Single Handed Cruising

[WJM]

"getting off the boat with a stern line, tying it securely..."

 

 

Assuming you are locking up, does this not allow the stern to drift out more and more as you rise, thus bashing all the plastics - no matter how well you hold the bow? And as for locking down, elastic ropes?

 

 

Surely only by holding the centre line a single hander can fully control the boat

 

[spelling]

Edited February 14, 2007 by WJM

[magnetman]

"getting off the boat with a stern line, tying it securely..."

Assuming you are locking up, does this not allow the stern to drift out more and more as you rise, thus bashing all the plastics - no matter how well you hold the bow? And as for locking down, elastic ropes?

Surely only by holding the centre line a single hander can fully control the boat

 

[spelling]

 

As the boat rises in a lock, with the stern tied up securely, it tends to move forward then back again in a rhythm. on the forward movement the front rope is eased a bit tighter so as the stern rope becomes slack this is taken up by the front rope rather than letting the stern swing out. To be fair its better to go from one end to the other tightening the ropes but if there is a good angle on the ropes then the extra slack can be taken up with the front rope.

 

I did mention that this was going UP, and previously mentioned that I think using centre and stern lines going down is the way to go.

 

Centre lines. More than once I have seen a centre line which is attached to the handrail or cant bridge end up hauling the boat over when the lock is full because it binds, requiring a stanley knife followed by a short splice.

[blackrose]

I don't quite understand what's so difficult about getting off the boat with a stern line, tying it securely, walking to the front and acquiring the bow line with a shaft then control the boat with that line.

 

Because by the time you've tied your stern rope & walked up to the bow it's drifted out into the middle of the lock. If you're single handed you need to step off the boat with a centre rope, then you can do your fancy stuff. I don't care how many locks you've done, I'm certainly not going to mess about with a boat pole or hook in a lock.

 

If any rope binds causing the boat to be hung up while descending a lock it's because it hasn't been given sufficient attention - if it causes a boat to tip while ascending a lock, similarly it's because it wasn't fed enough slack.

Edited February 14, 2007 by blackrose

[magnetman]

Fair enough.

 

(for the joke "1,000,000", please read 500+ thames locks)

Edited February 15, 2007 by magnetman

[blackrose]

(for the joke "1,000,000", please read 500+ thames locks)

 

Well when you've done a few more you might get the hang of doing it properly!