Single handed locking - hazards.

[junior]

When going uphill in narrow locks I leave the boat in gear, quarter rev's on bow on the front gates. I don't bother taking the centre line up the ladder with me.

 

The boat rises up holding itself against the top gates, opens them and by the time I've dropped the paddles the stern will be level with me and I can just step on.

 

It crossed my mind yesterday as I was stepping onto the slow moving boat that if I misjudged it or slipped, I'd probably be chopped to little pieces.

[Captain Fizz]

I knew I shouldn't have left you on your own Nick!

How far have you got?

I have just been forced to stop to remove a collapsible water container from the prop.

Think I will call it a day, may catch up tomorrow.

[roland elsdon]

First job on any new boat... Tiller string fitting. Never bought a boat with one never sold a boat without one.

[GUMPY]

Tiller strings 100%, mine hold the tiller central put the one on opposite to side of departure put the other one on as I leave.

As for leaving it in gear against the gates watch out if you have a front fender as on some narrow locks there is a good chance of the fender catching under the balance beam, unless you back it off for the last foot or so of the lock filling.

[peterboat]

I have only done one lock on the S a SY on my own at 300 feet long very wide and 20 foot deep they are hard work and I have never repeated the act

 

Peter

[nicknorman]

I knew I shouldn't have left you on your own Nick!

How far have you got?

I have just been forced to stop to remove a collapsible water container from the prop.

Think I will call it a day, may catch up tomorrow.

Just approaching Ansty, hoping for a nightstop somewhere thereabouts.

[Arthur Marshall]

Must admit I have never liked the idea of leaving the boat in gear on its own in the lock. Most locks where I go are narrow and too easy to catch the fender in the gate. Mind you, I've only a 40 ft boat, so it's easy enough to tie it up (centre rope) so it more or less stays in the middle of the lock which ever way you're going. Unless the rope breaks, when it goes forward hard enough to stop the fridge working for a bit...

[magnetman]

Removing the tiller is not a realistic option, not when you are working quickly.

Yes it is

 

It really doesn't take very long

Pull tiller pin out place on roof. Pull tiller bar off place on roof.

 

Reverse procedure to refit.

 

Most of my narrow boating was on a boat with a self centring tiller/angled rudder which would never foul a lock gate but I have used boats which have flappy tillers and placing the extension bar on the roof really isn't a big problem time-wise. And no I don't fanny about at locks

[trackman]

Like Nick's our rudder does self centre, but with a string only on one side it can be pushed sideways if need be by anything that hits it.

As for wear on the front fender, ours came with a cover made from a section of old car tyre turned inside out. Old boatman's dodge once again. This takes the wear, and also prevents things snagging in the ropework. The fender slides readily over most things on cills & gates as a result of this "jacket". We wore out one jacket after 3 or 4 years so I made another. This is now showing wear but I have the rest of the tyre I used ready to make the next. I like to change them when they develop splits that might allow a bolt or such on a gate to snag into them.

There is a tale about how Mrs Trackman obtained the tyre for the new fender cover, but it's best I keep quiet about that!

[Mac of Cygnet]

Every singlehander has their own techniques which develop over time, especially as they come across new situations. I know I don't do exactly as I did even a year ago -and some shortcuts I wouldn 't describe here. Being prescriptive about techniques isn't something I would do - everyone has to acquire their own way of doing things

 

But I've never, in perhaps 5000 locks singlehanded, left my boat in gear while filling a lock.

[GUMPY]

Let me realate a single handing tale.

A very good friend of mine was coming up the northampton flight and was closing gates as they went.

Her usual procedure was to leave the lock and as they passed the gate knock the boat into reverse so that by the time the gate was shut the boat was still in the lockmouth which in those days was standard procedure for many of us.

On one lock as she was leaving the boat, having knocked it into reverse, her jacket caught in a door bolt spinning her into the cut behind a boat that was rapidly coming her way. No chance to swim for the lock ladder as or pull herself out. Luckily she is a small framed 5ft and managed to get into the recess where the gate normally shuts. Kept her legs down and avoided the prop only suffering IIRC some broken ribs.

She lived to tell the tale.

[nicknorman]

Just approaching Ansty, hoping for a nightstop somewhere thereabouts.

OFF TOPIC Blimey, I had forgotten just how Ansty has anti-boater angsty. Never seen so many "no mooring f off" signs, so had to go on a bit and now rather close to the railway, but at least got my 2'8" right into the side.

[Dave_P]

There's a simple solution to all these tiller related woes. Get a cruiser stern narrowboat.

The biggest risk to the boat in a lock is getting hung-up/trapped on a lock wall or gate. That's why you should be watching you boat the whole time.

 

I know it sounds obvious but the biggest risk to you is that you're on your own. If something bad happens (like you fall in a filling or emptying lock) there's no one to help or raise the alarm.

 

Stay safe out there guys!

 

p.s. I've only ever used a rope in one narrow lock. The bottom one at Hurlesdon. It's a ladder issue (or lack of)

Let me realate a single handing tale.

A very good friend of mine was coming up the northampton flight and was closing gates as they went.

Her usual procedure was to leave the lock and as they passed the gate knock the boat into reverse so that by the time the gate was shut the boat was still in the lockmouth which in those days was standard procedure for many of us.

On one lock as she was leaving the boat, having knocked it into reverse, her jacket caught in a door bolt spinning her into the cut behind a boat that was rapidly coming her way. No chance to swim for the lock ladder as or pull herself out. Luckily she is a small framed 5ft and managed to get into the recess where the gate normally shuts. Kept her legs down and avoided the prop only suffering IIRC some broken ribs.

