Big Locks....

[Mike Coombes]

8 hours ago, cuthound said:

 

Wow, I didn't realise you could voice control a boat using Alexa... 😂🤣

 

Seriously, many of us use prop walk to help moor our boats, however it is less predictable in shallow water, often pulling the stern in and then as you get close to the bank, pushing it out again.

 

Ahh- you jumped to a delusion.

 

I am in the fortunate position of having a wife who is an excellent helm, sea, river or canal.

 

On another, more salty forum I refer to her as 'First Mate'.

 

First mate ALWAYS has control leaving or coming alongside. I jump about with the warps and fenders. The best use of our attributes.

 

I have not noticed the 'rebound' effect you mention, but if we make a return to the cut, no doubt I will!

[nicknorman]

30 minutes ago, Mike Coombes said:

 

Ahh- you jumped to a delusion.

 

I am in the fortunate position of having a wife who is an excellent helm, sea, river or canal.

 

On another, more salty forum I refer to her as 'First Mate'.

 

First mate ALWAYS has control leaving or coming alongside. I jump about with the warps and fenders. The best use of our attributes.

 

I have not noticed the 'rebound' effect you mention, but if we make a return to the cut, no doubt I will!

If she is your first mate, by implication you have at least one subsequent mate. Is your wife aware of this infidelity? If not let’s hope she doesn’t read this forum.

 

Anyway, on the subject of prop walk it applies less to a narrowboat due to its flat bottom (ie lack of a keel). It’s true that some narrowboats with props barely submerged will display some prop walk, but for a well set up narrowboat with a prop that is substantially underwater throughout its rotation, there is no detectable prop walk. But as others have said, with a deep ish drafted narrowboat against a shallow ish bank, hitting reverse will send the boat hurtling off toward the other bank. I sometimes think it would be better to pretend to moor on one side, and then after hitting reverse when the boat makes rapid progress to the other side, step off on that side and say “Ha! Fooled you, I was going to moor on this side all along!”

Edited August 1, 2025 by nicknorman

[magnetman]

The triangular shape of the swim and a flat base is obviously going to cause the starn to come away from the side in reverse because of where the water goes. 

 

A more ordinary Boat without this swim shape would not have the same problem as the water would be passing under the vessel rather than being ejected sideways. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mike Coombes]

10 hours ago, nicknorman said:

If she is your first mate, by implication you have at least one subsequent mate. Is your wife aware of this infidelity? If not let’s hope she doesn’t read this forum.

 

Anyway, on the subject of prop walk it applies less to a narrowboat due to its flat bottom (ie lack of a keel). It’s true that some narrowboats with props barely submerged will display some prop walk, but for a well set up narrowboat with a prop that is substantially underwater throughout its rotation, there is no detectable prop walk. But as others have said, with a deep ish drafted narrowboat against a shallow ish bank, hitting reverse will send the boat hurtling off toward the other bank. I sometimes think it would be better to pretend to moor on one side, and then after hitting reverse when the boat makes rapid progress to the other side, step off on that side and say “Ha! Fooled you, I was going to moor on this side all along!”

 

First Mate is a Seafarers term which reflects her position on-and in-the vessels hierarchy.

 

After 57 years of marriage, infidelity in not on the cards.

 

In regard to prop walk, after hiring 'Grebe' from Willow Wren many years ago, my neighbour was I/C the tiller. He was turning at the junction at Braunston, made a pigs ear of it.

 

The guy back at base asked which way he turned. He then said" She goes roud easy there mate-just keep the revs steady, tiller over and use ahead-astern in turn. She gets goin round, then a bit of astern keep 'er goin round cos the prop shoves the back to one side-gettit? By goin ahead-astern you can swing 'er easy! You was going the wrong way fer the prop to 'elp I recon!!"

 

He knew about propwalk on a 70 footer. We never got to try it again, Willow Wren slowly wound up and sold the boats off.

[ditchcrawler]

12 hours ago, Mike Coombes said:

 

Ahh- you jumped to a delusion.

 

I am in the fortunate position of having a wife who is an excellent helm, sea, river or canal.

 

On another, more salty forum I refer to her as 'First Mate'.

 

First mate ALWAYS has control leaving or coming alongside. I jump about with the warps and fenders. The best use of our attributes.

 

I have not noticed the 'rebound' effect you mention, but if we make a return to the cut, no doubt I will!

And you dare to shout instructions to her?😁

[TheBiscuits]

2 hours ago, Mike Coombes said:

First Mate is a Seafarers term which reflects her position on-and in-the vessels hierarchy.

 

I think you may have spelled"Admiral" incorrectly...

[magnetman]

I had two different narrows which had quite a pronounced propwalk effect. 

 

One was a 1980s 55ft trad which had a RN DM2 with a large propeller and a lowered skeg. That one would drift across to the left slightly in forward. Not much difference turning. 

 

The other one was a 1880s motorised full length horse Boat. A little swim had been made and a very large prop with a lowered skeg to accommodate it. 

