Stenson Lock

[Jennifer McM]

Well, Stenson Lock's a bit of a whooha.... 

 

Went down the lock a week or so ago with another boater. It was the 3rd day as a boater for the other boat, and the first time he'd shared a lock. It was interesting... especially after I'd exited the lock, the bit where I was holding onto our boat via the centre line on the lock landing in a cheeky breeze, while waiting for my OH to join us. The new single-handed boater who'd just sailed out of the lock, decided to walk along the outside of his boat to retrieve his centre line, at the same time as passing our boat and the moored boats at the bottom of the lock. ?

 

Anyway.... we were all new once...

 

Yesterday we returned, to go up in the lock. Having experienced how deep the lock is, we're now prepared for this big baby!

 

As OH set the lock for us to enter, he was joined by a really nice chap, he wasn't wearing the normal lock-keepers lifesaving gear, but he was a volunteer lockie. 

 

With his help, rising up the lock was so smooth. He advised me to keep the boat at the back of the lock (which I would have done anyway (I think) ), and he advised OH to turn the bottom paddle a couple of times, wait for the boat to stabilise after the 'turbulence shock', then repeat. He then advised just a turn on the gate paddle (really glad the bow doors were tightly shut as the torrent of water, high above the boat and was fierce), repeating the sequence every couple of minutes or so, and working the lock at just one side. 

 

The guy was brilliant, but what was slightly upsetting, he kept asking us both, if we minded being shown what to do. How sad really, we're always up to learn from those that know. It does look like he's been balled out a few times by boaters who think they know every wrinkle of every lock.

 

I know there are volunteer lockies who are little know-alls, and you've just got to ignore their advice for the safety of your boat. But I just want to say, a big THANK YOU to the guy that took time out to help us. I'm sure the boat thought it was going through Sutton Stop.

 

 

 

Edited November 24, 2018 by Jennifer McM

[pearley]

Stenson is the only lock where we've been asked by the volunteer lock keepers if we would like them to help. 

[Jennifer McM]

1 minute ago, pearley said:

Stenson is the only lock where we've been asked by the volunteer lock keepers if we would like them to help. 

How strange? Think this lock could be one of the most dangerous 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

It was the first broad lock I ever did. Very intimidating seeing just how far down it was.

 

Jen

[Athy]

31 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

It was the first broad lock I ever did. Very intimidating seeing just how far down it was.

 

Jen

I was surprised to find that it's 12'2" rise/fall, making it 2" deeper than Somerton Deep. You've got me wondering now, does a broad lock look deeper than a narrow one of similar depth? We have visited Stenson lock but not by boat.

[Stilllearning]

As I remember it, the main problem is the positioning of the gate paddles when locking up, as they can easily flood a front deck.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

11 minutes ago, Athy said:

I was surprised to find that it's 12'2" rise/fall, making it 2" deeper than Somerton Deep. You've got me wondering now, does a broad lock look deeper than a narrow one of similar depth? We have visited Stenson lock but not by boat.

Weird that.

 The narrow Marple and some Ashton locks are deeper, but don't seem so intimidating.

Jen

[Iain_S]

2 hours ago, Stilllearning said:

As I remember it, the main problem is the positioning of the gate paddles when locking up, as they can easily flood a front deck.

Other thing that catches people out is that the effect of the ground paddles is the opposite to that in Grand Union locks, so it's ground paddle on the opposite side to the boat first.

[Mike Todd]

3 hours ago, Jennifer McM said:

Well, Stenson Lock's a bit of a whooha.... 

 

Went down the lock a week or so ago with another boater. It was the 3rd day as a boater for the other boat, and the first time he'd shared a lock. It was interesting... especially after I'd exited the lock, the bit where I was holding onto our boat via the centre line on the lock landing in a cheeky breeze, while waiting for my OH to join us. The new single-handed boater who'd just sailed out of the lock, decided to walk along the outside of his boat to retrieve his centre line, at the same time as passing our boat and the moored boats at the bottom of the lock. ?

 

Anyway.... we were all new once...

 

Yesterday we returned, to go up in the lock. Having experienced how deep the lock is, we're now prepared for this big baby!

 

As OH set the lock for us to enter, he was joined by a really nice chap, he wasn't wearing the normal lock-keepers lifesaving gear, but he was a volunteer lockie. 

 

With his help, rising up the lock was so smooth. He advised me to keep the boat at the back of the lock (which I would have done anyway (I think) ), and he advised OH to turn the bottom paddle a couple of times, wait for the boat to stabilise after the 'turbulence shock', then repeat. He then advised just a turn on the gate paddle (really glad the bow doors were tightly shut as the torrent of water, high above the boat and was fierce), repeating the sequence every couple of minutes or so, and working the lock at just one side. 

