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Post by loafer on Sept 3, 2016 20:11:45 GMT
Agreed. We've done it twice, each there-and-back on the Tideway. Brilliant that you did your research, knew your tides and had a properly successful and enjoyable trip! Without a doubt it was the highlight of owning our boat. I'll be honest, we were terrified as those bottom gates at Limehouse opened, we rode the Thames on a wave of pure adrenaline, but we had prepared for it and we would have cancelled the trip at the last minute had the weather not been 100% favourable. I would definitely do it again, although there is so much more of the canal network I want to see and time is running out! The Thames, although mostly the upper bit, is the best narrowboating I've ever done. We don't think we'll do the Tideway again though, unless to appease a close friend or relative. It's just too far without a stop!
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Post by Mr Stabby on Sept 3, 2016 20:21:25 GMT
Without a doubt it was the highlight of owning our boat. I'll be honest, we were terrified as those bottom gates at Limehouse opened, we rode the Thames on a wave of pure adrenaline, but we had prepared for it and we would have cancelled the trip at the last minute had the weather not been 100% favourable. I would definitely do it again, although there is so much more of the canal network I want to see and time is running out! The Thames, although mostly the upper bit, is the best narrowboating I've ever done. We don't think we'll do the Tideway again though, unless to appease a close friend or relative. It's just too far without a stop! I'm finding the upper Thames difficult, very few places to moor, I had to pay £8.90 to moor tonight on an EA mooring at Goring because heavy rain was making progress difficult, there are "no mooring" signs everywhere and the impression I get is that I'm not really welcome anywhere I can be seen from a wealthy person's bedroom window.
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Post by PaulG2 on Sept 3, 2016 21:41:47 GMT
Agreed. We've done it twice, each there-and-back on the Tideway. Brilliant that you did your research, knew your tides and had a properly successful and enjoyable trip! Without a doubt it was the highlight of owning our boat. I'll be honest, we were terrified as those bottom gates at Limehouse opened, we rode the Thames on a wave of pure adrenaline, but we had prepared for it and we would have cancelled the trip at the last minute had the weather not been 100% favourable. I would definitely do it again, although there is so much more of the canal network I want to see and time is running out! Gawd how I would love to do something terrifying. I'm so f'ing bored with life in general. Two years ago I found out I had cancer and that didn't scare me. It was surgically removed and that was the end of that, and, anyway, at my age the thought I might die in a few years isn't exactly front page news so that didn't scare me. The whole cancer thing was a total non-event. Last time I had a heart attack, the EMTs wanted to take me to the closest hospital instead of the one I wanted to go to 40 miles away, so I sent them packing and drove myself to the hospital, and then drove myself home three days later after heart surgery (angioplasty). The most exciting part of that was driving 90mph down the freeway wondering if I would get pulled over by the highway patrol. I had my first heart attack in 1995 and the EMTs took me to the emergency room of the nearest hospital and I was in really bad shape. I remember laying on the gurney and flopping around like a fish on a deck and feeling like there was a knife in my chest. For some absurd reason the doctors in the ER couldn't/wouldn't give me a shot of heparin until a cardiologist arrived, which took about an hour. For that hour I was wondering if I was going to die and the main thing on my mind was that I didn't want to lose consciousnesses, I wanted to be awake for the event. The weird thing is, I wasn't really scared, more like just interested in what might be next. Since then, very little has been able to get my adrenaline flowing. I'm seriously thinking of trying bungee jumping. I really don't like heights and maybe jumping off a really high bridge could provide some thrills. I miss my boat. There's really nothing quite like being out in a really bad storm at sea.
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Post by loafer on Sept 3, 2016 21:50:03 GMT
It's better to be sitting on land wishing you were out at sea, than the other way round!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2016 21:52:38 GMT
The Thames, although mostly the upper bit, is the best narrowboating I've ever done. We don't think we'll do the Tideway again though, unless to appease a close friend or relative. It's just too far without a stop! I'm finding the upper Thames difficult, very few places to moor, I had to pay £8.90 to moor tonight on an EA mooring at Goring because heavy rain was making progress difficult, there are "no mooring" signs everywhere and the impression I get is that I'm not really welcome anywhere I can be seen from a wealthy person's bedroom window. A lot of free moorings can be found beside the locks on the wier arms. Ask the lockies as you go through. Windsor behind the island is cheap, pay at the leisure centre. Once you get past Windsor, there are plenty of free ones.
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Post by sunset on Sept 3, 2016 22:01:30 GMT
passing the driving test is a landmark ,opens a while new world .well done that young man !!!
