Two Fines in One Week! Winter Mooring Troubles on a River

Winter on a narrowboat on the river Thames is the adventure we chose this season. What we didn't expect is to receive two mooring fines in a space of two days.
🎬 Episode 115
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[@CruisingAlba]

Thank you to everyone for watching and commenting! We’d love to chat more and get to know you all! If you’d like your questions answered in real time, be on video calls with us, make new friends and help us to create these videos weekly join our community on Patreon bit.ly/supportcruisingalba 👕👚 Also check out our organic clothing store cruisingalba.com/

[@anniemac3075]

To be honest I'd be heading back to the canals, more peaceful & less trouble plus the fuel boat. Good luck whatever you do.

[@fp30e]

Hi Marina, Myles. Happy Birthday Marina. Loved your Tea Pot/Cup combo. Barcelona looked really nice. Very sorry you got Fined on the Thames. Loving the updates at the start of the Vlog. Thank you for a very interesting and well edited Vlog. Have a lovely week. Take care.

[@robinblackmoor8732]

That thing is fantastic. the cup is warmed as the tea is brewed in the pot. I want one so bad now. Before watching this I did not even know that was a thing. What a clever idea.

[@anthonywillis7613]

Oh dear....even above Teddington the Thames floods most winters and flows fast. In addition all sorts of debris floats down and some of it is large. I moored my boat in Walton marina over winter and because of the Spring debris I did not venture out until mid spring. Anyway I wish you look but please take care.

[@tayksy]

So happy to see you're still keeping the boat rocking, much love from Sweden - Tay

[@CruisingAlba]

Awww hi Tay, so good to hear from you 💜 Hope you guys are all good xx

[@wildliferox2]

Hi, love your updates. Have done a bit of coastal (way back) but not inland waterways, so fascinated to learn about your experience. Most Insurers don't cover moving during red boards is my understanding so wanted to give you the heads up, best check your policy cover to be on the safe side otherwise, happy motoring.

[@johnthomas5966]

To be honest I would be very, very, very nervous spending winter on the Thames. We take our boat out of the water and when we have not it's not gone well. It floods a lot and often the current is unnavigable. Hence your problem fighting the current on red boards. A couple of years ago it was red boards for 4 months so you would be stuffed for water as if you try to cruise on red boards if your max speed is less than the current nor not far off you can't go upstream at all nd downstream you can't steer because you are being propelled at 10kph by the current and get flung onto trees and banks. Note also that when it floods on the Thames the water level at the low end of a lock is the same as the high end which is about 1ft higher than normal level so for example the moorings at Goring, although in some places 2-3ft above normal river level are a couple of feet underwater in flood and once in flood there is always a strong current so you can't escape. If you are on a mooring where the water floods over the bank (e.g. Pangbourne) then you get lifted up onto what is normally land and find yourself with a 100yd paddle to dry land (eg the play park in Pangbourne) then suddenly when the water goes down you are beached. That's why no-one moors on Pangbourne meadow in winter. The only way to avoid this is tall mooring poles which stop you floating onto land but don't solve the paddling problem. I am not familiar with Henley in winter but it is just below the lock so I imagine it floods onto the flood plain onto the park area. Are you sure other narrowboaters happily winter at Henley? Have you had a dead cert recommendation?. Have a chat with the lock keeper at Marsh lock he will know how risky it is. But my strong advice is to head for the K&A ASAP. In short in Summer the Thames is a pussycat and much easier than the canal. In Winter the Thames is really dangerous compared to the canalised part of the canal.

[@caroleketelsen5445]

I enjoyed your vacation thank you for sharing the music was lovely too

[@gregzeszotarski9927]

Happy Birthday, looks like you guys had a wonderful time.

[@weezerr2d283]

Thanks for the video…awesome ship 🚢…better luck on the fines …stay safe and take care !!

