The C-Brats Forum Index
HomeForumsMy TopicsCalendarEvent SignupsMemberlistOur C-DorysThe Brat MapPhotos

Has anyone single-handed through the Columbia River Locks?

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    The C-Brats Forum Index -> Seamanship
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
equip



Joined: 22 Nov 2011
Posts: 29
City/Region: Concord
State or Province: CA
C-Dory Year: 2009
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Melita 3
Photos: Melita 3
PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 2:23 am    Post subject: Has anyone single-handed through the Columbia River Locks? Reply with quote

I'm planning a trip this summer from Lewiston Idaho down the Snake river to the Columbia river then to the ocean at Astoria Oregon. My C dory has aft steering and controls because it was used for crabbing. I could be in the aft area as I approached the lock cleat with forward and aft docking lines in hand. Seems simple enough but if someone has Snake River or Columbia River locking experience they would like to share I would appreciate hearing it. George
_________________
New 22' Cruiser owner
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Golerud



Joined: 22 Sep 2007
Posts: 83
City/Region: Bella Vista
State or Province: AR
C-Dory Year: 2006
C-Dory Model: 23 Venture
Vessel Name: SLOGO
Photos: SLOGO
PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 8:07 am    Post subject: Locks Reply with quote

Years ago we lived in Kennewick, WA. I took our 18' Thunderbird Tri hull up the Snake to Lewiston and back by myself without any problems. Make sure you have plenty of fenders on both sides of your boat. The lock walls can be pretty rough and dirty. The lockmaster will direct you to which side of the lock you will you will be on and where to tie up. Make sure you get attached to a floating bollard, not one of the fixed ones. The currents in the lock can get pretty vigorous depending on fast they fill or empty the chamber so have your boat hook out as you may have to push yourself away from the lock wall.

I'm sure you will find the lock employees quite helpful. You will feel really small when you are at the bottom of the lock and look up a 100 or more feet.

Have fun

Gary
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
equip



Joined: 22 Nov 2011
Posts: 29
City/Region: Concord
State or Province: CA
C-Dory Year: 2009
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Melita 3
Photos: Melita 3
PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 6:05 pm    Post subject: Reply to Gary: Reply with quote

Gary thank you for your reply. How will I know which cleats are the floating ones? I was thinking of using three large orange balls on each side of the boat for fenders. I am going to install a roof storage basket secured to the roof hand rails and store the orange balls there when not in use. What do you think of my idea to use the orange balls for fenders? George
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Two Bears



Joined: 07 Nov 2009
Posts: 296
City/Region: Orofino
State or Province: ID
C-Dory Year: 2006
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Two Bears
Photos: Two Bears
PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 6:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The lock walls are just that, a big wall with out any bumps or protrusions that would catch the edge of a barge being pushed by a tug two barges back. In the wall are slots and in the slots are the floating bollards. The slots are probably 50 feet apart.

I have not been though the locks on the Snake/ Columbia, but I've watched a lot of boats go through, and I've been through a bunch of other locks. The Snake locks were built in the 1960s and represent the end of design in lock construction - ie from the older locks like the Rideau in Canada built in the 1820s to the Eire Canal built around 1900 to the TVA built locks in the 1930s. I think that system you will go through the highest lift lock in the country. The newer locks are easier, even if taller. I find the easy way is to have a 10 foot dock line fastened to the cleat just forward the rear of the cabin. You pass the line over the floating bollard, and hold the free end which holds the boat against the wall. Have good gloves, leave the motor at idle, and be ready to release the line if the bollard hangs up. We put a big bumper on the cleat under the helm, and one a few feet forward of the rear of the boat. The C-dory's rear cleat is too far back and the bumper skids out behind the boat. I put a chrome door handle about a foot forward of my gas filler on the inside of my gunnel and clip my rear bumper on that. Two big bumpers work nicely to hold you away from the rough wall. If you get a lot of wind or current the bow tends to pull out. If that happens, my wife holds the line and I work a boat hook to push off the stern and keep us balanced. I've seen people go forward with a line, but the C-dory is too short to reach two bollards and having someone hold it amidships is too risky in my opinion.

