Navigation
The river is navigable to large ocean-going ships as far as the Pool of London and London Bridge and is the United Kingdom's second largest port by tonnage. Today little commercial traffic passes above the Thames Barrier, and central London sees only the occasional visiting cruise ship or warship, moored alongside HMS Belfast and a few smaller aggregate or refuse vessels, operating from wharves in the west of London. Most trade is handled by Tilbury docks, ro-ro ferry terminals at Dagenham and Dartford, and petroleum products handling facilities at Purfleet, Coryton and Canvey Island.
The tidal part of the river has a speed limit of 8 knots (15 km/h) west (upstream) of the Wandsworth Bridge; east of this point, there is no speed limit although boats are not allowed to create undue wash. An episode of Top Gear in 2007 showed Jeremy Clarkson driving a boat at claimed speeds of up to 70 miles per hour (113 km/h) near Canary Wharf.
The tidal river is used for leisure navigation. In London sections there are many sightseeing tours in tourist boats, past the more famous riverside attractions such as the Houses of Parliament and the Tower of London as well as regular riverboat services provided by London River Services. This section is not suitable for sporting activity because of the strong stream through the bridges.
Rowing has a significant presence upstream of Putney Bridge, while sailing takes place in the same area and also along the coasts of the Estuary. The annual Great River Race for traditional rowed craft takes place over the stretch from Ham to Greenwich. Thames meander challenges along the length of the Thames from Lechlade often pass through the London sections and finish well downstream, for example at Gravesend Pier.
The Grand Union Canal joins the river at Brentford, with a branch - the Regent's Canal - joining at Limehouse Basin. The other part of the canal network still connecting on the Tideway is the River Lea Navigation.
Read more about this topic: Tideway