Winding after a lock - who has priority to lock ?

[Phil.]

41 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

Well I think we can wind in the right winding hole in around 45 seconds, so it would need to be a very quick lock cycle!
 

 

That must be a party piece for your boat, I'm fairly sure we watched your missus do the same thing last year. Although you didn't place any flowers in the cone whilst doing it, like another boat managed.

[blackrose]

4 hours ago, Jerra said:

If I werein the queue I would expect the boat to go t6o the back of the queue, it seems only polite and fair to me.

 

Yes, and if I were on the boat that wanted to wind and go back into the lock I wouldn't expect to do that in front of other boats that I could see were already waiting for the lock. 

 

Anyway, what's the rush exactly? Issues such as who has priority at a lock don't arise if you're relaxed about it and take your time. Just use a bit of common sense and consideration. Boaters with sharp elbows are making the waterways no better than the roads.

Edited August 7, 2019 by blackrose

[Onionman]

It's not actually a winding hole, btw, and you may find it full of boats. There's a winding hole about a mile and a half further on. If you need to use that instead it'll render your question moot.

[Slim]

3 hours ago, Machpoint005 said:

 

You don't have to reverse to the back of the queue, just make sure the steerer of the last boat in the queue knows you will be waiting for her. If another boat appears behind that one, it would be polite to go and explain to them what is happening, too.   

Saved me having to say the same again. Too many people worry about their 'rights' not the concept of good manners.

 

Frank (aka an old f**t)

[dmr]

There are no hard and fast rules, it used to work on "gentlemanly" behaviour but that sot of thing is a bit out of fashion, indeed some people even find the concept of ladies and gentleman a bit offensive these days.

If a waiting boat can get down the lock in the time it takes you to wind then its their lock. BoA is not a good example and a bit of on the ground research will help. Its a very busy place, you might well need any waiting boats to go down the lock to get out of your way to make it possible to wind, you might even decide that its so busy there with waiting boats, moored up hire boats, a moored trip boat and a boat or two on the water tap that you do not feel confident to wind there.

 

...........Dave

[Pie Eater]

3 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Actually had this happen to me at Wardle lock the other week. 

Did you wait for the boat to wind or use the lock as it was ready for you?

[zenataomm]

7 hours ago, jradley said:

Hi,

 

A quick etiquette question regarding priority at a lock..

 

 What happens if there is a queue of boats waiting to enter the lock, ie who has priority - me or them ?

 

Cheers,

 

John

If you're 7 ft tall and your muscles are rippling with muscles or your partner looks like Claudia Schiffer and intends to drape herself over  the front end, I'd say go for it.

 

If the above doesn't apply then look at the queue and if you see me waiting then don't bother.  You'll save me the trouble of explaining how many beans make five to you ( a bean, a bean, a half a bean, a half a bean,  a bean, a bean) and further more that the lock is only yours while you're in it.  A bit like the queue in a supermarket.

Try leaving with your week's purchases and then after a few steps turning and strolling back to the cashier because you'd rather like a Hob Nob now.

 

5 hours ago, jradley said:

I'll be a first time hirer..... by the time I've bounced off the hire boats in the yard opposite, bounced off the cruise boat on the towpath and got wedged across the canal by the pub I bet most people queueing will be happy to let me go ahead anyway just so they don't have to share the lock or the next stretch of canal with me

 

John

Well, as it happens, if that's how you're going to entertain the general populace with your prowess, then I for one don't want you in front of me.  I'd plump for you to be performing those kind of shenanigans as far behind me as I can get you … and with that distance increasing with every peaceful, unstressed moment.

[Wanderer Vagabond]

Having come through Gailey today, I would think that someone coming up to wind and then trying to immediately go back down again in the face of a queue of boats waiting for the lock down might cause a bit of disagreement.