[@ralphwood5875]

Hi Marina, not a nice present for your birthday but many happy returns just the same, glad you escaped to Barcelona to celebrate,it is a fascinating City with lots to offer at any season. I hope you enjoyed the course ,you didn't say what it was for but knowing you I bet it was something interesting. Nice wintry vlog but delightful as ever. Take care love to you both XX

[@robinblackmoor8732]

It is funny, you went to Spain for a birthday, and as an American I would like nothing better than to go to England for my birthday. The country you do your daily living in would be my dream vacation spot. Perspective is a funny thing. Stuff you might fine to be boring would be vacation activity for me.

[@bstr-ey6wl]

pretty tense. Be well guys ❤.

[@nbwakamatandoto4127]

Rivers seem much harder work than the canals, especially in winter 😢

[@michaelbewley7178]

A canalboat video that takes me to Barcelona!! Loved it!!

[@CruisingAlba]

Hehe it could take you to Slovenia and Greece too 💜 xx

[@sheilajoseph9953]

Lovely vlog. ❤

[@CruisingAlba]

Thanks so much for watching 💜 xx

[@suegurney4666]

I love the teapot and cup,!

[@Improveng1]

Nice one guys. Very mean spirited of the authorities to hit you twice with a mooring fine, if they're going to change the rules, the least they could do, is let people know. Barcelona looked fantastic as did tje Swedish ship, thanks for taking us along. Continued success and hassle-free mooring.

[@tomf4547]

There's def a big hippy community on the canals 😅

[@alex-E7WHU]

Yep, it's a really great community spirit. I miss it immensely.

[@MrJimpaint7]

good luck

[@paulinehiggins8239]

Again brilliant, thanks guys. I’m sure it was you that had that Perspex that you put on the door, do you still have it? I thought it was a brilliant idea, I was telling someone about it a few days ago. Be safe and see you next week. 💕

[@gabrielecox365]

Dear Marina, a belated Happy Birthday 🎉 to you. Keep Armand safe.

[@gabrielecox365]

Should have been „Keep warm and safe“ …. Autocorrection …🙈

[@jraphael7044]

So frustrating when mooring rules change. Could be so easy to let you know the current rules when you pay. Seeing Montserrat bought back memories. At Easters a group of us cycled across Spain. The first day we rode from Barcelona airport and slept on the hillside above the monastery. The climb up there was brutal! But the views amazing.

[@andrewwood2294]

Beautiful people 🤗🤗

[@troyw8338]

If you want to see a full tour of the ship, MAROBROTHERS channel from Spain did a full video tour of the ship a month ago. Spain is so beautiful, I'm sure you had a wonderful time. 😊

[@PaulGodfrey]

Towards your unexpected expenses. Thanks for the video.

[@CruisingAlba]

Aww thanks so much Paul, that's very kind of you! 💜 xx

[@simon-nb-Betsyray]

Hi M&M great vlog again this week. Nice to see ur little break to Barcelona and the surroundings areas why was Myles holding on to a Thomas the tank engine toy in the old boat?

[@terencehooper2448]

Is there nothing available to be able to filter and use river water?

[@glennsunman9859]

Hi Myles and Marina , How much is a mooring fine? We are hoping to come on the Thames next year so we are worried we can’t afford it

[@davidjohnfarrell4579]

Marina. How do you get your car from the last mooring to the next. And how near to Alba can you usually park. Best wishes Dave Farrell

[@almolloy5817]

TWO tickets? Wow, you two are the new British Bonnie and Clyde! lol

[@Besotted85]

Parking Tickets on a boat lol. I didn´t know that!

[@CruisingAlba]

We didn’t either! 😂

[@johnmac6202]

Hi to Alba, Well a week flies by, You have had a birth day, been to Montserrat and Barcelona great, for what I could see awesome. And you have been pinged by a water traffic warden, Did you have to pay for parking? I hope not.. Blessings to you both John in New Zealand. I have a girl friend in Spain.......

[@andrewoldfield6177]

Great vid, please could you tell me where I can get that mug and teapot set? It looks great

[@CruisingAlba]

Hi Andrew its from a shop called T2

[@janwaller3585]

Belated Happy Birthday 🎉🎂

[@CruisingAlba]

Aw thanks Jan 💜 xx

[@lyndamorrissey6646]

My you have come along 115 eposodes seen right from the very first

[@paulturner7837]

Glad you had a nice birthday Marina,we’ve been to Montserrat and you did say it correctly or we’re both wrong 😂 sorry to hear you got fined. Are there no free moorings on the Thames?

