Keeping To The Side In Double Locks

[DJW]

Does anyone have any tips in the following situation....

 

When sharing a double lock going downhill, I prefer to take both boats in together but some people aren't happy doing this so prefer to take one in, then the other.

 

If you're the first boat in is there any secret to keeping your boat well over to one side as you stop? If you stop using reverse the prop wash pushes the boat out into the middle of the lock so I tend to go in nice and slowly then hop off with a centre rope, slipping this around a bollard to slow and stop the boat.

 

This works to some extent but the boat generally ends up drifting out (stern end) into the middle.

 

Is there a better way?

 

Somehow going uphill I seem to be able to keep the boat to one side (most of the time!) without using ropes. Not sure why it's different going downhill!

 

Thanks for any advice.

[Guest]

I generally either rope off and it stays and/or nose up to the top gates and apply a bit of tiller to push the stern over until the other boat comes alongside.

 

When it has I just pull back from the top gates (clearing the cill of course).

 

Normally works for me.

[BargeeSpud]

Sorry, I reckon using a centre rope is the only reliable way to keep the boat over to the side to let the second boat in when locking down.

 

Locking up, if you can visualise your boat length in your head, try very, very, very gently contacting the cill with the bow, keeping the engine in tick over, tiller towards the wall & she should stick like glue to the side whilst the second boat enters, you then back off the cill once it's virtually entered. You will probably have to stop first before making your gentle contact. Looks great if you get it right, but you look a complete mug if you get it wrong! Hitting the cill even slightly hard will throw the bow towards the middle of the lock. Doing this locking down is possible, as Martin says, but I personally don't like to contact lock gates if I can avoid it & would rather ise my centre rope to hold her in.

Edited July 23, 2013 by Spuds

[john6767]

Usually if there is another boat to come in I use the centre line to pull the boat over to the side until the other boat comes in.

 

Going down hill I slow to almost a stop and step off with the centre line and wrap it round the bollard and the boat pulls its self into the side. Going up hill I throw the rope up to the lock crew on the side, they pass round the bollard to drop the rope end back to me and I pull the boat over.

[BargeeSpud]

Usually if there is another boat to come in I use the centre line to pull the boat over to the side until the other boat comes in.

 

Going down hill I slow to almost a stop and step off with the centre line and wrap it round the bollard and the boat pulls its self into the side. Going up hill I throw the rope up to the lock crew on the side, they pass round the bollard to drop the rope end back to me and I pull the boat over.

 

Definately the surest way, provided your rope is long enough. I do concede that doing as I suggest when locking up does smack of showing off a bit.

[DJW]

Ok, thanks all.

 

It sounds like we're doing it right then. I wondered if there was a trick we were missing but maybe it's just a case of practice makes perfect. At the moment I guess the boat stays over at the side maybe half the time; the other half I end up pulling it back with the centre rope.

[nicknorman]

If putting the boats in completely separately I think ropes / holding the boat is the only answer. However putting both boats in together is much more sensible, or failing that (due to inexperience of other boater) why not be second into the lock, just behind the first boat. Assuming they can steer their boat to come alongside the edge initially, if you get you bow in before their stern has time to come out as they apply reverse, all will be well!

 

ETA of course some locks such as Hatton-style Grand Union ones, have chains hanging down. I usually manage to keep the back in using these when going uphill.

Edited July 23, 2013 by nicknorman

[KevMc]

If someone won't go in at the same time - leave them to go in first and show you how easy it is ..... or isn't :-)

[Guest]

Ok, thanks all.

 

It sounds like we're doing it right then. I wondered if there was a trick we were missing but maybe it's just a case of practice makes perfect. At the moment I guess the boat stays over at the side maybe half the time; the other half I end up pulling it back with the centre rope.

 

The surest way to do it if you you have enough crew and lock side bollards in the correct place (and they way we were taught as hirers) is to rope off at the bow and the stern with a crew member attending to each rope until the other boat enters.

[David Mack]

Going downhill, take a rope ashore as described.

 

Going uphill, steer in to the side, and if reversing starts to push the stern across, use the cabin shaft to push off from the far side lock wall. If you hold the shaft high enough the second boat can start to come in while you are still holding it. And if meanwhile the bow has drifted across, let the other boat push it back.

[sassan]

Personally I just like to drift in slowly. Once I'm mostly in, the other boat can come in and then I can use whatever forward/backwards remains necessary to get clear of the gates/cill/etc.

[MtB]

If someone won't go in at the same time - leave them to go in first and show you how easy it is ..... or isn't :-)

 

This is my preferred method too. Get the other boat to go in first whenever you can.

