Single locks...did I invent this...?

[Bobbybass]

For the last 4 years..I have used techniques taught to me by the RYA guy...for when going up in a single lock...that is :

 

In order to stop the boat surging forward..I either push it gently against the front gate rubbing plate..making sure I don't catch the gate on the way up...or keep it against the back gates being careful not to catch the button.

A few weeks ago..I did something accidentally...which I now repeat and it works every time.

 

I position the boat..roughly in the middle of the lock and stationary..and then carefully watch the sides. As soon as the lock paddles are being open and I see the boat start to move back...I put a big 'splurge of forward' throttle on it...stop as it moves...and then use a little reverse. I find the boat stays where it is..and makes no attempt to go towards the front gates..?

I can only surmise...that the surge of water that normally comes from the paddle opening..and then reflects off the back gates (carrying you forwards)...is defeated..because you have thrown some water at the back gates using the prop...and this reflects and cancels that coming from the front..?

I did this accidentally..and have been amazed that it works every time and is so easy..

 

Did I invent this...or am I just stupid and should have know it all along..?

[Keeping Up]

Every boat behaves differently in locks (unless perhaps they are identical boats) so what works for you probably works for only you.

[bottle]

If it works for you then go with it, personally I would save fuel and put the bow against the top gates and control the boat movements by controlling the paddle opening.

 

At all times watching the boat for any deviation and or fenders catching.

[john6767]

And different locks do very different things.

 

For example Napton, particularly the bottom lock, will suck for forward very strongly and you need to be careful about whacking the paddles up. Lapworth on the other hand is the more gently back then forwards, that perhaps you need a touch of throttle to counter, but if you start in the middle of the lock (50ft boat) then it usually just goes back then forwards on its own. Most BCN locks are similar to Lapworth. Though, as they say, your mileage may differ.

[ditchcrawler]

The biggest problem is you will find a lock that behaves differently and you will be straight into the top gate. Have you tried it on the Napton flight.

[Bobbybass]

The biggest problem is you will find a lock that behaves differently and you will be straight into the top gate. Have you tried it on the Napton flight.

Yes..I have..

I just stayed in the middle..?

I was expecting to go thumping off into the gates..

 

My wife..opened a paddle and this was quickly followed by an enthusiastic hire boater who upped the second before we could say anything...I saw my boat move back so blipped forward throttle and then a bilp of reverse as I started to go forward again...and stopped dead..?

Its really strange..but now about 30 locks on..it has worked every time.

[Paul C]

It worked every time for me too, its nothing new. While one may say the problem is you'll encounter a lock where the boat behaves differently one day, the counterargument is that you'll one day encounter a lock where gently pushing against the rubbing plate doesn't work.......

 

http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/Drum%20Major.pdf

[Darren72]

It worked every time for me too, its nothing new. While one may say the problem is you'll encounter a lock where the boat behaves differently one day, the counterargument is that you'll one day encounter a lock where gently pushing against the rubbing plate doesn't work.......

 

http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/Drum%20Major.pdf

I know that accident well, the locks and the boat company who owned both boats involved. Very tragic accident.

[FadeToScarlet]

It worked every time for me too, its nothing new. While one may say the problem is you'll encounter a lock where the boat behaves differently one day, the counterargument is that you'll one day encounter a lock where gently pushing against the rubbing plate doesn't work.......

 

http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/Drum%20Major.pdf

 

Which only goes to show that button fenders should be allowed to lift up if needed, so as not to snag and hang up.

 

Mine's attached with snap links to a couple of cable ties, so I can remove it when going uphill, and the ties will snap if going downhill.

[luctor et emergo]

Hmmm

A quick blast forward, and a quick blast backward. And the boat stays in the same place. Amazing.

[Bobbybass]

Hmmm

A quick blast forward, and a quick blast backward. And the boat stays in the same place. Amazing.

Not sure if you're being sarcastic..?

If you are in a single lock.....when the paddles are opened...you start to go backwards....and then..(if you don't do anything)...you are carried forward ..picking up momentum until you slam into the front gates.This 'seems' to be caused by the water surging in and then refelecting back of the rear gartes. Once you start to move forward..its almost impossible to stop...even thrashing full reverse. To counter this..many people keep the bow up against the gate board...or keep the stern against the back gates...both of which carry risk of fenders getting hung up.