 

That one would turn nicely going to the right but it would go really wide if you turned to the left. 

I ended up in the trees above King's lock having come out of the Dukes cut/weir stream. It just would not go round. No problem getting round to get in. Could be partly weir stream effect. 

 

A Maggie Thatcher Boat. 

 

 

 

[Mike Coombes]

23 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

And you dare to shout instructions to her?😁

 

Yes - she is as far as twenty feet away, inside a pilot house and has a running engine below her rumbling away.

 

She will not hear unless I shout.

 

She only moans if I dont shout loud enough!!

 

She is I/C helm as, just when she was a very good Sidecar Racer, her philosophy is simple.

 

"If anyone is going to break my neck/scratch my boat, it is bloody well going to be me!!"

 

And, as she is very good on the handlebars, wheel or tiller, I am not argueing.       😉

Edited August 3, 2025 by Mike Coombes

[CIEL]

On 02/08/2025 at 10:39, Mike Coombes said:

 

First Mate is a Seafarers term which reflects her position on-and in-the vessels hierarchy.

 

After 57 years of marriage, infidelity in not on the cards.

 

In regard to prop walk, after hiring 'Grebe' from Willow Wren many years ago, my neighbour was I/C the tiller. He was turning at the junction at Braunston, made a pigs ear of it.

 

The guy back at base asked which way he turned. He then said" She goes roud easy there mate-just keep the revs steady, tiller over and use ahead-astern in turn. She gets goin round, then a bit of astern keep 'er goin round cos the prop shoves the back to one side-gettit? By goin ahead-astern you can swing 'er easy! You was going the wrong way fer the prop to 'elp I recon!!"

 

He knew about propwalk on a 70 footer. We never got to try it again, Willow Wren slowly wound up and sold the boats off.

After a mere 56 years of marriage I can say you are not wrong.  She is much better at threading the boat in and out of locks than I am so I tend to do all of the shoreside stuff.

We also hired from Willow Wren in 1967 - "Plover" - that's how we met, marrying two years later.  Small world.

[Phoenix_V]

A big lock

Edited November 22, 2025 by Phoenix_V

[Mike Coombes]

3 minutes ago, Phoenix_V said:

A big lock

 

Thats a biggie!

 

Biggest I have locked through is the Sharpness Ship Lock. Depending on the tide, almost a 50 foot drop.

 

On the delivery trip of our current boat, a 12.5 metre Motorsailer. She was in Gloucester Docks, we moved her round to Gosport.

[Phoenix_V]

24 minutes ago, Mike Coombes said:

 

Thats a biggie!

 

Biggest I have locked through is the Sharpness Ship Lock. Depending on the tide, almost a 50 foot drop.

 

On the delivery trip of our current boat, a 12.5 metre Motorsailer. She was in Gloucester Docks, we moved her round to Gosport.

Not in UK but Fontinettes in France 13m. Bigger ones are available. It is actually very gentle, side filling and with floating bollards. A little bit more exciting if you have to share with a commercial though.

Edited November 22, 2025 by Phoenix_V

[Jen-in-Wellies]

The big lock that is actually called Big Lock, on the T&M through Middlewich, isn't that big at all. 

https://canalplan.uk/photo/28_5a5

 

[ditchcrawler]

[haggis]

1 hour ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

The big lock that is actually called Big Lock, on the T&M through Middlewich, isn't that big at all. 

https://canalplan.uk/photo/28_5a5

 

I agree it is not big but the bottom gate always defeats me! I just can't get it to start closing (once it starts it is not too bad). I must admit to being very grateful if there are any strong men sitting outside the pub or walking past as I can then ask for help. No one has ever refused! Well done the guys of Middlewich. 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

Just now, haggis said:

I agree it is not big but the bottom gate always defeats me! I just can't get it to start closing (once it starts it is not too bad). I must admit to being very grateful if there are any strong men sitting outside the pub or walking past as I can then ask for help. No one has ever refused! Well done the guys of Middlewich. 

The offside bottom gate is easier than the towpath side one. I'm with you. Glad of any help on offer from the good men of Middlewich.  

[haggis]

14 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

The offside bottom gate is easier than the towpath side one. I'm with you. Glad of any help on offer from the good men of Middlewich.  

The last time we moored in Middlewich I got chatting to a volunteer lockie who was walking his dog and he told me that the offside gate was easier but when we came through the next morning, a guy volunteered to help so I didn't get a chance to try it. We are going to Barbridge for Christmas lunch so I will get a chance to try it soon 

 

[Graham Davis]

On 23/11/2025 at 12:04, ditchcrawler said:

Viking River Cruises?

 

Somewhere I've got a video of us passing through one of the really deep locks on the Duoro. 

[Ewan123]

Here's another big lock:

 

Probably amongst the gentlest of all locks we've been through!

[David Mack]

Sharing a big lock with a big boat.

HMS St. Albans in King George V Entrance  Lock, 15 January 2007.