No_Regrets
regular
Reged: 09/07/2007
Posts: 1387
Loc: Welwyn Garden City, Herts UK.
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Despite the weather, 'No Regrets' will be taking a trip to Henley, possibly beyond, with a party of six today.
I doubt any of you with Sport cruisers would dare venture out in such a torrent, but if anybody has a roof n'wipers*, we look forward to seeing you!
Wet photos to follow 
*And are as stupid as we are....
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The scourge of Windsor, and notorious founder member of the 'Upper Thames Birchwood Massive' now outlawed by the EA and River pressure groups, currently planning a nice comfy retirement in the aft cabin of a Broom.
Now can anybody recommend any non-marking slippers?
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jaws
regular
Reged: 27/04/2003
Posts: 163
Loc: Watford
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You should have gone to the ATYC dinner dance and moored up at the Phyllis Court Club. Excellent evening out with only a bit of pomp and ceremony. All good fun though. A couple of our members ventured up from Bray by boat.
Even worse weather today. So windy I can see white horses on the river!
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http://www.braycruiserclub.co.uk
Help save your local lock keeper www.saveourservice.org
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pheran
regular
Reged: 23/09/2002
Posts: 2775
Loc: Home Berkshire, boat in Hollan...
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The Henley reach can get extremely windy. On one sunny but very blowy afternoon a few years back, I remember seeing a chap stretched out on a cheap plastic blow-up bed on top of a tupperware hire boat. A sudden gust lifted the guy bodily into the air and dumped him in the river. We stood by to pick him up if necessary but the bed took off and was half-way to London before we could get under way.
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What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure." (Samuel Johnson.)
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ARCMarineEveryman
regular
Reged: 06/12/2005
Posts: 444
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Just been to Oxford for Henley's U13 County rugby final, which was cancelled. Fields around Iffley/Hinkley much under water, expect we'll get it down here by Tuesday.
IanC
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Chris_d
regular
Reged: 15/06/2001
Posts: 1613
Loc: Oxfordshire
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Its rising fast, went down this morning to work on the engines, river was few inches above normal. When I poked me head up to get off, the landing stage had dissappeared 
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ARCMarineEveryman
regular
Reged: 06/12/2005
Posts: 444
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Just been over the bridge, starting to flow, it's up, and white horses on the waves, pretty bleak.
IanC
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Gavi
regular
Reged: 01/06/2006
Posts: 1575
Loc: Sunny Staines
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Thanks for the warning - Shikara is now on the back mooring (risers) as I'm away for a few days and SWMBO might not notice until it is too late... the wind might subside but it doesn't take much rise for the front mooring to become a liability.
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No_Regrets
regular
Reged: 09/07/2007
Posts: 1387
Loc: Welwyn Garden City, Herts UK.
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We're back!
Wooh....what a lucky day.
A quick 'flag check' (I use 'em as windsocks in the Marina, logical, but I never thought of it until Scott from Thames Boat sales gave me the tip) showed it was going to be an easy departure from the pontoon, and we were off perfectly and headed downstream, towards Sonning.
Just before the lock, the water was incredibly choppy, and we saw the dreaded 'Reds' up on the lock gate, thought better of it, and headed back towards Caversham lock to see if our luck would change.
Sadly, still on Reds, but we worked the unmanned lock anyway, and went upriver past Reading, and moored up on the leeward bank for some lunch in the cabin.
Surprisingly, the little Birchwood coped just fine with six diners and a cabin full of tucker, and an hour later, wind rising, we headed back downstream on a very light throttle at about twelve knots  (under ten joking aside, but we needed steering way, so way over 5mph)
We got a bollocking from the locky at Caversham, and a 'Red board' info sheet for daring to venture out with the 'River running like a racehorse' (Must have been an ex Windsor bod) but we pointed out the fact we had been through already, and despite a bit of flow, we were comfortable enough with regard to safety and the boats capability, and he mellowed a bit.
A stroke of luck upopn return to T&K meant the wind had changed direction, and we wafted gently onto the finger as if we had been doing it for years! Phew!
Switching from a sport cruiser was a good move in this weather, with the only advantage being the sheer manoevrability of the stern driven Shamby, especially in reverse. On a hot sunny day, the open cockpit would be nice, but not this time of year.
We only saw a couple of other boats, so obviously sanity levels are slightly defective.... 
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The scourge of Windsor, and notorious founder member of the 'Upper Thames Birchwood Massive' now outlawed by the EA and River pressure groups, currently planning a nice comfy retirement in the aft cabin of a Broom.
Now can anybody recommend any non-marking slippers?
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Ramage
regular
Reged: 09/07/2006
Posts: 575
Loc: Hampton Hill
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Yaay! Go Birchwood!
Sadly I was at LHR working all day today, but SWMBO & Alex the ROBO were at HMS Bristol in Portsmouth. They were consolidating what they had previously learnt on their Powerboat 2 course by bombing around the harbour in Ribs in a Force 5 wind!
No red boards though.............
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Paul
http://www.braycruiserclub.co.uk/
http://www.birchwoodboats.aceboard.com/
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