 

The guy was brilliant, but what was slightly upsetting, he kept asking us both, if we minded being shown what to do. How sad really, we're always up to learn from those that know. It does look like he's been balled out a few times by boaters who think they know every wrinkle of every lock.

 

I know there are volunteer lockies who are little know-alls, and you've just got to ignore their advice for the safety of your boat. But I just want to say, a big THANK YOU to the guy that took time out to help us. I'm sure the boat thought it was going through Sutton Stop.

 

 

 

Bottom paddles going up?

[Jennifer McM]

7 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

Bottom paddles going up?

lol may have got that wrong? It's the sluices... is that the correct word? Sorry I was talking about the top gates. 

 

The top gates are surprisingly short, which makes the cill, enormously high.

Edited November 24, 2018 by Jennifer McM

[matty40s]

2 hours ago, Jennifer McM said:

lol may have got that wrong? It's the sluices... is that the correct word? Sorry I was talking about the top gates. 

 

The top gates are surprisingly short, which makes the cill, enormously high.

Top gates are normal height, cill is big because it's a deep lock......

[Jennifer McM]

11 minutes ago, matty40s said:

Top gates are normal height, cill is big because it's a deep lock......

Yes, it doesn't bear thinking about, getting caught up on that high cill. 

 

When at the bottom of the lock looking up, those gates do look small though

[Rob-M]

Stenson is where I almost had to shove a volocky in to the lock as he was a total pita. He spent ages patronising mrs-m especially when he told her to put the ground paddle up 5 clicks and she did 6. He then tried to explain to her how to count to 5.

[TheBiscuits]

9 hours ago, Athy said:

You've got me wondering now, does a broad lock look deeper

Tuel Lane certainly does

 

 

[MHS]

We went up Stenson Lock about 18 months ago with another boat. It was a sunny day with plenty of gongoozlers about. The volocky suggested we stay at the back of the empty lock. He then fully opened both gate paddles. I was not happy. He was showing off to the watching ladies. It may have looked spectacular but not pleasant for us. 

[noddyboater]

1 hour ago, Rob-M said:

Stenson is where I almost had to shove a volocky in to the lock as he was a total pita. He spent ages patronising mrs-m especially when he told her to put the ground paddle up 5 clicks and she did 6. He then tried to explain to her how to count to 5.

It’s also where the volocky lifts one bottom paddle very slowly and refuses to use the other one as it upsets the poor livaboards in the winding hole! Shame isn’t it, having to put up with all that bobbing around.. 

They actually started covering up one paddle with a black bag to put boaters off using it when working the lock alone. 

[David Mack]

12 hours ago, Jennifer McM said:

 It was interesting... especially after I'd exited the lock, the bit where I was holding onto our boat via the centre line on the lock landing in a cheeky breeze, while waiting for my OH to join us. The new single-handed boater who'd just sailed out of the lock, decided to walk along the outside of his boat to retrieve his centre line, at the same time as passing our boat and the moored boats at the bottom of the lock. ?

 

Descending wide locks in company I find it much easier for both boats to exit together, stopping (completely) with both sterns just clear of the bottom gates. The lock walls will keep the boats in place while you shut the gates, and then the boats can depart. There's no need for ropes, but single handers may prefer to take stern line ashore to hold onto (if there is no tail bridge in the way) or tie off on a bollard. 

[Jennifer McM]

10 hours ago, David Mack said:

Descending wide locks in company I find it much easier for both boats to exit together, stopping (completely) with both sterns just clear of the bottom gates. The lock walls will keep the boats in place while you shut the gates, and then the boats can depart. There's no need for ropes, but single handers may prefer to take stern line ashore to hold onto (if there is no tail bridge in the way) or tie off on a bollard. 

Completely agree with that, except in this case the other boater was inexperienced and unpredictable.

 

I took out our boat first, holding the boat on the landing while OH shut the gates. Normally we don't bother, it just seemed safer to hold the centre line because of a strongish breeze, boats moored at the bottom of the lock, and the 'unpredictable' boater.

[Jennifer McM]

Re other comments, it does look like we were lucky with the lockie that helped us.

 

It appears there is a problem with the bottom gates, there's about a 2ft by 2-inch gap at the bottom of the two bottom gates, meaning there's quite a gush of water leaking out of the lock when trying to fill it. The lockie was aware. Whether that causes problems for the boats at the bottom of lock, I'm not sure.

 

Surely anyone who moors at the bottom, or top of a lock would accept it gets a bit 'rough' at times (at least you'd think so).

[David Mack]

2 hours ago, Jennifer McM said:

Completely agree with that, except in this case the other boater was inexperienced and unpredictable.

 

 

I have suggested it to newbies and to experienced boaters who have never tried it. If people never try, how do they learn?