 

 

MtB

[Paul C]

If you go in first, choose the leeward side, the wind will stick you to the side. Otherwise (no wind), use the rope. If its downhill then using the rope should be a non-issue since you can step off the boat. Going uphill is more complex but you wanted info on downhill?

[sueb]

The crash bang approach always works

[Black Ibis]

In the old days, with a motor and butty, the butty was normally brought in on a 15'-20'long line which was just long enough to get the foreend of the butty alongside the back end of the motor before holding back pushes the stern across.

 

So if you're going in second, you can go in close behind the other boat and get your bow next to their stern before they put the engine in astern and it swings.

 

Otherwise, we tend to strap in with the centre line when going downhill- going in reasonably slowly, hopping off with the line, and putting it on the bollard such that the loose end comes under the standing part, and the friction of rope on rope slows it down rapidly but not jerkily.

 

Going downhill, we'll often use the cabin shaft to keep the back end in the right place, as the foreend is usually on the cill being held still, and remove it as the other boat comes in.

[trackman]

Wind is not always consistent in its effect. I know some locks where the obvious happens and the boat is blown over to the far side by a cross wind.

I know others, usually deeper, where the wind seems to bounce off the far wall and push the boat the opposite way.

As regards using reverse to stop, with our boat, holding the tiller over at about 45 degrees away from the bank whilst going astern gently usually holds the stern in.

[nicknorman]

Its a pity they didn't think more about this problem when they built the locks. If they had built them with a bit of lateral slope, the 1st boat would naturally tend to slide down to the lower side, keeping it in place.

[J R ALSOP]

I would buy some big fenders and say"we don't share locks" or as I saw a sign in a boat window that said "we don't share locks because the dog gets nervous at the banging about".

[MartinClark]

Going in together is fine until you come to a lock with crap behind the gates that prevents them from being fully opened!

[NickF]

The stern of most boats tends to swing to one side when you go astern (I think this is called paddlewheel effect) I tend to go that side, i step off with the centre line when the boat is moving forward very very slowly and bring it to a complete halt with the line on a bollard which pulls it tight to the side at the same time.

[Keeping Up]

Going downhill, just go in far enough that you stop with your bow touching, or almost touching, the bottom gate. The shape of the gates (the vee pointing towards you) will hold the bow in place. If necessary pivot the stern in again by a bit of forward power with the tiller over, as if you were winding against the bottom gate. No ropes needed, and it's simple with a bit of practice.

[RLWP]

Going downhill, just go in far enough that you stop with your bow touching, or almost touching, the bottom gate. The shape of the gates (the vee pointing towards you) will hold the bow in place. If necessary pivot the stern in again by a bit of forward power with the tiller over, as if you were winding against the bottom gate. No ropes needed, and it's simple with a bit of practice.

 

That works for us too. In extremis, we have some short lines around a metre long attached to the back corners of the cabin. Stepping off and holding one of those works

 

Richard

[Paul C]

Going downhill, just go in far enough that you stop with your bow touching, or almost touching, the bottom gate. The shape of the gates (the vee pointing towards you) will hold the bow in place. If necessary pivot the stern in again by a bit of forward power with the tiller over, as if you were winding against the bottom gate. No ropes needed, and it's simple with a bit of practice.

 

Be aware of catching the nose/fender in the lock gate if you do this. A few boats have sunk from being stuck here. Better still, arrange the fender so it harmlessly rides up if it does happen, then falls down into the same position.

[alan_fincher]

The stern of most boats tends to swing to one side when you go astern (I think this is called paddlewheel effect) I tend to go that side, i step off with the centre line when the boat is moving forward very very slowly and bring it to a complete halt with the line on a bollard which pulls it tight to the side at the same time.

 

It is certainly true that depending on the "handedness" of your prop, it may try to "walk" the back to one side more than the other, and to some extent that can be exploited.

 

However, I have always assumed that there is still a broad problem that if you engage reverse with any great power, then to are effectively "sucking in" water from behind you, and propelling it forward down either side of the swim of the boat. If one side of the boat is hard against a lock wall, then that water can't easily go further forward than the end of the swim, without also trying to push the boat away from the wall.

 

A large part of the secret always seems to me to try and make your stop nicely controlled, with relatively gentle use of reverse over a longish period, rather than winding it on full at the last minute.

 

Going downhill these days, I generally step off the boat with a rope from the centre, (or back end rail on the tug), and strap the boat to a halt, rather than using the engine, as this always brings it hard to the side.

 

It's going uphill I generally have more problems stopping right against one side, as I don't actually want to be jumping off, and running up steps, most of the time.

[blackrose]

If you are first in does it really matter if the stern kicks out when you go into astern? Simply steer the stern back towards the wall. If your bow ends up halfway across the lock it will just be pushed across to where it should be when the second boat enters. I'm assuming that they would see this and enter the lock gently.