Post Covid Lock Etiquette?

[LimL]

So everywhere is on public power. You approach a lock going upstream; a boat (boats) have just come out of the lock heading downstream. But Oh No, somebody else waiting at the lock head to also go downstream has already closed the tail gates, closed the sluices and started the filling cycle. Without even checking to see if there are boats waiting!!!

Happened on two consecutive locks earlier today. Is this the new trend then, without lockies to manage/ arbitrate?

Come on boys and girls, show some intelligence/ respect!

 

[Mark26]

It has always happened on public power, most of the time I like to think they just don’t look.
To engrossed in getting through themselves?
excited?
lack of experience?

One can never tell experience by looking at the boat.
I had a 40? (Mine is a 30 foot steel cruiser and he was a lot bigger than me) foot steel cruiser come towards me in a narrow lock cut the other day, both of us moving slowly towards each other on the right side of the fairway, when he saw me he instantly moved over to his left side of the cut putting us both on a course for a head on collision.
Looking at the boat I would have thought it was an experienced skipper and I was safe.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

Someone closed Marsh lower gates as I was motoring towards them (50ft away). I have an unusually loud train horn on the boat so was able to reverse the situation quite quickly.

Another event at Marlow two boats just went past me into the lock failing to notice I had untied and was making my way towards the lock, being the first boat to arrive and therefore moored right at front of Layby.

It is a bit awkward relying on boat users to know what they are doing. They often don't...

 

[oldgit]

Can be very very difficult , especially if you can see a long way down the river. How close does somebody have to be before you wait.
Sometimes worth waiting in the lock for somebody else to help you through and then a boat appears from the opposite diretion.

 

[Old Crusty]

I expect the poor etiquette is due to the belief that it's their turn to go through the lock with no regard to using the chamber and water efficiently. Obviously, being on the river, they'll be in a rush to get somewhere. Me, me, me.

 

[TrueBlue]

It's all these folk who never cruise out of hours - thus have no clue how the system works when there are no lockies around.
We ALWAYS check to see if there's anyone behind / or coming in the opposite direction before working the lock.
It courtesy as well as good practice.

Mebe it's because we have a WSOB and our rules are different.....

 

[Outinthedinghy]

I was a bit surprised at Marsh because my boat was already off the lower lay-by and about 50ft from the actual lock as the geyser was closing the bottom gates, by hand, which I had just opened by hand a few minutes earlier in order to get my boat into the lock !!!