Singlehanded. Asked to do swing bridges, not in a nice way.

[Tracy D'arth]

1 minute ago, LadyG said:

So it's ok to leave someone with zero hours boating experience in charge of your home in order to speed up lock transit by total minutes!

 

Who says that they have zero hours experience?  So you take charge of both boats.  Mind you, with your record perhaps not!

 

I have done practically the whole L&L breasted up with another boat, its a very relaxing way to cruise and the concentration is  good for the grey matter.

[MrsM]

4 minutes ago, LadyG said:

So.,,,, if I am entering a deep lock, with another alongside.

I would not expect this person to k ow anything about boating !

His crew is on the lock, do you think I should leave my  helm, engine off!

walk along the gunwales, filthy dirty , to the lock ladder, pick up my centreline. Climb up the ladder with my windlass, in order to open the paddle on my side?

 

 

 

Step off boat on your way into the lock - the boat's not going anywhere because the second boat is taking up the space. If you are first into the lock pull your boat to the side. Tie off centreline, close gate behind you and open up top paddle slowly (as long as boat 2 is ready). When full untie your boat, pull or steer through, pause in exit, close gate and be on your merry way.

[Bargebuilder]

33 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I must be totally thick, does anyone actually singlehand but not "take advantge of" of the fully crewed boat?

The extent to which a single hander "takes advantage" depends on how "fully crewed" the other boat is. If it's a hire boat with 6 occupants, all of whom are eager to be involved in their weeks holiday experience, then zero advantage is taken. If however the other boat has a single crew to open and close all 4 gates and all 4 paddles by themselves, then much more advantage is taken.

 

It is indeed harder work and takes longer when you are stuck with a single hander who doesn't help at locks. If they offer and do their best to help and are good company, the "taking advantage" is easy to overlook.

[Captain Pegg]

4 minutes ago, Bargebuilder said:

The extent to which a single hander "takes advantage" depends on how "fully crewed" the other boat is. If it's a hire boat with 6 occupants, all of whom are eager to be involved in their weeks holiday experience, then zero advantage is taken. If however the other boat has a single crew to open and close all 4 gates and all 4 paddles by themselves, then much more advantage is taken.

 

It is indeed harder work and takes longer when you are stuck with a single hander who doesn't help at locks. If they offer and do their best to help and are good company, the "taking advantage" is easy to overlook.

You seem to assume the single hander is going to be less able and willing to do as much as the crewed boat.

 

In my experience that’s far from true.

 

 

Edited July 9, 2022 by Captain Pegg

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

45 minutes ago, LadyG said:

These locks only have access on one side.

If I have to go back to close the lock I am using the lock landing therefore the other boat can't get his crew on board.

I must be totally thick, does anyone actually singlehand but not "take advantge of" of the fully crewed boat?

I find hire boats are usually extremely helpful in this regard.

Yes you are being thick.
Let the other boat out first!

And don’t use the lock landing but stop your boat beneath or above the gate. 

2 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

You seem to assume the single hander is going to be less able and willing to do as much as the crewed boat.

 

In my experience that’s far from true.

 

 

My best was a stag crew. 
They wanted to do all the work and share their beer. 
So yes, took full advantage. 
Didn’t lift a windlass or do owt. 

sometimes life is good 👍 

[LadyG]

10 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I do, but I leave the engine running and don't take a centre line

I would take a centreline so that I have control of my boat, to be honest, I'd prefer to take my boat through on my own if the other person did not realise that someone of my age did not want to climb up lock ladders!

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

12 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I would take a centreline so that I have control of my boat, to be honest, I'd prefer to take my boat through on my own if the other person did not realise that someone of my age did not want to climb up lock ladders!

So how do you manage alone?

 

or do you not do any locks alone?

 

[Captain Pegg]

20 minutes ago, Goliath said:

Yes you are being thick.
Let the other boat out first!

And don’t use the lock landing but stop your boat beneath or above the gate. 

My best was a stag crew. 
They wanted to do all the work and share their beer. 
So yes, took full advantage. 
Didn’t lift a windlass or do owt. 

sometimes life is good 👍 

Use of lock landings certainly needs to be minimised. Generally only needed for the first lock in a flight and occasionally for awkward locks such as descending Gailey or Penkridge (near where you currently are 😉).

 

Three or four years ago I ended up sharing with a group of six blokes going up Buckby. They told me they did a week every year yet I ended up doing 80% of the work. I didn’t much mind because I got to operate the locks as best suited me. That’s why on balance I’d take the option of not sharing, single handed or otherwise. In fact if my dad is steering not sharing is best. 😳

 

 

Edited July 9, 2022 by Captain Pegg

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

1 minute ago, Captain Pegg said:

Use of lock landings certainly needs to be minimised. Generally only needed for the first lock in a flight and occasionally for awkward locks such as descending Gailey or Penkridge (near where you currently are 😉).

