Single handed through locks, going up, boat positioning.

[Gareth E]

I've done a fair few locks single handed without too many problems. However, a few times, when going up, I've had my boat move forward, my fender then hits the lock gates. Not hard, but harder than I'd like. I've tried opening the paddles just a little which prevents the boat moving forward. Actually, it tends to move backwards rather than forwards. However when I open them fully the boat still moves forward.

 

What I do now is position the boat right up against the gate. After partly opening the paddles I then haul on the centre rope to keep the boat as close to the gate as possible. Then, when I open the fully, the boat doesn't have far to go so can only gently kiss the gate when the boat goes forward.

 

If there's no one around I don't open the gates more than a little, so there's no problem. But if it's busy...

 

The other thing is that I'm not 100% comfortable having the boat right up against the gate. My boat is only 35ft, there's plenty of spare lock space.

 

Any tips at all?

[rgreg]

In narrow locks I leave in forward gear on tickover so the boat rides gently up the gates. No tying or bumping about. As always at locks, keep a close eye on things.

[Bobbybass]

Tricky when on your own.

 

As you say...when you open the front paddles...the water rushes down the lock...hits the back gates...and then comes back..pushing your boat into the gates.

 

When locking with a 'helper'...I could bring my boat near the rear gates...and estimate when the water was hitting the back gates. At that point..I would actually give a small blast of forward that would hit the returning flow..break it..and the boat would stay in the same spot.

 

You could 'blip' the paddle open....shut it..then open it...the resulting second flow may break up the returning flow...

 

Is it worth...putting your boat close to the rear gates...as its quite short...?

 

On my RYA course..he advocated putting the boat against the front of the lock in gear...but then it will ride up at some point and go forward into the gates..

Edited August 20, 2016 by Bobbybass

[p6rob]

My boat is 40' and I mostly single hand. The technique I use going up in narrow locks is:

Slowly motor in, put into neutral and jump off the boat, windlass in hand as it enters the lock. Climb the stairs as the boat floats in past the gates.

Close bottom gates.

Open top paddles.

The boat sometimes just nudges the top gates as it floats forward.

Drop one paddle, Open the top gates, drop other paddle. Jump on boat

Drive through (straight into the next lock if it's in a flight as I'll have set it while the other lock is filling), otherwise to the lock landing and tie up.

Close top gates.

Unless I've really misjudged the incoming speed, this technique has worked really well to date and I never tie up in single locks. By the time the lock has filled and the gates are open, the boat tends to be 2/3 back from the top gates.

 

However, double locks are another matter. I've tried jumping off with centreline in hand, but most times, I've either lost the rope while trying to take it past the lock gate or the boat has gone too far off to the wrong side. So, I tend to stay on the boat, use the pole to push the boat over to the ladder. Ascend ladder with centreline and windlass in hand. Tie up loosely to a bollard, the rest of the technique is the same, although, in the wide locks I'm used to (Hatton and Knowle), I only tend to use the nearest paddle and gate.

[Scholar Gypsy]

Going uphill in wide locks I have the following rather ridiculous system, but it works for me:

 

• light line running along the roof of the boat, secured at the front end to the main bow rope, and (temporarily) to an anchor point on the roof at the stern of the boat
• I unhook the line at the stern and take it up the ladder with me (or else get off as the boat is going into the lock, though as noted above that gets a bit fiddly with balance beams, paddle gear etc;
• sometimes I take the centre rope as well
• use this line to reel in the bow rope, and tie it to a suitable bollard (ideally about 5-10 feet behind the bows)
• open paddle on the same side as the boat
• open the other paddle if I feel like it, after a suitable wait.

[nicknorman]

 

As you say...when you open the front paddles...the water rushes down the lock...hits the back gates...and then comes back..pushing your boat into the gates.

 

Point of order: this is not the reason why boats tend to move forward as the lock fills. If it were, the effect would be more noticeable with the boat positioned at the rear of the lock than at the front. However the reverse is true.

 

 

Anyway my main point is that you can't be too formulaic about it as different locks on different canals exhibit a wide range of different behaviours. Some locks like the on the Coventry and much of the BCN have little or no forward pull, whilst many locks on the T&M have a really strong forward pull. Personally I position the boat on the top gate for those with strong forward pull, whilst for others I just leave it somewhere in the middle. I am always slightly nervous that something might catch when the boat is pinned against the top gate, doesn't happen on 99.9% of locks, but the 0.1% worries me!

