Nifty Rope Skills.

[Aground]

Some time in the early seventies while on a family holiday we were descending the Bingley Five Rise where there is a footbridge over each lock. Getting the bow rope around each bridge meant either passing it back to someone on the boat who then threw it back up the other side or grovelling on the ground to pass it from hand to hand underneath the bridge. BUT, there was an old boatman there who could take a small coil in one hand and throw it upwards and outwards so that the working end swung under the footbridge and then flicked up and over the opposite handrail, a very useful trick. Needless to say this was a lot more difficult than it looked and none of us boaters could manage it despite numerous attempts. Has anyone else witnessed this skill or, better still, mastered it?

[TimYoung]

The same trick is needed at the Northgate locks in Chester.

You have to dangle the line down the opposite side of the footbridge to what you would think, then fling it over your head, under the bridge and up on the side the way you are going.

Looks good if you manage it. Practice.

Tim

[by'eck]

Reminds me of line handling in the Panama Canal, passing through Gatun locks at night on the outside of three yachts abreast.

 

From the deck you just held up your hand and a monkeys fist with messenger line attached slapped into it, thrown from the lockside 100 feet away.

[Tiggers]

Its much easier if the end of the line is wet. Bit of practice and you can make it look easy

[Paul C]

I've tried it, and can do it about 1 in 10 attempts!!! Its not too bad if the lock is really deep. If its not that deep, then the 'swing' of the rope often catches the roof of your boat (using the centre line); if its broad too, then you can stand slightly to the side of the boat but beware of items on the roof getting caught in the rope etc. I wish I knew the little 'tricks' to make it work for me more consistently. When you do do it right (I've done it right first time, with no audience, and spot on 2nd time WITH an audience), and unless they know, it leaves people scratching their heads!

 

Sometimes you can arrange things so you don't need to do it - for example if exiting a lock downhill with no ladder, start pulling it on the rope, then put the rope onto the roof of the boat, and use the tail bridge to get onto the roof (get on the right side to avoid getting sliced in half though!).

[Old git]

I've tried it, and can do it about 1 in 10 attempts!!! Its not too bad if the lock is really deep. If its not that deep, then the 'swing' of the rope often catches the roof of your boat (using the centre line); if its broad too, then you can stand slightly to the side of the boat but beware of items on the roof getting caught in the rope etc. I wish I knew the little 'tricks' to make it work for me more consistently. When you do do it right (I've done it right first time, with no audience, and spot on 2nd time WITH an audience), and unless they know, it leaves people scratching their heads!

 

Sometimes you can arrange things so you don't need to do it - for example if exiting a lock downhill with no ladder, start pulling it on the rope, then put the rope onto the roof of the boat, and use the tail bridge to get onto the roof (get on the right side to avoid getting sliced in half though!).

 

Put a Monkeys fist knot on the end, that way it has enough weight for you to make it work most times with practice.

Lots of practice.

[Paul C]

Thanks, I'll look up how to tie a monkey's fist knot, in the meantime I'll tie a dog's dinner one and find somewhere to practice.

[RLWP]

Thanks, I'll look up how to tie a monkey's fist knot, in the meantime I'll tie a dog's dinner one and find somewhere to practice.

 

I doubt that the lines that boatmen used had a monkey's fist knot. It is a permanent, decorative cover for a heavy weight

 

There are other ways of adding mass to the end of a line. I'll go do some research

 

Richard

[Theo]

Hm...

 

Boat handling

[Chop!]

Boathook?