Singlehanded locking

[tparrent]

I would like to take my TomCat down the Champlain Canal this summer and possibly up part of the Erie but I will be singlehanding.

Any suggestions on how to safely lock through with little drama?

Gian ball fenders are certainly on my list and it might help quite a bit to get that dang helm window to open.

My initial thought is run a long line from a bow cleat back to the cockpit. I sidle up to lock wall, skip back to the cockpit and run that line behind the hanging lock line. I can then somewhat control the position of the boat just by pulling in the line (probably looped around the aft cleat first).

The issue will be getting close enough to the right spot on the wall so that I can leave the helm and quickly grab a line.

[gulfcoast john]

You can do it!

This lady did the whole loop solo in a Ranger 25. She had some solo locking adventures; I thought it was a good read (and you can likely afford it at $7.99).

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M63E3F3/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

Lots of loopers on jet skis have locked solo on just one cable (or pipe, or worst of all, dangling ropes with a weight on the bottom that are NOT secured to the bottom of the lock). When cables were 12 ft or so apart, we liked a line around the first and third, which gives the best control, esp if you’ve installed a cockpit midship cleat to hold a line while going to and from the helm. This is an exception to the general rule that you don’t want a bow line long enough to foul your props. Keep a potline cutter and a HH VHF in the cockpit full time. The plastic coated cables and pipes stay outside your boat, but the dangling lines are slimy and muddy and again I would like a midship cleat to loop it around if it’s just me holding in a 10,000 lb boat in windy/tough conditions. Have fenders on both sides as the lockmaster may direct you to either side. Unwritten protocol is the first boat chooses which side she wants and those behind alternate populating each wall. A few locks allow a boat on only one side due to way it’s filled.



Position the boat so your fenders won’t get caught in a recessed ladder like this or a missing wall chunk.



The NYcanals site has info on each lock, cable/pipe/rope, etc:
https://www.canals.ny.gov/wwwapps/boating/locks.aspx

You don’t want ‘giant’ fenders that are so big they keep you so far from the lock wall that you have to lean way over to grab a cable/pipe/line. Keep a high quality boat hook in the cockpit with your HH VHF (on 13), gloves and potline cutter.

You’ll prefer a starboard wall with a starboard helm where you look right down on your rubrail and upcoming cables. Approach with a lot of neutral gear with only the port engine occasionally in gear (the stbd prop is too close to the wall, esp in reverse when backing towards the wall).

Our worst locking experience of 166 locks to date was the Joe Wheeler lock on the Cumberland/Tennessee adventure. The inflow backwash was so great that I couldn’t hold the bow line to the wall and Eileen couldn’t keep the aft boat off the wall with her boathook, so the engine cowling scraped up against the rough concrete for 40 feet. A Yamaha F150 cowling is 2 Boat Units, so it was not a good boating day. Credit to Dr Bob (as so often) for the midship cleat suggestion to help hold 10,000 lbs of boat in place by a couple of under 145lb 65 year old weaklings. Sorry to be so insistent on the need for a midship cleat (esp Shafer SS 8”, only 2 bolts each , a 20 minute, one beer job for both sides).

I’m not convinced a bow line around a single midship or so cable then cleated to the aft cleat would secure a TC255 sufficiently and safely 95% of the time (esp with a single slimy weighted rope held only by you on a 10,000 lb boat against the wind on a windy day without a cleat). Your boat could end up in the middle of the lock with you holding the lock line bottom weight in your hands until it pulls you overboard or the boat slams into a boat on the other side of the lock. At least you had fenders on both sides!

So, I have a midship cleat fetish after our experience. That doesn’t mean you have to have one too.

Yep, you can do it! Don’t get upset when you get some cosmetic scrapes and dings, we get a lot and if we weren’t a team I alone would get a lot a lot more as there are blind spots etc to deal with.

The vast majority of the time it's as flat calm placid fun as these pics where a blind man could do it by ear!


Hope this helps; PM or call with any issues!



John

[Robert H. Wilkinson]

[kcohen4]

I did the Champlain Locks many years ago in a Grand Banks 36.
I hung 2 normal sized fenders from the rail about 3ft apart and then used a 2 x 6 with a hole in either end, that was about 4 ft long as a fender board. Just laid it on the outside of the fenders and tied it off to the rail. I had 1 forward and one aft. Had them set up on both sides while going through the Canal.
I was not alone. I think doing alone, you need all the protection you can get and have it setup way before you enter.
Locks can be tricky.

[tparrent]

I like the sawzall idea. Certainly one way to fix that stuck window for good!

