Will 13ft get under Windsor bridge?

[andyc]

Take off the radar arch,radar ,TV Aerial, and bimini enclosure and gps and lower the VHF aerial and we are 13ft Air draught on a 42 ft Boat with 1/4 in fuel tanks and empty Fresh water and Holding tanks.
So will she make it under Windsor ....... with an extra 800 litres of fuel, 400 litres of poo and 200 litres of fresh water in the Tanks and after a couple of weeks of no rain?????

The Rear is enclosed and she has a fibrglass roof and enclosure over the rear seating area above the aft cabin and that is 13ft above water in the centre line of the Boat and 4" lower at the edges.
Maybe I should place a couple of the kids skateboards upturned on the roof?????

What does one reckon???????? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[andyc]

ps ..... Measurement was in fresh water on the south coast,not salt. It would be a long way to go this weekend for us to get jammed under windsor bridge

 

[boatone]

It is said that Windsor Bridge is 13'2"

If I were you I would ring the lock keeper at New Romney Lock 01753 860296 and see what his local advice is.
He might even suggest dropping the level a bit for you - and thats a serious comment!

 

[JKay]

http://www.riverthamesalliance.com/publications/18.0.pdf

Have a look here

Although I'd take the advice of the Oracles on here

Cheers Joe

 

[Chris_d]

Was about to suggest the same thing, at this time of year I'm sure they will drop the level for you. However I reckon you'll just sneak under, honest /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[rr_123]

perhaps get a smaller boat?

 

[BillyBloater]

Nice avatar

 

[rr_123]

mine or andyc's? I think that we got them (lifted them - have seen your thread on stolen ones (c; ) from the same place...

 

[byron]

What boat is it? I could just scrape through with everything down in my old Princess 435. I had about 1" to spare.

 

[colinroybarrett]

We are 3.38m say 3.4m with the hood ‘up’ and radar arch down. I have to say it was ‘touch-and-go’ under Windsor, but we made it OK.

[Provided some ‘dickhead’ in a narrow-boat doesn’t try to overtake you whilst under the arch– but that’s another issue]!

(Sorry I can’t do the metric-engels conversion at this time in the morning).

It is a narrow and well-rounded arch and you need to consider carefully where the boat ‘pivots’ to ensure you do not make a seriously damaging manoeuvre at the last minute, if you do need to back-out.

Luckily you will make your first approach going ‘upstream’ so backing off is not a problem. Once out of the lock-cut downstream of the bridge you will find there is plenty of room below the bridge.

Look to see at least 3-½ ‘bricks’ on the bridge parapet before you try your approach, preferably 4, but ask the lock-keeper downstream for advice on this.

Be aware that particularly at weekends, immediately above the bridge there will be a bucket-load of pleasure boat/day-tripper/rower thingies/swans milling about, it can be a tricky reach to navigate but once past the railway bridge, it should all calm down!

The apparently lower footbridge in the cut above Cookham lock cut is less of a problem, since it is a ‘flat and short arch’ which can be ‘powered through’ to ‘dip’ the air draft if needed.

Depth on the Thames (for us 1.5m) was the major issue you will not get much further than Marlow lock and no chance of mooring (anywhere) upstream of the islands in Clivedon reach. If you are as deep as us.

CRB

 

[andyc]

I reckon that with an extra ton of fluids on board,especially as much of it will be aft,It will lower another 2 inches and give me 4-5" clearance.
I am going down there today as I live near by and will measure it.
As far as swans and rowers and anything else in the way, Ill do my best, go dead slow etc but if they do something stupid they get run over.Im used to it though as we are on the Stour in Christchurch and in the 25 mins it takes to get out ,we get surrounded by canoes, rowers, sailing dinghys and the like who constantly test our will...

 

[colinroybarrett]

That’s a good day’s trip?

Look out for the depth in the Syon reach below Richmond, the tide takes much longer than you think to get there and you are looking at ‘0.buggerall’ depth about 1 hour before the ½-tide ‘sluis’ opens, the £5-er to get through the lock is not worth it.

If they are quoting anything below chart datum at Silvertown, better to anchor in the small craft mooring starboard upstream of Southend pier until the tide has well turned and just run up to Teddington on ‘tick-over’ providing you have airdraft to clear under Hammersmith Bridge.

Listen out on VHF to the Thames barrier (but call them only when you ‘have it visual’) and they will advise of the tidal state on the day, since it is so variable, but you probably are well aware of this already up there on the Stour?

Good moorings on the left bank in the wider section above Teddington weir, or you can plough on to Kingston, port side ‘chevron’ moorings to stop for the night, if needed.

You are, of course expected to have holding tanks and at Teddington lock will have to show suitable documentation for the Thames, a months license will cost just under the average Sloane Square mortgage fee, unless, of course you are unemployable and running a narrow-boat in which case delete all of the above.

 

[Chris_d]

The Richmond lock is free now by the way, but they now need a lot of coaxing to come out the hut and open it for you.

 

[colinroybarrett]

Chris,

Thank you for the update, checking the log, I see it has been four years since we ventured across the channel into the Thames.

Time runs away when you have nothing to do?

We paid £5 then, but only because we followed a ‘trip-boat’ and I assumed he would know where the deep water would be. Proved to be a wise move!

CRB

 

[Richard Shead]

This is also serious.....

As an ex broker on the Thames and delivering stuff (fairly big) up and down we sometimes used to reverse under the bridge, to this day I dont know why but it seemed to make it easer on some boats and also alllowed you to be in better control.

And yes the bridge above cookham is interesting and yes you can "power" under it but you do need balls of steel to do this!

 

[Gumpy]

I can see the sense in that when going downstream with a bit of fresh on the river, but cant fathom why if going upstream.

Julian

 

[oldgit]

The paint on girders underneath bridge is a bit flakey and is easily scraped off whatever bit of the boat hits it.It is a sort of pale blueish colour.Hope this helps.

Ps.We gently positioned boat bow under arch and then pushed boat through by hand.

 

[Brayman]

[ QUOTE ]
ps ..... It would be a long way to go this weekend for us to get jammed under windsor bridge

[/ QUOTE ]

Did you try it? Did you get through or are you stuck under it?

 

[andyc]

Sorry chaps, I bottled it.
We moved it to Port Solent for the winter and will plan better to attempt in the spring.Even If Windsor is not passable We will still do it even if it is just for a year.