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Single-handed through my first 5 locks


BlueStringPudding

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I pootled through Adderley five locks this morning - the first time I've done locks single-handed and it went jolly well. (I'm the queen of crewing but my driving usually leaves a lot to be desired). I was rather pleased with myself and I didn't so much a bump a lockgate, despite the sneaky weir-streams on each approach. I had the misfortune of meeting a very unpleasant couple part way up who closed the gates to the lock I was approaching claiming it'd teach me for having taken so long! (I was only on lock number 3 by then, and I was getting through them in 15 mins or so, which isn't bad when I've not done it before). Or so I thought. :unsure: When I told them it's the first time I've ever done a lock single-handed the bloke scorned me for putting a rope round the lock bollard while in the lock! He's never seen anyone do that before, apparently. (I mean, how silly of me, the bollards have only been there a couple of hundred years, but perhaps I'm the first to have used one!)

 

However, the chap following me up was lovely, which made up for the grumpy gits going down. I apologised to the nice chap for him catching me up when I had to moor up to open the gates these other boaters closed on me, and told him what they'd done, and he couldn't have been nicer about it. And he complimented my driving and my lock handling too, so he's now my favourite person!

 

I'm now moored in Market Drayton like a beret (i.e. at a jaunty angle) as the 5 day visitor moorings clearly haven't been dredged properly! Every time a boat goes past there's a delightful scraping sound from under my stern (ouch!) and my tele swings out on it's bracket to the right till it hits the wall! So I'm watching Columbo at an angle now. It's too windy to try and pull the boat further down the towpath so I'll live at this angle till the wind dies down on Tuesday!

 

I'll buy some beers later and be careful not to spill them. I need a self-righting pint glass, even if I don't have a self-righting tele. ;)

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Well done you.

I really get pissed off with smart arses telling you how it should be done. They way to do it is your way, what you feel comfortable and safe with. I have not done single handed locking much - only when SWMBO had a sudden need to use the loo when we were half way through the lock gates. In a wide lock those bollards are useful to hold the boat whilst you work the paddles etc.

 

I am really getting bored with having to go to work and not yet living on our boat. But we managed to clear a lot of junk out of the house this weekend, so we will be joining you soon.

 

Keith

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Well done !!!!!! Now you can claim to be an expert.

 

PS If your beer glass doesn't self-right, it simply means you haven't drunk enough out of it yet.

 

:lol: Genius!

 

I've had a marvellous idea to take the new bow fender sitting in the study (haven't strapped it to Mabel's hooter yet, the old one is still hanging on by a thread!). I'm gonna rig it up on a couple of lanyards and use it as a giant side fender to push the boat out from the towpath, and hopefully get me off the shallow bit. If that works I can enjoy upright beers, horizontal water in the loo, and watching the tele without a crick in my neck!

 

;)

 

The woman did good x

 

Cheers me dears. Saw your boat in Tattenhall as I came through, by the way. Think you must have been at work though.

 

 

======================================================================

 

 

Okay - I've strapped the spangly new bow fender to the lanyard from the rearmost side fender and wedged it between the bank and the boat. I've also put the tele back in the middle on its bracket. now I just have to wait for another boat to pass to see if it's worked!

Edited by BlueStringPudding
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Well done !!!!!! Now you can claim to be an expert.

 

 

 

I hope there was some irony in there, Allan (as well as encouragement)! I've single-handed over most of the system in the past five years, and I think I learned more this summer than ever before, especially in terms of avoiding ladder-scaling. Each new lock requires a bit of thought (and some of the old ones spring surprises too). If one ever claims to be an expert, then sure as water finds a level, disaster will strike! :o

 

Mac

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Unless you're doing somehing which is obviously wrong or hazardous, anyone who feels the need to tell you off is showing a serious lack of respect and also a lack of knowledge. Every single one of us works locks in slightly different ways - there is no single correct method. If given tactfully then tips or advice should be welcomed, but don't let anyone insist you do it their way.

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Unless you're doing somehing which is obviously wrong or hazardous, anyone who feels the need to tell you off is showing a serious lack of respect and also a lack of knowledge. Every single one of us works locks in slightly different ways - there is no single correct method. If given tactfully then tips or advice should be welcomed, but don't let anyone insist you do it their way.

 

Having boated with Blackrose, I'd agree 100% with this sentiment

 

I would, however, add a caveat, it's usually when I give safety advice that I find a get a mouthful back, advice on making your life easier, welcome, suggestion that what you're doing is dangerous...

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Fantastic...you should be really proud! I managed one lock on my own on the way out of Middlewich......but that was only because I upset the crew!

 

By the way we waved at you on the way to Chester....and on the way back.....where I had been moored just a few yards away from you in Christleton, but hadn't realised until I was on my way. Loved the tiger, great to see it in real life!

