Short height steerer

[jake_crew]

13 hours ago, Goliath said:

Stand on your beer crate. 

This - make a lid for the beer (or milk) crate.

I have one on the tug and one at home for decorating etc.

[twbm]

It's been said but to reiterate, this is as much about learning to gauge what the boats doing in the water and where the front is in relation to other stuff. When approaching locks uphill, ask the crew to leave the gates shut and practice motoring up slowly* until your just touching them, or a foot short if you prefer. When you steer the boat around bends note where the pivot point is - usually just back from the half way point. Use a lifebelt or similar to mark the spot until you're sure you've found it. Between the two you should then be able to build a picture in your minds eye of what the boats up to in relation to the banks, bridges  and other boats. 

All the above is relevant in clear water. The advance course is about learning to notice when the boat tells you you're moving into shallows, cutting the corner too much or going too fast for the available depth: veering away from the shallows / refusing to turn into the corner despite your best efforts, breaking wave going out from the stern on the shallow side(s) or just being an awkward bastard to steer.       

Get all that about right and you'll be standing pretty much in the same place all the time, reminiscent of being stood in the hatch on a trad back end.   

* I would hope slowly is obvious but didn't want to be accused of encouraging ramming the gates.  

[zenataomm]

Get some children to stand on.

[David Schweizer]

My daughter started steering when she was ten years old, and could not see over the top of the cabin roof, so we placed a large heavy duty storage box (a milk crate would have done) onto the deck so that she could see.  People steering passing boats were often amused to see such a small child steering such a big boat, as only her head was visible, their amusement sometimes increased to hilarity when the saw the box.

[David Mack]

We did much the same. My daughter steering at age 6  1/2. She's now 23!

[cuthound]

On my modern trad the deck inside the rear doors is lower than the stern deck. I reinforced a toolbox with aluminium chequerplate and stand on that. 

It also means my tools are close to hand (well foot).