RUG Information

The Reach User Groups (RUGs) are a way that life on the Thames is coordinated. Most of our activities fall within Reach 16b (Molesey Lock to Kingston Bridge). This is covered by RUG8, which covers the Thames from Teddington to Bell Weir

It is also worth bring to attention the "convey effect" which can be caused within large sail past of motor vehicles (and can also happen near locks.)

A small point on the sail pasts. The actual speed of the sail past is probably only about 3 knots. If you have between 30 – 45 boats in convoy it is inevitable there will be a canal effect with multiple washes hit the bank time and time again and the waves build. Also if there is a strong stream it will affect the upstream passage with more wash. There is also a convoy effect that for a reason not many understand the boats or trucks at the end have to be travelling faster to keep up with the front boats who actually do not alter their speed.

The effect of this is that really for the short time the sail pasts take place it is not tenable for rowing and inexperienced paddlers should also be aware.

If as a kid you ever pulled a Slinky across a rug while holding one end you would notice that the coils close up and spread out at random. The back end is standing still one minute and then moving faster than the front end the next. If everyone in a convoy moves real slow then this stretching and shrinking might not be too bad. The faster one goes the worse it gets. This means that the convoy lead always needs to adjust his speed to take account of the effect.

Our thanks to Michael Shefras (RUG8 Chair till 2013) and Carl Walters, Waterways Technical Operations - South East, Environment Agency for this information.