To nudge or not to nudge?

[pendle]

As a single hander is it PC to set a lock when going up a long flight of locks and then to very gently nudge the gates open on approach?

[GoodGurl]

yes. i do this when my OH is lock wheeling and the gates are heavy, i also do it when i occasionally single hand.

[ditchcrawler]

I wouldn't, if you go up to set the lock why not open the gates. I do sit in the lock against the top gates in gear so the boat moves forward as soon as it makes level, but it is already in contact with the gate

[pendle]

Yes I leave boat in gear. This means I need to get back to lower lock rather than stay and open gates. If I didn't do this I can see boat sailing off out of the lock and me stranded betwixt and between!!

[Paul C]

As a single hander is it PC to set a lock when going up a long flight of locks and then to very gently nudge the gates open on approach?

 

I think others have covered the opening the gates with the boat aspect - yes its okay if done gently.

 

If you're single handing, and even if you're not, I'd say you should only set one lock ahead of you because you don't know if another boat is coming the opposite direction and if you set more than one ahead of you, its effectively turning the lock against them.

[Barry]

I did do this on Tuesday afternoon single handing up the Wolvy 21.

 

I only did it on the short pounds though. And I also developed a quicker exit strategy.

 

So as the lock the boat was in is filling - engine ticking over in forward to lean on the top gate

 

Nip up to next lock and open a bottom gate paddle if I could see water leaking from the bottom gates.

 

When the boat begins to ease the top gate open close the offside paddle - nip over and open the gate - close the towpath side paddle as the boat begins to move forward.

 

Stop the boat with the back end just inside the lock entrance and take a long centre line with me in case the boat wanders off - lay the line out and close the gate

 

Motor straight up to the next lock and very gently ease the bottom gates open with the boat - it became a point of pride to stop the boat dead just inches before touching then dropping into forward to touch the gates with the gentlest of kisses.

 

 

You have to be very conscious of that long centre line though - if it gets forgotten it will end up round the prop

Edited June 26, 2014 by Bazza2

[Stilllearning]

The only problem can be when going uphill, into double bottom gates, as the boat passes into the lock, there tends to be wear at about the gunwale level on the gate mitres. Look at almost any pair of bottom gates and see the tell-tale worn patches, and see where the water leaks.

It is though the way I was taught how to single hand fast and efficiently.

[jelunga]

The only problem can be when going uphill, into double bottom gates, as the boat passes into the lock, there tends to be wear at about the gunwale level on the gate mitres. Look at almost any pair of bottom gates and see the tell-tale worn patches, and see where the water leaks.

It is though the way I was taught how to single hand fast and efficiently.

You are quite right about the wear. If everybody did this there would soon be even more leaking gates which CRT could not repair fast enough. It is one of the major causes of leaking locks, boat impact. Similarly exiting/entering wide locks with only 1 gate open. A slight misjudgement and then more wear on the mitre.

[dave moore]

I employ this technique much of the time when single handed, stepping off as the boat noses in, up the steps and close the bottom gates. Leaving the boat in head gear on tick over, she doesn't drift back when the lock is filled and when a level is made and also helps to open the top gate.

 

This was standard practice in working days, using the momentum of the boat to maximum effect. Those days, I know, are long gone, but I still enjoy maintaining efficient practice.

 

Dave

[jelunga]

I employ this technique much of the time when single handed, stepping off as the boat noses in, up the steps and close the bottom gates. Leaving the boat in head gear on tick over, she doesn't drift back when the lock is filled and when a level is made and also helps to open the top gate.

 

This was standard practice in working days, using the momentum of the boat to maximum effect. Those days, I know, are long gone, but I still enjoy maintaining efficient practice.

 

Dave

You may well be doing it the old way, but you quite rightly not those days are long gone.

Unfortunatley so have the staff and money to repair the damage that might be caused.

 

I accept that done carefully and skilfully not much wear takes place. But nowadays there are far more careless unskilful boaters who much use your slick efficient method as a model and totall f..k it up every time.

I really believe the experienced caring boater should set an example of good practise and abide by the CRT guidelines in this matter.

Currently these are to open both gates by hand before entering and not to use the boat to open gates.

[Paul C]

I'm not sure it does wear the gates at the point it could cause a water leak. If in a narrow lock, once the paired bottom gates are more than a little ajar, the water sealed strip of wood, whatever they're called are no longer on the outer edge of the gate and don't get rubbed. Unlike in a broad lock with 1 gate left open, where the other gate is in the closed position and does present the water seal as the wear point.

[MtB]

The OP asked if it was PC, meaning (presumably) 'politically correct'.

 

The answer is that it is neither PC nor compliant with CRT rules.

 

 

MtB

[Machpoint005]

It's also potentially dangerous unless you can see the arc of the balance beams from below the lock. You may sweep an unsuspecting gongoozler off his or her feet.

