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To make using the canals of Britain safe and enjoyable we advice you to follow the guidance that we have for you in this section.

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You will find that locks are easy and safe to use when you follow all operating and safety advice available to you.

A lock is just a chamber which you can fill with water, causing a boat in the lock to rise (when going up hill)

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Working the paddle gear: Paddle gear can be either hydraulic or rack and pinion. On the rack and pinion type, remember to engage the safety catch before winding up the paddles. This stops the gears from slipping down. When you've finished winding the paddles up, check the safety catch is in position and then take off your windlass. With one crew member at the helm and one at the paddles, you wind the paddle gear up and down using a windlass or lock key. You should always wind them bit-by-bit whilst keeping an eye on the effect of the moving water in the lock on your boat. Please wind the paddles back down don't let them drop as they could easily break. To release the safety catch, wind the paddle up a little further, take the strain with the windlass, then remove the safety catch and wind the paddle down the other way.

Paddle gear safety tips:

Navigating locks:

Going uphill ->__ As you approach the lock, send one of your crew to check whether it's full of water or empty. If the lock is empty, they can open the gates and you can steer straight in. If the lock is full of water, moor up at the lock moorings which are normally on the towpath side of the canal, before the lock. Empty the lock by slowly raising the paddles on the lower gates (the gates nearest to your boat) then when the water level has dropped the gates can be opened and the boat driven in. Once the boat is in the lock, close the gates and paddles. Open the paddles on the gate at the front of the boat a little at a time to fill the lock. Keep your boat steady using your engine or with front and back ropes looped around the bollards - but don't tie up. When it's full, open the gates and drive the boat out. Lower the paddles - and close the gates behind - unless a boat coming towards you wants to use the lock.

<- If there isn't bridge at the lock you can walk across these special planks of wood attached to the lock gate. Care must be taken here & you should always hold onto the railing.

Going downhill -> Open the gate (when the lock is full) and steer the boat in. Close the gates behind you, keeping the back of your boat well clear of the cill on the top gates - cills stick out by up to 5ft (1.5m) and you can only see them when the lock's emptying. Cills are now marked on most locks with a white marker saying cill at the point where it juts out most. Open the paddles in front to empty the lock, using your engine or ropes to keep the boat as still as possible. When the water levels are equal, open the bottom gates and take the boat out. Close the gates and lower the paddles before you move on, unless a boat coming from the opposite direction wants to use the lock.

Floating freely?

As the water level rises or falls, keep a continual check on your boat.

Is your rudder caught on the cill? Close the bottom gate paddles to stop the water falling further. Slowly open the top gate paddles to refill the lock. Check for damage
Is the front of your boat caught on the top gate? Close the top gate paddles to stop the lock filling. Open the bottom gate paddles to allow the water level to fall
Is the side of your boat caught against the lock wall? Refill the lock and check for damage
Are your ropes snarled or too tight to let your boat move down freely? Slacken them off if you can. If not, refill the lock
If you're sharing the lock with another boat, is there a safe distance between you? Use ropes looped round the bollards to keep you in position

You must stay away from the cill otherwise the back of your boat could get caught upon it

If someone falls into the lock, act quickly: Close all paddles, Throw a lifeline or lifebuoy, Stop the engine and keep the boat still, If there's no ladder - or the person can't climb - you may need to fill the lock SLOWLY to bring them up to your level.

Safety tips:

• Don't rush at locks - take your time and keep an eye out for problems
• Always have a competent person on board while the boat's in a lock
  
• Keep your boat well away from the gates and cills as you could end up flooding the boat and breaking it's 'back' if you get caught on the gates/cill.
  
• Boats tend to bang about when water flows in and out of a lock - stay alert
  
• Watch out for slippery surfaces when you're pushing the gates open
  
• Work out some clear signals so that the crew and skipper can communicate quickly - a sign that means "close all the paddles", for example. A good idea to consider is to buy some personal 2 way radios which are free to use without a license radios so you could have one with the crew operating the lock and one with the skipper.