Sailing Winch On Narrow Boat.....why?...

[bizzard]

Another way of getting ashore if his gangplanks too short. He slings a grappling hook with the winch line attached ashore, winches it in dead tight and nimbly tightrope walks ashore using his boat pole for balance.

[frahkn]

My right arm and hand have limited strength and mobility and I had considered lorry straps to assist with mooring but never got round to trying anything. Possibly two sailing winches would be an alternative - if they could be placed where I would not trip over them.

 

Bit expensive though.

[MtB]

Another way of getting ashore if his gangplanks too short. He slings a grappling hook with the winch line attached ashore, winches it in dead tight and nimbly tightrope walks ashore using his boat pole for balance.

 

Ah yes, this puts me in mind of another use.

 

Tie winch line to a tree, winch the boat out, black the hull, unwind winch, let boat slide back in.

 

MtB

[J R ALSOP]

I have seen a boat with one of these they were using it with the Center line rope, round the bollard ashore and back to the steering position where he then tightened it like a guitar string. It didn't tick my box.

[Timleech]

I have seen a boat with one of these they were using it with the Center line rope, round the bollard ashore and back to the steering position where he then tightened it like a guitar string. It didn't tick my box.

 

Taking a line from one point on the boat, looping it round a bollard or ring ashore & returning it to a different point on the boat is a pretty useless way to tie up, however tight the line. Too many degrees of freedom I believe is the technical term.

Even worse if the centre line is on the roof, it'll tip the boat if seriously tight.

 

Tim

[pete harrison]

Oh, I see. You mean the bottom gates, when exiting. I somehow had an image of it happening with the top gate(s). Fair enough.

But as a genuine question, the steerer would be by the gate, to operate the paddle? Or would the lockwheeler open the paddles, and leave the steerer on the descending boat?

Everybody does this slightly differently, and it depends whether the pair is 2 or 3 handed.

 

If I was 2 handed I would have the motor steerer closing the top gates whilst the lock wheeler opens the bottom paddles and sets one of the 'gate lines' before cycling down to the next lock. The motor steerer has plenty of time to set the other 'gate line' before getting back on board, holding back and opening the bottom gates. This only really works when empty as the boats can often be kept abreast for quite long distances, well on the Grand Union Canal south of Leighton Buzzard anyway.

 

If I was 3 handed I would have the steerer closing the top gate on his side before walking down and opening the bottom paddle on his side then setting the 'gate line' before getting back on board. The butty steerer would close the top gate on their side then set the 'holding back line' and make any minor adjustments to the engine speed / gears. Meanwhile the lock wheeler would draw the bottom padldle on their side and set one of the 'gate lines' before cycling down to the next lock. I would then travel singled out as it is faster than running abreast for long distances.

 

When boating nowadays we are expected to close gates and paddles behind us. This is fairly easy if empty and running abreast as the boats can be stopped in the bottom lock mouth with the butty steerer closing one side and the motor steerer popping up and closing his side. This is even possible when 2 handed where the motor steerer closes both sides whilst the other crew member cycles on as lock wheeler.

 

With a little practice this is quite slick and not that much effort. I have always tried to let the boats and the water do as much work as possible whilst the crew just do what is left over. I have boated part loaded and empty pairs on the Grand Union Canal single handed on numerous occasions and still covered good distances each day.

 

Single handed boating with pairs on narrow canals is a different proposition, but still not particularly hard work if you do it well.

[BGA]

If he was single handed and dropped an anchor at the back he could use it to haul the anchor in rather than risk the anchor rope getting caught in the prop.

[Jim Riley]

Everybody does this slightly differently, and it depends whether the pair is 2 or 3 handed.

 

If I was 2 handed I would have the motor steerer closing the top gates whilst the lock wheeler opens the bottom paddles and sets one of the 'gate lines' before cycling down to the next lock. The motor steerer has plenty of time to set the other 'gate line' before getting back on board, holding back and opening the bottom gates. This only really works when empty as the boats can often be kept abreast for quite long distances, well on the Grand Union Canal south of Leighton Buzzard anyway.

 

If I was 3 handed I would have the steerer closing the top gate on his side before walking down and opening the bottom paddle on his side then setting the 'gate line' before getting back on board. The butty steerer would close the top gate on their side then set the 'holding back line' and make any minor adjustments to the engine speed / gears. Meanwhile the lock wheeler would draw the bottom padldle on their side and set one of the 'gate lines' before cycling down to the next lock. I would then travel singled out as it is faster than running abreast for long distances.

 

When boating nowadays we are expected to close gates and paddles behind us. This is fairly easy if empty and running abreast as the boats can be stopped in the bottom lock mouth with the butty steerer closing one side and the motor steerer popping up and closing his side. This is even possible when 2 handed where the motor steerer closes both sides whilst the other crew member cycles on as lock wheeler.

 

With a little practice this is quite slick and not that much effort. I have always tried to let the boats and the water do as much work as possible whilst the crew just do what is left over. I have boated part loaded and empty pairs on the Grand Union Canal single handed on numerous occasions and still covered good distances each day.

 

Single handed boating with pairs on narrow canals is a different proposition, but still not particularly hard work if you do it well.

How did they shut the gates behind them?

[RLWP]

How did they shut the gates behind them?

 

They didn't. When canals were used for moving goods, they left the gates open and paddles up

 

Richard

[luctor et emergo]

Thanks for that explanation Pete. I suppose that I'm so used to my way of single handing the locks that using a rope to open the gates seems like a faf. I (have to) get on the lock side anyway, to close the topgate and open the paddles, and I just get back on after opening the gates. But I can see now how your method can be advantages.

[Tinhare]

If you were physically impaired in a hand or arm for example you could use it to moor. As has already been mentioned winching in an anchor is another reason.