:: to go back to the main article page please Click Here::
:: to go back to the main From the cut page please Click Here::

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Driving a Boat, by Paul Clevett

  Driving a boat is not rocket science but there is an element of skill required.

Always remember you have 22 tons of steel under your control the longer the boat (ours is 70ft) the more you need to pay attention to either side of the boat.

Locks 
When approaching a lock, look to see what the state of the lock is, for instance, if it’s empty and there is someone coming up, let them come up first, don’t waste water filling it!

If its a two boat lock, look to see if there are any approaching boats who would like to use the lock with you - take care with fiberglass boats as a 22 ton steel boat vs a white boat nearly always ends up with just a scratch on the narrow boat and a completely wrecked white boat!

If you’re not lucky enough to find the lock gates open you need to moor up first (or let those with you step off)  (if you can’t step off, don’t get off)

Always check all the sluices are all down.

Next you open the  gate and take the boat in, make sure the boat is no where near the CILL, especially if you are emptying the lock otherwise you could find your rudder damaged, smaller boats can even be sunk as the stern is left in the air and the bow under water.

Get someone to hold the rope, don’t tie it up, remember that water levels will be changing, if you tie your boat up and the water goes down your boat could get left in mid air, or worse than that, the rope could snap and you’d drop tonnes of boat in not a lot of water. Always do one turn round the bollards.

Ok, now undo the paddles slowly in the direction you are going, but TAKE CARE, ensure the catch is on the paddle (BW locks) whilst undoing it and NEVER leave the windlass on the paddle when you are not in control of it, there have been some VERY nasty accidents.

Once the lock is empty or full do the paddles up, check the boat is clear of the gates and open the gates. Then drive away. Close the gates and leave the lock ready for the next user.

Watch the boat at all times, remember you can always do the paddles up again, correct any problems and start again.

 Once the water is empty (or full), DO THE PADDLES AGAIN!!!!

The main thing is work as a team with other boaters and your whole LOCK experience will be much  easier.

Find out for the water way you are on if you should leave the gates OPEN or SHUT, different waterways have different requirements. The River Wey for example needs them left open whereas the Thames and Grand Union for example will need to shut afterwards.
Where there is a lock keeper.

It is NOT first come first serve, it is up to the lock keeper. Almost its better to let the bigger heavier boats get secured first before taking in a smaller lighter boat - especially on the Thames! In the plastic boat vs the narrow boat the plastic boat will lose.

Turning Round 
Turning a narrow boat is a matter of skill, if you have a bow thruster it is much easier, but turning is dependent on things like wind, current and just sheer good judgment
Simply put you need to do what you would do in a car like a 3 point turn, but much slower, using lots of reversing and going forward to get your boat pointing in the right direction.

Only turn in winding holes unless you are SURE of the DEPTH of the canal or river, remember that it might be 150 feet wide but if 80 of those feet are not as deep as your boat you’ll get stuck!

Also always enter a winding hole FORWARDS (bows first), you don’t want to beach the stern of the boat, watch out for overhanging trees.

On Rivers you may go sideways down with the stream while you are turning. The main thing is not to panic but keep turning. Normally on the Thames I try and make sure I’m in a wide enough bit of river that continues to be wide enough for some way, also avoid where boats are moored either side unless you really have to turn there.

Never turn in front of a Large weir unless you are:-

a. MAD
b. Without any alternative

Wind
To demonstrate the power of the wind let me use this example, I was approaching a small bridge with just enough room for a single boat, as I approached it the boat was caught by a gust of wind (it was very windy) and ended up going in at an angle!
The key is to judge if you can correct your course. If you are on the Thames going downstream in flood you will have problems!

Only reverse to stop collisions otherwise slow down and try and correct your course, remember you lose steerage in reverse.

Hitting the bank
Do it slowly. - you’re not supposed to but you will. Don’t worry - just make sure if you do it a lot  your crockery is secure! Sometimes if the wind is up even pro-boaters will wedge the bow against the bank to turn especially with a long boat on a narrow canal or river.

Beaching
This is when you try and moor up or go round a bend where your boat is not as deep as the underlying river or canal bed.

DO NOT CARRY ON GOING FORWARDS - You will just beach the boat further. Look, I know I’m telling people this but I have a VIDEO of a hire boat doing this very thing. Hire boats tend to try and moor anywhere there’s a bit of a free bank.

Getting out of this situation is not rocket science. Once you know you’re beached the easiest way to get out of it is to reverse. If you went on forwards the chances are that your boat is still free at the back. So reverse, but not to hard because the hull of your boat could be sitting on gravel!

For more about living on board a narrowboat please Click Here to buy Paul Clevett's ultimate guide for five pounds.

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Paul Clevett, who submits articles to JustCanals everyweek, is a Waterways Author. He lives on a 70 foot Narrow Boat (NB Tafelberg) in Cowley, Uxbridge with his Wife, Two Children and Crew Chris, and of course the cat. As well as writing his amazing electronic book which tells the reader everything they need to know about living on board a narrowboat (Click Here to find out more) Paul Clevett is an apprentice Roses and Castles painter (Click Here to visit his Roses & Castles website).

All of the articles in the sections below are copyright of JustCanals.com (or the contributor ) and must not be used in any form without permission from JustCanals or the contributor. If permission is gained from the contributor JustCanals must also be informed.