 

 

That is a winding hole (where the 3 boats are moored and immediately after the lock), and the next winding hole is another mile or so away at Calf Heath. From my perspective, since I am in no rush, I'd come up, let the next boat in the queue get into the lock, then wind my own boat whilst he/she did so and then moor up and wait my turn in the queue. You don't after all have to all be in perfect sequence provided that you know who is before you and who is after you. As a bonus, I'd be happy to go and help others through the lock (if they wanted help) to 'speed' things along. 

 

Edited August 7, 2019 by Wanderer Vagabond

[Machpoint005]

8 minutes ago, zenataomm said:

You'll save me the trouble of explaining how many beans make five to you ( a bean, a bean, a half a bean, a half a bean,  a bean, a bean)

 

Just as well - according to my Grandad it was "two beans, two half beans, a bean and a half and half a bean" which has the great advantage of a proper rhythm.

[Chewbacka]

4 minutes ago, Machpoint005 said:

 

Just as well - according to my Grandad it was "two beans, two half beans, a bean and a half and half a bean" which has the great advantage of a proper rhythm.

No, it’s -

Two beans and a bean

a bean and a half

and half a bean

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, Pie Eater said:

Did you wait for the boat to wind or use the lock as it was ready for you?

I waited as I didn't realise what he did and my wife who was at the lock told me afterwards. it was 6 of one and half a dozen of the other

[BWM]

It's all relative, in the picture shown there's no argument as it is way past the lock but at another lock i'm familiar with, below Cowley lock i would always turn and back into the lock. With crew waiting and the work done - the turn takes no longer than 3 minutes and treading water with passing boats, locks being operated, etc., when you can get yourself out of the way quickly just doesn't make sense. 

[Ex Brummie]

The hire base at Autherley Junction often decide to wind their boats and keep the stop lock open regardless of whoever is waiting on either side. On one occasion, their hirers came through the lock and expected to hold up eight other boats waiting to pass through; they were in no doubt as to the perceived etiquette. The boatyard staff were most upset as it was Sunday afternoon and they were itching to get home.

They never leave a lock landing, and approaching from the Shroppie, it can be several boat lengths plus the waterpoint before you can find any bank to wait on.

[Rob-M]

7 minutes ago, Ex Brummie said:

The hire base at Autherley Junction often decide to wind their boats and keep the stop lock open regardless of whoever is waiting on either side. On one occasion, their hirers came through the lock and expected to hold up eight other boats waiting to pass through; they were in no doubt as to the perceived etiquette. The boatyard staff were most upset as it was Sunday afternoon and they were itching to get home.

They never leave a lock landing, and approaching from the Shroppie, it can be several boat lengths plus the waterpoint before you can find any bank to wait on.

I boat down to the lock and come in alongside one of their hire boats, if anyone else is waiting for the lock they normally say something as I pass so I acknowledge them and let them know I'm not trying to queue jump. Often similar at middlewich where there can be lots of hire boats moored by the locks.

[ditchcrawler]

I remember going up Grindley Brook to wind, I had to wait for about 4 boats to come down before I could return

[jradley]

13 hours ago, Onionman said:

It's not actually a winding hole, btw, and you may find it full of boats. There's a winding hole about a mile and a half further on. If you need to use that instead it'll render your question moot.

The CRT guide for the K&A and also the Nicholson guide show it as a winding hole, so that's good enough for me. Interestingly, both those guides show the next official hole at Semington, though I reckon you are referring to Bradford Marina which is a possibility.

 

I expect to be arriving in B-o-A quite late in the day and won't want to add another hour or more onto the journey by turning any further down the canal than I need to, so if we are executing this particular cruise plan I will turn at B-o-A. The boat is only 47ft so I stand a better chance at getting it around than I would a 70ft.

11 hours ago, zenataomm said:

If you're 7 ft tall and your muscles are rippling with muscles or your partner looks like Claudia Schiffer and intends to drape herself over  the front end, I'd say go for it.

I'm not 7ft tall, but the missus does look exactly like Claudia Schiffer, with a touch of Heidi Klum, so I reckon we'll get away with it

[MtB]

16 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

Well I think we can wind in the right winding hole in around 45 seconds, so it would need to be a very quick lock cycle!
 