[Scholar Gypsy]

Point of order: this is not the reason why boats tend to move forward as the lock fills. If it were, the effect would be more noticeable with the boat positioned at the rear of the lock than at the front. However the reverse is true.

 

 

 

 

Agreed. The first part of this video shows the circulating current that you often get in a lock, pulling you towards the top gate.

 

https://twitter.com/SeanRobinsonUU/status/764717957343801344

 

You can get a very strong "sloshing back and forth" effect with guillotine gates, if you raise them too quickly.

[alan_fincher]

Many advocate putting the boat right against the cill/gates when working uphill in narrow locks, possibly leaving it in gear, (as has already been suggested).

 

As Nick implies, this is fine in the vast majority of cases, but there are significant numbers of locks where any of the following may apply....

 

1) The rubbing plate stops short of the point the touching part of the bow or fender will eventually rise to

2) The rubbing plate has a step in it that the bow/fender may catch under

3) (1) is severe enough there is actually a gap wide enough above the top of the rubbing plate, but under the balance beam that the bow/fender may push forward into

4) There are protruding bolt heads that bow fender may catch on.

 

Any of the above may result in bow being held down, or boat attempting to lift gate off its mountings.

 

So, despite the standard advice, with a short boat (say 40 to 50 feet) at least, in many locks I prefer to stay well away from any such potential hazard.

 

If we run our 40 foot tug against the rubbing plate with fender still deployed, it is often pushing forward hard enough that it sticks on the gates for a while, then rises suddenly as the extra buoyancy of being held down overcomes that friction. Although never dangerous this behaviour can be "disconcerting" so we seek to avoid it!

 

But, as Nick says, there is no "one size fits all" solution. Some locks draw you fast very strongly - others do not. It is worth remembering that in an extreme case a hire boater died as they failed to hold the boat back on the engine as it was drawn rapidly forward, and were thrown off the back as it hit the gates, ending up in the propeller still running hard in reverse.

[nicknorman]

Many advocate putting the boat right against the cill/gates when working uphill in narrow locks, possibly leaving it in gear, (as has already been suggested).

 

As Nick implies, this is fine in the vast majority of cases, but there are significant numbers of locks where any of the following may apply....

 

1) The rubbing plate stops short of the point the touching part of the bow or fender will eventually rise to

2) The rubbing plate has a step in it that the bow/fender may catch under

3) (1) is severe enough there is actually a gap wide enough above the top of the rubbing plate, but under the balance beam that the bow/fender may push forward into

4) There are protruding bolt heads that bow fender may catch on.

 

Any of the above may result in bow being held down, or boat attempting to lift gate off its mountings.

 

So, despite the standard advice, with a short boat (say 40 to 50 feet) at least, in many locks I prefer to stay well away from any such potential hazard.

 

If we run our 40 foot tug against the rubbing plate with fender still deployed, it is often pushing forward hard enough that it sticks on the gates for a while, then rises suddenly as the extra buoyancy of being held down overcomes that friction. Although never dangerous this behaviour can be "disconcerting" so we seek to avoid it!

 

But, as Nick says, there is no "one size fits all" solution. Some locks draw you fast very strongly - others do not. It is worth remembering that in an extreme case a hire boater died as they failed to hold the boat back on the engine as it was drawn rapidly forward, and were thrown off the back as it hit the gates, ending up in the propeller still running hard in reverse.

This is why uphill when not single-handing, our strategy (59' boat) is to keep it near the back of the lock (T&M locks - very near the back!) and hold it using reverse. This can cope with both paddles fully wound up on a T&M lock but if one loses concentration and allows the boat to drift forward too much, it can become unrecoverable.

Agreed. The first part of this video shows the circulating current that you often get in a lock, pulling you towards the top gate.

Interesting video, however that is not the primary cause of boats being pulled forward in locks, and one should bear in mind that in the video the water is being dropped in from above, whereas in a lock, ground paddle water enters the lock roughly horizontally and near the bottom. If you fill a lock using only gate paddles (which drop the water into an empty lock as per the video) there is very little forward pull.

[Scholar Gypsy]

Interesting video, however that is not the primary cause of boats being pulled forward in locks, and one should bear in mind that in the video the water is being dropped in from above, whereas in a lock, ground paddle water enters the lock roughly horizontally and near the bottom. If you fill a lock using only gate paddles (which drop the water into an empty lock as per the video) there is very little forward pull.