 

Thre or four years ago I ended up sharing with a group of six blokes going up Buckby. They told me they did a week every year yet I ended up doing 80% of the work.I didn’t much mind because I got to operate the locks as best suited me. That’s why on balance I’d take the option of not sharing, single handed or not.

 

 

Ha Penkridge!

😂

coming up the lock to the pub there’s no where to tie up. 
so I put the bow against the bottom gates and left the boat in gear. 
And gently emptied the lock. 

 

 

[Captain Pegg]

2 minutes ago, Goliath said:

Ha Penkridge!

😂

coming up the lock to the pub there’s no where to tie up. 
so I put the bow against the bottom gates and left the boat in gear. 
And gently emptied the lock. 

 

 

Yep. Filance is a pig of a lock to single hand going uphill.

 

Passed you at Radford Bank at midday yesterday. Realised I recognised the boat after we’d passed. I wasn’t on my boat so you wouldn’t have known.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

I got as far as the Cross Keys today from the Boat. 
 

Next stop Olive’s!

[Rob-M]

4 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

Yep. Filance is a pig of a lock to single hand going uphill.

 

Passed you at Radford Bank at midday yesterday. Realised I recognised the boat after we’d passed. I wasn’t on my boat so you wouldn’t have known.

Filance is a right pain, I've tied the centre line to a tree branch there and shouted to anyone on the towpath to be careful whilst I'm preparing the lock.  I'm always grateful to see a boat coming down as I approach.

 

When going uphill in a wide lock I'll always ask the other boat if they will go in to the lock at the same time to save having one boat having to be pulled in to the lock side.  If there are steps below I will step off with the centre line and close the gate my side and raise the top paddle.  Usually Mrs-M will go ahead.

[ditchcrawler]

44 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I would take a centreline so that I have control of my boat, to be honest, I'd prefer to take my boat through on my own if the other person did not realise that someone of my age did not want to climb up lock ladders!

I would never ask a lady her age

[Arthur Marshall]

1 hour ago, MrsM said:

Not true that they'd have the do it all anyway. A single boat going through a wide lock usually only opens one gate in and out. 

So do I if sharing locks. In, move over. You can do that with a 40 footer.

[Captain Pegg]

22 minutes ago, Goliath said:

I got as far as the Cross Keys today from the Boat. 
 

Next stop Olive’s!

 

Must have been a hard day. 🤣

 

There was lots of activity at the Cross Keys yesterday morning. Is Olive's the Anchor at HIgh Offley? That's a serious days boating from where you are. You'll need a drink when you arrive. Or maybe you're having a night of abstinence in between.

 

7 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

So do I if sharing locks. In, move over. You can do that with a 40 footer.

Absolutely, and on the way out the first boat exiting will draw the second across so it's pointing straight out the gate on the same side. Well it does if it's 35' long anyway.

Edited July 9, 2022 by Captain Pegg

[Ronaldo47]

My first experience of canals was in 1976, when a group of us hired Black Prince's original two boats. The owner suggested  that we might like to try  breasting up on the GU's wide locks. We did try it at Braunston, and it certainly speeded things up. Breasting up seems to be not permitted by the conditions of hire these days. 

[LadyG]

3 hours ago, Goliath said:

It’s not a question of rushing anywhere. 
Just one tip when sharing:

when entering a lock step off before the gate and then close the gate as your boat drifts/passes through. Even if there’s someone waiting to close the gate for you. Step off regardless, show willing. 

And when the gate is shut open the paddle on your side. If there’s crew they won’t mind you getting back on your boat as it goes down. 
 

So you’ll have closed a gate and opened a paddle. With out using a centreline. 

 

I did close the beam on my side, as stated in my first post. The other boat crew was opening the paddles. Not much I could do!

 

[Tony1]

 

As a singlehander, it seems to be different every time I share locks with another boat. 

About a month after I first got the boat I shared a flight of double locks somewhere near Braunston with a full time pro boat mover. I admitted I didnt have a very clear idea how to work double locks efficiently, and I told him to just direct me to whichever paddles or gates needed moving. 

We got through that flight faster than I think I've gone through any locks since then, and whilst I appreciated sharing the workload, and making quicker progress, it was a bit like a military exercise, and all done at such a pace that I didn't really learn very much.  

The ideal is a family of hire boaters with older children manning every gate and paddle before you even get a chance to offer. 

Sharing with a couple is a variable experience, although I've never come across anyone so taciturn or downright rude as this couple. 

My personal take on it is that whatever happens, I'm probably going to save some time and effort by sharing, and at least I have some company in my labours.

So if going up a flight of double locks, my baseline assumption is that they'll want me to climb the ladder and work some paddles and gates- and I think that's absolutely fair. I never want to appear reluctant to do my share. 

I always offer to work with whatever procedure they might want to use, and I always offer to climb up and work the paddles, as I would have to do if I were singlehanding the lock.

And if they prefer me to climb up and help with just one lock, or with six locks, its still better than doing the lock alone, because at least the other gate is being looked after by someone who knows what they're doing. 

