Single Handed Through Marina Lock - Tips?

[Cbjroms]

Just sold my sailing boat that was kept on a swing mooring and now planning to put a pilot house type boat into the local marina. The marina has a lock at its entrance and I will need to be able to come in/out on my own most of the time.

The boats that I am considering are between 20ft and 25ft so not particularly big. But I am intending to buy a boat that is in nice condition and keep her that way for many years.

So I am just wondering if those who lock in/out singlehanded could give me a few tips?

Thanks

Chris

 

[benjenbav]

I used to do this a lot when I was in Chichester Marina for nine years. Top tip must be to avoid the busiest times.

Then, work out the challenges of this particular lock. Such as:

Are there staff on hand to help with lines?

Do you need to use your own lines or the lock's? If the former it is much more critical to understand which side you are going to be and insist on that when the lock opens.

Then, just as with putting the boat on a pontoon single-handed if you can quickly get a line on the stern it will usually buy time to get the bow under control. Then you can set bow and stern lines to run as the water level rises/falls.

 

[Johntheoil]

FIRST time.........LOTS of fenders (both sides) and pre-rigged 'breast ropes' ( again both sides).....to temporarily hold you in position. Once you are tied to the lock you have the time to work out what else you need in terms of ropes/assistance, if the lock has 'floating' bollards (or if you need to adjust the lines as the water level changes).
Once you've been through that lock once you will know the set-up, although the conditions will change depending on the wind and which way, and how fast the water is flowing.
If you have the opportunity, it's a great idea to go and watch other boats transit the lock before you do it......you can learn a lots, and it can also be very entertaining

 

[PeterBoater]

If you have them or can fit them, midships cleats with, as has been said, pre-rigged lines, are great as the first 'fix'. If the cleats on one side of the boat are easier to get to from the helm than the other side, than ask the lockie to use that side, "Port side to" or Starboard side to". If there is a wind blowing across the lock, as seems to be the case many times, you might position the boat nicely up against the lockside and by the time you've got outside to the cleats/lines, you've been blown off it, so practise your lassoing, or better still have a long boathook to hand, either to pull the boat back to the lockside or to place a line around the lock cleat. Keep your engine(s) running until you are all fast in case you have to adjust position, and start it/them before you cast off. Don't feel under any pressure from other boaters, they are all pretty understanding when they see you are single-handed.

 

[rafiki_]

Chris, this is all possible, especially if your new boat has a bathing platform, and the lock has floating pontoons, as some do. Some locks, the older ones on rivers, have no pontoons, and you have to pass a warp around a vertical device like a chain or wire rope. In this case, you are better using a boat hook to catch hold. Lots of fenders are needed. The wind is your enemy. You can be lined up to go port or stbd side, then the wind catch your bow at the wrong time.

 

[Momac]

As said - fender up both sides .
Some fenders high and some low in anticipation of the change in need when the water level changes. Make sure the fenders are fat enough to keep the boats rails off the lock sides.
Once a middle rope is on you have the boat under some control. But ropes bow and stern are usually necessary before operating the lock.
But be wary of tying on in a way that could lead to the boat hanging up, when going down.
Operate the sluices in small steps - especially when going up as this as this when there will be the greatest turbulence.
If you are not at all familiar with operating locks I would suggest you enlist the help of a crew member until you learn the best procedure to suit your boat.

 

[Baddox]

Don’t be rushed into slipping the lines until the turbulence has settled once the lock has been turned around. Release the upwind line last, and lead both a stern and bow line back to the cockpit.

 

[Kawasaki]

Here is a Tip
When you locking in our out
If the current is behind you . ie on the stern attaché a stern line first, not a bow line and vice versa.
Sorry if I am trying to get Grannie to suck eggs, as it were, plus all what others have said. I have been in some Locks where there have been no attendants to catch a warp and it is difficult when locking in and to 'catch' a bollard, so I use a method for 'chuckin' a rope. Get one end under yer foot and tother on the vessel, obviously and make some loops in each hand and a 'belly' of rope in between, its amazing how far you can 'lob' a 'lassoo' so far past the 'target' and secure your boat etc

 

[Plum]

Lots of good advice already but as you are going to get a pilothouse type of boat you will need to consider how easily/quickly you can get from the helm to a mooring line. On a typical sailboat cockpit you can often just reach out and put a loop over a shore cleat from a midship cleat and hold the boat alongside using the engine with the helm over until you can get other lines on. With a pilothouse, particularly if she is a motorboat with no keel, in the extra 3 seconds it takes you to get outside the pilothouse a crosswind can easily blow you out of reach of the shorecleat. Always pick the leeward side of the lock if you can. Also, unlike the method of using a line from the midships cleat as described above, position the boat so the midships cleat is right next to a shore cleat and get a line between the two and pull in tight. Motorboat hulls are more straight sided than sailboats so this short midship line alone will hold you without having to return all the way back to the help to engage the engine. Now you have time to add more lines. Hope this helps. What pilothouse boats are you considering?

Colin. Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[theguvnor]

Having seen the wives / ladies on big commercial boats passing through locks in Holland ( 100 meter + & 70 tonnes ) I am in awe of the casual way they operate.

Skipper never leaves the helm - usually reading a paper throughout.

In SLOW - stern line attached & that`s it !

Engine on dead slow - helm hard over - then put the kettle on