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Ramming the lockgates?

NigelJ

By NigelJ
in Waterways News & Press

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Speedwheel Influencer

Speedwheel

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And what, pray, does one wrap the rope around? Ah! Those new square bollardy things! It all begins to make sense...

 

Unfortunately most of the proper strapping posts that used to exist have now gone.

 

I just love this. Such well trained boats you all have. Do you give them little treats when they do the 'sit - stay' ? :)

 

They are only as good as the trainer! No such thing as a badly behaved boat, only a badly behaved handler.

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NigelJ Engager

NigelJ

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Nah ... much too complicated. Boat 'finding its own way into the lock' while I ' take a line to strap before it reaches the cill'? In forward gear? Some of the locks in Cheshire (Trent & Mersey and Shroppie) have such a heavy upward draw when empty that I have to go into reverse to prevent banging up against the cill. Far too much fiddle to anticipate that, with all the attendant gunwhale-walking, line-fetching and so on. I'll stick to tying to bollards, where the boat does exactly as it's told, and I bet I do the locks just as quickly.

You are making this much harder than it should be, and once you have nestled the bow onto the bottom gate, put the boat in gear. Once the lock is ready the boat will find it's own way into the lock - you can take a line to strap it before it reaches the cill if you want. Then shut gates and fill lock. Simples.

 

When I'm working up hill the only time the boat comes out of forward gear is when I'm stopping the boat to shut the top gate.

 

Mike

 

Dear me ... all this nonsense to save a few seconds. And to what use, pray, do you put those seconds when you've added them up? Probably amounts to an extra half pint of beer every 50 miles (provided you drink quickly).

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mayalld Veteran II

mayalld

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Nah ... much too complicated. Boat 'finding its own way into the lock' while I ' take a line to strap before it reaches the cill'? In forward gear? Some of the locks in Cheshire (Trent & Mersey and Shroppie) have such a heavy upward draw when empty that I have to go into reverse to prevent banging up against the cill. Far too much fiddle to anticipate that, with all the attendant gunwhale-walking, line-fetching and so on. I'll stick to tying to bollards, where the boat does exactly as it's told, and I bet I do the locks just as quickly.

 

Oh dear, oh dear!

 

You do know that the board at the upper end of the lock is there so that you put the nose on it and go up the lock at the top end?

 

Trying to ascend the Cheshire Locks using reverse to keep back is an entirely futile exercise.

 

Oh, and I bet you don't do then as quickly.

 

Dear me ... all this nonsense to save a few seconds. And to what use, pray, do you put those seconds when you've added them up? Probably amounts to an extra half pint of beer every 50 miles (provided you drink quickly).

 

It isn't a few seconds. Operating a lock efficiently is at least twice as fast as fart-arsing about, which means twice as many boats through, and less 2-hour queues.

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mykaskin Experienced

mykaskin

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Dear me ... all this nonsense to save a few seconds. And to what use, pray, do you put those seconds when you've added them up? Probably amounts to an extra half pint of beer every 50 miles (provided you drink quickly).

 

I manage to get through locks quicker than most people even if they are mob handed. When doing 14-20 hour days some with over 52 locks every second counts - I like my shut eye. Of course when doing such long days effort also makes all the difference so messing about climbing all over a boat unnecessarily doesn't seem like a good idea.

 

Thats a cracking photo! Unpainted?

 

There is a school of though on such wood that painting not only does no good, but may trap moisture and cause harm. Not sure how true it is though.

 

Mike

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Speedwheel Influencer

Speedwheel

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I manage to get through locks quicker than most people even if they are mob handed. When doing 14-20 hour days some with over 52 locks every second counts - I like my shut eye. Of course when doing such long days effort also makes all the difference so messing about climbing all over a boat unnecessarily doesn't seem like a good idea.

 

It is good to know that there are still other people around who go 'boating'.

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Chertsey Veteran

Chertsey

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They are only as good as the trainer! No such thing as a badly behaved boat, only a badly behaved handler.

Not so sure about that! Of the boats I've taken walkies, some are definitely better behaved and more obedient than others.

