The dreaded locks

[Hieronymus Bosh]

Hi all,

 

Just done my first set of locks (narrow) in anger ( i.e. we're newbies). We did the Northampton arm of the Grand Union, from Gayton junction to Cotton End Wharf (ugh!). Winded there as I didn't want to start mucking about with rivers, but I digress. My question is.. is it natural to "clatter" into locks? (by clatter i mean bump and scrape into the jaws?) I'm not saying BANGING or CRASHING, but as far as I can tell its impossible to go into locks totally smoothly ((the pigging wind was horrendous). Any comments, comical, anecdotal or constructive would be gratefully received.

 

ps My final strategy was to employ use of boat pole to push off the bank whilst having the bow in the "mouth of the lock".

 

Martin.

[cheshire~rose]

Hi all,

 

Just done my first set of locks (narrow) in anger ( i.e. we're newbies). We did the Northampton arm of the Grand Union, from Gayton junction to Cotton End Wharf (ugh!). Winded there as I didn't want to start mucking about with rivers, but I digress. My question is.. is it natural to "clatter" into locks? (by clatter i mean bump and scrape into the jaws?) I'm not saying BANGING or CRASHING, but as far as I can tell its impossible to go into locks totally smoothly ((the pigging wind was horrendous). Any comments, comical, anecdotal or constructive would be gratefully received.

 

ps My final strategy was to employ use of boat pole to push off the bank whilst having the bow in the "mouth of the lock".

 

Martin.

 

 

On a windy day (especially gusty wind like today) even the most experienced boater is likely to clatter into a lock and a less experienced boater is likely to do more banging and crashing than clattering so do not worry - lots more practise, a less windy day and you will be and expert in no time

 

I would suggest that use of the boat pole should be with the greatest of caution as the solid structure of locks can lead to a boat pole slipping and a potential accident. At no time should a boat pole be used as a fender to stop the boat from "clattering into the lock" steel boats are designed to shrug off the knocks of clattering into a lock. the person holding the pole is not made to wthstand the force of 16 ton of boat with no brakes!

Edited March 14, 2010 by cheshire~rose

[ditchcrawler]

Hi all,

 

Just done my first set of locks (narrow) in anger ( i.e. we're newbies). We did the Northampton arm of the Grand Union, from Gayton junction to Cotton End Wharf (ugh!). Winded there as I didn't want to start mucking about with rivers, but I digress. My question is.. is it natural to "clatter" into locks? (by clatter i mean bump and scrape into the jaws?) I'm not saying BANGING or CRASHING, but as far as I can tell its impossible to go into locks totally smoothly ((the pigging wind was horrendous). Any comments, comical, anecdotal or constructive would be gratefully received.

 

ps My final strategy was to employ use of boat pole to push off the bank whilst having the bow in the "mouth of the lock".

 

Martin.

The answer is Yes, No, Sometimes

 

The cause

Maybe you are starting off to close to them

[Grace and Favour]

Hi all,

 

Just done my first set of locks (narrow) in anger ( i.e. we're newbies). We did the Northampton arm of the Grand Union, from Gayton junction to Cotton End Wharf (ugh!). Winded there as I didn't want to start mucking about with rivers, but I digress. My question is.. is it natural to "clatter" into locks? (by clatter i mean bump and scrape into the jaws?) I'm not saying BANGING or CRASHING, but as far as I can tell its impossible to go into locks totally smoothly ((the pigging wind was horrendous). Any comments, comical, anecdotal or constructive would be gratefully received.

 

ps My final strategy was to employ use of boat pole to push off the bank whilst having the bow in the "mouth of the lock".

 

Martin.

Hi Martin,

 

Well - - in my limited experience - I find that the more locking we do - the less clattering happens - windy days may always make it more difficult (depending upon the layout of the canal / lock / buildings / direction of the breeze)

 

But practice definitely helps!

 

Enjoy!

[Night Hawk]

You will get the hang of it...but a bit of banging and clattering is quite normal. Up on the Llangollen stretch of the Shroppie, the locks have washes, some quite fierce. You have to aim slightly into the wash in order to get into the lock without too many bumps. I wouldn't bother with poles.

 

Happy boating!

