single handling locks

[Paul C]

the official view is rubbish,

 

Its still the official guidance though.....your (and others') view, is still unofficial, no matter how much better it is.

[Tam & Di]

http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/news-and-views/features/how-do-locks-work

 

Is not the official view on how to operate a lock?

 

 

I've just had a look, and it is so garbled I cannot imagine how a novice can understand it - sluice gates? - what the hell are they? This is addressed to people who know nothing and unfortunately is written by people who also know nothing. I cannot accept this as any offical command that I follow its instruction. Unthinking action by modern pleasure boaters does not ipse facto mean that something is either "correct" or sensible.

[davet45]

Hi Matty, I don't know the locks up to Cowroast, but surely if there are specific problems at some locks, then it's up to Cart to display signs showing a change to the norm. My concern is that if some boaters decide - for whatever reasons - to do things differently to the rest, then we will end up with a total free for all.

[Peter-Bullfinch]

C&RT want us to close gates to have a consistent rule across the system. When they wish it to be otherwise they put up clear notices. So....just abide by the rules please. I have single handed but wouldn't leave gates open just for my own convenience. First time boaters would simply be confused if we all adopted our own rules.

[billS]

I reluctantly agree with this. I think the law is an ass, but it's the law.

[carlt]

So....just abide by the rules please.

They are not rules they are flawed guidelines so.....no, I wont.

 

but it's the law.

Could you cite the relevant legislation please?

[matty40s]

I reluctantly agree with this. I think the law is an ass, but it's the law.

It isn't a law.

[Tam & Di]

They are not rules they are flawed guidelines so.....no, I wont.

 

 

Could you cite the relevant legislation please?

 

I agree 110%

[Speedwheel]

C&RT want us to close gates to have a consistent rule across the system. When they wish it to be otherwise they put up clear notices. So....just abide by the rules please. I have single handed but wouldn't leave gates open just for my own convenience. First time boaters would simply be confused if we all adopted our own rules.

 

So they want gates shut to have a consistent rule across the system? Can you please show me where this is stated? I have heard BW/CaRT state reasons why they believe gates should be shut but this is a new one on me. Sadly there are very few within BW/CaRT who know anything about boating anymore. They seem quite happy to make up rules with out any justification or understanding of why.

 

How about leaving gates open for others convenience then?

 

Why will first time boaters be confused?

 

I reluctantly agree with this. I think the law is an ass, but it's the law.

 

No it's not.

[Blaker]

Hi Matty, I don't know the locks up to Cowroast, but surely if there are specific problems at some locks, then it's up to Cart to display signs showing a change to the norm. My concern is that if some boaters decide - for whatever reasons - to do things differently to the rest, then we will end up with a total free for all.

 

There are signs up asking for these locks to be left empty, to avoid flooding the adjacent cottages. But hey, it's only a sign, lets ignore it.

[chazzy]

http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/news-and-views/features/how-do-locks-work

 

Is not the official view on how to operate a lock?

 

Yep, looks official to me

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

How do you avoid the ladder when going downhill? Ie the boat is in the lock, which is now empty, and assuming you could get the gates open, how do you get on it and drive it out?

 

If the locks aren't deep, step or jump down.

 

There are signs up asking for these locks to be left empty, to avoid flooding the adjacent cottages. But hey, it's only a sign, lets ignore it.

[Ange]

Apologies - I've not read all 7 pages of this thread - it just seemed an appropriate place to put this question without starting a new thread.

 

How do single handers manage going up Shardlow Lock? For those that don't know the lock it's a broad lock and the bottom gates will not stay shut. With me & Dave operating it we shut both gates then I sprinted to the front and opened the ground paddles - even with a sprint it was in the nick of time before one of the gates opened beyond the point where the water flow will shut it - and that was after Dave had re-closed one gate and then ran across the bridge to push the other one shut - they really do just spring back open again.

 

This happens with one of the narrow locks at Fradley as well, but being a narrow lock isn't such a big issue.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

The bottom lock Titford pumphouse has to be left empty. I am told its to avoid flooding a house. But hey it's only a home ignore it.

[carlt]

Yep, looks official to me

But it is neither the law nor sensible advice.

 

If the website told you to keep your boat well back from the bottom gates when descending would you?

[PiRSqwared]

Apologies - I've not read all 7 pages of this thread - it just seemed an appropriate place to put this question without starting a new thread.

 

How do single handers manage going up Shardlow Lock? For those that don't know the lock it's a broad lock and the bottom gates will not stay shut. With me & Dave operating it we shut both gates then I sprinted to the front and opened the ground paddles - even with a sprint it was in the nick of time before one of the gates opened beyond the point where the water flow will shut it - and that was after Dave had re-closed one gate and then ran across the bridge to push the other one shut - they really do just spring back open again.

 

This happens with one of the narrow locks at Fradley as well, but being a narrow lock isn't such a big issue.

Open a top paddle first. City Rd lock is like that

[chazzy]

But it is neither the law nor sensible advice.

 

If the website told you to keep your boat well back from the bottom gates when descending would you?

 

But it doesn't say that anywhere, so it would appear CRT the policy makers do know a bit about locks.

