Locks

[john b.]

Hi, When is it usually recommended to engage reverse when entering a lock, when your well in or maybe when the bow is just through the open gate?

John b.

[Chalky]

Depends how fast you're going, how well your boat swims (drag on hull), how fast your boat stops, what engine speed you're happy using and how far it is before you hit something. As long as you stop in time I don't think it matters.

[Keeping Up]

As late as possible consistent with not hitting the other end, and not making too much noise or smoke.

[Iain_S]

It depends on how fast you're going, and how the boat behaves, and how long it is compared to the lock. I usually engage neutral when about half way in, and reverse as the stern passes the gate. However, if going a bit faster, reverse has to be used earlier. If the approach has been a bit quick, I have been known to have a quick blast of reverse before entering, before going back to forward gear to help the steering on the actal entry.

Iain

[cereal tiller]

if the lock is a wide one,i find it best to do the bulk of reverse thrust while the prop. is about 30-40 feet from the lock entrance,this means that there will be minimal water disturbance in lock chamber,making it easier to "park up".

[bottle]

Enter at tick over, into neutral about third of way in, boat usually stops without any reverse.

 

The sense of achievement when boat just rests against the top gate

 

Always prepared though just in case.

 

Boat is 60'

[Gibbo]

Enter at tick over, into neutral about third of way in, boat usually stops without any reverse.

 

This shows just how different it is with different boats. If I did that in Lionheart going down hill I'd go straight through the bottom gate.

[paulcatchpole]

This shows just how different it is with different boats. If I did that in Lionheart going down hill I'd go straight through the bottom gate.

 

And either of mine!

 

PC

[twbm]

.... and beware the enthusiastic helper lifting a paddle too soon - that will often throw the boat forward before pushing back. Or the other way around.

[mykaskin]

Best just to leave in forward gear and use the paddles to control it's entrance. This way you don't have to climb any nasty ladders if single handed.

 

Normally, just do it when you think you can stop in time, but normally after the bow has entered the lock so that it doesn't go too far out of place.

 

When it comes to stopping Victoria, most of the speed is taken out by the water displaced trying to get through a narrowing hole. Entering a lock at pace is great fun, but maybe should only be tried by deep boats.

 

(GU) wide locks are a different matter, and usually strapping with ropes is favourite.

 

Mike

[Machpoint005]

Hi, When is it usually recommended to engage reverse when entering a lock, when your well in or maybe when the bow is just through the open gate? John b.

All of the above points apply, plus it depends how good your boat is at stopping.

A shorter boat has less momentum, so needs less reverse force to stop it.

One with a powerful engine that is (arguably) over-propped will stop on a sixpence.

 

It also depends on the layout of the lock chamber, when going up: there may be a bridge'ole the same width as the lock, which will tend to drag you to a halt.

Edited May 27, 2011 by Machpoint005

[canaldrifter]

Common sense. You don't need advice. Just use common sense (a commodity that is rapidly being lost, because of effin elfin safety.

Tone

[system 4-50]

I'd like to know more about this too. I particularly want to know what is best to avoid the water from the prop disturbing the gate that I've left closed when entering one side of a wide lock on my own. This is single-handing a NB in a wide lock.

[NB Alnwick]

As late as possible consistent with not hitting the other end, and not making too much noise or smoke.

 

I agree - although on many locks engaging reverse can be counter-productive when going up - this is because the force of the prop in reverse will draw the gates open again just after your mate has closed them!

[alan_fincher]

I particularly want to know what is best to avoid the water from the prop disturbing the gate that I've left closed when entering one side of a wide lock on my own. This is single-handing a NB in a wide lock.

I assume you are talking about the situation where you wish to descend a double lock, like on the GU, and go in through one open gate, with the other closed ?

 

It is almost unavoidable that the other swings open, I believe, but I don't think it has anything much to do with the prop.

 

It is because as you enter you displace a large volume of water from the lock, which has to flow back through the top gates.

 

You are half blocking one side anyway, so it's not surprising the flow pushes the other gate at least partly open.

 

If you go in really slowly, it can sometimes be avoided, nut that has to be really slowly, usually.

 

Personally I regularly use a short shaft as I'm entering the lock to hook the handrail, to ensure it doesn't open too far! This works out about 90% of times, and on the remaining 10%, with my luck, there is someone there to see me make a mess of it!

[nb Innisfree]

I always enter at a slow enough speed that won't do much damage if gearbox won't come out of forward.

[paulcatchpole]

I always enter at a slow enough speed that won't do much damage if gearbox won't come out of forward.

 

Hmm, I've been there too...

 

I tried to suggest to Calcutt that it'd be better if they let me man the engine control whilst heading for the slipway, but they fancied a go themselves...

 

PC

[Tam & Di]

I always enter at a slow enough speed that won't do much damage if gearbox won't come out of forward.

 

 

If your boat is on tick over, or even worse if your boat is out of gear, you have no control over the boat - it will go wherever it feels like going. The slightest cross wind or minute cross current and you are immediately out of line. Coming into a lock you MUST be in gear so you are telling the boat what to do. If you are coming in nice and straight you can drop out of gear sooner than if you are coming in on the piss at an angle. On our courses we get people who say they drift in so if they hit anything it will not do any damage. My response is that they cannot use "if" in that sentence, as it is "when" they hit something. Play with your boat - drive it hard and then go hard astern to see what the stopping distance is. See how it slews over when you do go astern; learn the characteristics of your boat and develop you own skills, then you can enjoy your boating and as a bonus you can answer the next novice who starts a thread about it.

