Crossing lock gates

[ditchcrawler]

 

 

Take it steady and keep one hand for yourself. Find a way of stowing your windlass (in your belt, over your shoulder under the top layer, whatever) to have both hands free.

That is a very good point

[Rob-M]

That's the way to do it

I was once caught in a picture like that after I assured my mother I didn't step across gates.

[Wanderer Vagabond]

OH has severe vertigo (can't stand on a chair) but over time has got used to crossing gates and even steps across an open top gate if all is in good nick. She still has problems with bottom gates at deep locks but copes mostly. There's usually a footbridge across the tail of those, anyway.

 

Take it steady and keep one hand for yourself. Find a way of stowing your windlass (in your belt, over your shoulder under the top layer, whatever) to have both hands free.

As one who also dislikes heights it is Acrophobia that your OH suffers from, not Vertigo which is just a form of dizziness not associated with heights (even though it sounds as though it is ).

 

Regards the OP's original problem I'd suggest using the top gates to cross whenever possible since the walkway will (usually) be on the pound side of the gate so any fall will just result in getting a bit wet (unless of course they get sucked into the paddle sluices )

[BruceinSanity]

As one who also dislikes heights it is Acrophobia that your OH suffers from, not Vertigo which is just a form of dizziness not associated with heights (even though it sounds as though it is:rolleyes: ).

)

I was trying to avoid technical terms from my professional past Edited March 21, 2016 by BruceinSanity

[colinwilks]

I used to do a lot of rock climbing in my youth and never suffered vertigo, or even acrophobia, but on a man made structure I find looking down, off a balcony for example, can make me quite queasy. I totally agree with what others have said about three points of contact and stowing your windlass, but would suggest you spend some time just sitting on the balance beam or standing on the gate's walkway and getting used to the environment, and the fact you will manage to walk way unscathed! When you're working a lock there's a certain pressure to "get on with it", which isn't there if you are just mooching around enjoying the evening air at your own pace.

[kcb]

OP here. Good to hear that others have had the same problem and have got by. Some useful advice also so cheers for that. Thanks to you lot I think I will be ok and there seems to be hope that my fear will start to go away with time.

 

By the way, I had a walk up the Farmers Bridge locks on the BCN yesterday. Those things look like they would be a bit difficult. The top of the gate itself is the walkway and the handrail is very low. As they are all single gates I suppose they could be worked from the one side with no need to cross, all be it a bit more slowly with access to only half the paddles. I'm gonna be a right pain on the canals aren't I? Think I'm closer to giving it a go anyway.

[NickF]

OP here. Good to hear that others have had the same problem and have got by. Some useful advice also so cheers for that. Thanks to you lot I think I will be ok and there seems to be hope that my fear will start to go away with time.

 

By the way, I had a walk up the Farmers Bridge locks on the BCN yesterday. Those things look like they would be a bit difficult. The top of the gate itself is the walkway and the handrail is very low. As they are all single gates I suppose they could be worked from the one side with no need to cross, all be it a bit more slowly with access to only half the paddles. I'm gonna be a right pain on the canals aren't I? Think I'm closer to giving it a go anyway.

Your not going to be a pain, take it easy, do it in your own time, enjoy the canals the way you want to enjoy them.

[cheshire~rose]

Some years back I went boating on Baldock with Chris B & Lise of this parish, I apologised to him that I was not able to step across the open gate on a narrow lock. He stopped me short and made me promise to never EVER apologise for not "bouncing about" at the locks. He told me to do it my way and in my own time. If I made a mistake it could be a life changing experience and so NEVER let anyone rush you and NEVER apologise for doing something you are not comfortable doing.

 

His words stuck with me. Strangely shortly after that I found I had relaxed enough to sometimes step across an open gate. The thing is there is no rhyme or reason to when I can and when I can't do it. Every lock is different, even the same lock can feel different in different weather or season. Sometimes if the sun is low in the sky it dazzles me, sometimes it is windier than others and sometimes I just get a bad feeling and lose the confidence.

As others have said, ensure you have good grippy shoes, ensure you do not have any clothing that restricts movement or might snag on the lock anywhere and get yourself a holster to put your windlass in so you can have both hands free to hold on. Take it slowly and avoid looking at the water at all costs.

You will find your confidence builds fairly soon but don't beat yourself up when you were doing really well then come to a lock that is just a bit different and you find your confidence has taken a little step backwards. Each one you conquer is another notch up in confidence

[Peter X]

If you only open the paddles on one side of a lock (assuming here that they work and the gates don't leak too badly) you're not likely to cause much delay to other boats, just your own. I say this because if there's another boat coming and they're in a hurry, the chances are that they will have good crew and will send one or more ahead of their boat to help others through and get a lock ready. Most people are happy to help others out, although you might get the odd rare one who'll engage their mouth before their brain.

