Wifey B: Just not enough revenues in it to do more with autorouting for boats today. All possible. So, I present to you a true autorouting challenge.
From the entrance of the Thames River to London is 45 nm.
We start at the entrance. There's the very nice Yantlet Channel with great bouys and marking. Nope, not for us, commercial only. So you ask, what about the Yantlet Secondary Channels on each side. Still nope. I quote: You should keep your recreational vessel well clear of the Yantlet Channel and prior to using the crossing routes marked on this guide call ‘London VTS’ to inform them of your intentions, while adhering to the following procedure whenever possible. Inward from the North – Keep close to the starboard-hand buoys and beacons as you come up the river. At the West Leigh Middle Buoy, cross to the south side of the Yantlet Channel, having first made sure that the fairway is clear. Make for East Blyth Buoy before turning onto the inward track. There is safe water for small vessels to the south of the Mid Blyth, West Blyth, and Lower Hope Buoys. Remember outbound vessels will pass close to the port hand buoys as you continue on the south of the channel. When it is safe, cross back to the starboard side of the river in Lower Hope Reach as quickly as possible. Inward from the South – Keep to the south of the Yantlet Channel well clear of the deepwater route, crossing to the north side in the Lower Hope as described above.
Of course simple to talk and listen on VHF but you have three different channels for the 45 nm. Channel 69 (from the seaward limit to Sea Reach No. 4 Buoy) - Navigational broadcasts are made at 15 minutes and 45 minutes past each hour. • Channel 68 (from Sea Reach No 4 Buoy to Crayfordness) - Navigational broadcasts are made on the hour and at 30 minutes past each hour. • Channel 14 (from Crayfordness to Teddington) - Navigational broadcasts are made at 15 minutes and 45 minutes past each hour. At sea reach 4 you change from 69 to 68. At Crawfordness, about 29 miles in you change to 14.
Now, the two seven year olds were very excited to see traffic lights. There are traffic warning lights at Cliffe and Canvey Island. When flashing, these indicate that large vessels are manoeuvring in this area. A further light at Tilbury gives advanced warning of large ship movements in and out of Tilbury Lock or manoeuvring/turning in Northfleet Hope bound to/from nearby berths. When these lights are activated, you should reduce speed if necessary and keep clear of large manoeuvring vessels.
Then we get to this warning-Inward and outward bound vessels rounding Tilburymess should be aware of strong tidal sets and the presence of
vessels manoeuvring at and swinging for berths in the area, including Tilbury Lock.
Oh and someone asked about tides. See the Thames has up to 23' tides and a current of 5 mph. Kayakers ride the current in and out. As a result all the marinas are behind locks and arrival is generally only allowed something like 2 hours before high tide and 1.5 hours after. Otherwise you're stuck. Put that in your autoroute. At our marina in London, lock times were from 12:04 to 15:34 with high tide at 14:04 and high tides at 22.2'.
Also to your right as you enter you have an Inner Firing Danger area followed immediately by a huge recreational boating area at Southend. Oh, and it has an 8 knot speed limit. So do most tributaries.
Ok, let's assume we made it past the area with the ship channel and past a couple of the big commercial ports. Right past the Stone Ness Lighthouse, there's an area with an 8 knots speed limit "when specified vessels are berthed as broadcast by London VTS".
Then there is one of the coolest freaking things I've seen, the Thames Tidal Barrier. You must contact London VTS and ask for permission to proceed and they will which span to use and it will be shown by green arrows on the piers to either side. It gets a full test about once a month. It's over 1700' long and protects London from floods. It's made up of ten gates, each weight 3300 tonnes (metric). It is 65' tall. About once a month they do a full test closure and reopening. I recall after Katrina there were some who proposed similar protection for Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans area.
Ok, from that point the speed limit is 12 knots. There's also one high speed zone along the way.
The river is filled with every imaginable type vessel from military to commercial shipping to high speed tour boats to kayaks and paddleboards. A cornucupia of excitement. We're at the break between the lower pool and the upper pool and the additional 10 miles or so up we're not going to cover by boat, will see other ways.
Definitely one of the most interesting waterways I've been on, but I can't imagine the task of putting it into an interactive autorouting chart function.
