River Thames Guide 25.9

The comprehensive guidebook and navigation tool for exploring the River Thames (from its source to the Thames Barrier) and the Wey Navigation offers detailed insights into route planning, local facilities, and safety considerations. It includes the following key features:

• Thames Map and Guide:
  • Interactive River Map: self-contained with no internet connection required, allowing users to explore the river’s features at any time.
  • Journey Planner: calculates time (at 5, 3, and 1 mph), distance, and lock counts between 102 points along the Thames (including 45 Wey locations).
  • Locks: detailed information on each lock’s specifications and location.
  • Bridges: headway dimensions presented in metres and feet for navigational safety.
  • River Draught: depth of water data for effective planning.
  • Weather Forecasts: current conditions for selected locations, essential for safe navigation.
  • River Conditions: real-time updates on non-tidal and tidal conditions, including closures and restrictions.
• Boating Advice:
  • Rules for Navigating the River: essential regulations for safe operation.
  • Problem Prevention: guidance to mitigate common issues on the river.
  • Emergency Assistance: RNLI-endorsed instructions for handling emergencies such as man overboard, sinking, fire, or drifting situations.
• Interactive River Map: Users can pinch or squeeze to zoom and customize overlays with locks, moorings, boatyards, fuel stations, marinas, pubs, restaurants, accommodations, sanitation facilities, fishing spots, emergency provisions, and bridges. Tapping icons reveals detailed contact information including phone numbers, post codes, maximum stay durations, and more. The map is embedded within the app, ensuring offline accessibility; however, it requires a substantial download size.
• Journey Planner: Selection of start and end points from a curated list of 102 landmarks allows instant calculation of sailing distance, downstream/upstream directions, estimated travel times at different speeds (5 mph, 3 mph, 1 mph), and lock transit details. The Wey Navigation planner includes 45 specific locations.
• Lock Details: Locks are catalogued sequentially from Cricklade Bridge to Teddington with distances to adjacent locks. Tapping a lock provides extensive information such as contact details, technical specifications (width, drop, length), keeper’s hours, and available facilities. Users can also highlight specific locks on the interactive map for ease of navigation. Portage maps are available for sections from Sonning to Teddington.
• Bridge Headways: A comprehensive listing of bridge clearance heights in metres and feet is provided in order. The information is color-coded to facilitate quick assessment of mast height adjustments.

All these functionalities are integrated into the app and accessible offline once downloaded, providing reliable support even in remote areas.

The weather feature offers real-time forecasts for twenty river locations—displaying temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity, visibility parameters, sunrise and sunset times—albeit requiring an internet connection. The current nautical twilight period is indicated to assist with proper maritime protocol.

The river conditions section supplies up-to-date status reports sourced from the Environment Agency for non-tidal waters—denoting conditions as Red, Yellow or Green—and from the Port of London Authority for tidal segments. It includes notifications on closures and restrictions; an internet connection is necessary for this data.

An emergency section endorsed by the RNLI outlines procedures for various critical incidents—including man overboard scenarios, sinking vessels, fires onboard boats, or drifting—highlighting the importance of pre-briefing before setting out or completing relevant training courses for optimal response preparedness.

The guide also features contextual tips throughout each page aimed at assisting users in planning journeys effectively and finding local amenities such as dining options and accommodations.