A week on the Thames
Practical Boat Owner|March 2021
Bill Howlett recalls a blissful holiday filled with gymnastics, locks and a very curious cow
Bill Howlett
A week on the Thames

In 1972 my sister, Sue, three of her girlfriends and Richard, a mutual friend, went on a holiday on the River Thames, all of us aged between 19 and 22. What could possibly go wrong? We picked up the cruiser just below Windsor Old Lock and after brief training set off west with the aim of reaching Lechlade, the farthest navigable part of the river, and returning one week later, which the marina owner said wasn’t usually achievable. Now there was a challenge!

Just before the entrance to Windsor Old Lock there was a weir stream joining the river and creating interesting currents that seemed to move the boats around in unpredictable directions. Just below the weir stream is a narrow bridge with only room for a single boat to pass through at any one time.

We were trying to hold position near the weir stream, having successfully navigated the bridge, when we heard a commotion behind us. A small cruiser had managed to get itself at right angles to the river underneath the bridge. The helm was shouting at his crew to grab the boat hook and run forward to push the bow away from the side of the bridge. At the same time, he put the engine into reverse. He then shouted at her to run to the back of the boat and push off against the bridge wall, at which time he put the boat into forward gear. This happened twice more before she flung the boat hook down and, screaming some rude words, disappeared into the cabin. He then did the sensible thing and cut the engine to allow their boat to drift out of the bridge on the current. We were then able to enter the lock with the small cruiser coming in behind us.

This story is from the March 2021 edition of Practical Boat Owner.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the March 2021 edition of Practical Boat Owner.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM PRACTICAL BOAT OWNERView All
Shearwater sloop sailing in the 1960s
Practical Boat Owner

Shearwater sloop sailing in the 1960s

Genevieve Leaper shares her late father John Leaper's recollections-compiled from handwritten notes-of cruising the Channel

time-read
7 mins  |
November 2023
Timing an Atlantic crossing
Practical Boat Owner

Timing an Atlantic crossing

Professional meteorologist and sailor Chris Tibbs shares his knowledge of how to choose the best time to sail 'across the pond'

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2023
Transatlantic first
Practical Boat Owner

Transatlantic first

It's 70 years since Ann Davison became the first woman to sail solo across the Atlantic. Katy Stickland looks back at her achievement

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2023
Going dizzy on an island sailing odyssey
Practical Boat Owner

Going dizzy on an island sailing odyssey

Ken Fowler becomes the first sailor to circumnavigate every island in England and Wales-and all done in a 4m dinghy!

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2023
Boats for coastal cruising
Practical Boat Owner

Boats for coastal cruising

Duncan Kent chooses a selection of the best sail and motor boats under 40ft most suitable for adventurous cruising along the coast

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2023
Industry view on HVO
Practical Boat Owner

Industry view on HVO

The RYA, IWA and CA are working to help recreational boating transition to a Net Zero future, as the CA's

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2023
HVO RENEWABLE DIESEL Myth or miracle?
Practical Boat Owner

HVO RENEWABLE DIESEL Myth or miracle?

A new generation of biofuel that's cleaner, greener, better for your engine and less prone to microbial growth sounds too good to be true... but the facts beg to differ

time-read
8 mins  |
November 2023
Little ships and the wrong sort of waves
Practical Boat Owner

Little ships and the wrong sort of waves

Why the correct manoeuvres for the sea conditions will reduce hogging and sagging stress on both ship and crew

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2023
Watching boats, saving jerseys
Practical Boat Owner

Watching boats, saving jerseys

It's amazing what you can see from a hospital window if it's the right hospital

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2023
Sweating the mooring asset
Practical Boat Owner

Sweating the mooring asset

Sam Llewellyn looks at ways of getting top value out of his boat's swinging mooring

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2023