 

yes - I should have made it clearer that it was the circulating current I was illustrating here. The size of the roll created will also vary quite a bit, and will have an impact on where the current is strongest and also how strong it is.

 

In wide locks this is the effect that holds you into the wall if you open the paddle on the same side - the water rolls around an axis along the length of the lock.

 

Locks where the water comes in through the floor of the lock generate some very odd effects...

[Gareth E]

Thanks for the replies. I'm glad the T&M was mentioned, that's where I've suffered the problem. At King's lock a fellow boater opened the paddles, I was roughly in the middle of the lock. Such was the forward pull that full reverse wasn't enough to stop me hitting the lock gate. Only 11hp engine you see, and it takes a while to gain full revs in reverse.On the other hand I didn't seem to have the same problems at Bosley locks.

 

A solution for me might be to always refuse any help and only partially open paddles. This will make me look a bit selfish and anti social perhaps, when it's busy.

 

Bit of a dilemma really.

[nicknorman]

Thanks for the replies. I'm glad the T&M was mentioned, that's where I've suffered the problem. At King's lock a fellow boater opened the paddles, I was roughly in the middle of the lock. Such was the forward pull that full reverse wasn't enough to stop me hitting the lock gate. Only 11hp engine you see, and it takes a while to gain full revs in reverse.On the other hand I didn't seem to have the same problems at Bosley locks.

 

A solution for me might be to always refuse any help and only partially open paddles. This will make me look a bit selfish and anti social perhaps, when it's busy.

 

Bit of a dilemma really.

Well if you are going to stay in the boat and let someone else do the paddles, I would stay well to the back of the lock (going up) - just far enough forward that the initial surge doesn't push you back into the gate. That way the forward pull is much, much less than say if you started in the middle of the lock.

[Bill]

One trick I've found that works on wide locks going up is as follows :-

 

Take centre line back to a bollard near the bottom gates on the same side as the boat and tie off.

Put boat in gear and allow to take up slack (a little above tickover but not flat out). The line will be at approx 45 degrees and will pull the boat in tight to the side.

I have the line length adjusted so the boat is approx halfway along the lock.

Open top paddle on the same side as boat 1/2 way, allow water to rise above paddle opening if a gate paddle before fully opening.

Open other top paddle if desired (I sometimes don't bother if there are no boats waiting).

The angle of the rope keeps the boat tight into the side and in the middle of the lock, no banging or crashing.

[Carrie]

I go into neutral as the boat enters the lock, step off as it goes in,with the centre rope, run up the steps and, because I've got a wide rope loop attached to the centre rope, just cast it over the bollard nearest the top gate. It can't go too far back as the water fills the lock but I try to keep the bow close to the top gates. It prevents that big rush forwards that you have little control over.

[Rob-M]

I always keep the boat at the back of the lock if I stay on and someone else operates the paddles or hold it against the top gate with the centre line taking a couple of turns round the lock beam.

[Machpoint005]

Many locks give a surge forwards, some a surge backwards, and some change their mind as they fill. I wouldn't suggest any hard-and-fast rule unless you know an individual lock's characteristics.

[cuthound]

Many locks give a surge forwards, some a surge backwards, and some change their mind as they fill. I wouldn't suggest any hard-and-fast rule unless you know an individual lock's characteristics.

Not only do different locks have different chsracteristics, but different lengths of boats can behave very differently in the same lock.

[Jrtm]

Most surges forward are where water goes up it floods the cill this causes a pull and will normally pull a boat forward. Only thing you can do it a keep the boat back or be semi hold it forward or get a very soft sqiggy front fender to soak up the odd bump if the boat is forward it shouldnt move back too far but its the way the water flows under the boat that causes this effect. I never leave the boat in gear going up in wide locks with in the lock too easy to get caught on the gates. Going in yes but not once in the lock. The water flow has a sim effect on sending a boat back once the levels are even and you can open a gate (watch next time your going down most boats start to move back when lock is almost empty and come forward when the water is over the cill) a slightly open bottom gate can pull a boat back and forward alot.

 

In a wide lock i have always done the following single handed.