Couple questions on the midship cleat:

Where did you place it? On the toerail? I'm skittish enough sliding along the side that I wouldn't want it to trip me up. On the other hand, I much prefer having a midship cleat when docking singlehanded.

Do you attach a line to the cleat and then run the line behind the pipe/cable and cleat it again on the same cleat?

Boat hooks. Don't get me started. Does anyone make an twist and lock extendable boat hook that will actually stay locked? I've owned countless hooks through the years and no matter how much I tighten them down, they always extend when I pull on something or contract when I push on something. Could be my Herculean strength but probably not. Maybe I need to get either a fixed length hook or one that has those spring loaded balls to hold them in position instead of twist and "lock"

[gulfcoast john]

Tom,

Remove the gunnel insert (8 screws) to get access to the inside gunnel wall. (peek around at all the helm and binnacle wiring that goes through there just under the catwalk...never drill into that).

Position the Schafer cleats so that they won’t interfere with the fishbox lids staying open when open as shown.

This position does not catch our clothing when coming aboard or disembarking. (However, in summer we are not wearing all that much clothing for these cleats to catch on).



Ditto Rob,
Once you have the bow line cleated on your new midship cleat, you can safely put the port engine in reverse, turned toward the wall, go to the cockpit and capture the nearest aft cable with your ‘high quality’ boathook, and loop it over your new midship cleat, return to the helm and kill your engines.

When I referred to buying a ‘high quality boat hook’, I was secretly hoping that someone would lead me to one. I now see that you are not that particular apostle. Damn.

But we are still convinced that you are a nice guy!

Best,

John

[thataway]

I can only comment on the fender board and large round fender ideas--both of which we have used with both small and large boats in a variety of locks. Even on our C Dory 25 our fender board is 6' long--we had "bumpers" on both ends, so that it if touches the boat it will not damage the hull. kcohen4 has mentioned the use of these. We use smaller fenders under the board--and a large ball type (18") off the bow, and a good sized fender all of the way aft.

I don't know about the specific locks, but on occasion boats are allowed to float center lock. We have done this--and it is certainly easier--but takes occasional maneuvering.

Have fun.

[hardee]

John said,

[tparrent]

I reread the section on locking in the above mentioned book. Ranger Tug with bow and stern thrusters as well as an operating helm window.

Chaos still reigned for the singlehander.

I won't be locking through until early August so you have plenty of time to get a comfy chair and cold beverage so you can sit back and enjoy the stories.

[colbysmith]

I have yet to be on the Erie Canal. However, I've locked through single handling on our small local river lock, and on major locks on the Mississippi, Snake, Columbia, Cumberland, Tennessee and Chicago Rivers. Two fenders on the lock wall side is all I've ever used. (Ok, maybe 3 if I felt like putting an extra one out...) With C-Traveler and her cockpit helm, it's been a much easier process, than on Midnight Flyer, jumping out quickly from the cabin to grab the ropes or bollards. The trick is to properly position your boat on the lock wall in the first place, before grabbing the ropes or bollards. Practice precise docking at your favorite dock before heading out for any lockage. In any case, with the bigger locks with bollards, I simply place my lines from my forward and aft gunnel cleats, around the bollard than hold on to them while the lock floods or drains. I try to leave just enough looseness in the lines from really slimeing my fenders, but not so loose that I allow the bow or stern to float away from the lock wall. With smaller locks and ropes to hold on to, I just grab a bow and stern rope and hang on to them, again controlling how far away the boat gets from the lock wall. I've also floated in the middle of locks, but that's a rarity. I really think it comes down to, if you can single hand docking, you can single hand lockage. Also, if you are concerned about any lock turbulence, ask the lock master where the least amount of turbulence is in the lock and if you can position your boat there. Colby

[ssobol]

Our experience with the Erie Canal last summer leads to the following observations"

1: Some locks have cables or pipes that are secured at the top and bottom. These are the easiest to use because they are secured. They usually sit in recesses in the lock wall so grabbing one may require a reach.
2: Locks may also have ropes that are attached at the top of the lock hang down the sides. These are weighted at the bottom but not attached to the wall. You have to pull on these lines to stay close to the wall.
3: Some locks have a combination of means to stay on the wall, some may only have one type. The hanging rope is the most common type. There is a map available that tells the docking type available in each lock.
4: In the case of the CD22, the spacing of the securing means to the lock may mean you only have one attachment available for your boat.
5: The lock walls can be rough and the ropes, cables, and pipes are dirty and slimy. In some cases the ropes collect a lot of weeds at the weight end.


