Seajet
...
Here in civilisation away from the naked painted Barbarians above Hadrians' Wall, the underwater thingy at some marinas is definitely a SILL !
YM Sept - Locks singlehanded
- Thread starter dunedin
- Start date
Here in civilisation away from the naked painted Barbarians above Hadrians' Wall, the underwater thingy at some marinas is definitely a SILL !
LadyInBed
Well-Known Member
I've completed two circuits of the French canals, mostly single handed and found that with practice it isn't difficult.
I wrote up the way I went about it, but it isn't the only way!
( http://www.kahawi.co.uk/Baker/ )
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!
I wrote up the way I went about it, but it isn't the only way!
( http://www.kahawi.co.uk/Baker/ )
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!
Seajet
...
+1, all the above from LadyinBed is good stuff.
Just one more serious word of warning; beware ' floating bollards ' at locks, they can stick then shoot up with tremendous velocity, and they're heavy !
In my time on the French Canals a deckhand was virtually beheaded by a floating bollard coming unstuck and shooting up while he was trying to sort out the line...
Just one more serious word of warning; beware ' floating bollards ' at locks, they can stick then shoot up with tremendous velocity, and they're heavy !
In my time on the French Canals a deckhand was virtually beheaded by a floating bollard coming unstuck and shooting up while he was trying to sort out the line...
Austerby
Well-Known Member
Some of these techniques are a bit OTT for the marina locks I've used (Gillingham and Ipswich) where the forces are less fierce. The main challenge is in stopping the boat in the right place then being able to get a line around something so you can make sure the boat doesn't get turned by the influx/outflux of water.
I find if I can simply get a rope around one of the vertical wires in the lock sides, placed there for that purpose, I can hold the boat well enough as the water level changes.
The other way is to wait for high tide - when the lock is on free-flow
I find if I can simply get a rope around one of the vertical wires in the lock sides, placed there for that purpose, I can hold the boat well enough as the water level changes.
The other way is to wait for high tide - when the lock is on free-flow
maby
Well-Known Member
Some of these techniques are a bit OTT for the marina locks I've used (Gillingham and Ipswich) where the forces are less fierce. The main challenge is in stopping the boat in the right place then being able to get a line around something so you can make sure the boat doesn't get turned by the influx/outflux of water.
I find if I can simply get a rope around one of the vertical wires in the lock sides, placed there for that purpose, I can hold the boat well enough as the water level changes.
The other way is to wait for high tide - when the lock is on free-flow
I used to love free-flow in our previous boat - it was relatively small and I could just point and blast my way in. In the current boat, it's positively scary - we don't have a lot of clearance either side of the boat through the gates and the approach speed is terrifying. The trouble with free-flow is that the speed of the current through the lock can be 3 knots or more - our boat does not steer particularly well at less than four knots - the combined speed over ground can be seven or eight knots and through a turbulent water.
The first time I tried coming in on the new boat, we got into the lock and I chickened out at the speed - throttled back and effectively was doing four knots through the lock but less than a knot through the water - steering not working too well! I was heading straight at the gate mechanism at the far end - hard in reverse and managed to come to an unceremonious stop diagonally across the lock - managed to get a line from the stern to a pontoon cleat and got back under control but looking very silly!