Edited May 27, 2011 by Tam & Di

[nb Innisfree]

If your boat is on tick over, or even worse if your boat is out of gear, you have no control over the boat - it will go wherever it feels like going. The slightest cross wind or minute cross current and you are immediately out of line. Coming into a lock you MUST be in gear so you are telling the boat what to do. If you are coming in nice and straight you can drop out of gear sooner than if you are coming in on the piss at an angle. On our courses we get people who say they drift in so if they hit anything it will not do any damage. My response is that they cannot use "if" in that sentence, as it is "when" they hit something. Play with your boat - drive it hard and then go hard astern to see what the stopping distance is. See how it slews over when you do go astern; learn the characteristics of your boat and develop you own skills, then you can enjoy your boating and as a bonus you can answer the next novice who starts a thread about it.

 

Who said anything about entering in neutral without any control? I do usually enter at tickover and do have control over our boat, it goes where I steer it, going in at a slow speed doesn't mean it has to be in neutral or even at tickover, coming in nice and straight and dropping out of gear sooner is ok if you can drop out of gear in the first place which is the point I was making. Yes I have done all the stopping from various speeds and explored the boats handling limits and always enter lock straight but obviously I'm not up to your very high skills so I will leave all advice to novices in your very capable hands.

[ditchcrawler]

This shows just how different it is with different boats. If I did that in Lionheart going down hill I'd go straight through the bottom gate.

But if going up you would probably stop half way?

[NB Alnwick]

I always enter at a slow enough speed that won't do much damage if gearbox won't come out of forward.

 

Hmm! I can relate to that . . .

[NB Alnwick]

If your boat is on tick over, or even worse if your boat is out of gear, you have no control over the boat - it will go wherever it feels like going. The slightest cross wind or minute cross current and you are immediately out of line. Coming into a lock you MUST be in gear so you are telling the boat what to do. If you are coming in nice and straight you can drop out of gear sooner than if you are coming in on the piss at an angle. On our courses we get people who say they drift in so if they hit anything it will not do any damage. My response is that they cannot use "if" in that sentence, as it is "when" they hit something. Play with your boat - drive it hard and then go hard astern to see what the stopping distance is. See how it slews over when you do go astern; learn the characteristics of your boat and develop you own skills, then you can enjoy your boating and as a bonus you can answer the next novice who starts a thread about it.

 

That sounds like a design fault with the boat itself. We have never found this with our boat - it handles very nicely when going dead slow at less than 150 rpm - even in strong winds. When locking up alone, I usually leave it in gear, dead slow and step (or climb) ashore with the centre line in hand - strapping the boat with the centre line brings it nicely in to the nearside and, with the prop turning slowly, the line is held taught while I close the nearside gate and raise the nearside paddle. I never try to hurry when operating alone because that is how accidents can happen. In my view, relying on the engine by going hard astern should only ever be used in an emergency.

 

Having said all that, I have to admit that there have been many times when I have got it completely wrong but this is how I learned the benefits of making slow but steady and methodical progress. In my view, the time gained by speeding into a lock and then furiously engaging reverse is just wasted fuel and effort that gains nothing.

[Tam & Di]

Who said anything about entering in neutral without any control? I do usually enter at tickover and do have control over our boat, it goes where I steer it, going in at a slow speed doesn't mean it has to be in neutral or even at tickover, coming in nice and straight and dropping out of gear sooner is ok if you can drop out of gear in the first place which is the point I was making. Yes I have done all the stopping from various speeds and explored the boats handling limits and always enter lock straight but obviously I'm not up to your very high skills so I will leave all advice to novices in your very capable hands.

 

 

Sorry. I did not realise you had a boat that sticks in gear and that you have to go everywhere with that in mind. I was trying to respond to the OP, and only pointing out that with most boats you are not going to have great control if you are on tickover, which seemed to be what some replies were suggesting.

 

That sounds like a design fault with the boat itself. We have never found this with our boat - it handles very nicely when going dead slow at less than 150 rpm - even in strong winds. When locking up alone, I usually leave it in gear, dead slow and step (or climb) ashore with the centre line in hand - strapping the boat with the centre line brings it nicely in to the nearside and, with the prop turning slowly, the line is held taught while I close the nearside gate and raise the nearside paddle. I never try to hurry when operating alone because that is how accidents can happen. In my view, relying on the engine by going hard astern should only ever be used in an emergency.

 

Having said all that, I have to admit that there have been many times when I have got it completely wrong but this is how I learned the benefits of making slow but steady and methodical progress. In my view, the time gained by speeding into a lock and then furiously engaging reverse is just wasted fuel and effort that gains nothing.

 

Most single screw single rudder boats do slew one way or the other when put into reverse. However I could not fault what you say you do in locks. I was trying to reply to the OP whose question suggested he was a novice. I certainly think that if he goes into reverse as the fore end comes into the chamber he will bounce about rather than sliding straight in.

[nb Innisfree]

Sorry. I did not realise you had a boat that sticks in gear and that you have to go everywhere with that in mind. I was trying to respond to the OP, and only pointing out that with most boats you are not going to have great control if you are on tickover, which seemed to be what some replies were suggesting.

 

What are you on about? Apart from the morse cable breaking once I don't have a boat that sticks in gear but I always assume that it could, our car's brakes don't ever fail but I do keep it in mind that one day they might and try to drive accordingly. It might be a good idea if you did go everywhere with that possibility in mind, better to be safe than sorry.

[john b.]

Informative replies.

Cheers,