Single person controlling a Narrow Boat

[Andrew1976]

Strange title, looking to buy a 45ft canal boat, will be moored on the Thames in Reading close to Kennet and Avon canal. Major trips over 4 days will accompanied but many day trips will be just me, although the Thames locks are manned i am concerned about the Kennet locks and how difficult is the process with just a single person. Has anyone got any experience or advice

[Skeg]

3 minutes ago, Andrew1976 said:

Strange title, looking to buy a 45ft canal boat, will be moored on the Thames in Reading close to Kennet and Avon canal. Major trips over 4 days will accompanied but many day trips will be just me, although the Thames locks are manned i am concerned about the Kennet locks and how difficult is the process with just a single person. Has anyone got any experience or advice

Well not all the Thames locks are manned all the time but it’s just a case of pushing buttons once you are at the lock, then getting the boat in. The automatic system fills and empties fairly slowly.

As far as K&A locks are concerned I didn’t find any that were too difficult to operate. The canal can be quite busy so you may get to share locks. It will be harder to operate the swing bridges single handed but it can be done if you are reasonably fit. 
 

it’s probably worth spending a bit of time at the locks on both waterways and observing how people operate them. The lock keepers can be a source of knowledge as well.

[MtB]

4 minutes ago, Skeg said:

Well not all the Thames locks are manned all the time but it’s just a case of pushing buttons once you are at the lock, then getting the boat in.

 

That 'just' is (or was) only half the story. When the boater controls at locks were first installed it was breathtakingly easy to press the buttons in the wrong order leading to the system locking out and you having to call the EA to get someone out (usually the off duty lock keeper) to reset it. DAMHIK.

 

Hopefully they have fixed this by now....

 

 

 

[Andrew1976]

Thank you for your prompt reply, i am sure i can do what is required on locks, Good point about swing bridges need to check these out my biggest fear is that i will hold up a lot of people on the canal as i imagine it will take twice as long to operate stuff with one person then with two people.

Thank you, will need to check this out sounds like it was a nightmare 

[MtB]

1 minute ago, Andrew1976 said:

Thank you for your prompt reply, i am sure i can do what is required on locks, Good point about swing bridges need to check these out my biggest fear is that i will hold up a lot of people on the canal as i imagine it will take twice as long to operate stuff with one person then with two people.

 

Canal boaters tend to be very co-operative. You won't be holding up people, they will come and assist you rather than wait!

 

 

(Whether or not you want the assistance!)

 

 

[Tony Brooks]

Not at all, many people keep one on the boat while the other operates the lock. A single hander just needs to learn how to rope the boat in the lock and then the time taken will be similar, unless the other boat has a large crew with more than one ashore.

 

I would point out that the CaRT lock going upstream on the Kennet (Fobney) is aright beast so when you forts try that one try to have help.

 

 

[Bee]

It is quite possible, the only awkward bits are when you need to be on both sides of a lock and also standing on the back of the boat all at the same time!. So long as you have a line from the boat to the bank whenever you hop on or off or work through a lock you will be OK. I have had occasion to bow haul a boat by myself in the snow up Hatton and also from Long Itchington to Warwick by myself and its just a question of working steadily and economically. The rope is for pulling the boat out of a lock and not letting it creep back onto the cill, That last sentence is important!

[MtB]

1 minute ago, Bee said:

It is quite possible, the only awkward bits are when you need to be on both sides of a lock and also standing on the back of the boat all at the same time!.

 

I have to say in 45 years of boating I've never found the need to do this!

 

 

[David Mack]

10 minutes ago, Andrew1976 said:

Good point about swing bridges need to check these out my biggest fear is that i will hold up a lot of people on the canal as i imagine it will take twice as long to operate stuff with one person then with two people.

Actually with single handing swing bridges the bigger issue is the number of people you hold up on the road - especially if having opened the bridge and got back on the boat to steer it through, you then go aground. DAMHIKT.

[Bee]

4 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

I have to say in 45 years of boating I've never found the need to do this!

 

 

You've left the windlass on one balance beam, You're on the other side of the lock and your tea is going cold on the back of the boat which has drifted to the exact middle of a wide lock!

[MtB]

1 minute ago, Bee said:

You've left the windlass on one balance beam, You're on the other side of the lock and your tea is going cold on the back of the boat which has drifted to the exact middle of a wide lock!

 

Ah. I'd overlooked the importance and impact of tea!

 

 

[Hudds Lad]

This sort of thing on the Thames, was sure there was a reset sequence but that may have been on a diff lock instructions, pic is from Marlow lock going up.

 

 

[OldGoat]

11 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

This sort of thing on the Thames, was sure there was a reset sequence but that may have been on a diff lock instructions, pic is from Marlow lock going up.

 

 

The only problem with the Thames locks was (as inevitable with most electrical systems ) is the user - in this case RTFM and this applies mostor to the open gates procedure. If you HOLD the open gates butting the system will see that as a malfunction and disconnect all power. The magic tric is to press the button and wait for a click from the pedestal. It's never more than 2-3 seconds delay.

As mentioned thaty all may have been fixed, but it did cost EA a lot of money to make the changes - so there may be th odd lock that's not been upgraded - so be warned. 

 

[magnetman]

Single handing is no problem. Just take it easy and learn the best techniques for you.  Be careful about people offering to help because often they won't be in tune with your way of doing things and this can cause communication problems.