[ditchcrawler]

It's also potentially dangerous unless you can see the arc of the balance beams from below the lock. You may sweep an unsuspecting gongoozler off his or her feet.

Which nearly happened to me at Napton as I went to open the gate for a single hander how was approaching from below.

[Captain Fizz]

It's also potentially dangerous unless you can see the arc of the balance beams from below the lock. You may sweep an unsuspecting gongoozler off his or her feet.

Sounds like excellent sport to me. Can we get some little stick on fallen gongoozeler stickers to put on the boat. We could then have "aces" say, when your score reached five.

[Machpoint005]

Sounds like excellent sport to me. Can we get some little stick on fallen gongoozeler stickers to put on the boat. We could then have "aces" say, when your score reached five.

 

Only if we can have little BMW X5 stickers too, for when we catch one at a swing bridge!

[mattlad]

 

Only if we can have little BMW X5 stickers too, for when we catch one at a swing bridge!

Sounds good to me!

[YamYam]

Must own up to nudging a couple of times. However, hadn't taken into account on the second time there would be a piece of wood behind one of the lock gates consequently getting my boat stuck. Luckily as I had been going dead slow only took me half an hour to free it. Suffice to say, do it the 'proper' way now.

 

Pretty sure Audi's deserve a sticker too

[Machpoint005]

Must own up to nudging a couple of times. However, hadn't taken into account on the second time there would be a piece of wood behind one of the lock gates consequently getting my boat stuck. Luckily as I had been going dead slow only took me half an hour to free it. Suffice to say, do it the 'proper' way now.

 

Pretty sure Audi's deserve a sticker too

 

Any Wilmslow tractor regardless of manufacturer, then.

 

(sorry -- that's Chelsea tractor for the unfortunates dahn sarf.)

[nicknorman]

It's not something we do, but surely there is no issue with generating leaks on narrow lock mitred gates since the part of the gate that the boat rubs against is not the part that forms the water seal. This is not the same as opening a single gate on wide locks since under that circumstance it is the sealing area that is abraded - if you can't steer very well

 

Having a big prop and powerful engine means that the boat wants to do about 2mph at tickover so we don't leave it in gear in locks, or it would be off like a shot and/or cause excessive wear on the fender.

[dave moore]

Nick

 

If you are doing 2mph on tick over, you are over propped.We had this issue on Resolute at first, she wouldn't creep at low revs. Graham removed the prop,I made him a wooden pattern, he applied the plasma cutter and linisher, slightly smaller blades, perfect result...experience counts!!

[nicknorman]

Nick

If you are doing 2mph on tick over, you are over propped.We had this issue on Resolute at first, she wouldn't creep at low revs. Graham removed the prop,I made him a wooden pattern, he applied the plasma cutter and linisher, slightly smaller blades, perfect result...experience counts!!

But I like it like that. It's not over propped because it will just about (but not quite) reach max rpm at full throttle. If we reduced the prop area it would go slower at tickover but then it would need more revs to achieve the same cruise speed and we wouldn't be able to extract the rated horsepower in deep water. I wouldn't want it to be like so many boats I see that are rev-happy with lots of noise and frothing for little action. We just don't leave it in gear in locks but that is not a problem.

 

Ed: I should have said "2mph on tickover in deep water"

Edited June 28, 2014 by nicknorman

[blackrose]

 

The answer is that it is neither PC nor compliant with CRT rules.

 

That's political correctness gone mad!

If I can see light between the gates I've nudged them open many times. My technique is to come to a dead stop with the bow fender resting on the gates where the two meet, then just slip the boat into forward and push them open. In terms of wear to the mitre, my boat is so wide that the contact points between the boat and the gate is at the front surface of the gate and not the mitre. It's you narrowboaters who make the gates leak.

Edited June 28, 2014 by blackrose

[nicknorman]

That's political correctness gone mad!

If I can see light between the gates I've nudged them open many times. My technique is to come to a dead stop with the bow fender resting between the two gates, then just slip the boat into forward and push them open.

 

I think the problem is that if that behaviour became commonplace (which it isn't) there would be less competent folk ramming the gates at speed etc and causing damage. As an experienced and competent boater you have to set a good example of respecting the canal infrastructure.

[MtB]

 

That's political correctness gone mad!

If I can see light between the gates I've nudged them open many times. My technique is to come to a dead stop with the bow fender resting on the gates where the two meet, then just slip the boat into forward and push them open.

 

 

I was simply answering the OP's question as no-one else had.

 

I do the same as you, but as with all things, you, me and other competent boaters can probably do it reasonably accurately. Eventually people whose judgement is worse or who just don't care will begin to copy, but hit the closed gates at 1 or 2 mph, whether the lock is empty or full, and gate damage will result. Then we'll all be prevented from doing it.

 

MtB