How to navigate Thames locks single handily

[ditchcrawler]

If you are the only boat in the lock then the lockie is 'permitted' to let you through with an engine running. He does have discretion and seeing you as working boats exercised his discretion. Many Thames lockies are NB friendly as they realise that many / most know what they are doing.....

 

You must have been using buckets then.... It's a shallow lock...

Think you mean Culham lock.

It's a pig when on public power. The top gate paddles are very high and the mechanism has been set to avoid as much turbulence as possible - so it's slower than any other. The irritating result is that the last foot or so takes 12 minutes to fill...

I probably do.

edit

Just checked and I miscounted where we started from, so yes Culham. Last time I did that a DIY I had to crank the bloody handle, but it was much quicker.

Edited August 31, 2016 by ditchcrawler

[Chertsey]

If you are the only boat in the lock then the lockie is 'permitted' to let you through with an engine running. He does have discretion and seeing you as working boats exercised his discretion. Many Thames lockies are NB friendly as they realise that many / most know what they are doing.....

 

 

In most cases we weren't on our own, but yes, most were friendly and helpful, as usual. There was one exception (at Bray) who either deliberately or recklessly emptied the lock as we were already struggling to get on the pontoon below, then made patronising and sexist comments once we came in. Strangely enough, last time we did the Thames, eight years ago, we had a bad experience at Bray - I don't think it was the same man.

 

Anywhere, here is Chertsey, guess where! (The one lock that we did on self service, which allowed for plenty of photo opportunities)