Single handing

[Athy]

This afternoon Mrs. Athy and I are collecting trojan from Fenny Compton Marina. We have to get her to Cropredy. The plan is that she will take the car down to Croppers, park and then cycle up until she meets me (I hope to have reached the Claydon area by then).

Amazingly this will be the first time I have ever single-handed for more than about 400 yards! Whilst I am quite clear in my mind what I'm supposed to do at locks, the theory and the reality are not always the same. So if you see a bloke in a violet coloured boat making a right pig's ear of the locks please bear with me, I'll be doing my best!

Right, we're setting of from Norfolk in 10 minutes....

[casper ghost]

Good luck.. I enjoy going it alone so maybe you will too.

Casp'

[journeyperson]

Good luck.. I enjoy going it alone so maybe you will too.

Casp'

 

I agree, the crew always does things just the way you think they should be done.

[blackrose]

This afternoon Mrs. Athy and I are collecting trojan from Fenny Compton Marina. We have to get her to Cropredy. The plan is that she will take the car down to Croppers, park and then cycle up until she meets me (I hope to have reached the Claydon area by then).

Amazingly this will be the first time I have ever single-handed for more than about 400 yards! Whilst I am quite clear in my mind what I'm supposed to do at locks, the theory and the reality are not always the same. So if you see a bloke in a violet coloured boat making a right pig's ear of the locks please bear with me, I'll be doing my best!

Right, we're setting of from Norfolk in 10 minutes....

 

The first rule of single-handing is do it slowly. Don't let anyone rush you or distract you at locks.

 

And of course keep an eye on the boat while you're working the locks.

[luctor et emergo]

I single handed through that stretch last week (on my way from Stone). It is relatively simple (I have now found out), because you are locking through narrow locks...

 

Take it easy, and let the boat do the hard work. Once in the lock, let the boat ride the bottom gate in forward tick-over, to keep her from the cill. Open one bottom paddle at a time, and keep a close eye on the front (fender), to make sure that she does not catch on top of the gate.

Once the lock is empty, open the bottom gate (may need a little 'bump', to work the boat back a little, to clear the gate). The boat may start to exit by itself, depending on how much propulsion you have on low tick over. In any event, step on board, get the stern out of the lock, but slow down immediatley past the bottom gate. Come to a stop, next to the purpose build 'jetty', step on land again, close the gate, and step back on board. If you do not feel confident to leave the boatlike that, there is a single bollard near this point, where you can tie the stern line if yu want. Saves you landing and tying back up on the lock landing.

 

Of course, if you are lucky, you meet another boat and you can just leave the gate.

 

And if you meet another boat, explain that you are single handed, and 9 out of 10 they'll tell you to stay on your boat (if they have a crew). But always talk/ask. Don't just stay on board and expect them to do the lock.

 

Now wide locks on the K&A are something else....

 

good luck

[Keeping Up]

Don't let the boat go away without you on it (don't ask me how I know, but I also know I'm not the only one to have done it!)

[Naughty Cal]

Go for it any enjoy. Take your time and dont let anybody rush you, do things how you want to do them and take the time to think about how you will perform a manouvre well in advance.

[Tim]

Don't let the boat go away without you on it (don't ask me how I know, but I also know I'm not the only one to have done it!)

 

Don't ask me either, but it usually involves a paddle / swim!

[Naughty Cal]

Oh do tell more

[blodger]

Don't let the boat go away without you on it (don't ask me how I know, but I also know I'm not the only one to have done it!)

That's why, although it's a bit of a handicap, besides the windlass I always carry an 8' pole with the hook on the end. It's useful for catching at a rope and pushing the boat in the lock saves always throwing cntre ropes about. Also, with the double mitre gates it often enable gate closure from the other bank.

Depending upon the depth of locks I sometimes carry a short length of rope with an eye splice in which I can drop on fittings I have akin to small bollards on the roof.

[Dr Bradley]

Don't let the boat go away without you on it (don't ask me how I know, but I also know I'm not the only one to have done it!)

 

I know how to do that as well. It involved climbing trees, hacking through undergrowth and a leap of faith to recover the boat.

 

I used to keep the engine on tickover in narrow locks, but have now found that judicous raising of the paddles will keep the boat in the right place in most locks. That means my fenders don't wear out quite as fast.

[Nightwatch]

Hi

 

You are going down hill so you should/will be okay.

 

Have you had work done at Fenny? If you have I would be interested to know what you think.

 

 

Martyn

[Athy]

Well I've just arrived back home and have read all your helpful posts. As it happened, although I was the only one on the boat from Fenny to Cropredy, I did not actually have to single-hand any of the locks. Mrs. Athy, in a flash of inspiration, realised that she could park the car near the bottom of the Claydon flight, get the borrowed bike out and cycle up to the top lock. This she did and thus did the windlass work down the flight. Off I went again, off she drove to Croppers, cycled back up and met me again at Elkington lock near our usual moorings. So I single-handed only in the sense that I was the only person on the boat throughout the journey. Well, it's a step forward! I must say that having the bike available sped us up: from above Elkington's to below Cropredy Lock in an hour and ten minutes, we usually allow an hour and a half. We may look for one of those folding ones.

Best of all we managed to get a prime mooring for the upcoming Cropredy Festival, between the lock and the Spar shop bridge. We have left the boat there and shan't be back for about 9 days, so if anyone sees Trojan going anywhere before then, she darn' well shouldn't be.