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Post by Mr Stabby on Sept 3, 2016 22:02:48 GMT
I'm finding the upper Thames difficult, very few places to moor, I had to pay £8.90 to moor tonight on an EA mooring at Goring because heavy rain was making progress difficult, there are "no mooring" signs everywhere and the impression I get is that I'm not really welcome anywhere I can be seen from a wealthy person's bedroom window. A lot of free moorings can be found beside the locks on the wier arms. Ask the lockies as you go through. Windsor behind the island is cheap, pay at the leisure centre. Once you get past Windsor, there are plenty of free ones. I'm on a weir arm tonight, I made the mistake of asking the lockie if I could moor there and he said "Yes, that will be £8.90". Were it not raining so heavily I would have carried on and moored on the next lock landing after the lockie had gone home for the night, I did that the night before last, moored next to the "no overnight mooring" sign. Last night I "wild moored", just tied up to a couple of trees but I couldn't see anywhere to do that today. The Thames is good, and I particularly enjoy being able to go inside and make myself a cup of coffee while the boat chugs along on its own but I am looking forward to getting back onto the canals.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2016 22:06:45 GMT
Just saw you said "goring". Almost in reading. (good going). Used to be lots of moorings above windsor, they must be clamping down hard. Bastards.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2016 22:12:35 GMT
When we used to cruise the thames, I always asked for a headed receipt. I often ended up not having to pay, but we carried mud weights and anchors as well. That made a huge difference. There are lots of moorings that are free, and I learnt most of them by word of mouth. We are planning to be on the Thames next Easter for a couple of months. Maybe I had better take me credit card.
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Post by Mr Stabby on Sept 3, 2016 22:14:27 GMT
Goring is quite a way past Reading, I stopped at Reading about midday to top up at Tesco, I pulled up here about 4pm I suppose. I should have just moored on the lock landing and told the lockie I wasn't ready to go through yet and waited for him to go home.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2016 22:16:40 GMT
There used to be lots of mooring just after Tesco on the left by the offices, is that all gone?
Did you not see any 48 hr moorings at maidenhead along the wall?
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Post by Mr Stabby on Sept 3, 2016 22:25:29 GMT
There used to be lots of mooring just after Tesco on the left by the offices, is that all gone? I stopped at Reading for shopping but I wanted to bosh on a bit because I only have a 7 day Thames licence (which was £43) and that only gives me one spare day to get to Oxford and back onto CRT waters, the cheeky cunts will charge me another £23 if I am a day over my licence expiry date... Everything on the Thames seems to be expensive, I saw red diesel at a couple of places today at £1.40+ a litre.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2016 22:31:13 GMT
There used to be lots of mooring just after Tesco on the left by the offices, is that all gone? I stopped at Reading for shopping but I wanted to bosh on a bit because I only have a 7 day Thames licence (which was £43) and that only gives me one spare day to get to Oxford and back onto CRT waters, the cheeky cunts will charge me another £23 if I am a day over my licence expiry date... Everything on the Thames seems to be expensive, I saw red diesel at a couple of places today at £1.40+ a litre. I used to get diesel opposite Tesco in the boatyard at caversham. I reckon you've missed most of the 48hr moorings owing to your time schedule. What worries me, is the fact that crt would like to model the canals on what can be screwed out of folks on the Thames. I suppose your next cruise stop will be to abbingdon?
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Post by Mr Stabby on Sept 3, 2016 22:40:06 GMT
I stopped at Reading for shopping but I wanted to bosh on a bit because I only have a 7 day Thames licence (which was £43) and that only gives me one spare day to get to Oxford and back onto CRT waters, the cheeky cunts will charge me another £23 if I am a day over my licence expiry date... Everything on the Thames seems to be expensive, I saw red diesel at a couple of places today at £1.40+ a litre. I used to get diesel opposite Tesco in the boatyard at caversham. I reckon you've missed most of the 48hr moorings owing to your time schedule. What worries me, is the fact that crt would like to model the canals on what can be screwed out of folks on the Thames. I suppose your next cruise stop will be to abbingdon? Diesel isn't a problem, I'm well over 3/4 full because I read it was best to do the tidal Thames with a full tank so I filled up at Rickmansworth and filled a 20l container which I topped up with at Limehouse, I was just surprised at the prices because I normally pay about 60p a litre for diesel. I reckon I should be somewhere near Abingdon tomorrow, any recommendations?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2016 22:43:17 GMT
There should be plenty of mooring on the left as you approach Abingdon. It's quite close to the town centre. You'll see some bollards and signs. It used to be 48 hrs and 5 quid a day after.
Also used to be moorings by the nags head on the island.
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