Visitors and locals enjoyed a sunny Bank Holiday Monday by the River Thames in Abingdon.
AV Boats opened for the first time in Abingdon on the 5th May 2021 and are hiring out: motor boats, rowing boats, kayaks and canoes, and paddle boards.
Here is one of the AV motor boats next to one of their standup peddle-boards near the bridge.
There were lots of different boats on the river.
There is a sunken boat some way up from Abingdon Lock. Other boats nearby were overgrown with vegetation, and had not moved for a while.
Another sunken boat can be seen at the far end of Wilsham Road.
The Vale of the White Horse introduced a new mooring policy at the end of 2017 to try and make their moorings available for visitors who stay for just a day or two. This did make me wonder whether some boats, that previously stayed at Vale of the White Horse moorings, are now moored at more risky places.
The riverside, riverside bars, and open air pool were not so full this weekend in Abingdon. There were not so many people taking the Salter’s steamers as last weekend.
Last weekend.
This weekend.
Warning notices appeared last weekend along the River Thames in Abingdon and along the mill stream. The cooler weather and faster flowing river, this weekend, should at least reduce the risk from toxic algae.
But nevertheless, please don’t paddel.
On Saturday afternoon a boat was sunk near Margaret Brown Gardens. This picture was taken Sunday lunchtime. By Sunday evening the boat was all underwater.
I read on a boating forum “bout a dozen blokes on the booze came past us in a possibly Shetland 19ft ish boat when we were in the Nags Head garden yesterday afternoon. All sitting on the bow/roof steering with their feet. Mate says to me that’s gonna end in tears.“