If you use the 'Bob' technique..(other techniques may be available.. ...it stops this happening...without any thrashing of engines ...or gnashing of teeth..(other bodyparts may nash in the using of this technique)

[Chris Pink]

Clever stuff indeed. you have invented the perfect excuse for staying on the boat while someone else does the work.

[MtB]

Clever stuff indeed. you have invented the perfect excuse for staying on the boat while someone else does the work.

 

 

Indeed. My wife and I used this technique right from the beginning with our first narrowboat. It just seems the obvious thing to do. Also works in wide locks, no need to tie up even when the only boat.

 

Hireboaters do it widely too, including that poor lady who died in Varney lock near Cropredy a few years ago now. I was there and the incident still troubles me deeply. Basically she fell off the back of the boat with the engine in reverse and got sucked under so so the technique is not without risk.

 

I also wonder how the OP manages when single handing the boat.

[NB Alnwick]

Clever stuff indeed. you have invented the perfect excuse for staying on the boat while someone else does the work.

 

 

Quite so! And as most boats and locks vary - different people will do different things and who is to say what is or is not the right way?

 

On the other hand, there are many obviously 'wrong' ways and it is probably more important that we all know what not to do . . .

 

As an example, last time Alnwick ascended Hatton Locks - I was five miles away . . .

Edited June 22, 2012 by NB Alnwick

[Tam & Di]

Did I invent this...or am I just stupid and should have know it all along..?

 

Stupid, maybe not, but presumptious yes. There is no reason to feel you should have known about it all along, but it is simply the process called "learning", and you are hardly the first person to have discovered how to use the engine in your boat to advantage.

[alan_fincher]

If you are in a single lock.....when the paddles are opened...you start to go backwards....and then..(if you don't do anything)...you are carried forward ..picking up momentum until you slam into the front gates.

Whilst this generic statement may often be true, it is by no means always true with some boats.

 

For instance, sometimes the first thing that will happen is the boat being drawn forwards, with no obvious backwards thrust preceding it. (Factors affecting are length of boat, depth of lock, and types and positioning of the paddles).

 

In fact in many narrow uphill locks, "Sickle", at 40 feet, will more or less hold a position with her back end maybe about 6 feet from the bottom gates, but "Chalice", at 10 feet longer, but probably less heavy, is far more likely to set off in one direction or the other, (backwards, first, in many locks, but forward in some).

 

I genuinely no longer think there is a one size fits all solution for all different boat types in all the different lock types.

 

It's not just a narrow lock thing, either - you can think you have got the hang of most broad locks with a particular boat, and still get caught out. We seldom have fears about winding all top paddles (including gate) in an uphill broad lock we are not sharing, but there is the odd lock with very different characteristics that can still catch one out, (my personal nomination for "highly unexpected" having gone to Stanstead Abbotts where Cath was flat out in reverse with Chalice, immersed in blue smoke, and I had only wound one top paddle not that much over half! - a very odd lock, that one)

[Suzie_q]

Remember doing this on one of my early hireboat trips as a teenager and amazing my parents!!

(Yes it was that long ago )

 

Did lead to an interesting event though when sharing a double lock with another hirer. They left their teenage son in charge while they opened the paddles and had for some reason tied up both ends.

 

When the teenager heard me rev the engine, which of course was in reverse, he like most boys at traffic lights reved his too. The boat shot forward, slammed into the gates and snapped both lines.

 

It was interesting the see them try and moor up an hour later with only 3ft of rope available..

[Sue]

Yes..I have..

I just stayed in the middle..?

I was expecting to go thumping off into the gates..

 

My wife..opened a paddle and this was quickly followed by an enthusiastic hire boater who upped the second before we could say anything...I saw my boat move back so blipped forward throttle and then a bilp of reverse as I started to go forward again...and stopped dead..?

Its really strange..but now about 30 locks on..it has worked every time.

 

Why were you still on the boat?