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Great to hear...and well done!

 

We're always mooring with our stern sticking out...especially on the Shroppie....and at a 'jaunty' angle to the horizontal....all adds to the fun!

 

And as for snotty nosed scrotes who think they know better.....they don't...they just know different that's all!

 

My old mum's been cruising on her own for years....god help anyone that tells her what to do (apart from her grand children)

 

:cheers:

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People who don't single-man have very little idea of what's involved.

 

The actual operation of the lock isn't much different but the need to plan ahead, and also watch everything all of the time, is more acute. You can't rely on anyone else to spot something going wrong or help get you out of trouble again, so it's best to be sure there won't be any trouble in the first place, and that automatically means being a bit more cautious.

 

I get really annoyed with selfish people who make things unnecessarily difficult, too. If I have 'crew' on the ground then they will move stupidly moored boats along to create one boat-sized mooring rather than four 15' gaps, and they also act as a visual indicator that another boat is coming when at locks. On your own, it's amazing how many people just won't allow room for other boats, or even notice that you are there, and of course there's often nothing you can do about it. I tries me best, though...

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Unless you're doing somehing which is obviously wrong or hazardous, anyone who feels the need to tell you off is showing a serious lack of respect and also a lack of knowledge. Every single one of us works locks in slightly different ways - there is no single correct method. If given tactfully then tips or advice should be welcomed, but don't let anyone insist you do it their way.

 

I agree.

 

 

Good for you BSP, I liked single handing up the Shroppie locks, it's easy to get into a good rhythm, I even step over the half gate now. I use a rope round the bollard too.

 

Watch ahead for the bollards at Tyrley. When i came up a couple of weeks ago there was nowhere to tie the boat at the approach to the 2nd (I think) lock. The BW contractors who were clearing the area may have replaced them tho. perhaps

 

I'm pootling north now so i'll look out for the boat with the tiger heading the other way

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Hats off to you - we've just mastered double handing this year - single handing through one lock is a big achievement in our book 5 is going some.,

 

- as to grumpy gits - we met one this weekend - I just responded with 'enjoying your break mate?'

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I had the misfortune of meeting a very unpleasant couple part way up who closed the gates to the lock I was approaching claiming it'd teach me for having taken so long! (I was only on lock number 3 by then, and I was getting through them in 15 mins or so, which isn't bad when I've not done it before). Or so I thought. :unsure: When I told them it's the first time I've ever done a lock single-handed the bloke scorned me for putting a rope round the lock bollard while in the lock! He's never seen anyone do that before, apparently. (I mean, how silly of me, the bollards have only been there a couple of hundred years, but perhaps I'm the first to have used one!)

 

 

How awful; name and shame, name and shame!!! I pull no punches with wankers like that I must admit...

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We don't have a boat. We can't afford to do hire boat holidays. We have, over the past couple of years, given up our rare Saturdays off - and our even rarer weeks off - to give a hand with Bosley and Marple locks. On the last occasion, several months after we'd last worked locks (and being of that age when the memory isn't so good), we got a few things wrong. Someone - not the boater we were helping - thought this was most amusing, and spent the whole time laughing at us. Glad we were able to brighten someone's day...But we have better things to do with our time off.

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Thanks all. Those stroppy gits sum up people who should holiday in cars or on trains, not on the canals, in my opinion. After I'd spent Friday going up Audlem Flight (with help, I hasten to add) behind an extremely elderly couple who took over 30 mins per lock but wanted to do it their way and didn't want help. Slightly irritating when we had a schedule (crew had a bus then a train to catch later that afternoon) but we realised that to stay behind them we'd struggle to go that slowly and not to make them feel crowded. So we moored up in the town, explored the area on foot, went to the pub, had a meal, came back and found they'd only progressed two more locks since we left them! :rolleyes: But what can you do? We just took our time untying and slowly followed them up trying to keep at least one empty lock between us so they didn't feel pressured. The flight of just 15 narrow locks took around 5 hours at that speed. Wasn't the end of the world though, it just meant a much later finish than we'd hoped and a much later journey home for my crew! On the plus side, got to know a lovely chap called Gren going the opposite way who offered a lift later to get my crew to (ironically) Crewe station that evening. Also befriended many a dog-walker, and had a great bellyful of food - none of which would have happened if we'd pushed on ahead and pressured the octogenarians!

 

When doing those locks single-handed I was getting through each one in about 15 mins. When crewing for someone else we get through them in about 10 minutes each. I'd have loved yesterdays' stroppy couple to meet the elderly couple from Audlem! They'd pop with the frustration - either that or they'd endanger them by pressuring them or filing their lock too fast.

