Bourne End sits in a particularly good stretch of the Thames. Within an easy day you can be at Marlow, Henley, Cookham, or Windsor. The river here is benign compared to estuary work, but it puts a specific set of stresses on a boat that are worth understanding.
Slow running and engine load
The Thames speed limit and the time spent at idle waiting for locks means engines spend a lot of life under low load. Diesels do not enjoy this. Over a season it leads to glazed bores, oily exhausts, and carbon build up. The remedy is an occasional longer run at cruising revs in open water, and a strict annual service.
Cooling stress at locks
Holding station in a queue at Cookham or Boulters with the engine in gear, then surging through the lock cut, is hard on a raw water system. Watch the exhaust water flow regularly. A weak flow when the engine is hot is the first symptom of an impeller or heat exchanger problem.
Silt, weed, and the raw water inlet
- Check the raw water filter after any cruise where you have touched bottom or run through heavy weed.
- Carry a spare impeller and the tools to fit it. They fail when you least want them to.
- If the boat sits at the mooring for weeks, run the engine briefly to clear any silt that has settled in the inlet.
Fuel between Teddington and Lechlade
Fuel points on the Thames are not as frequent as people assume. Bourne End, Henley, Reading, and Lechlade are the most reliable. Plan refuels rather than hoping. A primary filter full of water is the price of refuelling from a lightly used pump, so check the bowl after every fill.
Local support
Oli is based at Bourne End and covers the Thames from London to Oxford. If something stops working mid cruise, a callout is usually possible the same or next day, with no need to move the boat off the river.