[@garry9999]

If you need any help I live in Slough, not the most gorgeous of places but it's home. Fined in Henley when there was not any other craft waiting to moor, money for old rope as they used to say. Loved the rep ship but on hearing g it had engines it took the magic away for me. Stockholm is the place to be if you want to see a real ship of the period. It sank on its maiden voyage and laid under water for hundreds of years until it was salvaged. Almost complete except some of the cannons where missing. Stay warm n cosy you two. x

[@gabrielecox365]

Sorry to desillusion you. There are lots of replicas of historic ships about. But they all have engines. One of the main reasons is safety.

[@garry9999]

@@gabrielecox365 thank you for your reply I am not delusioned, its just how I see it and how I imagined how it should be. But you're right engines are for the safety aspect and other things and I appreciate your view on things. I see it that a sailing ship of the period even a replica should not have engines.

[@alexandersinclair9006]

@@garry9999 so screw the crew safety for the history ok. Nice to see human life means so little to you if history is at stake.

[@garry9999]

@@alexandersinclair9006 don't get so wound up. You have your preferences I have mine. You don't want to be screwed now do you. Like I said I like ships with sails to have no engines. And as we move on with tec the wind and sail is the modern way ahead, like it was all those centuries ago.

[@joysoflifeafloat]

So what happens if it's red boarded as technical you shouldn't move when the Thames red boarded as they will invalid your insurance tbh I avoid the Thames for this reason and spent another year on the k&A winter mooring 😊 thanks for sharing great vlog

[@michaelcook4194]

Did Thomas enjoy the boat? 🤣

[@davidlogan4329]

HI MYles and Marina. Thanks for the lovely footage of around Barcelona. I wanted to say I'm so sorry you were fined twice. I think that's very mean. Stay warm and well. Best to you both, David

[@ThreeFineWonders]

Hey watch out moving on red boards. Very courageous but… I think insurance is invalid?

[@peterstanley1314]

It would seem that your idea of staying on the river in Winter is flawed, you cannot just moor up and stay anywhere hoping to avoid paying or overstaying and hoping to avoid a fine or multiple fines. Winter can be vicious on the Thames and it would be far safer and cheaper to get back to the canal system, may look OK right now, but after the New Year the river may go back into flood. Do you have a Gold CRT Licence?, maybe what you really want is a permanent River Thames mooring, that will really cost you though even if you could find one that was affordable.

[@NomadicNight]

They weren't avoiding paying or overstaying intentionally. The authorities who fined them changed the rules from last year, and then, without informing them, they fined them for an unknown rule change.

[@NomadicNight]

Hi. How much were the fines please ? - i don't want to end up in this situation and have to pay a fine. Thanks.

[@davebayliss3142]

“Sounds like a clock “.. who’d have thought a bell sounding like a bell 🤷‍♂️ 🥴🥴🥴🥴

[@ianclarke8821]

Did I miss it? Were you actually fined? If so, how much?

[@MarcelEling]

I thought Henley was a nice place t be:) Very strictly by the rules that are changed. But congrats with your birthday

[@alex-E7WHU]

Better off on the lea and stort, nice rivers.

[@kenmackenzie7338]

Shame, can you not make an appeal? I might have missed a previous vlog in which you mentioned the charges for staying on the themes. Could you possibly let us know again?

[@bernardhilton3527]

How much did the robbers charge you?

[@CruisingAlba]

£75 each

[@chrismoon7518]

I dont think its wise to winter on rivers: the need for getting water and supplies makes you take risks and your insurance may be invalid moving on reds.....

[@bobmason83]

Hey , where did you get your tea thing from , from the intro . My mum would love that for crimbo 👍

[@CruisingAlba]

Hi Rob, its a present from Myles from many years ago. he bought it from T2 shop. 💜 xx

[@bobmason83]

@@CruisingAlba thats cool , im goina to have a look for something similar. reminds me of when your granny would make a pot of tea :)

[@gordonblythe1828]

@@bobmason83 l