If I were single handing a CD22 through the Erie Canal locks, I'd tell the lock master that I'd need to secure at the starboard wall. I'd make sure that there are plenty of fenders on the starboard side and reach out the helm window to grab one of the lines/cables/pipes. I would use the engine to keep the stern of the boat under control at the lock wall. IME on the Erie Canal, there is not much turbulence and pushing around of boats when the lock fills.

When we went though the canal last Sept. there were never many boats in the chamber with us. I think the most was 3 other boats and that only occurred once or twice. Most often we were the only boat locking through, but that was Pandemic times so it may be different this year.

[tparrent]

Colbysmith, you raised an interesting idea I have thought about for general singlehanding - engine controls in the cockpit.

I'm always envious of boats that have cockpit controls because they would make docking/locking SO much easier. When I sailed, not matter the size of the boat (up to 65 feet), I always felt under control because I was so close to lines while at the helm (having a big ol' rudder for drift maneuvering helped as well)

How difficult would it be to add cockpit controls or perhaps have a remote control for both engines?

[gulfcoast john]

Tom,

To clarify, if I were single handling, I’d like a bowline behind a forward cable that runs back to the cockpit midship cleat and a stern line on the aft cleat that runs behind an aft cable then forward to the cockpit midship cleat. This gives you more ability to tighten or loosen your bow and aft cable lines independently (as opposed to a single bow line that you run behind a cockpit area single cable that you then secure to the aft cleat).

With the bow line secured behind a forward cable and cleated at the midship cleat, I would use Rob & Harvey’s outside-engine in gear technique to move back to capture an aft cable for the stern line. During this maneuver, you have the engine running and in gear with no one at the helm. If you were to fall overboard onto the rotating prop, the Accident Investigation Board would likely not be sympathetic re your decisions (but Rob and Harvey and I would be, if that makes you any feel better).

On calm days with a lift or drop of less than 6 feet, a TC255 on a single cable would likely be fine (though we’ve never tried it). Maybe we’ll try it this trip if the lockmaster concurs. It certainly would be a lot easier!

Colby is right...if you can dock without crew, you can lock without crew. Practice makes perfect around the docks. I’d much rather have widely spaced outboards than a single with aft helm or thrusters.

Retrofitting an aft helm would be cost prohibitive and take up cockpit space, which we value more.

TC255 TIPS:

1 Twin 150’s in neutral put out enough thrust via the thru-prop exhaust to move the boat forward slowly.

2 To make the tightest turn, start in neutral and rotate the wheel over to the max BEFORE putting engines in gear.

3 For engines-only steering with wheel centered, put the outside engine in F and the inside engine in R. (to turn to port, the stdbd engine is ‘outside’ your intended curve and the port engine is ‘inside’ your intended curve).

4 For an even tighter left turn, do #2 first, then #3

5 For an EVEN TIGHTER left turn, advance the outside engine throttle (say 1000-1200RPM)

6 For a max effort left turn, after #5 also advance the reverse throttle on the inside/port engine and you’ll be close to doing a 360.

7 For more effect in Reverse gear, first raise the trim a bit from full down so the props pull water under the hull rather than onto the aft sponsons.

Have fun! You’ll soon have that great boat doing EXACTLY what you want!

John

[tparrent]

Thanks for the detailed explanation. I think it's all doable although getting a line behind the first cable will be the trick. I do think lots of docking practice will help with that.

I've done a lot of engine steering practice in open water but haven't had clear docks to do that yet. Don't want to be practicing too much with a boat in the slip next to me.

I saw a wired Suzuki controller costs around $850 plus installation. That might be worth it for me. I've got plenty of cockpit space and I don't fish so that's not a deal killer. Wireless remote systems cost upwards of $5,000 so that's not going to happen!

Interesting point on the exhaust effect at neutral. I'll have to check that out.

I believe the first lock I come to uses the loose ropes hanging in the water. That's just going to add to the excitement. Maybe giant electromagnets on the side of the boat...

[thataway]

Thinking out of the box on remote controls for engines: Most cockpit controls are at the forward end of the cockpit with cable linked remotes and in the way steering wheel. The other alternative is to have the shifters and throttles all of the way aft in the cockpit, in a box on the side. In this way the cable runs are short and easy to run (less $$$).

Use the auto pilot to use as power steering instead of the helm. I used the auto helm electro/hydraulic pump set to remotely steer all of my larger sailboats: 45, 46 and 62' long. Just a small box, with port (red) and Starboard (Green) buttons. They would accentuate the already present relays. A crossover switch between the Auto pilot function and the power steer function.