Mr. Watch, Ian Taylor at Fenny marina comes over as a pleasant and very competent chap. The work, including blacking, engine service and some carpentry, was done to a good standard as far as I can see, and while he is not cheap he doesn't take the micky either.

Thanks again everyone.

Edited August 1, 2010 by Athy

[Mrs Tawny Owl]

I too did my first single handing yesterday, I've never really wanted to, but it seemed the best thing to do.

 

We were bringing Tawny Owl home from Lowsonford on the Stratford where we left her on Wednesday night, We came up the locks to Kingswood junction and Richard realised there was a short cut back to the Stratford and his car, so he left me on the boat to carry on down the GU all on my own. He left me at the Tom o the Wood at Rowington and on I went.

 

No locks but I had to de Shrewley tunnel all on my own. We had remembered to shut the hatches and get a waterproof ready for me, but it's a bit scary. All those shadows moving on the walls just behind your line of sight ooo-eer. Being chased quite closely by another boat made it very loud too.

 

Otherwise I did it!

 

Still don't fancy locks on my own though, I know it's quite possible, but I just don't want to.

 

Sue

[Athy]

I think I'd rather do locks on my own than do a tunnel, certainly a long one. I believe I went through Shrewley a few years ago, fairly short if I recall.

[Guest]

Still don't fancy locks on my own though, I know it's quite possible, but I just don't want to.

 

Sue

 

Not something I particularly fancy either - I take my hat off to anybody who can do this - especially in wide locks...

Edited August 1, 2010 by NB No Deadlines

[benfordboy]

Not something I particularly fancy either - I take my hat off to anybody who can do this - especially in wide locks...

 

This is something I've been doing for yrs , either in a GRP cruiser (Fairly easy) or a 38' NB (Still not so bad)

 

Even in Wide locks , its ok , just take your time , dont be rushed by traffic waiting to come in - If they are in so much a hurry they will come & help !

 

Worse case is going downhill with an exit bridge in the way so you cant utilise ropes to move the boat.

 

Character building they tell me !!

[Mrs Tawny Owl]

I think I'd rather do locks on my own than do a tunnel, certainly a long one. I believe I went through Shrewley a few years ago, fairly short if I recall.

 

 

Shrewley isn't too long, 398 yards and you can see straight through it. We've been through it loads of times as it's close to the mooring, and a much easier day out than going down Hatton Locks

 

Even though I know it quite well it was still a bit spooky.

 

Sue

[Peter R]

As i'm on my own most of time the choice is singlehand it or not go anywhere. I think it is really just a matter of experience, when I first got the boat it took a while to work up the courage to have a go at locks on my own, but once you've done a few you get to know what works for you and it's not a major problem, it just takes a bit longer (especially when the locks are set against you!)

 

Personally, I tend to use the centreline to control the boat, rather than leave it in gear (although i'm sure i've heard of someone rigging a radio control up so they can drive the boat from the lockside!) and I always take a rope ashore with me to minimise the possibility of it going off on it's own.

 

On wide locks, I just use one gate and one paddle -it takes it bit longer, but then if you're in a hurry on the canal you've picked the wrong mode of transport! I don't find tunnels an issue either - when the boat was based at Gayton I used to single-hand Blisworth tunnel on a regular basis. Not a problem, although you need to beware of the boggit sometimes.

 

Peter

[ditchcrawler]

I single handed through that stretch last week (on my way from Stone). It is relatively simple (I have now found out), because you are locking through narrow locks...

 

Take it easy, and let the boat do the hard work. Once in the lock, let the boat ride the bottom gate in forward tick-over, to keep her from the cill. Open one bottom paddle at a time, and keep a close eye on the front (fender), to make sure that she does not catch on top of the gate.

Once the lock is empty, open the bottom gate (may need a little 'bump', to work the boat back a little, to clear the gate). The boat may start to exit by itself, depending on how much propulsion you have on low tick over. In any event, step on board, get the stern out of the lock, but slow down immediatley past the bottom gate. Come to a stop, next to the purpose build 'jetty', step on land again, close the gate, and step back on board. If you do not feel confident to leave the boatlike that, there is a single bollard near this point, where you can tie the stern line if yu want. Saves you landing and tying back up on the lock landing.

 

Of course, if you are lucky, you meet another boat and you can just leave the gate.

 

And if you meet another boat, explain that you are single handed, and 9 out of 10 they'll tell you to stay on your boat (if they have a crew). But always talk/ask. Don't just stay on board and expect them to do the lock.

 

Now wide locks on the K&A are something else....

 

good luck

With the amount of traffic on the Oxford at the moment,unless he leaves at 4 am he wont have many gates to shut.

[alan_fincher]

Shrewley isn't too long, 398 yards and you can see straight through it. We've been through it loads of times as it's close to the mooring, and a much easier day out than going down Hatton Locks

 

Even though I know it quite well it was still a bit spooky.

 

Sue

I like Shrewley because it is towards the upper end of the length where BW bye-laws do not require you to show a white light to the front.

 

I've done it without headlight, but would turn one on if there was a sniff of anyone coming the other way......

 

(Honest !)

[Dr Bradley]

When I was bringing my new sailaway home I came through Harecasrtle. For a tunnel light I had a car inspection lamp hooked on at the front. The BW bloke asked if that was my tunnel light - "yes" - "in that case you need to turn on your interior lights" - "that is my interior lights". Much easier this year with more appropriate lighting.