 

Going uphill (including the Napton Flight) I get off as NP goes gently into the lock by herself.. Sir shuts one gate, I do my side.. then we both go and open the top paddles. Very gently does it until the boat has moved forward and is sitting on the top gate. Then up the paddles which by that time the boat will stay put on the top gate. Then back to boat once risen to put in tickover forward gently pushing the gate open, drop paddles return to boat to go out of lock, stop while Sir shuts gate, pick him up and off we go!

[MartinClark]

Why were you still on the boat?

 

Going uphill (including the Napton Flight) I get off as NP goes gently into the lock by herself..

 

I'd like to see you do that at Marple Locks!

[magpie patrick]

Hmmm

A quick blast forward, and a quick blast backward. And the boat stays in the same place. Amazing.

 

Except for Bath Deep Lock?

 

I'd like to see you do that at Marple Locks!

 

amidst the frustrations at Marple I did note that below some of the locks exists a flights of steps that end about six feet above the water and about six feet from where a full length boat would be. Whilst the ideas that boatmen on this canal had a very long stride is appealing, I've been told that there were wooden extension steps that solved the obvious leap involved in using them.

Edited July 17, 2012 by magpie patrick

[FadeToScarlet]

Why were you still on the boat?

 

Going uphill (including the Napton Flight) I get off as NP goes gently into the lock by herself.. Sir shuts one gate, I do my side.. then we both go and open the top paddles. Very gently does it until the boat has moved forward and is sitting on the top gate. Then up the paddles which by that time the boat will stay put on the top gate. Then back to boat once risen to put in tickover forward gently pushing the gate open, drop paddles return to boat to go out of lock, stop while Sir shuts gate, pick him up and off we go!

 

How long is your boat? At 48', and even in tickover forward, I have trouble getting the gate closed on my side then half-opening a paddle as Chris Deucher and others recommend to stop it hitting the cill. I often end up having to leg it to the paddle to beat the boat in.

[Mac of Cygnet]

 

I also wonder how the OP manages when single handing the boat.

 

I really don't want this to be widely known but I tie my centre rope to SSSHHH............ the centre bollard if any, and (even more SSHHHH.....) to the ladder if not

 

Cygnet is only 27ft, and like all little things, is far too frisky if not tied up.

[jenlyn]

For the last 4 years..I have used techniques taught to me by the RYA guy...for when going up in a single lock...that is :

 

In order to stop the boat surging forward..I either push it gently against the front gate rubbing plate..making sure I don't catch the gate on the way up...or keep it against the back gates being careful not to catch the button.

A few weeks ago..I did something accidentally...which I now repeat and it works every time.

 

I position the boat..roughly in the middle of the lock and stationary..and then carefully watch the sides. As soon as the lock paddles are being open and I see the boat start to move back...I put a big 'splurge of forward' throttle on it...stop as it moves...and then use a little reverse. I find the boat stays where it is..and makes no attempt to go towards the front gates..?

I can only surmise...that the surge of water that normally comes from the paddle opening..and then reflects off the back gates (carrying you forwards)...is defeated..because you have thrown some water at the back gates using the prop...and this reflects and cancels that coming from the front..?

I did this accidentally..and have been amazed that it works every time and is so easy..

 

Did I invent this...or am I just stupid and should have know it all along..?

We have a 60x10 widebeam, and have used the throttle method from the beginning. I put the nose to the side of the lock where the first paddle is opened, then put throttle in forward until it starts moving forward, then just blip reverse to counter as it steady's. Much more comfy for us than holding on a line.

[Nine of Hearts]

It worked every time for me too, its nothing new. While one may say the problem is you'll encounter a lock where the boat behaves differently one day, the counterargument is that you'll one day encounter a lock where gently pushing against the rubbing plate doesn't work.......

 

http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/Drum%20Major.pdf

 

Nice alarmism, but basically what you're saying is pushing against the rubbing plate only works when there's a rubbing plate.

[luctor et emergo]

Except for Bath Deep Lock?

 

 

When I'm single handing up Bath Deep Lock, I open the paddle on the boat's side slowly (let me repeat that.. ;-) ), which simply pins the boat to the wall.

 

Most times. Wheeler.

 

Btw, you never rang, you didn't need a lockwheeler in the end?

Edited July 17, 2012 by luctor et emergo