 

Dear me ... all this nonsense to save a few seconds. And to what use, pray, do you put those seconds when you've added them up? Probably amounts to an extra half pint of beer every 50 miles (provided you drink quickly).

It's not (primarily) about saving time - although that does benefit everyone - it's about saving unnecessary effort and stress, and having the pleasure of doing things smoothly and well.

Edited by Chertsey
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Tam & Di Influencer

Tam & Di

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Dear me ... all this nonsense to save a few seconds. And to what use, pray, do you put those seconds when you've added them up? Probably amounts to an extra half pint of beer every 50 miles (provided you drink quickly).

 

Boating is a different thing to different people, and there are many like me who get pleasure from learning the skills involved and doing it as well as they possibly can.

 

I suspect also that those who pfaff around tying up at each lock regardless also take their time over each other stage of working through the lock, and I would be very surprised if it were actually only a matter of seconds difference. Also some people do have reason for getting to their destination as quickly as they reasonably can, and who is to say that they have no right to do so? Why shouldn't they want to get there before the take-away or pub closes? One regular job we had involved 33 locks in a day four times a week - mess about and take one minute extra at each lock and the chippy was closed and we went hungry! Maybe the OP did see someone ramming the gates in the sense of running at full pelt into them from a distance, but we certainly would commonly stem them - lean on them with the boat in head gear to open them as soon as the lock has made a level. An important distinction between giving the locks hard use and abuse.

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NigelJ Engager

NigelJ

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I have every admiration for those who make a living from their boat so I can't argue with any method of progress you've developed that makes it more efficient for you. Three cheers for your presence on the waterways! I don't usually have to hit deadlines (unless it's to catch a train via the boat!) so maybe I'm not calculating the value of every second saved like you do. I think there may be a difference between you band of brothers (and sisters) who ply canal trade and others who believe some 'short cuts' are saving more time than they really do, with the attendant risk of putting unnecessary stress on the fabric of the system.

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Speedwheel Influencer

Speedwheel

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Not so sure about that! Of the boats I've taken walkies, some are definitely better behaved and more obedient than others.

 

Well, that's Grand Union boats for you :P

 

Seriously though, yes there are huge differences. One of the worst boats I've steered is Jubilee (though don't tell Mike) it's a pig. (ok one of the worst is an exaggeration, but it is hard work). Cactus on the other hand is a dream and will go where ever you put it (as long as you put it in the right place!).

Edited by Speedwheel
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Chertsey Veteran

Chertsey

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Well, that's Grand Union boats for you :P

 

Seriously though, yes there are huge differences. One of the worst boats I've steered is Jubilee (though don't tell Mike) it's a pig. (ok one of the worst is an exaggeration, but it is hard work). Cactus on the other hand is a dream and will go where ever you put it (as long as you put it in the right place!).

And that's not even considering modern boats!

 

Nigel, I'm finding your "you are all idiots" style of posting to be very wearing. How about you boat how you want and we won't judge you, if you do the same for us?

 

Richard

No! I reserve my right to judge!

(Is he being sarky then? I was taking his comments at face value and thought he'd seen the error of his ways)

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Guest

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No! I reserve my right to judge!

(Is he being sarky then? I was taking his comments at face value and thought he'd seen the error of his ways)

 

Mmmm - must admit to reading it the same way as Richard at first - but now you have said that I am not so sure either... could be taken a couple of ways, this is why so many threads on forums 'belly up' into a spat, the written word without the support of verbal inflection and facial expression can be so easy to mis-read...IMHO

 

I wonder how much the way a lock is 'worked' depends on how many Gongooselers (sp ? )there are watching ?

 

There is proven scientific evidence that certainly proves the scale of the balls up is directly proportional to the numbers watching that is for sure....

 

I know this because we were the subjects that regularly participated in the study – less so thankfully now

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Naughty Cal Veteran II

Naughty Cal

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There is proven scientific evidence that certainly proves the scale of the balls up is directly proportional to the numbers watching that is for sure....

 

I know this because we were the subjects that regularly participated in the study – less so thankfully now

 

Snap :rolleyes:

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