Locking Through Canals ... Solo

C

Casey

New member
I realize that locking through a canal "solo" may be extremely challenging, but I'm wondering if it's possible (or for that matter is it even permitted)?

IF permitted - what ideas do you have to make it possible/safer. I figure there may be some techniques that work better than others, or special equipment that might make it possible.

Ideas????

Best,
Casey
 
Hi Casey,

We saw folks lock through solo on the Erie and the Trent-Severn. Big fenders and a good place to hold the boat so it doesn't "get sideways" are important. When we went through the Federal Lock at Troy, there was only one place to hold (all the other locks had cables or lines spaced so you could hold fore and aft)... I held the cable from the helm seat at Troy, through the window. It was different from what we were used to, but it certainly works. A boat hook to get a hold on the line as you come in would be necessary, too.

On the Trent-Severn, the lock masters would give you a hand as you came into the lock (not so much on the Erie). The older "historic" locks on the Trent-Severn have more turbulence as you go up, which would be the only consideration for locking though solo.

Or, you could "hire" the Blonde or me to be your line handler. :wink:

Best wishes,
Jim
 
I am certainly no expert having experienced locking just this past September on the Erie Canal C-Brats cruise. There were, however, two experts at solo locking in our seven boat group. Terry Meyer (The Last Dance) and Fred Heap (Inn the Water) were cruising solo. They always used a rigid ladder or cable that was anchored to the bottom of the lock and simply held on to that from the forward part of the cockpit. Fred would even loop a rope around an anchored cable or rod and sit back in the cockpit, comfortable in his boat chair, with the rope in one hand and a book in the other. We employed this technique on our return trip and never had to climb out on the bow deck.

Harper
 
Here's what I have learned and do...

1. Get ready, before you GO! I set lines at all four corners and hang fenders on both sides. I run the front lines back to the cockpit.

2. Coming into the lock, I try to grab a fixed line or bollard (rather then a hanging rope).

4. I wrap the line from the front around (feeding ti behind) the bollard, then wrap the rear line around it as well.

5. From the front of the cockpit (right at the wall), I am able to control the boat, front and rear, using the two lines.

The trickiest part, running solo, is Step 2. Sometimes I will grab a line from the helm window, and get the boat stopped (you have to be going very slow to do this) and then move to the cockpit. In any case, you plan ahead, go slow ,and be patient.
 
I find that every lock has it's own nuances.

Some of the locks I use carrying passengers for the National Park have limited tie up options and considerable current such that I have to stay in gear to maintain position once the wicket gates are opened for example. Some have ripping, bubbling current from a parallel dam as you enter the lock chamber. It can be a wild ride (for the Captain) with significant power and helm corrections to keep her in the middle. The NPS vessels have no fenders...which I always found humorous considering the lock chambers are almost entirely granite.

The best tip for any lock is practice (if possible). If you are just passing through the best you can do is have the vessel ready for quick tie up. Lines ready, fenders out on both sides (in case you are packed in with several vessels on both sides), and have a hook ready to grab a wall if you don't come in perfect. On our C-Dory's this means we may need to run out of the cabin for a quick tie up/or hook of course. Unless current or other conditions dictate a hotter approach, go in slow to minimize the need for abrupt reverse or other corrections. Some locks have floating docks inside with cleats which is nice.

--Matt
 
It really depends on the type of lock:

1. The easiest locks are those Canadian locks with floating docks in them (Ottawa river, Chambly canal, Lachine canal). They even have attendants to help you dock.

2. Next are those with cables fixed at both ends (Erie canal, Rideau Canal) and those with floating bollards (the big rivers). In both of these one can quite easily control the boat from the helm window by looping a line around the cable or bollard. The bollards are sometimes quite high (when you are locking up) and big, so a boat hook is often needed to get the line around them. the lock keeper will usually tell you which bollard to use, but be sure to ask if he doesn't because they occasionally get stuck and you sure don't want to be on a stuck bollard when the water starts to move!

3. Next are the locks with hanging ropes (Erie canal) and those where ropes are thrown down or handed to you (some of the big river locks). The problem here when single handing is that you really need to be at the center (for and aft) of the boat to be able to control both ends, but since the bottom of the rope is not fixed, you loose a lot of purchase when the lock is empty if you are holding the rope through the helm window. The deeper the lock the worse this is. You can still do it, but you need BIG fenders at both ends to protect from those times when the boat pivots some before you can get it back straight.

4. Finally, if you are alone in a lock on the big rivers (particularly the Mississippi and Ohio), always ask if you can float in the middle of the lock. They will often let you do this, and it is usually not at all difficult to keep station as one is lifted or lowered.

5. All the above can, of course, be made much more difficult by the weather. Strong cross winds are best avoided when single handing. If you have to lock through in a cross wind, be mindful that the wind will swirl in the lock so that it will actually try to blow you off the down-wind wall when the lock is empty (and against it, of course, when the lock fills).