She lived to tell the tale.

Scary! I would never knowingly get off a boat while it's reversing.

[Dharl]

When going uphill in narrow locks I leave the boat in gear, quarter rev's on bow on the front gates. I don't bother taking the centre line up the ladder with me.

 

The boat rises up holding itself against the top gates, opens them and by the time I've dropped the paddles the stern will be level with me and I can just step on.

 

It crossed my mind yesterday as I was stepping onto the slow moving boat that if I misjudged it or slipped, I'd probably be chopped to little pieces.

 

Junior, how do you do narrow locks going down hill?

 

Like the idea of the tiller strings (used them on sailing yachts as a cheap auto pilot when plotting a position but never seen on a canal boat). Honeystreet tends to throw her tiller to hard a port if think about letting go for a moment....

[junior]

 

Junior, how do you do narrow locks going down hill?

 

Like the idea of the tiller strings (used them on sailing yachts as a cheap auto pilot when plotting a position but never seen on a canal boat). Honeystreet tends to throw her tiller to hard a port if think about letting go for a moment....

Motor into lock, engage reverse as passing open gates.

Step off and close gates/gate.

Step back onto boat which has by now stopped mid lock or just before front gates and put into neutral.

Tie centre rope to bollard loose enough not have to keep fiddling with it but tight enough boat can't get to cill.

Open paddles, boat usually naturally rides down with bow fender against gates and when the water levels are even boat usually drifts back on its own enough to allow opening of gates.

 

Now either 2 things can happen.

 

1) climb down ladder, motor boat out of lock but leave it in neutral 'hovering' in mouth of lock clear of gates. Run up steps, close gates, run back down and step onto boat, hoping it hasn't drifted off and made you look silly. Or.....

 

2) Heave on centre line a couple of times to get boat moving out of lock on its own. Once clear of gate, pull them shut. Run down steps and the stern will usually be level with the bottom of steps ready to step on and motor away.

[John V]

Hi Junior.....2) is my favourite as a yoghurt pot owner but I have a long centre line that trails along the lock that I can grab if the wind decides to take a hand

[Dharl]

thanks Jnr!

 

Don't think will be on the cut again until Nov so will have to wait to put it into practice...and that time of year will be very careful!

 

Doing Panama Canal between now and then... luckily not single handed!!

[mark99]

The interesting bit:

 

• step up lock steps with centreline, boat drifting nicely into lock on it's own
• look for central bollard to utilise for centreline to stop boat smacking anything at the front and to hold boat in position when filling lock
• note only two bollards
• one bollard at each end and none anywhere near the centre of lock
• swear

Edited September 12, 2014 by mark99

[John V]

 

The interesting bit:

 

• step up lock steps with centreline, boat drifting nicely into lock on it's own
• look for central bollard to utilise for centreline to stop boat smacking anything at the front and to hold boat in position when filling lock
• note only two bollards
• one bollard at each end and none anywhere near the centre of lock
• swear

 

 

 

Yep .....got that Tee shirt! ( one of the reasons for the long centre line)

Edited September 12, 2014 by John V

[X Alan W]

 

 

Met one single handed who showed that in single locks by keeping the engine in slow ahead the boat wil first sit against the cill safely and then move up to the gate when the water fills up. When the water level equalises it also opens the gate for you too!

 

I wouldn"t like to try this with the seemingly modern front fender set up, ( chains & rigging screws/turnbuckles) fixed directly to the eyes on the fore end,. the way shown to me by working boaters when I started, was to have apiece of rope from the chain end to the fixing eye, thicker on one side, so if the fender got caught, the weaker rope would break & let the fender move, & possibly /probably free it"s self, failing that the other rope would break freeing the boat, you might lose the fender but the boat would unlikely to be pinned & possibly sink if you didn" t for some reason spot the problem in time.

[p6rob]

I've found when jumping off the boat with centre line in hand, I frequently get the timing wrong and can't get the line over the lock balance beam in time. Assuming I've reduced speed at the right time it's fine in a single lock. My boat is only 40' so I just let go of the rope, close the gates and keep an eye on things, occasionally I'll nudge the cill, once or twice I've rammed it, but usually the bottom gates are closed and the lock is filling before the boat reaches the top gate.

However, double locks are more problematic, the boat drifts all over the place and needs tying to one side. Loosing the rope in these situations has been bad.

[junior]

thanks Jnr!

 

Don't think will be on the cut again until Nov so will have to wait to put it into practice...and that time of year will be very careful!

 

Doing Panama Canal between now and then... luckily not single handed!!

A key part of trying that out is checking how the front fender is secured to the bow.

 

It took me months and months to refine my single handing locking procedure and I still make adjustments now. It also occasional doesn't quite go to plan, although the consequences of this are usually just a small dump or a big jump.

[matty40s]

It also occasional doesn't quite go to plan, although the consequences of this are usually just a small dump or a big jump.

If you are having a small dump while in a lock, who is looking after the boat.....and do you hang beyond the fender or risk the side loader.

Edited September 12, 2014 by matty40s

[junior]

If you are having a small dump while in a lock, who is looking after the boat.

Was meant to read bump, bloody auto-correct.

[WJM]

 

The interesting bit:

 

• step up lock steps with centreline, boat drifting nicely into lock on it's own
• look for central bollard to utilise for centreline to stop boat smacking anything at the front and to hold boat in position when filling lock
• note only two bollards
• one bollard at each end and none anywhere near the centre of lock
• swear

 

Strap the boat to a halt using the ladder rails!