River Safety on The Thames with Dittons Skiff and Punting Club
At present when Environment Agency Yellow/Red Boards are displayed members wanting to boat must get approval from:
If Yellow boards ONE member of the River Safety Panel.
If Red Boards, TWO members of the River Safety Panel.
Please see the detail in the Yellow/Red Boards signs below.
The River Safety Panel is made up of experienced members who between them cover all current and recognised boating times. River safety on The Thames is our priority.
Boating is not allowed for anyone:
- If the flow is at 200m3/s or above.
- The water level on our high water mark on the upstream slipway wall must not exceed this mark whether on Yellow or Red board.
- No boating is permitted if a UK Met Office Amber/Red weather warnings are in operation of London and South East England.
Boats going upstream shall not pass under Hampton Court Bridge and going downstream shall not proceed further than Minima Yacht Club (approx. 450 metres above Kingston Road Bridge).
The list of Safety Panel members is on the boat house doors.
Panel members base their decision on the following criteria.
Websites with updates on river conditions
Board Warnings https://www.gov.uk/guidance/river-thames-current-river-conditions
There are two sites that can be monitored for river speed at Kingston
http://www.gaugemap.co.uk/#!Map/Summary/1249/1382
The site that updates circa every 15 mins is below: https://environment.data.gov.uk/flood-monitoring
Weather Conditions i.e. any Storm warnings/Wind against current
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast/
Competence, experience and strength of the member(s) seeking approval including coxes
The safety with which boats can be launched and returned to the hard.
Other conditions to take into account
- Please refer to our Yellow and Red boards notice on this page. They are also displayed as you come into the club, the boat house doors and on the doors to the hard.
- You must comply with the River Safety notices displayed on the boat house doors
- You must get permission to go out from the River Safety Panel, one member if on yellow boards, two members if on red boards.
- You are to contact them via the Crews Whats App Group, stating the planned time of the outing and who you are going out with.
- Do not go out with out written authority.
- Must write name of crew and time of outing on blackboard hanging on boat house door.
- Must REMOVE name from blackboard on returning from outing.
- The Panel member must be advised via the Whats App group when the outing is safely concluded.
- It is advisable for every crew to have one mobile phone in the boat. For example if you need help with a problem with the boat, or a medical problem etc.
- Panel members may decide when taking all these factors into account that a less experienced person may boat but only together with two other experienced members in the same crew but may also give guidance as to the order of the crew to ensure for example than an experienced person coxes downstream. There will be no discrimination based on sex or age.
- Details of group sessions are on the main safety guidance, if safety panel members are part of the group under red and yellow board guidance approval can be given by them for outings.
- If members are made aware of the decision making, then they can check for themselves on the various web sites as to whether or not an outing may be possible before they ask a Panel Member
IF IN DOUBT DON’T GO OUT!
Safety and Confidence on the River
Here are pointers that will assist in gaining more confidence on the river.
If you are unsure about any aspects of safety on the river, please ask any club member.
All members should be familiar with the Code for River Safety, and pay particular attention when the Environment Agency Warning Boards (Yellow or Red) are displayed at Teddington Lock.
Identical yellow or Red warning boards will be displayed at the club for information of members. This information can also be obtained from the River Condition Environment Agency link shown below.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/river-thames-current-river-conditions
This code is mandatory to all and is displayed on the boat shed doors.
For the avoidance of doubt, when the Environment Agency Red Warning Board applies, no crews may boat uncoxed, except in singles. No crews may boat in darkness and must come off the water before darkness falls.
Please be aware of what boats you can use; novices should only use the novice doubles and singles.
If you are unsure, please seek advice.
Tips
Boats
- Get to know the different types of boats
- Be aware of which boats you can use
- Look after the boats & oars and report any damage on the board in the boathouse
Awareness
- Watch 200 yards ahead and behind your boat as crews may not hear or see you
- Be aware of other people’s abilities – for example an in-experienced passenger boat, sailing boats and a Sunday morning hire boat
- Be aware of the capability of your crew – age, strength, concentration and experience.
Steering
- Be aware of the effects of the stream (flow rate of the river)
- To steer in a straight line – select an object far away, above bow or stern and keep it there
- Imagine the course as a line on the water
- Use short pulls on the rudder when the blades are out of the water
- Turn the boat using the stream
Responsibility of the Cox
- Nothing should be done without an instruction or permission from the cox
- Ensure the crew understands basic commands- Easy All, Hold it Up, Back it Down, Bow and Stroke side
Positioning
- Keep to the right
- When skiffing upstream, keep close to the bank
- When skiffing downstream, keep to the right of centre
- If there are sailing boats around, keep to the bank so they can tack short of you
- When starting and finishing an outing, always have the skiff facing upstream and maintain the clockwise circulation pattern in front of the clubhouse