 

I've single handed all sorts of different boats from 32ft narrow to 72ft narrow up to 60ft x 12ft barge the length of the Thames several times and plenty of the canals and never had any problems at all. As long as you are sensible and never rush things its fine. Be careful on the Kennet and Thames in flood conditions though as it not very nice once the water is moving a lot. 

 

If anything once you get used to it you will find yourself faster than other people who have crew because the great thing with single handing is you don't have to rely on what other people do. You just get on with it.

 

Its great.

 

 

5 minutes ago, OldGoat said:

. If you HOLD the open gates butting the system will see that as a malfunction and disconnect all power.

 

You mean the sluices button.

 

You do have to hold the gate button until the gates are completely open/closed but the sluices are usually (not always) on an automatic timer so only require one press until you hear the click of the relay.

[booke23]

As said the locks on the Kennet are perfectly doable single handed, but I would echo what @Tony Brooks has said about going upstream....I'd also add that Aldermaston lock also needs slow paddle opening when going up otherwise it's like Niagra falls. Woolhampton is a bit awkward single handed due to the electric swing bridge just before the lock but not impossible. The biggest annoyance is swing bridges where the landing is on the other side to the swing!

[Andrew1976]

Thank you for your comments this has really reassured me, bring on the nice weather

[dmr]

My own opinion, as somebody who occasionally single hands a 70 footer....

Its much easier with two 😀.

Canal locks are fine as long as you take your time, but there are several locks on the Kennet where I would not want to single hand. In addition to the notorious Woolhampton lock, Fobney and County can both be tricky, plus the two turf sided locks.

Thames locks are difficult single handed, despite usually having lock keepers. Some are quite fierce and need a rope at both ends rather than just a centre line. Also if the lock is full of other boats the boat needs to be secured as soon as it arrives in the lock, you don't want to be on the back with the front drifting towards a gin palace.  Out of hours it would be difficult to work the lock and secure the boat.

However lots of people do single hand the Thames and my views are maybe a little clouded by having a big heavy boat.

Narrow locks are lovely, couyld you move to the midlands ? 😀

[zenataomm]

I've never considered a boater's marital status as being important when it comes to handling before.

I suppose it's down to the manner of the handling.

[blackrose]

1 hour ago, Andrew1976 said:

Strange title, looking to buy a 45ft canal boat, will be moored on the Thames in Reading close to Kennet and Avon canal. Major trips over 4 days will accompanied but many day trips will be just me, although the Thames locks are manned i am concerned about the Kennet locks and how difficult is the process with just a single person. Has anyone got any experience or advice

 

Yes, I took my 57ft x 12ft widebeam all the way down the K&A from Reading to Bristol single handed. Take it slow and you'll have no problems.

[Brian422]

1 hour ago, MtB said:

 

Canal boaters tend to be very co-operative. You won't be holding up people, they will come and assist you rather than wait!

 

 

(Whether or not you want the assistance!)

 

 

However, you're in charge.

 

If you don't want help and you feel your being rushed, thank them for their offer and politely suggest they go away!

[Dav and Pen]

Never get off without a rope and a long one at that. It is not always possible to tie up at the mouth of a lock and the boat drift away. Don’t ask me how I know this. Done plenty of single handed boating with loaded boats , all down the Oxford and up Hatton, you can work out a method that lets the boat do a lot of the work and it’s a lot easier now locks have ladders in them.

[doratheexplorer]

1 hour ago, MtB said:

 

That 'just' is (or was) only half the story. When the boater controls at locks were first installed it was breathtakingly easy to press the buttons in the wrong order leading to the system locking out and you having to call the EA to get someone out (usually the off duty lock keeper) to reset it. DAMHIK.

 

Hopefully they have fixed this by now....

 

 

 

They hadn't last year.

1 hour ago, Andrew1976 said:

Thank you for your prompt reply, i am sure i can do what is required on locks, Good point about swing bridges need to check these out my biggest fear is that i will hold up a lot of people on the canal as i imagine it will take twice as long to operate stuff with one person then with two people.

Thank you, will need to check this out sounds like it was a nightmare 

If people behind you are being held up, let them past.  Simple.

[TheBiscuits]

24 minutes ago, zenataomm said:

I've never considered a boater's marital status as being important when it comes to handling before.

I suppose it's down to the manner of the handling.

 

I've met some boaters who appear to be a couple at the start of the locks but are probably single boaters by the end of the flight ...

[LadyG]

My first few locks were powered ,  wide, deep, and singlehanded. No other boaters around.

I soon found that I needed a good strong and long braid centreline rope, longer than the boat. This is the centreline I use most of the time, I have another which is a back up, it's harder on the hands, not so easy to handle or throw.

My first few attempts resulted in a thin braid swiftly finding the prop and immediately being too short.

When finished with the centreline I drop it in to the boat via the open hatch, there is sufficient weight of rope to allow this.

Take your time, work out what is happening, no one is born with the required knowledge.

 When raising paddles I am always watching the boat, it takes a few minutes longer to take it steady, but never feel under pressure from other boaters, they are not rushing anywhere.

 

 

[robtheplod]

2 hours ago, Hudds Lad said:

This sort of thing on the Thames, was sure there was a reset sequence but that may have been on a diff lock instructions, pic is from Marlow lock going up.

 

 

just thought what a really useful resource it would be if each automated lock had a pic like this online so people who are not sure can check!