Hi. I'm new to this forum thing, so excuse any mistakes. My least favourite lock is Gloucester, for two reasons. You have to phone the lock keeper if you are coming down the Parting, which is not a problem, but I hate having to wait on the wall (which you have to do obviously if the lock is already in use) - incidentally I am the crew part of all this, not the skipper! You have to tie up stern first because of the strength of flow, and because the chains are difficult to get hold of this always seems to be a problem, as my other half has to get the stern in, stop the boat and get a line through the chain at the same time. Let me state now, I am a 'nervous boater'with a vivid imagination, but the current can carry you forward at quite a rate, and if you get carried beyond the chains your chance of catching hold of anything are slim. Just round the corner from the lock is a weir and I am always frightened that we might get it wrong and go down it. My other half thinks I am nuts and worry too much. To be fair, if you are coming down the river in strong stream conditions the lock keeper will endeavour to make sure the lock is ready for you. My other bugbear about Glos lock is that they used to take your lines off you with a hook, pass then round a bollard and pass them back to you. Now they have put pipework in the side - well, it's not that slightly flexible plastic covered stuff, but rigid steel hawser type stuff, which is oddly postioned and difficult to get hold of. You can't really line yourself up with the side and come in slowly because of the cross current in front of the lock. Does anyone else have these problems with this lock or is it just me?
I am not being totally neurotic, as boats have overshot the lock entrance and been rescued off the weir by the fire brigade.