Currently moored up at Remenham farm, just outside Henley. Another six quid mooring fee, with no water or services provided. So many places on the thames, you pull up, and before you can even bang in your first mooring pin, somebody pitches up with their hand out. In the winter, it was all so much more relaxed.
There are some free spots, but on this stretch they are few and far between. I guess we are lucky to find anything, with the amount of traffic on the river. So, mustn't grumble.We only did a short hop today, because it was baking, and my arms were getting sunburnt. Tomorrow we're hoping to visit Henley briefly to pick up milk. We seem to have left the stupidly large river cruisers with bad attitudes behind us, as the people we met today were all pretty friendly.
Getting through Hambledon lock was a doddle. Much easier than the last time we encountered it. The weir stream was a gentle trickle, and there wasn't any wind blowing. The only stress, was having to move right to the front of the layby, because there were at least a dozen boats stacked up down the river behind us. Bit of a tight angle, and a large audience of icecream slurping sightseers silently willing me to make a pig's ear of things. But, I made it without ramming anybody, or making a fool of myself. Relieved!
An unlicensed vessel we spotted.
Ah, Remenham, one of my favourite mooring spots. Six quid for the length of mooring space you need and I bet it's still six quid for a diddly little plastic job so you could argue you get a bit more value for money! And as much as you decry the big plastic boats I bet they also curse you narrowboats for taking up so much mooring space - I know I used to, LOL!!
ReplyDeleteHi Alleycat, welcome to the blog..
ReplyDelete>>I bet it's still six quid for a diddly little plastic job
yes, it's six quid if you stop in an inflatable for a picnic for an hour. as the three elderly gentlemen behind us found out.
>>so you could argue you get a bit more value for money!
Cliveden deep is only 4 quid. a fiver for Remenham would be reasonable, seeing as there are no services at all. six, just seems greedy.
>> And as much as you decry the big plastic boats I bet they also curse you narrowboats for taking up so much mooring space - I know I used to, LOL!!
that's a fair point. but it's not so much the boats, its the condescending attitude of the owners, sat up there on the top deck of their sightseeing bus. we try to get on with everybody, and have respect for all river users. but the majority of the "too much money" crowd seem to have already jumped to their conclusions about us. for all their wealth, they don't look terribly happy.
You are right though, Remenham is a lovely spot.
Hi Ken & Sheena, the plastic v steel debate will never be resolved I fear. We've done out time with a GRP cruiser and very nice it was too, a lovely boat and a wonderful time tootling up & down between Hampton & Sonning, and next we'll be going for a narrowboat, but at least a couple of years away yet. They each have their merits, and not all plastic owners are grumpy gits although I know very well the sort you refer to - they look down their noses at a lot of "their own kind" too! Anyway, keep up the blog, it's a great read, thank you!
ReplyDeleteHi Alleycat,
ReplyDelete>>not all plastic owners are grumpy gits
absolutely. we've had no problems at all with the 'small' or the 'medium' sized ones (20 to 90K range). they're "boaters", just like us. they've offered to help us moor up, wave, and generally behave like human beings, when engaged in conversation.
>>they look down their noses at a lot of "their own kind" too!
ha.. that doesn't surprise me. as i noted above, they rarely look happy.
>>Anyway, keep up the blog, it's a great read, thank you!
thankyou for reading it. and i hope you've had a good easter.
*waves*