The Corps has set passage times for recreational boats through the locks at 9 am, noon, 3 pm and 6 (I think.) I'll be in Lewiston, ID next week and will check in the Corps office and see if they have any other controls. When I was in the sailboat group 10 years ago members were going through the locks frequently. The local name is the "Snake Lake" because it is a long winding lake with wind up or down the lake which makes for a lot of tacking practice

Chuck

_________________
Chuck & Penny Raddon
Orofino, Idaho
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail AIM Address
Barry Rietz



Joined: 21 Jun 2006
Posts: 409
City/Region: Sierra Vista
State or Province: AZ
PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 7:04 pm    Post subject: River Locks Reply with quote

George, I use the "orange ball" type fenders exclusively when locking upstream or down. They seem to position themselves better between boat and lock chamber than do the cylindrical type. But as "Gary" has said, be ready with boat-hook(s) to push off the lock wall. The "cleat that floats" is usually attached to a "square block" that rides in a vertical groove in lock wall. Once in the lock it will be quite obvious which one to use!
_________________
Barry Rietz
N9DXC
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Chuckpacific



Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 395
City/Region: SW PDX
State or Province: OR
Vessel Name: Big Sky
Photos: Big Sky
PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 8:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Single-handed through the Columbia River locks....no problem. Use large fenders and have a knife on hand in case the bollard sticks (rare) and you have to cut the line.
_________________
There’s only one success – to be able to spend your life in your own way.
2003 CD-22 2002 - 2012
2000 Camano 31 2012
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Yahoo Messenger
Sunbeam



Joined: 23 Feb 2012
Posts: 3990
City/Region: Out 'n' About
State or Province: Other
C-Dory Year: 2002
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Photos: Sunbeam
PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 11:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Two Bears wrote:
The C-dory's rear cleat is too far back and the bumper skids out behind the boat. I put a chrome door handle about a foot forward of my gas filler on the inside of my gunnel and clip my rear bumper on that.


I had a feeling that a fender secured to the after cleat might do that, so I also went with a way to hang the fender further forward. I got the idea from Will-C's album. Basically, the fender hangs from a dowel (ash tool handle or PVC) that is plugged into the rod holder (my boat happened to already have these mounted forward of the fuel fills). Side bonus is the height keeps the line from touching the gelcoat. I wrote a little more about it in the "Best idea under $20" thread that is currently being posted to.



PS: Chuck, I don't know if you saw my mention of this in another thread, but thank you so much for the "motorwell bridge" idea. I copied yours (but put mine on port side where my swim step is) and used it for a month on Powell. Indispensable! (I use it when on the water only.)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
equip



Joined: 22 Nov 2011
Posts: 29
City/Region: Concord
State or Province: CA
C-Dory Year: 2009
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Melita 3
Photos: Melita 3
PostPosted: Fri Nov 29, 2013 11:38 pm    Post subject: Single-Handed Locking: Reply with quote

Very good information. I suspected that the mid ship tie was all that was needed not bow and stern lines. Do you think there is a benefit to having three well space balls instead of two? The bow ball could be bigger. George
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
hardee



Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 12632
City/Region: Sequim
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Sleepy-C
Photos: SleepyC
PostPosted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 11:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

A larger forward fender couldn't hurt.

A couple of things to be aware of on the Snake and Columbia. You will be sharing the waterway with some pretty big traffic and there are places where linear visibility is limited. The tugs are often pushing three or four tows out front so maneuverability is limited, (constrained is the official word). Not all of them have AIS so even with radar you may not see them until they come around the corner. They are pretty good at keeping track of each other on VHF and they will usually talk to you when they are contacted. On 16 maybe but I usually got them on 13. At the locks, they enter first, and usually you will exit first, depending on the lock master. I don't think I have ever seen a tug and tow exit before a small craft. And you may have to wait out a turn and only go on the recreational schedule. That is up to the lock master.

Harvey
SleepyCMoon


_________________
Though in our sleep we are not conscious of our activity or surroundings, we should not, in our wakefulness, be unconscious of our sleep.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    The C-Brats Forum Index -> Seamanship All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Page 1 of 1

 
     Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You cannot download files in this forum



Page generation time: 0.1039s (PHP: 72% - SQL: 28%) - SQL queries: 27 - GZIP disabled - Debug on