 

 

Excellent turn Alan, but not really representative of the 'winding' process most boaters need to execute in a shallow winding hole and a boat that barely fits across the width of the cut at the winding hole. That's is essentially turning around a very short boat in a very big space!

 

 

[Rebotco]

If your boat is only 47 ft, you may be well able to turn immediately below BoA lock, if the lock landing isn't clogged with other boats waiting to go up.

Alternatively there is a winding hole about 15 mins before the lock, with just a shortish walk into Bradford if you so wished.

[alan_fincher]

3 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Excellent turn Alan, but not really representative of the 'winding' process most boaters need to execute in a shallow winding hole and a boat that barely fits across the width of the cut at the winding hole. That's is essentially turning around a very short boat in a very big space!

 

 

It's not actually a "very big space" at all.  It isn't a lot wider there than a full length boat is long, and is very badly silted.

It is actually a fairly typically sized designated winding hole.

[cuthound]

16 hours ago, zenataomm said:

If you're 7 ft tall and your muscles are rippling with muscles or your partner looks like Claudia Schiffer and intends to drape herself over  the front end, I'd say go for it.

 

If the above doesn't apply then look at the queue and if you see me waiting then don't bother.  You'll save me the trouble of explaining how many beans make five to you ( a bean, a bean, a half a bean, a half a bean,  a bean, a bean) and further more that the lock is only yours while you're in it.  A bit like the queue in a supermarket.

Try leaving with your week's purchases and then after a few steps turning and strolling back to the cashier because you'd rather like a Hob Nob now.

 

Well, as it happens, if that's how you're going to entertain the general populace with your prowess, then I for one don't want you in front of me.  I'd plump for you to be performing those kind of shenanigans as far behind me as I can get you … and with that distance increasing with every peaceful, unstressed moment.

 

16 hours ago, Machpoint005 said:

 

Just as well - according to my Grandad it was "two beans, two half beans, a bean and a half and half a bean" which has the great advantage of a proper rhythm.

 

16 hours ago, Chewbacka said:

No, it’s -

Two beans and a bean

a bean and a half

and half a bean

 

 See how just deciding how to count beans has caused an argument on the forum. ?

 

Just imagine how boaters will react over something important like someone stealing their lock. It would probably come to blows. ?

Edited August 8, 2019 by cuthound
To remove a letter masquerading as a space

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

I arrived at Audlem just as Scorpio and Leo were coming down, winding and going back up. 

I thought fair play, let them get on with it. 

Had a chat, then followed them up. 

I find life simple if I don’t over think it. 

[doratheexplorer]

It only takes 2 minutes to wind a boat.  Unless there are gongoozlers, when it takes around an hour, and you'll fall in half way through.

[Wanderer Vagabond]

35 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

It only takes 2 minutes to wind a boat.  Unless there are gongoozlers, when it takes around an hour, and you'll fall in half way through.

Surely that's a 'wind up'?

[thebfg]

On 07/08/2019 at 20:10, Onionman said:

It's not actually a winding hole, btw, and you may find it full of boats. There's a winding hole about a mile and a half further on. If you need to use that instead it'll render your question moot.

I always use it, i would say if they are winding midweek then it should be empty.

 

If its full and there is a queue it will be real tight to wind there.

 

I hate that lock, if you time it wrong there is always a massive queue during silly season.

[aracer]

On 08/08/2019 at 00:02, BWM said:

It's all relative, in the picture shown there's no argument as it is way past the lock but at another lock i'm familiar with, below Cowley lock i would always turn and back into the lock. With crew waiting and the work done - the turn takes no longer than 3 minutes and treading water with passing boats, locks being operated, etc., when you can get yourself out of the way quickly just doesn't make sense. 

So it makes more sense for everyone in the queue to wait another 3 minutes with the lock doing nothing than for another boat to go straight into the lock you've just left and start using it whilst you turn? You get yourself out of the way a lot more quickly by moving to the side to let another boat use the lock.