Notice

Coronation Concert 2023 - His Majesty King Charles III: river restriction notice

Published 26 April 2023

This notice was withdrawn on 20 February 2024

River restriction no longer in force.

When

Friday 5 May 2023 from 9am to 6pm on Monday 8 May 2023.

Where

Old Windsor Lock to Boveney Lock.

General directions for navigation and mooring

Navigation

All boats must navigate in accordance with instructions given from Environment Agency lock staff or patrol launches.

The navigation of all boats (except those authorised by the Environment Agency) will be restricted as follows:

• all boats must navigate at slow speed and with extreme care and caution between Romney Lock and the A332 Queen Elizabeth road bridge.
• no boats may anchor in any position between Old Windsor Lock and the A332 road bridge. Anchoring outside of this area can only be carried out ensuring that no obstruction is caused to the navigation fairway or access to the banks for other boats.
• during the course of normal navigation all boats should use the main fairway and should not pass on the Windsor side of Firework Ait.
• all boats including manually propelled boats should maintain a proper look out at all times.
• powered boats must not stop or loiter in the navigation channel, or otherwise impede or interfere with the navigation of any other boats between Old Windsor Lock and Boveney Lock.
• sailing boats can navigate only with oars following the manually propelled point above, or mechanical power following the powered boats point above, and must not hoist their sail(s).
• no directions contained in this notice shall supersede those parts of Byelaw 24 of the Thames Navigation Licensing and General Byelaws 1993 as may be relevant.

From time to time information regarding navigation between Old Windsor and Boveney Locks may be broadcast on Channel 74 Marine Band VHF.

Please expect delays at the locks and possible restrictions during this time.

We expect the Windsor Reach to be very busy during this weekend. Therefore, we would like to remind river users that whilst navigating under bridges boats going upstream must give way to boats coming downstream. The headway at the highest point of Windsor Bridge is 4.01 metres or 13 feet and 2 inches. Headways are measured above standard head water level of the lock below, therefore the measurements given are for guidance only.

Mooring

Mooring must only take place with consent from the relevant landowner.

We would like to remind all boaters that mooring and landing is prohibited between Albert Bridge and Victoria Bridge on the castle grounds.

Boats must not be moored more than 3 hulls wide at the Brocas Meadow and 2 hulls wide at Baths Island and must not exceed a projection limit of 9 metres. Mooring in other locations must not cause a restriction or obstruction to navigation.

Owners and masters of all boats are reminded that it’s an offence for boats to carry more than twelve passengers unless a valid maritime and coastguard agency passenger carrying certificate is shown on board.

It is an offence to fail to conform with the directions in this notice or to obstruct an officer of the Environment Agency in the execution of their duty or to fail to obey directions given regarding the navigation, mooring or unmooring of any boat.

It is an offence to jump into the river or onto any vessel on the river from any place including a bridge or a highway or dive or swim or bathe in the river in such a manner as to cause obstruction, nuisance, annoyance or risk of danger or injury to persons or property. Bathing or swimming is prohibited at any time between Old Windsor Lock and Boveney Lock.

Before heading out on the water it is important to check that it is safe to do so. View our current river conditions advice.

Byelaws

Nothing contained in these directions shall supersede those parts of the Thames Navigation Licensing and General Byelaws 1993 and the UK Merchant Shipping (Distress Signals and Prevention of Collisions) Regulations 1996 as may be relevant. Particular attention should be paid to byelaws 24-42 of the Thames Navigation Licensing and General Byelaws 1993, Steering Sailing and Speed.

And Notice is hereby given, that it is provided by Byelaw 52 of the Thames Navigation Licensing and General Byelaws 1993 that:

The master of any vessel shall except in an emergency not pass any boat-race regatta public procession or gathering for the launch of a vessel or any other event or function which may cause a crowd to assemble on or by the river nor station his vessel thereon in such a manner as would risk obstructing impeding or interfering with such boat-race regatta procession launching event or function or endangering the safety of persons assembling on the river or preventing or interfering with the maintenance of order thereon.

The maximum penalty for breach of the Byelaws is £1,000.

Read our Thames Navigation Licensing and General Byelaws 1993