[Philip]

I went up this lock for the first and only time in June '16 and ended up receiving a rather patronising lecture from the volunteer lockkeeper on duty then (sounds like your helper was a different person). It was because I opened the centre paddles before the ground paddles. Since my boat is a 24' cruiser and I wasn't sharing with another boat, it was safer to open the gate paddles first before the ground paddles with my boat well back from the top gates and tied to the bollard. The ground paddles cause stronger turbulence and currents in the water so they knock my boat around and against the lock wall more in the wide locks and in some narrow locks they pull the boat forward fiercely - the gate paddle currents are much weaker. But the keeper on duty that day didn't grasp this and rambled on by the protocal. 

[Guest]

On 24/11/2018 at 09:08, Jennifer McM said:

Well, Stenson Lock's a bit of a whooha.... 

 

Went down the lock a week or so ago with another boater. It was the 3rd day as a boater for the other boat, and the first time he'd shared a lock. It was interesting... especially after I'd exited the lock, the bit where I was holding onto our boat via the centre line on the lock landing in a cheeky breeze, while waiting for my OH to join us. The new single-handed boater who'd just sailed out of the lock, decided to walk along the outside of his boat to retrieve his centre line, at the same time as passing our boat and the moored boats at the bottom of the lock. ?

 

Anyway.... we were all new once...

 

Yesterday we returned, to go up in the lock. Having experienced how deep the lock is, we're now prepared for this big baby!

 

As OH set the lock for us to enter, he was joined by a really nice chap, he wasn't wearing the normal lock-keepers lifesaving gear, but he was a volunteer lockie. 

 

With his help, rising up the lock was so smooth. He advised me to keep the boat at the back of the lock (which I would have done anyway (I think) ), and he advised OH to turn the bottom paddle a couple of times, wait for the boat to stabilise after the 'turbulence shock', then repeat. He then advised just a turn on the gate paddle (really glad the bow doors were tightly shut as the torrent of water, high above the boat and was fierce), repeating the sequence every couple of minutes or so, and working the lock at just one side. 

 

The guy was brilliant, but what was slightly upsetting, he kept asking us both, if we minded being shown what to do. How sad really, we're always up to learn from those that know. It does look like he's been balled out a few times by boaters who think they know every wrinkle of every lock.

 

I know there are volunteer lockies who are little know-alls, and you've just got to ignore their advice for the safety of your boat. But I just want to say, a big THANK YOU to the guy that took time out to help us. I'm sure the boat thought it was going through Sutton Stop.

 

 

 

TBH we never found Stenson that much of an issue but as we used to moor just along at Mercia I guess we just got used to it as it was often passed through on our cruises that way.

 

Only real problem we had was before they fixed the bottom gate (on the cafe side from menory) when it wouldn't fully open. Both us and the boat we were in with couldn't exit the lock as we couldn't get past the not fully open gates.

 

Eventually we managed to jiggle our way out after lifting a fender, other wise it would have been an interesting afternoon. It gave the gongoozlers something different to watch though.

 

I believe the gate was fixed some time ago but I am happy to be corrected.

 

Edit , oh and there was no volunteer lockies on it back then.

Edited November 25, 2018 by MJG

[john6767]

On 24/11/2018 at 19:40, MHS said:

We went up Stenson Lock about 18 months ago with another boat. It was a sunny day with plenty of gongoozlers about. The volocky suggested we stay at the back of the empty lock. He then fully opened both gate paddles. I was not happy. He was showing off to the watching ladies. It may have looked spectacular but not pleasant for us. 

We came up in July this year when there were volunteers there. Similar story, they were only interested in showing off to the people at the cafe by throwing their weight around. There is nothing hard about this lock it is just slow as it is quite deep, but they seem to want to make a big deal of it to justify their existence.

[Victor Vectis]

On 24/11/2018 at 19:41, noddyboater said:

It’s also where the volocky lifts one bottom paddle very slowly and refuses to use the other one as it upsets the poor livaboards in the winding hole! Shame isn’t it, having to put up with all that bobbing around.. 

They actually started covering up one paddle with a black bag to put boaters off using it when working the lock alone. 

Yes.

I've had that too. He said he was being 'courteous'. I suggested he was using the lock 'inefficiently'.

We agreed to disagree.

22 hours ago, Jennifer McM said:

Surely anyone who moors at the bottom, or top of a lock would accept it gets a bit 'rough' at times (at least you'd think so).

That was my argument, along the lines of 'they knew where the lock when they chose to moor there' but he wasn't having any of it.

[noddyboater]

I’m sure the same boats have been moored below the lock for years and have never had a problem with being jiggled around until the volockies started. We got the impression it was a lady (working with the click counting know it all bloke) who was pushing the issue as she was “livaboard herself and had sympathy with their problems” 

It’s a slow lock to work through anyway, the last thing you want is to be dawdling about with half a dozen boats waiting to come up. If it really is the moorers brainwave it could be the start of a slippery slope.

 As a courteous boater, I would however suggest checking that someone isn’t about to pull in just below the lock on the landing before whacking both paddles up!