 

By the way, I didn't clock the name of the stroppy couple's boat, otherwise I'd be happy to name and shame!

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I agree.

 

 

Good for you BSP, I liked single handing up the Shroppie locks, it's easy to get into a good rhythm, I even step over the half gate now. I use a rope round the bollard too.

 

Watch ahead for the bollards at Tyrley. When i came up a couple of weeks ago there was nowhere to tie the boat at the approach to the 2nd (I think) lock. The BW contractors who were clearing the area may have replaced them tho. perhaps

 

I'm pootling north now so i'll look out for the boat with the tiger heading the other way

If that was between the bottom two locks, there are deliberately no bollards there because there is a shelf that stops you getting in to the side - and you can easily get stuck on it too, as the water level changes when the locks are filled and emptied.

 

Your best bet, if there are no other boats around, is to leave the boat in the first lock while you get the next one ready. Then cross the pound in one go and leave the boat in the second lock while you go back to shut the gate on the first.

  • Greenie 1
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Thanks all. Those stroppy gits sum up people who should holiday in cars or on trains, not on the canals, in my opinion. After I'd spent Friday going up Audlem Flight (with help, I hasten to add) behind an extremely elderly couple who took over 30 mins per lock but wanted to do it their way and didn't want help. Slightly irritating when we had a schedule (crew had a bus then a train to catch later that afternoon) but we realised that to stay behind them we'd struggle to go that slowly and not to make them feel crowded. So we moored up in the town, explored the area on foot, went to the pub, had a meal, came back and found they'd only progressed two more locks since we left them! :rolleyes: But what can you do? We just took our time untying and slowly followed them up trying to keep at least one empty lock between us so they didn't feel pressured. The flight of just 15 narrow locks took around 5 hours at that speed. Wasn't the end of the world though, it just meant a much later finish than we'd hoped and a much later journey home for my crew! On the plus side, got to know a lovely chap called Gren going the opposite way who offered a lift later to get my crew to (ironically) Crewe station that evening. Also befriended many a dog-walker, and had a great bellyful of food - none of which would have happened if we'd pushed on ahead and pressured the octogenarians!

 

When doing those locks single-handed I was getting through each one in about 15 mins. When crewing for someone else we get through them in about 10 minutes each. I'd have loved yesterdays' stroppy couple to meet the elderly couple from Audlem! They'd pop with the frustration - either that or they'd endanger them by pressuring them or filing their lock too fast.

 

I do think that's equally selfish as wanting to barge through in a hurry, though.

 

If you know you are way slower than everyone else then surely it's good manners to let the boat behind you past, when the circumstances are right, rather than holding them up all day? Yes, you have the choice of doing locks your own way, but it's inconsiderate to ignore everyone else while doing so. Like people who block up aisles in supermarkets - yes, there's no reason why you can't stop and chat, but to stop everyone else from doing their shopping while you do so is just a bit selfish and rude.

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"the bloke scorned me for putting a rope round the lock bollard while in the lock! He's never seen anyone do that before, apparently. (I mean, how silly of me, the bollards have only been there a couple of hundred years, but perhaps I'm the first to have used one!)

 

 

On a narrow lock, the bollards are there for stopping a boat (by strapping it). Very important in the days of heavily loaded buttys. They are not provided for 'mooring'!

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Hi five! I single handed up the Hanwell flight on Saturday having arranged to go up with another couple only to have the boat in front of me leap out between me and them. So not only did I foresee a long day of single handing up the flight ahead of me, I was guaranteed to have every single lock set against me! I'm trying not to be bitter to the coat who jumped the queue but find it hard to believe he didn't hear us arranging to head up together as we were shouting over his boat at the time heh. Anyway, when word filtered down the locks that the 'queue jumper' had a pretty bad prop fouling I was less sympathetic in my thoughts than I probably should have been.

 

I do think that's equally selfish as wanting to barge through in a hurry, though.

 

If you know you are way slower than everyone else then surely it's good manners to let the boat behind you past, when the circumstances are right, rather than holding them up all day? Yes, you have the choice of doing locks your own way, but it's inconsiderate to ignore everyone else while doing so. Like people who block up aisles in supermarkets - yes, there's no reason why you can't stop and chat, but to stop everyone else from doing their shopping while you do so is just a bit selfish and rude.

 

I sort of agree with this and when two boats caught me up at the very slow filling (and leaky?) bottom lock of the flight, I told them I'd let them pass me when they caught me up. They didn't catch me up till the top lock though and that was only because I'd been delayed by the 'queue jumping, prop fouler' heh *bragging a little bit...