6. When single handing you will sooner or later get into a situation where the boat has pivoted 20 or 30 degrees (maybe more) before you have been able to control it. You need to protect the bow and stern of your boat with big fenders on each side of your boat, one as far aft as possible (especially if you have a swim step) and one, preferably one of the spherical variety, near the bow. You need a third fender on each side hanging amidship where your boat starts to curve in towards the bow.

7. Finally, tell the lock keeper ahead of time that you are single handing. If there are other boats locking through, consider asking one if you can raft with them since you then have three people helping with the tying up. Switch sides immediately if you are having problems on one side. And never be embarrassed by anything that happens; we will all have been there and done that even with crew to help!
 
Judging from your location if you are talking about the Locks on the Okeechobee Canal I've locked thru all of them single handed several times except the far east one. I tried it with a line from the bow cleat back to the cockpit entering the lock as slow as possible fenders in place grab a hanging line and slip the bow line over one of the bollards (I think thats what they are called) and you can control the boat from the cockpit. I also just simply grabbed two lines and controlled it easily. The locks I mentioned are pretty simple in that the water level changes aren't that great. I think the greatest one was 7'. They opened those locks pretty slowly when I've gone thru so there really isn't a lot of turbulance. When you call the lockmaster requesting permission to lock thru they generally tell you which side of the lock they want you on and what the drop or rise is.
 
The easternmost lock on the Okeechobee Canal is the St Lucie lock, with a fall of about 7 feet, and it was one of the hardest locks to negotiate on my entire loop, not helped at all by the lockmaster, who shouted at me through most of the process, mainly because I refused to tie off the two lines from the top of the wall. I'd heard so many stories about boats getting in trouble in locks tying off lines, so even though it was a lift, I still wasn't going to do it. He'd already insisted I change all my fenders from starboard to port, though there was plenty of room for me to do a 180 in the lock to tie up on my starboard side. There was a stiff breeze, so I had to run around moving fenders, in between running to the helm to stay off the walls. There are no pumps in the St Lucie Lock, so gravity must do the work, accomplished by simply gradually opening the gates. On a lift, you start by seeing a 7-foot waterfall between the gates at the top of the lock, and the turbulence was sufficient to pull one end of Na Waqa away from the wall. I think the lockmaster was enjoying my dilemna, as he shouted at me from up above. Fortunately, I managed to hang on, but that's the only lock I've ever gone through that I didn't send a "Thanks" over the radio as I was leaving.
 
Interesting stuff and good stuff here.

To add a bit, on our locks which drop or raise about 60' on the Cumberland River System there are floating ballards that you loop your security lines around. A very handy and clean-"er" way to loop the ballard is to be sure and run your line in a counter-clockwise direction rather than a clockwise direction. This puts the overlap of your line snuging up on the front side of the ballard :thup , rather than on the back side of the ballard :thdown .

If ya go clockwise and the overlap is on the back side :thdown , this "forces" both ends of the line to "scrape" the green junk off the dock walls as you move up or down direction :amgry . Gravity wins...and the junk falls into/on your boat/gunnels/canvas and lines. :thdown :thdown :smiled

So, go counter clockwise on your loop...and keep the overlap on the outside edge of the ballard.... and clean lockages to ya!! :thup

Byrdman
 
Gee....All this time I thought "Ballard" was in Washington. :wink

People from there are are referred to as "Ballurdians" :xlol :roll: :roll:

Happy Turkey and Merry Christmas... :smiled Jack
 
Byrdman":llrl6a0o said:
Interesting stuff and good stuff here.

To add a bit, on our locks which drop or raise about 60' on the Cumberland River System there are floating ballards that you loop your security lines around. A very handy and clean-"er" way to loop the ballard is to be sure and run your line in a counter-clockwise direction rather than a clockwise direction. This puts the overlap of your line snuging up on the front side of the ballard :thup , rather than on the back side of the ballard :thdown .

If ya go clockwise and the overlap is on the back side :thdown , this "forces" both ends of the line to "scrape" the green junk off the dock walls as you move up or down direction :amgry . Gravity wins...and the junk falls into/on your boat/gunnels/canvas and lines. :thdown :thdown :smiled

So, go counter clockwise on your loop...and keep the overlap on the outside edge of the ballard.... and clean lockages to ya!! :thup

Byrdman
Click to expand...


Patrick,

Thanks much for explaining this. I had heard and read that the lines should go counterclockwise but didn't understand the reason. Your explaination is totally logical.

Harper
 
Those of you who know me realize I can not spell shirt... that is how we ended up with just one more of those 4 letter words.

If I can get spell checker to find the word...in my book for me, I get points for getting it correct.

and.... it seems to be a family tradition....as....we do spell our name bYrd.

Byrdman... having enjoyed some more time on the water with younger brother Mike this day.
 
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