Dutch or any other locks for that matter

[johnalison]

All the excellent advice as above. The single important one is that the crew take the stern line to the boat's widest point.

I don't think anyone has mentioned: look at the water carefully as you enter the lock to see if there is any current.

Don't worry too much about which level the bollard is. It is usually a simple matter to change to another level if necessary.

Look as if you are enjoying yourselves. Bluff if necessary.

 

[Wunja]

At this time of year not everything is running normally. Bridges may not be manned, sport locks not in operation. Check in the almanac for details of running times. You can book a bridge lift in advance if its not in normal operation, phone numbers in the almanac.

At the entrance to the lock there is normally a waiting pontoon, often with an intercom to the lock controller - they really don't like you using the intercom! Alternatively motor round in circles. Entrance is normally traffic light controlled. You aren't supposed to enter until the light is green. Often you will see boats at ramming speed on red and green to be met by 10 yachts exiting!

Anything around a bank holiday, and you need to be.... determined.. to get in the lock, because the other 30 boats will want to get in there before you.

I hate to contradict Sailorman, but never tie off on a bollard in a lock. When you drop and are out of reach of the bit of wire.... Always run a continuous length of rope around the bollard and be prepared to let out.

Apart from that, I think Gwylan's advice pretty much sums it up.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

but if a fee is involved, you will see the traditional clog-on-a-string dangling down...

Starting out with a bagful of € coins to put some in each dangling clog will ease your passage.

 

[aluijten]

Starting out with a bagful of € coins to put some in each dangling clog will ease your passage.

Maybe in Friesland it will. For the rest of Holland you will be annoyed by the eight you are carrying all day. For me I have seen a dangling clog in front of me only once now.... at a bridge in Friesland.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Maybe in Friesland it will. For the rest of Holland you will be annoyed by the eight you are carrying all day. For me I have seen a dangling clog in front of me only once now.... at a bridge in Friesland.

I got clogged a couple of times around Gronigen as well.

 

[mick]

Use as many fenders as you can carry. When we go through the Crinan Canal we are so well fendered that people point and laugh, but we don't care, for we are safe.

 

[johnalison]

I got clogged a couple of times around Gronigen as well.

Most of the Frisian towns charge. Dokkum and Leeuwarden amongst them.

Keep binoculars handy to read notices well before you get there.

 

[Daydream believer]

Mainly good advice above.

Do not ever try to mix it with the commercial barges, let them go in first and out first if they need to. They are doing a job, you are having fun.

.

Yes but if you are told to go in then the lock keeper decides to let this fellow follow you into the lock ( the small one by the way) it makes a mockery of the " stop before the end advice"
We were rammed right up the front & sustained the first bit of damage in 11 years of ownership
the ship's helm was good though & gave me a chance to take the dan buoy out before he snapped it

View attachment 40154

 

[Stork_III]

Brilliant everybody, thank you. First lock is going to be vlissingen, so rings it is. I will certainly press one or two crew for the first few times.

I will report my experience. Many thanks again.

This time of year the Sport lock, normally used by small boats may not be in use, and you may have to use the large commercial lock, pick up points may be few and far between. At Flushing the sport lock has vertical chains with floating baulk of wood, chains pass through it. Good ised is to use a fender floating on water to keep hull away from the wood. Don't remember the next lock having floating wood as described by sailorman, in summer it has lines strung along wall to get hold. Good Luck.

 

[LadyInBed]

I wrote this after doing the French canals.


On the subject of Locks: Don't use 'good' mooring lines, as they will only be fit for throwing away at the other end! Always ensure you have a good sharp knife to hand on the 'down' locks, as on some of them the pointing between the 'edge' stones is non-existent, and the last thing you want is for a mooring line to 'lock in' and leave your boat hanging, or pull out a deck fitting!

UP Locks

In up locks you must always tie off bow and stern, but then you have options: As you enter the lock one climbs the ladder (it can be on Lt, Rt. or both or not at the entrance end but at the far end!) taking both lines with you if single handed, or just the stern line if there is a crew. In either case lock off the stern line to kill any remaining way, then collect the bow line and make it off. The options now are, as the boat rises, to tighten the lines from the lock side bollard or ring end by the person who went 'ashore', or to tighten from the boat end, always via a cleat or a fair lead and winch. NEVER try to hold even a small boat without a turn around something first. As the sluice opens, first you get a cross current, then a back current. This makes the boat very unhappy! If you don't keep your lines fairly tight, your boat ends up in the middle of the lock. With hanging lines in the lock they are normally made off at the bottom end, so you put loops around the hanging lines, take them back onboard and make them fast. Ensuring they don't snag as the boat rises. In some of the deeper locks the lock keeper will pass down a line or pole with a hook on the end. You then tie a LARGE loop in the end's of your lines, hook them on and the lock keeper will pull them up and throw the ends over bollards. In other deeper locks there are floating (rising) bollards. Just tie on and enjoy the ride! Or if single handed, make a coffee. Only the big locks have traffic lights Red = wait. Red & Green = they are getting the lock ready for you. Green = enter