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ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT BS-Pud! :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: I'M IN TOTAL AWE - AND ONE DAY, WHEN I GROW UP AND CAN MANAGE JUST ONE LOCK WITH EASE AND WITHOUT BEING MADE TO FEEL A RIGHT NAFF-TWIT BY SOME SMART A--E, THEN I'LL BE PROUD... BUT FIVE!

INCREDIBLE AND HATS, BERETS, POMPOMS - EVERYTHING OFF TO YOU. WELL DONE! I'll keep watching "your space" for further words of inspiration. B)

If I ever catch up with you I'll buy you the smartest drink you'd like to enjoy! Cheers to you from Avon, Wilts :cheers:

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"the bloke scorned me for putting a rope round the lock bollard while in the lock! He's never seen anyone do that before, apparently. (I mean, how silly of me, the bollards have only been there a couple of hundred years, but perhaps I'm the first to have used one!)

 

 

On a narrow lock, the bollards are there for stopping a boat (by strapping it). Very important in the days of heavily loaded buttys. They are not provided for 'mooring'!

 

 

May I equally pour scorn on anybody who moors at the locklanding, to set the lock, rather than stepping of the front, and climb on the gate?

 

And as for mooring to close the gate after you, you simply leave the boat just out of the gate, and step back on after you close the gate.

 

Well, that is how it was done, and that is how I do it. So therfor, if you don't do it like that, you're doing it wrong.

 

 

:rolleyes:

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If that was between the bottom two locks, there are deliberately no bollards there because there is a shelf that stops you getting in to the side - and you can easily get stuck on it too, as the water level changes when the locks are filled and emptied.

 

Your best bet, if there are no other boats around, is to leave the boat in the first lock while you get the next one ready. Then cross the pound in one go and leave the boat in the second lock while you go back to shut the gate on the first.

 

I think it was between the bottom 2.

 

Indeed, that is what i did, except i didn't have to go back and shut the gate cos i asked the hire boat behind me to do it for me.

They didn't catch me up either.

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I do think that's equally selfish as wanting to barge through in a hurry, though.

 

If you know you are way slower than everyone else then surely it's good manners to let the boat behind you past, when the circumstances are right, rather than holding them up all day? Yes, you have the choice of doing locks your own way, but it's inconsiderate to ignore everyone else while doing so. Like people who block up aisles in supermarkets - yes, there's no reason why you can't stop and chat, but to stop everyone else from doing their shopping while you do so is just a bit selfish and rude.

 

I can understand what you're saying, however there were five boats coming up behind us too (and that's just the ones I could see), so the old dears would have been waiting all day if they'd let everyone pass.

 

"the bloke scorned me for putting a rope round the lock bollard while in the lock! He's never seen anyone do that before, apparently. (I mean, how silly of me, the bollards have only been there a couple of hundred years, but perhaps I'm the first to have used one!)

 

 

On a narrow lock, the bollards are there for stopping a boat (by strapping it). Very important in the days of heavily loaded buttys. They are not provided for 'mooring'!

 

Mooring? I used the lock-bollard to stop the boat lurching forward towards the cill when filling the lock. Once the water calmed down I took the rope off, so it couldn't pull tight as the water level (and boat) neared the top of the lock. I wasn't mooring on it! :rolleyes:

 

May I equally pour scorn on anybody who moors at the locklanding, to set the lock, rather than stepping of the front, and climb on the gate?

 

And as for mooring to close the gate after you, you simply leave the boat just out of the gate, and step back on after you close the gate.

 

Well, that is how it was done, and that is how I do it. So therfor, if you don't do it like that, you're doing it wrong.

 

 

:rolleyes:

 

Only the two locks with a bridge by them was I able to step off with a rope as the boat entered the lock. The rest of the locks had steep sloped, usually grassy but even the ones with steps were wet with algae from water leaking from the lock. In those I clambered up onto the roof and up onto the lockside.

As for exiting the lock, call me old fashioned but on a windy day, single-handing with a 65ft boat with none of those magical bow-thrusters I hear exotic tales of, and a weir opposite, I will take the boat out of the lock, tie it at the bollards and walk back to close the gate. If that's what I feel safest doing, that's what I'm gonna do! As far as I'm concerned what's SAFE and WORKS is what's RIGHT, so please don't tell me it's wrong. You're not me. You're not taking my boat in those conditions through those locks. As the title of this thread suggests, I couldn't be more of a beginner at this, but declaring summit is wrong because it's not your way isn't constructive. The kind advice with regards to Tyrley is however, excellent and helpful advice.

 

Now if you don't mind, I have a painting of Warwick Castle to finish in gale force winds. I intend to use my own style of painting because in as much as it will look like a castle and the paint will stick to the boat, it works. Sorry if you think because I'm not using your technique for painting a picture of Warwick Castle, it's "wrong" :P

Edited by BlueStringPudding
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