[PhilR]

It gets easier with experience. You will soon learn how to allow for the wind or a strong flowing spill weir. But no matter how experienced you are, or how hard you concentrate, there will still be occasions when you get it wrong. Wind often has a habit of changing direction when you least expect it ;-) Normally things go wrong when you have an audience at the lockside.

 

Good luck and don't worry about a few scrapes. Hull blacking is a renewable item!

 

Phil

[Hieronymus Bosh]

Thanks everyone,

 

What a relief to hear ( though the boating pole was being used by me at the stern.. not trying to fend off from the front )

Hey, I might move off again tomorrow ?!

[Night Hawk]

I'll agree with Phil..any boater who say's (s)he doesn't have the occasional bump or scrape going into a lock is a big fat fibber!

 

Have you noticed that the bumpage and bangage is inversely proportional to the number of people watching. When there's no one watching you, you will slip in your craft in without so much as a scrape...but Oh when the world and her wife are out, you'll make a pigs ear of the manouvre!

[DHutch]

While learning, in experienced, or in hard conditions, i would say some form of contact is going to be likely.

 

Generally i can get into a lock with emilyanne (6ft10) without touching the sides, but thats a fair bit of practice and it depends somewhat on the locks. Some are wider than others, and some are such thats its very hard to predict a good line on them due to flow from by washes etc. Certainly it still not at all unknown for me to touch the side.

 

Some look down the side of the boat, which certainly, can help. Make the assuming it will fit, and leave a 2-4inch gab (lock width dependant) and the other side should miss too!

 

 

Daniel

[nb Innisfree]

You will get the hang of it...but a bit of banging and clattering is quite normal. Up on the Llangollen stretch of the Shroppie, the locks have washes, some quite fierce. You have to aim slightly into the wash in order to get into the lock without too many bumps. I wouldn't bother with poles.

 

Happy boating!

 

Willeymore Lock is a right b*****d, if you approach with speed and get it wrong...crash! best I think to stop and creep along the piling. I like the ones where the by wash is angled just right, enough to create a balance between push and pull and takes you along midstream.

[Guest]

You will get the hang of it...but a bit of banging and clattering is quite normal. Up on the Llangollen stretch of the Shroppie, the locks have washes, some quite fierce. You have to aim slightly into the wash in order to get into the lock without too many bumps. I wouldn't bother with poles.

 

Happy boating!

Same as.

[steelaway]

Hi all,

 

Just done my first set of locks (narrow) in anger ( i.e. we're newbies). We did the Northampton arm of the Grand Union, from Gayton junction to Cotton End Wharf (ugh!). Winded there as I didn't want to start mucking about with rivers, but I digress. My question is.. is it natural to "clatter" into locks? (by clatter i mean bump and scrape into the jaws?) I'm not saying BANGING or CRASHING, but as far as I can tell its impossible to go into locks totally smoothly ((the pigging wind was horrendous). Any comments, comical, anecdotal or constructive would be gratefully received.

 

ps My final strategy was to employ use of boat pole to push off the bank whilst having the bow in the "mouth of the lock".

 

Martin.

 

 

Hi

 

It is often said that narrowboating is a contact sport!! - for even the best of us.

Keep away from the boat pole, it can be very dangerous.

Wait till you get the 'Big Locks'

One secret to locks ---- take it slow ----------- they can be very dangerous.

 

Alex

[alan_fincher]

As others have implied, it depends on a number of factors.

 

Cross winds can throw off even the most experienced, but even worse can be bypass weirs that flow in abruptly below some locks. In some cases these make it nigh on impossible to get in cleanly, although with developing skills you can sometimes choose to approach deliberately not completely lined up, and hope the front end gets pushed over by the amount you have judged it will, and you then slip in OK.

 

If there is no cross flows of either wind or water, you should quickly get proficient at gliding in with almost no rubbing at all.

 

The Northampton Arm should be easier than most, because, (IIRC) ,like the Aylesbury Arm, the locks are very significantly over 7 feet wide, and you can usually get in with 3" to 6" of clearance between boat and lock on each side. Some other locks are barely wider than the boat, and a degree of contact becomes much less avoidable.

 

If there is wind or water working against you, it is a delicate balance between approaching too slow, (in which case being thrown of course is inevitable), and too fast, (in which case an impact with the side can be considerably more dramatic if you do get it wrong.)

