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T&M Wide Locks


Boatman Al

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Hi

 

I was browsing the wide lock thread reading about how to tackle a wide lock with a single boat. Ive always thought that in general you open the ground paddle same side as the boat, and when the bow has risen past the gate paddles, open the rest.

 

However on the thread someone mentioned that the wide locks on the southern T&M are an exception to this and you should open the the ground paddle opposite the bow?

 

Im passing through these locks coming uphill on sunday. Can any seasoned vets of this stretch give me some advice on how to instruct an inexperienced crew to work the lock? Ill be on the tiller.

 

thanks

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Hi

 

I was browsing the wide lock thread reading about how to tackle a wide lock with a single boat. Ive always thought that in general you open the ground paddle same side as the boat, and when the bow has risen past the gate paddles, open the rest.

 

However on the thread someone mentioned that the wide locks on the southern T&M are an exception to this and you should open the the ground paddle opposite the bow?

 

Im passing through these locks coming uphill on sunday. Can any seasoned vets of this stretch give me some advice on how to instruct an inexperienced crew to work the lock? Ill be on the tiller.

 

thanks

Hi

 

They are not very big locks but some can be quite fearce. The first couple from thet trent are a doddle but then they become a bit of a pain. Single handed is very difficult as the bottom gates have a tendancy to swing open. Just remember that no one is in a hurry ( tough luck if they are ) and crack the paddles a bit at a time and take as long as you need to complete the task to your ability. Do not be bullied by some who think they are in a hurry and politely decline assistance from those that want to whack the paddles open in an instance and accept help from the sensible ones who may open paddles as you want them done. As a side note there are a lot of hire boats at that end who generaly are very helpfull and listen as they want to genuinely learn and help. Be wary of private boaters who tend to know it all !! :cheers:

 

Tim

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Hi

 

They are not very big locks but some can be quite fearce. The first couple from thet trent are a doddle but then they become a bit of a pain. Single handed is very difficult as the bottom gates have a tendancy to swing open. Just remember that no one is in a hurry ( tough luck if they are ) and crack the paddles a bit at a time and take as long as you need to complete the task to your ability. Do not be bullied by some who think they are in a hurry and politely decline assistance from those that want to whack the paddles open in an instance and accept help from the sensible ones who may open paddles as you want them done. As a side note there are a lot of hire boats at that end who generaly are very helpfull and listen as they want to genuinely learn and help. Be wary of private boaters who tend to know it all !! :cheers:

 

Tim

 

I'll go along with that - especially the bit about private boaters :lol:

 

We've just come up those locks in the last couple of days and we didn't treat them any differently than any other wide locks. I know there's an order to opening gate and ground paddles (which I'm sure someone will post soon) but I never remember it! I just open both ground paddles first then open the gate paddles very slowly once the boat is near the vents where the water comes in. Keep an eye on the boat and take your time. It's much easier and safer when you've got two or more crew members because they can drop the paddles a lot quicker if there's a problem.

 

Of course it's much better if you can share the locks with another boat - it shares the work and you don't get knocked around as much.

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Another tip is to make sure your boat is securely tethered if having to empty Weston lock before entering, the canals bottom is quite close to the top here,due to accumulated leaf fall, along with being a narrow lock approach and the current is very fierce.......

 

....quite obviously, don't ask me how I know this.....

 

I tend to open the same side ground paddle, but the opposite side gate paddle which seems to work for me (70ft)

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Yes normally in wide locks (with certain exceptions where the culverts are set rather high in the wall) you should open the ground paddles on the same side as the boat. The water then comes in from the side of the lock, under the boat, and to the far side of the lock where it hits the wall and comes to the surface in the large space between the boat and the wall, thus pushing the boat in towards you as you stand by the paddle gear.

 

However those T&M locks are different because the water comes in through the bottom of the cill instead of through the side of the chamber. Therefore you need to open the ground paddles on the opposite side, so that once again the water comes up in the large space between the boat and the opposite wall.

 

Of course, if there are two boats in the lock then it makes no difference which one you open first. But in ALL cases, whether one boat or two, open the ground paddles slowly - only half way until you see that everything is under control - and do not open the gate paddles until the lock is at least as full as the top of the cill. The gate paddles work normally so open the one on the opposite side to the boat (or don't bother with them at all).

 

These are almost the only locks where I always take a rope ashore, but in practice the angle down is so steep that if somebody opens the wrong paddle and does it quickly there is absolutely nothing you can do with a rope to prevent the boat from crashing over to the other side. So remember that it is YOUR lock while you are in it, and do not let anybody else touch the paddles until you tell them that you are ready.

 

ETA: (PS at the last count I've been through 12,000 locks, so there is some experience backing this post, although I'll admit that I've only been through these particular locks 20 or 30 times)

Edited by Keeping Up
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Yes, the last 3 wide locks, finishing at Stenson are very deep & a right sod if you are a single boat going up.

 

The other thing to consider, if you only have one crew member working the locks & remembering what happened at Stenson recently, do you really want to cross the top gates of the empty deep lock to raise the opposite paddle first?

 

I would rather rope fore & aft & open the same side paddle slowly. Can still be a bugger sometimes though.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Aston & Weston are the worst locks here in our experience (we use them a lot). The bottom gates refuse to stay shut when the lock is empty & often it is necessary to open a top paddle to help keep the gates closed if there is only one person on the bank. The same may also apply at Stenson or Swarkestone on occasion, though these two do seem marginally less troublesome.

 

The "normal" rule about opening a ground paddle on the same side as the boat definitely does not apply to going up any of these locks for the reason already given by another poster.

 

Roping up is not fully effective in keeping the boat stable when filling an empty lock, the depth of these locks is too great. When alone in the lock CN is far more easily controlled by one of us staying aboard & using the engine, subject naturally to the one on the bank making sure that the paddles of the lock are sensibly controlled too.

 

Trackman

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