DOWN Locks

Much easier and less tiring. If you have to wait for the lock to open, the tie up points are always much better. You will need lines just over twice the depth of the lock. When you enter the lock you just step off holding both lines, if you have crew, lock off the stern line to kill any remaining way, then take the bow line and just pass it round the bollard (or through the ring) and take the free end back on board. Unlock the stern line and take the free end back with you on board. Then just feed out the lines as the boat drops. If you are single handed, you only need one line, made off at the boat end about two thirds of the way back along the length of the boat, then proceed as above.
A few "gotcha's": Rig your planks right down at water level, as some locks are very full. Ensure the free end is on top of, or clear of the end of the line that is taking the strain. Other wise it can lock up and hang the boat. With iron rings, the weight of the ring chafes the line. Find a stone and put it under the ring to take its weight, and allow your line to run free. Remember what I said about the edge stones, and sharp knives. In other deeper locks there are floating (Falling) bollards. Just tie on and enjoy the ride. On the big River locks, watch out for the current pushing you toward the wier, especially if you have to wait. And when entering these locks, be careful if there is a following wind. Stopping can be difficult, with the current pushing you as well, especially if your boat is unpredictable in reverse.

Automatic locks

Don't enter on a Green caused by someone leaving the lock in the opposite direction to you. Wait for them to leave, the light to turn Red and the gate to close. Then motor to the pole hanging in the middle of the canal, twist it and wait for the gate to open and the light to go green again. Otherwise you can get stuck in the lock!

 

[sailorman]

This time of year the Sport lock, normally used by small boats may not be in use, and you may have to use the large commercial lock, pick up points may be few and far between. At Flushing the sport lock has vertical chains with floating baulk of wood, chains pass through it. Good ised is to use a fender floating on water to keep hull away from the wood. Don't remember the next lock having floating wood as described by sailorman, in summer it has lines strung along wall to get hold. Good Luck.

i could be wrong , its quite a few yrs since i have been through it

 

[johnalison]

Baulks of wood are quite common in locks used by ships. It is very hard to fend against them because fenders always pop up but their saving grace is that the wood is always soft and sodden and doesn't see to leave a mark if contact is made.

 

[zimp58]

Several Dutch locks are between fresh and salt water. There can be a significant current in that locks caused by the difference in density between fresh and salt water.
A rule of thumb is from fresh to salt first fasten the aft lines. From salt to fresh first fast the mid or the forward lines.

As already mentioned, keep you knife ready and have plenty of fenders to hand.

 

[Daydream believer]

Several Dutch locks are between fresh and salt water. There can be a significant current in that locks caused by the difference in density between fresh and salt water.
A rule of thumb is from fresh to salt first fasten the aft lines. From salt to fresh first fast the mid or the forward lines.

.

So how is a stranger supposed to know which is which?

 

[AngusMcDoon]

So how is a stranger supposed to know which is which?

The salt water is at sea level, the fresh water isn't.

 

[sailorman]

Several Dutch locks are between fresh and salt water. There can be a significant current in that locks caused by the difference in density between fresh and salt water.
A rule of thumb is from fresh to salt first fasten the aft lines. From salt to fresh first fast the mid or the forward lines.

As already mentioned, keep you knife ready and have plenty of fenders to hand.

Twas quite different in the sluis between the Volkerak & the Harringfleet when the separated the waters with compressed air bubbles

 

[AliM]

If I were the OP, I'd be terrified by all that advice.

They are an awful lot easier than all that lot sounds. All locks (that we have encountered anyway) have been beautifully maintained and very efficiently run. In slack periods, the lock keeper has often come out to chat to us and take our lines, and often other on- lookers and other boat owners help too, whether you need it or not.

The clogging - Bruggeld - has been restricted to bridges through towns, the ones Johnalison said plus a few more on the same stretch between Harlingen and Lauwersmeer (but I expect there are others in bits of canal that we haven't used) and it is pretty obvious - they have notices warning you well in advance.

Please don't get worried about the locks - you will mess up a few, everyone does, but it's all very friendly and there is little opportunity to make a serious cock-up!

 

[Stork_III]

Twas quite different in the sluis between the Volkerak & the Harringfleet when the separated the waters with compressed air bubbles

They are both fresh water, maybe to keep out the green algae that the Volkerak suffers in summer? Can't say I noticed the bubbles on the many times I have used the sluis.

 

[sailorman]

They are both fresh water, maybe to keep out the green algae that the Volkerak suffers in summer? Can't say I noticed the bubbles on the many times I have used the sluis.

they were not in the early 80s the Volkerak was salt as the St Phillips Dam was still being built

 

[Stork_III]

If I were the OP, I'd be terrified by all that advice.

Please don't get worried about the locks - you will mess up a few, everyone does, but it's all very friendly and there is little opportunity to make a serious cock-up!

Unless you have to use the commercial locks, big enough to turn around in, reversing out is fun.:encouragement: