single handing coming into a lock

[Birdseye]

So you are single handed and coming into a lock to tie up at the pontoon. How do you arrange your ropes and what ropes do you use?

In particular which rope do you get on first?

And what is your boat because there is a world of difference between a 20 footer with a tiller and a 40footer with high topsides and a wheel. Its the latter thats giving me a problem.

 

[dom]

I often do this in Port Solent, P'mouth Harbour. Attach a line to stern cleat and then to midship cleat (forward one if two). Allow a bight in the rope so as to come in as far as mid-wheel when taught. Attache a second emergency spring to the same mid-cleat.

Enter the lock and lob the bight over a handy cleat leaving the engine in forward gear with low throttle and the wheel dead ahead. Boat will lie perfectly alongside for you to sort the other lines. If it goes tits, just use the bow spring as a back-up.

 

[NickRobinson]

A floating lock pontoon is much easier than vertical chains.
Option 1/ go in slow and step ashore holding bow and stern lines 'outside everything' previously rigged.
Option 2/ long warp from cockpit to midships cleat or in my case stanchion and a loop back outside everything so the solo Skip can drop it over a pontoon cleat adjacent to the cockpit.
keep in gear FWD with the helm steering away from the pontoon (I use a line) and the Skip can step ashore to sort more lines, but often not necessary for a few minutes

 

[Birdseye]

Option 2/ long warp from cockpit to midships cleat or in my case stanchion and a loop back outside everything so the solo Skip can drop it over a pontoon cleat adjacent to the cockpit.
keep in gear FWD with the helm steering away from the pontoon (I use a line) and the Skip can step ashore to sort more lines, but often not necessary for a few minutes

Tried this twice today and it was messy. I used a line from the midships cleat, loop round the pontoon cleat than back to the boat via the unused spinny guy block near the midships cleat and then to a sheet winch. On both occasions I ended up winching the boat into the pontoon as it went walkabout to the full extent of the loop. OK my way means twice as much to pull in to get it tight but it does mean I am able to use a winch and its easier to lasoo the cleat on the pontoon.

 

[PaulRainbow]

33 foot Westerly Discus, wheel steering. I basically use Nicks number 2 method.

My lines have spliced eyes in one end, i drop the eye over the midships cleat, pass the bitter end under the guardwires, forward of the cleat, and take the bitter end and the loop of line back to the cockpit. The loop is completely outside of everything and the end of the rope runs along the side deck. The loop reaches to about the stern of the boat and the end is tied off.

Enter the lock and throw the loop over a cleat, leave the engine ahead and the helm slightly away from the side of the lock. She'll sit there all day. I find it's usually enough to add a short stern line and turn the engine off. When you want to leave, start the engine, put it in gear, release the stern line and slip the midship line.

You can also achieve similar results with a stern line (drop it over a cleat and leave the engine in gear) but you cant stop as short as the midship method and the bow turns away from the lock side more.

 

[pvb]

Don't mess about with lines to winches. Just have 3 lines ready to use, on bow/midships/stern cleats. Motor in, get close to side, stop boat, use line on midships cleat and loop over pontoon cleat, tie it off tight. Residual slight momentum of boat should swing bow in towards pontoon, drop a bow line over cleat and tie it off, leaving a couple of metres of spare. Walk back to helm, use forward gear and rudder to swing stern in to pontoon (also thruster if you have one). Secure stern.

If you have a strong wind from astern, attach the stern line first.

 

[Sandmartin]

When single handing through a lock (ecluse), as I have done may times, one needs to be prepared for any eventuality. I have a loose rope conected bow to stern and also one on midship cleat. Both lead up to flybridge. If it is an easy lock then the single misdhip cleat rope can hold you until you sort yoursef out. If difficult get the loose rope connecting fore and aft over a bollard, you can then move fore and aft (and still be connected) until you can get to suitable position. Of course you have a boat hook ready to put the rope over the bollard.

 

[NickRobinson]

Tried this twice today and it was messy. I used a line from the midships cleat, loop round the pontoon cleat than back to the boat via the unused spinny guy block near the midships cleat and then to a sheet winch. On both occasions I ended up winching the boat into the pontoon as it went walkabout to the full extent of the loop. OK my way means twice as much to pull in to get it tight but it does mean I am able to use a winch and its easier to lasoo the cleat on the pontoon.

I messed it up a few times before I got the correct stanchion to allow the hull's 'rocker' to operate to pull the boat in (8m Mirage) I've sometimes used the winch to adjust the length of the bite and hence the boats position when in a busy pen

.......also thruster if you have one.......

That's cheating, Pete!

If you have a strong wind from astern, attach the stern line first.

 

[Habebty]

Don't mess about with lines to winches. Just have 3 lines ready to use, on bow/midships/stern cleats. Motor in, get close to side, stop boat, use line on midships cleat and loop over pontoon cleat, tie it off tight. Residual slight momentum of boat should swing bow in towards pontoon, drop a bow line over cleat and tie it off, leaving a couple of metres of spare. Walk back to helm, use forward gear and rudder to swing stern in to pontoon (also thruster if you have one). Secure stern.

If you have a strong wind from astern, attach the stern line first.

+1 for all the above

 

[Hadenough]

Get some mates! Around and about you expect some prangs but the ones from "I can do it all myself " single handlers are the the ones that really piss me off. Usually creep up on you and end up in a tangle.

 

[Giblets]

Do lock keepers not offer assistance to single handers? Might be worth a quick call to them on the way up to the lock. If they are on Ch 80 then no-one else can hear your side of the conversation.

 

[JumbleDuck]

So you are single handed and coming into a lock to tie up at the pontoon. How do you arrange your ropes and what ropes do you use?

I normally come into locks single handed, as my crew will be on the lockside. Does that count? Going up in The Crinan Canal I would usually throw up the stern rope first, while still moving forward, then scamper up to the bow and throw up the bow line. If there is a lot of flow through the lock I do the bow line first. On the way down it's easy; stop, drop a short line from a midships cleat over a lock cleat, sort out bow and stern lines, disconnect midships line.

The only lock I have used with a pontoon was at Milford Haven and it never occurred to me to do anything different from any other pontoon; stop the boat alongside, step across with lines, use a midships line if necessary (same as going down in the Crinan Canal). Was I missing something?

 

[Javelin]

Got quite a lot of practice at this over the years.
mgrs34, 34' long, 11'wide, 4 ton.
I have a 4' strop made up with one average loop and one large loop. (also a loose large karabina on the loop)
The smaller loop goes over a cleat about 3' aft of max beam.
The other onto a cleat or looped round a bar or ladder using the karabina depending whats available in the lock.
I have a fender on maximum beam and another a couple of feet forward of the stern.
I keep the engine in gear on tickover with the helm slightly towards the wall which keeps the bow out but inline.
Once settled I can cut the engine and just hold the strop pulling the boat against the two fenders.

In big locks I will make sure I have a bowline and stern line ready just in case.

 

[Uricanejack]

I normally come into locks single handed, as my crew will be on the lockside. Does that count? Going up in The Crinan Canal I would usually throw up the stern rope first, while still moving forward, then scamper up to the bow and throw up the bow line. If there is a lot of flow through the lock I do the bow line first. On the way down it's easy; stop, drop a short line from a midships cleat over a lock cleat, sort out bow and stern lines, disconnect midships line.

The only lock I have used with a pontoon was at Milford Haven and it never occurred to me to do anything different from any other pontoon; stop the boat alongside, step across with lines, use a midships line if necessary (same as going down in the Crinan Canal). Was I missing something?

You might have missed the same points as me I am sure he said lock rather than dock. To some extent it depends of if I am going up or down in the lock. many of which I would not want to try single handed. although like you I can maneuver the boat single handed if I have a pal ashore to take a line.

All my trips through Crinan we were mob handed. several boats and lots of bods to take lines and work locks. If short handed
we would go round the Mull.

Going into Bharry or is it Barry. I had to climb about 10ft up a rope to get ashore.

 

[Uricanejack]

I usually find those nice little ropes with eyes on the end you can by at any chandler are a bit to short if you want to anything interesting. although I do have lots of em. the 20 ft ones are a bit handier.

Ideally I like to have deck set up ahead of time. often I set up for boat a port or starboard side to JIK unless I know for sure.
2 fender's ether side about amidships. On bigger boats I may add a 3rd on Port and Starboard shoulder.
One long bow line and one short bow line on ether bow a long with a long and short Stern line on both side.
Long= B length x 2 short = boat length
large eyes to pas ashore, Bow lines.
Set up to pass ashore from shrouds if I have crew on board. Set up outside everything from Fwd end of Cockpit ( gate) if single.
same with Stern Lines.
Bow spring first ashore and secured I can hold pos'n. Till rest done.
I am a great believer in a midship spring but find they are a PIA in locks.
I like long lines particularly boat length springs. they require less tending and are less likely to break.

I find boats tend to move forward in locks particularly when rising. Fwd spring is often import to be well tended.
Often used to set one long line as both a Bow line and spring then only have to tend one.
In Crinan used just a bow line and stern line. required two of us to tend. came up with a system where we used one long line as both a stern line and bow line. with a winch. which worked quite well.
For Bigger locks with biger rise. best to have both springs and bow and stern lines.

Heaving lines can be very handy. so long as someone ashore knows what you are up to.

 

[ghostlymoron]

I thought the locks on the Crinan were attended.
There is an entry lock into Milford Haven marine. I think that's what jumbleduck is referring to.

You might have missed the same points as me I am sure he said lock rather than dock. To some extent it depends of if I am going up or down in the lock. many of which I would not want to try single handed. although like you I can maneuver the boat single handed if I have a pal ashore to take a line.

All my trips through Crinan we were mob handed. several boats and lots of bods to take lines and work locks. If short handed
we would go round the Mull.

Going into Bharry or is it Barry. I had to climb about 10ft up a rope to get ashore.

 

[Daydream believer]

I have a shorter bow line so if it goes in the water it will not hit the prop. I have a fairly thick floating stern line that does not kink. It has a loop both ends so i can flip it over both aft winches before the approach & flip it off the side I will not use . I have 2 longish mid ship lines. I have spare long lines for use once the boat is fixed.
I find that that midship lines tend to let the stern of my boat swing out a lot especially if they are not tight on the initial catch.
So now I tend to get the stern line on to something first as it is where i am standing near the helm & throttle. With a little way on that brings the boat into the lock side so i can run forward & get the bow fixed. In some locks I have not even bothered with any other lines , just left the engine in tickover on a long stern line so the boat rises & falls. But do not do this next to others in a lock as they do not always appreciate your fumes. I have been SH through the Cally canal twice with no problems & dozens of Dutch & other locks SH like this & it works Ok for me.
What amazes me are MOBOs with bow thrusters who tie bows on first thus disabling the thruster. If they hooked the stern first they could then push the bow in . I once wasted nearly an hour in Milford Haven waiting for 14 MOBOS to tie up. The carnage had to be seen to be believed.

 

[JumbleDuck]

All my trips through Crinan we were mob handed. several boats and lots of bods to take lines and work locks. If short handed
we would go round the Mull.

When I was younger, slimmer and fitter I used to do ropes going in the Crinan Canal by myself. There is a ladder half way along one side or other, so I'd motor up to that, tie on to it, shin up with the bow and stern ropes, put them over hooks/bollards, shin down, untie from the ladder and adjust things. Normally I'd do this while waiting for someone to arrive, but I did once go halfway through on my own, with multiple further shinnings up and down to adjust gates, paddles and ropes. Knackering.

I dunno what the situation with lock keepers will be this year. They had 'em last year, but they were so bloody slow, idle and disorganised that I hope they're gone next time I go through.

 

[Arcady]

So much depends on the lock. Are you entering an empty lock waiting to rise or a full lock waiting to fall? The former is more difficult for a singlehander. As others have said, planning for any eventuality is important.

I have often singlehanded our 37' motorsailer (wheel steering in cockpit) through the Rance barrage where one has a series of vertical ropes to secure to. Securing via the mid cleat does not help as one can't then reach the lines behind and ahead - so, my preferred practice is to have a long line ready on the aft cleat, grab one of the vertical dock ropes, pass my line around that and motor slowly forward, letting out enough line gradually until the bow approaches the next vertical rope. Leave the engine in gear, nip up f'ward and pass a line around that vertical rope. Then adjust as necessary.

That of course is the theory. Sometimes it all goes smoothly - sometimes it doesn't - and that of course is usually when there is a large audience ashore

 

[Uricanejack]

I thought the locks on the Crinan were attended.
There is an entry lock into Milford Haven marine. I think that's what jumbleduck is referring to.

Its been quite a long time since I last transited the Crinan Canal.
The Canal used to have a lock keeper at each sea lock. at Lochgilphead and Crinan. And a Bridge Operator at the Bridge by the Cairnbahn Hotel. The hours were 0800 to 1700 closed on Sunday. (It is the highlands).
The rest you did yourself. Even the Sea Locks there was just the Lock Keeper. so we did the lines.
I can't remember the Max dimensions. a Puffer was max size. or a fishing boat.
We usually had a group of 4 30 to 40 ft boats. ours was 38. and had lots of hands to take lines and open and close gates.

A bit of a tradition every April. Out of the Yard in Renfrew. a week or so in Bowling or kip. Then all through the canal and of to our separate summer haunts.
Repeat the other way in September.
Leave Kip about 0400 to Arrive Lochgilphead early for Canal opening at 0800.
Usually a pretty good social occasion.
You had to be fairly well organised to get through in one weekend. If you didn't get to Crinan by 1700 you were stuck till Monday. Which for a lot of people meant next Saturday.

The Bridge at Cairnbahn is about half way. The Keepers Lunch used to be 1200 to 1300.

Our first trip through in the late 70's. We had a great time but we caused a bit of a Blockage at Cairnbahn. Unfortunately Nobody made it through. By 1700. We got a few angry stares.

I'm sure its changed a bit. I think I saw something about having to take handlers with you. I hear you can even get a Ferry to Stornoway on a Sunday now. So Sunday transits may be possible. Changed days.