London. Ergo if you have a craft capable of that and you are not going to negotiating any bridges where air draught is of concern or areas where there is insufficient turning space. Then river conditions/flow are over-hyped.
Your main concern would be some fool coming upstream through an arch when you are coming downstream with the flow.

 

[Captain Coochie]

Re: Who\'s been out today?

I dunno , there is a fair bit of rubbish mixed in with the flow , logs and the like .

 

[byron]

Re: Who\'s been out today?

[ QUOTE ]
I dunno , there is a fair bit of rubbish mixed in with the flow , logs and the like .

[/ QUOTE ]

ROFL! Have your crossed the channel lately? nets, ropes, pallets even the odd container. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Captain Coochie]

Re: Who\'s been out today?

Not in Cuchilo /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Elessar]

Re: Who\'s been out today?

Thought as much and tend to agree. I played it cautious today and stayed in the garden, I daresay if I'd gone to the boat and looked I would have gone out. As you have tons of experience and can see the river I wish I'd gone now (or had asked you yesterday).
Another boating day gone....
I'm hoping for the Channel Islands for the last week in August if the weather will play ball. Wonder what the chances are.

 

[magnetman]

Re: Who\'s been out today?

Good evening.
I've been out today. In my dinghy. Its lovely here at Henley the river is a tad high and truly roaring through the bridge past Leander and the regatta site. With all the traditional boats and dunkirk 1940's around the atmosphere is great, being careful to watch the wash of course. The moorings here are very scenic. I'm new to this forum but the Thames has been my best friend since 1986.

 

[Captain Coochie]

Re: Who\'s been out today?

Welcome to the forum Magnetman /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[chuckaduck]

Re: Who\'s been out today?

me well was away working today but I must say that although our binnie is quite capable of coping with the currents the Pla etc have said not to venture out so I havent

boils down to a couple of things first if something mechanically fails then the flow can get you into trouble very quickly

secondly we have to reverse from our mooring into the flow which even when things are normal can be tricky but now it is cconsiderably more difficult

 

[Gavi]

Re: Who\'s been out today?

Welcome /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[ms1]

Re: Who\'s been out today?

Apart from the mechanical failure considerations I would want to ask myself how would my boat handle someones picnic table hitting me at 8knots.

 

[byron]

Re: Who\'s been out today?

[ QUOTE ]
Apart from the mechanical failure considerations I would want to ask myself how would my boat handle someones picnic table hitting me at 8knots.

[/ QUOTE ]

SIGH! please don't ever go to sea or go tidal. Anything the Thames can chuck at you are daily occurances there, including mechanical failures.

 

[ms1]

Re: Who\'s been out today?

appreciate your wisdom Byron, point taken about flotsam. Actually I have broken down in both waters, and found more room for manoeuvre and less concrete around me at sea. But I stand corrected if I suggest un-necessary caution.

 

[Elessar]

Re: Who\'s been out today?

This is my drive shaft after I think I hit an unknown and unseen object. As you can see by the amount of power it took to tear the metal, I wasn't in the Thames!



I think the point is we're all differnt, with different boats, different exprerience and different attitude to risk.

I think the EA should be giving us factual advice so we can make out minds up. Flow rate and height would do it. After all getting into a lock is hard if you can't see the lock, and there are similar problems if you cant see the bank. The red boards go up when it's too dangerous for low powered hire boats. How can we tell the difference between too dangerous for them and REALLY too dangerous.

I think for now I'll ask Byron!

 

[chuckaduck]

Re: Who\'s been out today?

We have just been down to the mooring to work on making it secure the flow here at Syon reach is very strong and even at low tide we can get out !! normally she is agroung for 6 hours

did see a robo and some peope in a small dingy ok they were wearing life jackets ( the dingy not the robo ) but i would be uncomfortable about going out in a dingy in main stream as there are large unmanouverably boats there and an underpowered dingy could get into trouble there

as for the robo they are a law until themselves

but they ought to wear some sort of bouyancy aid

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

Re: Who\'s been out today?

Spent most of yesterday afternoon at Shepperton, intended to be an hour but SWMBO forgot something that required her to mae a round trip[ to Cowplain. An hours checking and tidying followed by a lazy couple of hours in the sun, listening to Mozart. One cruiser, Fairline 32, wnt upstream and a little dory was pottering about. Lively where the Wey comes in and a sunken boat at the head of the nearest island but otherwise peaceful. Rive dropped about an inch in that time.

 

[byron]

Re: Who\'s been out today?

[ QUOTE ]
appreciate your wisdom Byron, point taken about flotsam. Actually I have broken down in both waters, and found more room for manoeuvre and less concrete around me at sea. But I stand corrected if I suggest un-necessary caution.

[/ QUOTE ]

I do freely confess as to being somewhat blase about things, sometimes too laid back for my own good. I remember once leaving Port Talbot in Wales with an Ore Carrier the Pilot said goodbye and asked me what course to give the helmsman. I hadn't even worked one out so just set the vessel on a guessed course while I nipped in the chart room to get one. We were bound for Belle Island in Newfoundland. I resolved then to be more responsible but soon lapsed back into my untidy (typical Greek Skipper) ways.

 

[AJW]

Re: Who\'s been out today?

Forgive the thread drift, but I sailed round Bell Island yesterday. Presumably you were heading there to load ore?

 

[byron]

Re: Who\'s been out today?

[ QUOTE ]
Forgive the thread drift, but I sailed round Bell Island yesterday. Presumably you were heading there to load ore?

[/ QUOTE ]
That's right I understand it is no longer functional but it was a very very long time ago. Like over 30 years ago.
So you are a 'Newfie' ? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[AJW]

Re: Who\'s been out today?

No, I'm a CFA (Come from away). I am married to a Newfie though.
I sail past Bell Island regularly and have been on the tour down one of the mines that you can do. Nothing remains however of the gantries used to load ore which must have been quite the sight. I believe it all shut down in the 70's.