[Southern Star]

That's the way to do it

Snap!

 

[blackrose]

About 17 years ago I nearly killed my mum's Hungarian Visla dog that I was looking after for a few days on my boat moored at Batchworth. I was at the elsan point with the dog (off the lead) and walked back to the towpath side across the top gates with the cassette. Someone had left the bottom gates open and for some reason the damn dog decided it would be a good idea to try to leap across the bottom gates of an empty double lock to follow me. He obviously hadn't seen which way I'd crossed the lock and I hadn't kept my eye on him, and as I turned around I could see him getting ready to jump into the abyss. Scary! It wouldn't have ended well. I dropped the cassette, ran back and lead him across the top gates. He was new to canals and hadn't worked out how to cross locks. I never told my mum about it!

 

Later that day he fell into the canal in an altercation with a swan and I had to fish him out.

 

Visla

Edited March 23, 2016 by blackrose

[bizzard]

I never had very good balance on me feet, never liked walking the plank or balancing on things in the gym and all that tom foolery at school, not a scared of heights thing though, just a bit wonky. I would never walk across lock gates either because of this wonkyness, with hand rails, yes, no problem at all. I did once contemplate crawling across, which would make me feel more secure, less wonky and lessen by a few feet the risk of plummeting into the abyss below. I even found a pair of 'tilers knee pads' for the purpose but never had the courage to perform the feat, I was too embarrassed to, always someone seemed to turn up at the lock just as I was about to do it, so didn't. I did contemplate traveling at night only when there's no one about so I could practice the crawling method in peace but I never bothered in the end and still walk all around the locks if they have no handrails on the gates.

Note-If you happen to be a Dwarf and suffer from the frightened of heights thing, crawling across lock gates won't reduce the visual aspect of the droppage by much.

Edited March 23, 2016 by bizzard

[bigste]

It's like riding a bike. At first it's a bit wobbly or scary but it soon becomes second nature, as on a bike you won't even think about it.

[Loafer]

That's the way to do it

 

Did you get your leg lengthened in the end?

[___]

I always find it helps to think about things where personal wellbeing is involved. Hence I have no intention of ever crossing from a closed to an open half mitre gate even though I know many folk do. I can't see that the benefit is in anyway proportionate to the risk. And I am not too fond of heights either.

For the OP I would suggest wearing an inflatable life jacket and getting used to crossing the top gates in a deliberate way rather than quickly. Make sure you have a grip of the rail before putting a foot on the board and when on the gate keep three points in contact with something wherever possible e.g. both feet on the footboard when transferring hands between rails or around paddle gear; or both hands on the rails while transferring feet across footboards. Take care to prevent the life jacket snagging on paddle gear though; that's the down side of wearing one.

JP

Oops. Turns out the first bit of that post was a load of rubbish! Never did it as a hirer but first trip as an owner and I started doing it. It was at Lapworth for starters where the fall on the locks must surely be as low as anywhere on the system. But then I had to single hand home this morning from Stoke Works to Droitwich and did the same on the Astwood flight. Didn't fancy it on the new locks on the Droitwich canal though; too high and seemingly slightly wider. So was I just talking carp before or am I learning bad habits?

 

JP

[Sea Dog]

Oops. Turns out the first bit of that post was a load of rubbish! Never did it as a hirer but first trip as an owner and I started doing it. It was at Lapworth for starters where the fall on the locks must surely be as low as anywhere on the system. But then I had to single hand home this morning from Stoke Works to Droitwich and did the same on the Astwood flight. Didn't fancy it on the new locks on the Droitwich canal though; too high and seemingly slightly wider. So was I just talking carp before or am I learning bad habits?

JP

Who knows, JP, maybe you just did it on autopilot or perhaps you're just getting bolder. Those gates at Hanbury are higher, but the width is the same so I suspect you'll be striding across those soon too. Well, maybe not til winter, cos the excellent local volockies are likely to see you through there from now til the back end. The other part of your earlier post sounds like your sensible enough not to get too bold though, eh?

[BruceinSanity]

Who knows, JP, maybe you just did it on autopilot or perhaps you're just getting bolder. Those gates at Hanbury are higher, but the width is the same so I suspect you'll be striding across those soon too. Well, maybe not til winter, cos the excellent local volockies are likely to see you through there from now til the back end. The other part of your earlier post sounds like your sensible enough not to get too bold though, eh?

According to some of the Idle Women books, they would cross from an open to a closed gate on a broad lock. Now that would be a step too far for me...

[Ray T]

According to some of the Idle Women books, they would cross from an open to a closed gate on a broad lock. Now that would be a step too far for me...

 

Or kick gates open:

 

 

Edited April 3, 2016 by Ray T