Tidal Thames meet 18-19 Aug 2018

Actually, if LT at Tower Bridge is about midday:

 Limehouse Lock is not available for around two hours either side of low water at London Bridge.


 (takes us approx 6 mins between LB and TB)

http://dodington.net/35.pdf

Handy info for Limehouse

So far there are 7 boats that I know of, hoping for more.
A few people have said they might, but until everyone registers, we don’t really know 

Registration is under the events tab at the top of the page

Basically you are re affirming a comment I made above. If you want to get into limehouse you need to go straight there. Even then it's tricky because the river is flowing fast when you get there.
If you time it to get to Thames barrier at tide turn then there is not enough water over the cill to get into limehouse.
If you go to thames barrier before tide turn then you are fighting tide to get back to limehouse.
The pontoons are big enough for about 6 F23s (3 each side). That means there will be a fair bit of hanging around for some folk maybe.
The challenge would be getting them in without smashing up against the portside wall.

Olive wrote:
When we turn with the tide we can just get back to Brentford but sometimes we've cut it very fine, even in the centre of the river it's tricky not to run aground.

Hi Kate,  I don't understand this....if you turned at the barrier at low tide, i.e. As it's turning then assuming it takes you 3 hours to get back the level at Brentford would be 2 hours above low tide there.

Low water is later the further you get towards Richmond

Usually I'm past the barrier when we turn. Sometimes we go past Gallions Point (another possible mooring spot if you need a marina).

Also, the tide goes out quicker than it comes in. You'll get downstream quicker than you get back

Prof Pat Pending wrote:Low water is later the further you get towards Richmond

Only by one hour...tower/Richmond...which is why I don’t understand why Kate says it’s low at Brentford when she has turned at LT at barrier.

Brentford is 2 1/2 hours after the Barrier

ah ok...one hour is the High Water difference. Sorry.

this gives details. https://pla.co.uk/Safety/Tide-Tables-Average-Time-Differences

I can't commit. If I'm not working we'll join the floatilla. We won't be overnighting/mooring though so we'll leave you (or join you at Limehouse)

Olive wrote:I can't commit. If I'm not working we'll join the floatilla. We won't be overnighting/mooring though so we'll leave you (or join you at Limehouse)

Understable, would love to have you join us

So far we have 8 boats registered for this event

F22 Sloop Tom B - Cancelled 
F23 Anne
F23 Minerva II
F23 Platypus
F26 Freya
F26 Piero Gianni II
F26 Stravaigin
F26 Summer Cloud
F28 Gentle Drift

If you are intending to come please register before the weekend
https://freeman-cruisers.forumotion.co.uk/portal

If you no longer want to come, please let me know before the weekend

Just seen chris Facebook post. I am confused.... are we doing barrier and back to teddington in one day or limehouse and back the next day?

Limehouse and back the next day was the plan

Ok cool..
On your 21 June post above you mentioned there and back and also going to barrier...so wasn’t sure if things had changed. My understanding is if we go past limehouse to barrier we have to fight the tide to return to limehouse and if we time it for tide turn at barrier we wouldn’t be able to get into limehouse.

I’m guessing Chris will liaise with Limehouse on possible entry times, we have to give them various info including draft.

You’ll get an email from me asking for details in the next day or so

Sorry, I've been out of the loop for quite a long time on this.  Limehouse can lock from about 15.30-16.00 on the Saturday so with low tide being 1.30 we will be hanging around a bit below the barrier,this is in the programme as "photo opportunity" I based the cruising and overnight stay on leaving sufficient margin for error, the advice of the only locked marina that would accept a booking and finally one of the few weekends not already occupied by other Freeman meets that the tides were reasonably feasible (I have already apologised to Ken about the early start) 

Chris

We will be going past limehouse at about 11:30 so are we talking another 2 hours out and 2 hours back in? It’s busy down there so not sure we can loiter. I wonder if there is a pontoon we can temp moor on PLA or otherwise? 7 hours is a long time to be stuck on a boat without stretching your legs or any “down time”

Greenwich yacht club have a midstream pontoon I think. I wonder if they have space and allow say 3 up mooring for a break and a cup of tea....probably get thrown about a bit out there but ... worth a shout?
https://www.boatingonthethames.co.uk/Visitor-Moorings

There’s a pontoon at Limehouse, but I don’t know how many boats it can accommodate.

Going past the Barrier will require an insurance upgrade for most if not all of us.

What time are you planning to set off from Teddington Chris? 
High water at Richmond is around 9:00, at our cruising speed we could be looking at 5 hours (not taking flow into account)

Our insurance covers us for estuary, but would think most insurance companies will do an extension for a couple of days.  I think we should aim for 8.30.9.00 latest and suspect taking flow into account we will need to dawdle, think since we're looking like 10 boats max we should do it in a couple of locks so don't anticipate a major problem.

I seem to recall ours is to the Barrier.
No problem paying for an extension, just making sure everyone is aware

PS: we could easily take an hour getting from the Barrier back to Limehouse.
More if we want to take time arrange boats for photos and alike

I guess the next question is....

Do we intend an early start on Sunday morning to arrive back at Teddington by 10 ish, or an afternoon start and arrive back early evening