 

The trouble with Northampton Arm, (if not actually venturing on the Nene), is that there is precious little to make you want to do anything other than turn around and get back to Gayton! The Aylesbury Arm, with similar stats for distance and lock count, is a very different prospect, and a personal favourite of ours.

[PhilR]

Thanks everyone,

 

What a relief to hear ( though the boating pole was being used by me at the stern.. not trying to fend off from the front )

Hey, I might move off again tomorrow ?!

 

Harry Bosch would move off tonight

 

Seriously though, please don't use poles or anything else to fend off. Even at less than 2 mph a heavy boat is a dangerous weapon when humans use poles, hands, arms, legs etc to fend off. The boat will cope with the impact but human flesh and bones won't. I have seen too many accidents over the years. The safety of yourself and your crew are more important than a few scrapes on the hull.

 

Phil

[Heffalump]

Start further away, and go slower.

 

There should be no reason whatsoever for you to use a pole at the stern end, unless you have no engine.

 

Practice practice and practice. Learn to laugh when you get it wrong.

[Athy]

I'll agree with Phil..any boater who say's (s)he doesn't have the occasional bump or scrape going into a lock is a big fat fibber!

 

Have you noticed that the bumpage and bangage is inversely proportional to the number of people watching. When there's no one watching you, you will slip in your craft in without so much as a scrape...but Oh when the world and her wife are out, you'll make a pigs ear of the manouvre!

ABSO - blooming - LUTELY! So, Mr. Bosch, try to do your locking when there are no spectators, and your boat will enter each lock as neatly as if you'd been a gynaecologist. Lock through in view of spectators and it'll be more like an abortionist at work.

Seriously though: practice does help but it hasn't made me and Mrs. Athy perfect in 13 years of boat ownership. It has, however, taught us that if a steel boat bumps its way into a lock, both boat and lock generally survive the impact(s).

[Hieronymus Bosh]

Hi all..

 

2 Mph?.. is that warp factor 10? Blimey you people go fast. Seriously though.. fantastic replies, and all taken on board. Kudos to all of you!!

[mrsmelly]

Hi all,

 

Just done my first set of locks (narrow) in anger ( i.e. we're newbies). We did the Northampton arm of the Grand Union, from Gayton junction to Cotton End Wharf (ugh!). Winded there as I didn't want to start mucking about with rivers, but I digress. My question is.. is it natural to "clatter" into locks? (by clatter i mean bump and scrape into the jaws?) I'm not saying BANGING or CRASHING, but as far as I can tell its impossible to go into locks totally smoothly ((the pigging wind was horrendous). Any comments, comical, anecdotal or constructive would be gratefully received.

 

ps My final strategy was to employ use of boat pole to push off the bank whilst having the bow in the "mouth of the lock".

 

Martin.

 

Ha yes well we have ALL been there, it does get much easier after some time, I would say the first ten years are the hardest then it gets easy !!!!!

Boats are like cars the bigger and heavier they are the easier they are to drive so if you have a fairly light 50 footer then it will be harder than a heavy seventy footer but it is a contact sport after all so dont worry too much everyone starts somewhere.

I will give you one tip though, when lining up for the entrance to the lock dont do like so many you see and that is peering from one side of the boat to the other, all you have to do is make sure nothing is obstructing the lock entrance and then line up on one side only 2 or 3 inches from the side and you WILL be missing the other side.

[cheshire~rose]

Start further away, and go slower.

Slower is a relative term - what seems like "slower" for an inexperienced boater trying to neatly steer their boat into a lock could actually be far too slow.

 

It is a confidence thing which only comes with experience - too slow and you lose steering and every slight breeze or bywash current will send you off in a random direction but it takes confidence and experience of how your boat handles before you can approach the lock at a speed where it will steer easily.

 

The other factor when inexperienced is that feeling of having no brakes as you hurtle towards the gate at the far end of the lock. again - with practise and experience it will be second nature.

 

give it time and just smile in the certain knowledge that everyone has been where you are when you bump a bit harder than you wanted to.

[RLWP]

Slower is a relative term - what seems like "slower" for an inexperienced boater trying to neatly steer their boat into a lock could actually be far too slow.

 

It is a confidence thing which only comes with experience - too slow and you lose steering and every slight breeze or bywash current will send you off in a random direction but it takes confidence and experience of how your boat handles before you can approach the lock at a speed where it will steer easily.