I've joked about not sharing with couples because they make me work too hard, but the truth is I'm always very willing to do whatever level of work is required, because I'm conscious of not wanting them to do any extra work due to me sharing with them. 

But to be honest, if a pair were that uncommunicative and ignorant of my attempts to say hello, I'd be tempted to stay put, let them go through alone, and perhaps share with the next boat. 

Don't give me those negative waves man, as a great actor once said. 

 

[Bargebuilder]

13 minutes ago, Tony1 said:

My personal take on it is that whatever happens, I'm probably going to save some time and effort by sharing

As a single hander, you are indeed very likely to save some time and effort when sharing a lock. Conversely, if the crew of a boat a single hander shares with consists of just two people, they are most likely to spend longer and expend more effort getting through the lock, unless like you, the single hander really pulls their weight.

 

Speaking personally, I'd be very happy to share a lock with you any time given your attitude, but that is far from true for some single handers I've met.

 

As a general rule, I'd rather do a flight of wide beam locks by myself than share with a single hander, as I find it easier, quicker and requiring less effort.

 

 

[Iain_S]

We have mixed experience of sharing with single handlers and, indeed, couples, whether sharing a lock or sharing a flight. One single hander on the T&M really pissed Ann off; she’d prepared the lock, opening the top gate, and he pulled out from the lock moorings and entered the lock, then just sat on the boat, expecting to be locked through. Suffice to say that that didn’t happen!

 

A contrast was a descent of Hatton: a single handed lady asked if we could share. Worked like a dream, Ann setting ahead opening one gate. One boat in , push across, second boat in. On exit, we stopped in the lock mouth, shut gates and paddles, singled out for the next lock, first in pushed across to the closed gate side, gate shut behind second boat, both steerers on bottom paddles, while Ann went ahead to the next lock. Flew down the flight 

 

On our last descent of the Rochdale 9 (actually 8, as Peel have shut off visitor moorings in Castlefield) Ann and one of our other lock wheelers had a serious falling out with the boat descending ahead of us, due to their refusal to do any of the work. Even though we were comparatively mob handed, 5 skulls between 2 boats, their laziness grated more than somewhat!

[TheBiscuits]

10 hours ago, LadyG said:

It must be obvious a singlehanded can't do L & L swing bridges.

 

Not to me.  I often do.

 

It's harder work, granted.

 

9 hours ago, LadyG said:

I have only eve seen one singlehander doing these bridges, he was fit young man, I and I was there to assist with his boat, he had to leap about eight feet. 

 

I've never jumped any feet for a swing bridge.  Something's already gone badly wrong if you do.

[Arthur Marshall]

I always feel a bit guilty if I'm sat on the boat in a shared lock being worked through. If I was on me tod, I'd be doing it so it seems slightly wrong. But I'm still fit enough to do it, and I'm leisure not CC, so it's more of a choice for me than someone who lives on.

A short boat does get thrown about a bit, so I need to be in control, either on it or it tied up with access to the rope. Going up is less of a problem than going down because of getting back on board and keeping the boat near the ladder, and I'm less athletic than I was. Either way, I always offer to help and do whatever seems logical. If the other boat obviously isn't happy sharing, I do what LadyG did, stop after the lock (having told them not to wait for me), make a cuppa and let them go on ahead on their own. Wastes a bit of water, but I'd rather keep the peace.

8 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Not to me.  I often do.

 

It's harder work, granted.

They must have got better. Last time I was up there was twenty years ago, and I couldn't shift some of them. I had to wait for another boat a few times.

[LadyG]

So tried single handing as recommended, this resulted in me opening up for another boat travelling about six  mph ,no  attempt to assist. Chains are broken so a fit young guy came on my boat and jumped on to the open  bridge, I won't be doing that again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LadyG]

20 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Who says that they have zero hours experience?  So you take charge of both boats.  Mind you, with your record perhaps not!

 

I have done practically the whole L&L breasted up with another boat, its a very relaxing way to cruise and the concentration is  good for the grey matter.

Read the post thru you would see the other helm refused to speak to me. Ditto his crew.

I would not trust anyone with such a bad attitude. Which was one reason for not helping with paddles as they were doing them so fast I  could not get back on  my boat. Thank goodness it was only one short set.

[Arthur Marshall]

There's no way I'd go on the L&L now. I can handle both lift and swing bridges comfortably on narrow canals, and locks on both narrow and broad on the midland canals. The combination of lack of maintenance and water shortage on the L&L makes it just too much like hard work and no fun at all.

Lots of nice bits from Preston Brook or Marple southwards.

Even along here,  though, there are plenty of boats who refuse to share locks. I never realised it was just because I was on me tod. As they were usually the shiny ones, and mine is assuredly not, I just assumed they were either selfish or snobs. Can't say it bothers me much, I'd rather work them in my own, safely, at my own pace, even though it's a waste of water.