 

Get to a lock very lightly tuch gates if its empty you can normally push the gates once your there but you can often tell buy the leaks on the gates how full but if you always do it very lightly it makes no diffrence. (Bolinder boating has made me remember there maybe no reverse so im out of gear for quite a while and just nudge the gates there is never a bang just nudge it so the fender take up the force)

 

Once there put the boat in gear a keeps engine warm (keeps a bolinder happy)

 

Set the lock get back on get boat. Boat opens the gate or gates and get boat in lock on the left or right. Take the tiller off get off and shut gates fully shut (a gap can cause the boat to shoot back and then forward hard when other paddles are opened and stops the rudder or anything getting caught in the gates as you can only be in one place and cant always see whats happening) and paddles

 

Now the trick. If has gate paddles open the opposide one to the boat first flow keeps the boat to one side. The open ground paddle on boat side. (If no gate paddle just open paddle on boat side)

 

Then do gate paddle half way on boat side (or other gound paddle half way if no gate ones then count 30 secs then open fully the flow of a half the fully open padddle normally stops the boat suddenly moving sides then bouncing back)

Then open the other ground paddle half wait 30 secs then open fully now go and open the half gate paddle fully.

 

This method helps stop the boat moving forward and back and side to side alot 8/10 the boat never moves i hardly ever need to take a rope off.

 

Single locks i differ once in open it all up a 70ft boat ant going far or bash much.

Edited September 2, 2016 by billybobbooth

[Keeping Up]

The narrow locks of the T&M also have gate paddles which you can safely open at any stage, the baffles ensure that none goes into the front cockpit of the boat. They PUSH the boat back, rather than pull it forward as the ground paddles do. You can actually put the boat at any position in the lock, and hold it there, according to how much gate paddle you use vs how much ground paddle; in fact when I'm bored I play a game of seeing how accurately I can place the boat while it is rising.

[Jrtm]

I do this its fun to see how much you can or cant move a boat.

 

I tend to open a ground the see if i can use the gate ones to stop it hitting the gate once you have done a few you can get it spot on you can then challenge yourself to see how many in a row you can do

[nebulae]

Coming up Hazlehurst Locks on the Caldon earlier this year,we were held up at the top lock. A single hander had tied his center line to the top of the lock ladder. The boat surged forward and pulled the top of the ladder and the coping stone so the coping was hanging over the lock. The coping is a massive stone,but not massive enough to stop the boat surging forward.

[FadeToScarlet]

Against the cill, then against the top gate, in tickover forwards.

[Robbo]

My method for single handed in a lock going up, I'm 50ft in around 60ft locks so have around 10ft to play with, I don't like to hit the gates as I don't have fenders on (they will be too high to be any use anyhow)

 

Use a bow and stern rope, bow rope goes on a bollard towards the stern and the stern on a bollard towards the bow like spring lines. Never tie to the bollard just loop it around, depending on the size of the bollard I use around 4 turns as then it won't move, 2-3 turns will hold the boat back and forth but will unturn with the boat weight so I use that method when locking down.

 

When opening the paddles I fully open the ground paddle near the boat to keep it to one side and then the others but not fully open until we are nearly full.

Edited October 11, 2016 by Robbo

[Neil2]

 

 

I've done a fair few locks single handed without too many problems. However, a few times, when going up, I've had my boat move forward, my fender then hits the lock gates. Not hard, but harder than I'd like. I've tried opening the paddles just a little which prevents the boat moving forward. Actually, it tends to move backwards rather than forwards. However when I open them fully the boat still moves forward.

 

What I do now is position the boat right up against the gate. After partly opening the paddles I then haul on the centre rope to keep the boat as close to the gate as possible. Then, when I open the fully, the boat doesn't have far to go so can only gently kiss the gate when the boat goes forward.

 

If there's no one around I don't open the gates more than a little, so there's no problem. But if it's busy...

 

The other thing is that I'm not 100% comfortable having the boat right up against the gate. My boat is only 35ft, there's plenty of spare lock space.

 

Any tips at all?

 

Surely if it's busy you have other crews to help?

 

 

I'm always interested in how solo boaters handle locks, especially the wide ones, and as the thread illustrates there's no one accepted practice. I do remember a discussion with one of the fuel boat guys on the GU and though he favours the "bow against the gates in tickover" approach, he reckoned only if you forsake the bow fender.

 

Now, what about electronic swing bridges..?

Edited October 21, 2016 by Neil2

[Robbo]

Now, what about electronic swing bridges..?

Same as manual ones but half the time you can get the bridge to move the boat for you :-)