 

The other factor when inexperienced is that feeling of having no brakes as you hurtle towards the gate at the far end of the lock. again - with practise and experience it will be second nature.

 

give it time and just smile in the certain knowledge that everyone has been where you are when you bump a bit harder than you wanted to.

 

I think Rose has something here. It's very helpful to learn how to stop your boat as part of your manoeuvring, especially around locks. If you can approach in a confident way, then stop with your bow in the mouth of a lock, it gives you a lot more possibilities and less a hostage to the vagaries of wind, bywash, currents, poor aim and so on.

 

Richard

 

When they were a lot younger my sons were allowed five bumps per lock entrance. They usually did better than that

[sociable_hermit]

Is there anything towards the front of the roof on your boat which is absolutely dead centre? For example a mushroom vent, aerial or headlight?

 

If there is, use it as a marker. If you can see equal proportions of the far end lock gate either side of that marker, the front end should go in all right (except if the wind is blowing, there's a weir, or you have an audience).

 

Looking down the side only tells you what one side is doing - it's like judging distances with only one eye open. Can be done, but not easy. Get the middle in the middle and the sides should look after themselves.

[Keeping Up]

Is there anything towards the front of the roof on your boat which is absolutely dead centre? For example a mushroom vent, aerial or headlight?

 

If there is, use it as a marker. If you can see equal proportions of the far end lock gate either side of that marker, the front end should go in all right (except if the wind is blowing, there's a weir, or you have an audience).

 

Looking down the side only tells you what one side is doing - it's like judging distances with only one eye open. Can be done, but not easy. Get the middle in the middle and the sides should look after themselves.

I disagree. It is far far easier to enter a narrow lock cleanly, by looking down one edge (preferably the side with the controls) and lining it up with the side of the lock.

[Guest]

I disagree. It is far far easier to enter a narrow lock cleanly, by looking down one edge (preferably the side with the controls) and lining it up with the side of the lock.

 

And that's how Jan has done the eight narrow locks to our name .....(well of course it's how I taught her you understand..)

[bottle]

Hi 'HB'

 

I think you will, by now, have noticed that there are as many ways of entering a lock as there are boaters.

 

I tend to do it the same way as Sociable Hermit but also start well back to line up early, compensating for wind and by-wash if possible.

 

Now if it goes in without touching the sides, I can usually be seen with a smug grin but the next lock will catch me out and the grin disappears.

 

Reading your post I am guessing that you moor close to the lock, to let crew off and then have difficulty lining up, if possible stay a little further back or reverse a little to give you chance of being straight before you enter, forget the pole for pushing off.

 

Two hands and one foot on the boat and use the other foot to push off from the bank, is my method.

 

We only ever use a pole, for anything, if no other way is possible, engines and boats are much more powerful and solid than people and poles.

 

For what it is worth, I try to enter a lock at 'tick-over' and go into neutral when the boat is about a third in, depending on momentum she usually stops just before the gates.

 

Now that works for me and my boat but may not work for others.

[FORTUNATA]

I did quite a few locks first with somebody to help and then later on my own. This was in a fibreglass boat. Basically I just dragged my boat in by rope sometimes which was pretty easy. I then held the ropes to steady the boat and opened the paddles, making sure the boat rose or sank down without getting stuck. The only horrendous bumps I took was going through those arches tunnels. Those caught me out well and truly. Far worse than locks, I thought. If you don't go in dead straight you crash. Mind you, steel boats can take the odd knock so just slow down speed when unsure.

 

Hi all,

 

Just done my first set of locks (narrow) in anger ( i.e. we're newbies). We did the Northampton arm of the Grand Union, from Gayton junction to Cotton End Wharf (ugh!). Winded there as I didn't want to start mucking about with rivers, but I digress. My question is.. is it natural to "clatter" into locks? (by clatter i mean bump and scrape into the jaws?) I'm not saying BANGING or CRASHING, but as far as I can tell its impossible to go into locks totally smoothly ((the pigging wind was horrendous). Any comments, comical, anecdotal or constructive would be gratefully received.

 

ps My final strategy was to employ use of boat pole to push off the bank whilst having the bow in the "mouth of the lock".

 

Martin.