Agreed it isn't law that gates must be closed when leaving a lock.

[carlt]

so it would appear CRT the policy makers do know a bit about locks.

Evidently not, if you take that garbled nonsense as the sum of their knowledge.

 

The blind leading the blind.

[jelunga]

And yet this is still the most efficient way of working a lock single handed I've found.

 

 

Accepted practice by who?

 

It may be the accepted practice for those that don't recognise different methods for different circumstances but I do not believe shutting gates is necessary when the likelihood is that there will be another boat along shortly.

is that effiicient from the point of reducing water loss and damage to gates or efficient in some other way?

[carlt]

is that effiicient from the point of reducing water loss and damage to gates or efficient in some other way?

I haven't damaged any gates so far and the water loss depends on how much the gates leak and also what direction the next boat is coming from.

 

If the next boat coming along has to empty a half filled lock, because the top lock leaks and the bottom doesn't then that water is wasted anyway.

[chazzy]

Well I still cant make my mind up about this, for now I think if the gates are open when I arrive i'll leave them open when I leave, if the gates are closed when I arrive i'll close them on leaving.

 

matty I get your point about the locks on the GU Leicester line, and others as you say, what I do is always make one attempt to close the gates when leaving, if they drift open it is a pointless exercise to make repeated attempts to close them

 

Evidently not, if you take that garbled nonsense as the sum of their knowledge.

 

The blind leading the blind.

 

was it the dog or the white stick that gave me away?

[Ange]

Open a top paddle first. City Rd lock is like that

 

Thank you. I suppose it's blindingly obvious but having boated in some very low water areas where the pounds barely have enough water for our boat to pass through them opening paddles before the gates are closed just doesn't feel right. In the case of Shardlow Lock there's buckets of water so that way of thinking isn't applicable.

 

I have just read the whole thread btw and apologies peeps for interrupting the conversation in such a random way

 

We always close gates because we started life as hirers and that's what we were told we should do. I understand and totally agree with the maths behind leaving them open, but I would feel really worried because most of the boats that follow would just think we were lazy gits. I know I shouldn't care what people think but I do.

[jelunga]

I never use a ladder and have never had a centre line on a boat in 30 years.

 

This description dates back to 1950 and has always served me well in narrow locks with minor adjustments for broad ones:

 

 

 

Oneday I'll get round to copying the instructions for going downhill.

My objection to water loss is the idea of opening the top paddles to control the speed of the boat with the bottom gates open and the phrase "drop the paddkes" rather than "lower the paddles"

Whilst you may think you have not damaged the gates and paddles, I feel that if every boater treated the locks in the way they were treated in this era, we would soon return to the dereliction abd knackered equipement also of that er.

We are in a new world now. The antique kit deserves treating with respect to its age, design avd lack of majntenance money abd not bashed about like railway wagons in a hump shunting yard

[PhilR]

My objection to water loss is the idea of opening the top paddles to control the speed of the boat with the bottom gates open and the phrase "drop the paddkes" rather than "lower the paddles"

Whilst you may think you have not damaged the gates and paddles, I feel that if every boater treated the locks in the way they were treated in this era, we would soon return to the dereliction abd knackered equipement also of that er.

We are in a new world now. The antique kit deserves treating with respect to its age, design avd lack of majntenance money abd not bashed about like railway wagons in a hump shunting yard

 

Opening top paddles as you describe can often have the opposite effect. It all depends upon the length of boat and where the ground paddle culverts enter the lock. A narrowboat entering an empty lock will be pushing enough water in front to provide a natural brake! Using paddles for flushing and braking is, IMHO, very bad practice and a sign of inexperience. ................. I presume you didn't mean top gate paddles?

[carlt]

My objection to water loss is the idea of opening the top paddles to control the speed of the boat with the bottom gates open and the phrase "drop the paddkes" rather than "lower the paddles"

Whilst you may think you have not damaged the gates and paddles, I feel that if every boater treated the locks in the way they were treated in this era, we would soon return to the dereliction abd knackered equipement also of that er.

We are in a new world now. The antique kit deserves treating with respect to its age, design avd lack of majntenance money abd not bashed about like railway wagons in a hump shunting yard

I always drop the paddles for safety reasons. This means removing the windlass and controlling the paddle's descent with my hand.

 

In "this era" locks were treated with respect, largely, and just because you interpret "dropping" as uncontrolled doesn't make your interpretation correct.

 

I don't leave the paddle mechanism to fall in an uncontrolled manner so if I have led you to believe this then I apologise.

 

As to opening the top paddles to control the boat this is merely a brief "flush" to slow it down, only if necessary but my boats have always ticked over so slowly that I have rarely done it.

 

A narrowboat entering an empty lock will be pushing enough water in front to provide a natural brake! Using paddles for flushing and braking is, IMHO, very bad practice and a sign of inexperience. ................. I presume you didn't mean top gate paddles?

It is also worth noting that my boating is at such a leisurely pace that the boat crawling into the lock would still reach the front gates before me leaving no time to open any paddles so the ropes would be brought into play, if the boat needed slowing down.