The Key To Cruising Through Locks

By Dusty Miller - March 2003

The cold January weather is somewhat tempered by the several boat shows held throughout Canada. You can stand at the helm of your dream vessel, ignore the crowds and imagine open water and distant horizons. Unfortunately, too many do little more than fantasize when summer comes around.

Boaters may venture as far as the gas dock, go for a pumpout or cruise down to the end of the lake and back. But the fear of sudden winds and errant currents may keep them securely moored to the dock for the rest of the season.

If you count yourself among these type of "cottage boaters," then you're missing more than half the fun. For me, the most interesting and enjoyable part of boating is travelling through the waterway systems through North America. Sure, you need some skills to negotiate the locks and channels, but the skill is not hard to learn and you can't learn it until you turn the key and cast off.

Handling the wind in channels or locks is the same as handling the wind around the dock. In fact, it's usually easier, since you're not "threading the needle" as you back into the slip. At the lock, you're just putting the boat on the wall. So, next time you go to the pumpout, don't just land once, back out and try it again and again, until you get comfortable. And if the wind does come up from a different direction, head out and do it some more.

One thing you will have to do in a channel is look astern, especially if there's a crosswind. Look back every few minutes at the last channel marker and make sure you're still in the channel. You may aim your vessel at the next marker and if the crosswind blows the bow off that heading, simply adjust your course. But sometimes that's not enough. What happens far too often is the wind blows the boat out of the channel and into trouble - even with the bow pointing at the next marker. So keep looking back. In a strong crosswind, you may have to turn the bow into the wind so it looks like you're heading for the other side of the channel. In fact, your direction of travel is not following the bow, you're actually crabbing down the channel.

The other challenge to the locks is the current. Often, it is quite strong around the mouth of locks - especially early in the season or after a heavy rainstorm. The reason is perfectly logical. Where there's a lock, you'll usually find an impasse of some sort - a set of rapids, dam or waterfall.

You can see the current in the eddies and the moving bubbles on the top of the water. Most times, the current doesn't flow in one steady direction. It's turbulent, changes direction and speed unpredictably because it is bending around boulders or bouncing off the wall or pier. For this reason, I will admit it can be more of a challenge than the wind.

By looking at the flow, you'll generally know which direction it will push the boat. If the dam is on your starboard side, the current will tend to push your vessel to port. So observation will tell you, again in a general way, which direction you have to steer to compensate. As you head through the current, you have to make minor adjustments from one moment to the next. Watch the bow and feel the way the current is pushing the boat. You have to anticipate what it's going to do and compensate for any changes in direction almost before they happen. Respond quickly, so the adjustments are small. This is what keeps you in control.

The other area where you'll experience a current is when you approach the opening of the lock. As the gates open, they cause eddies and there may be a flow in or out of the lock because of slight differences of water levels. This is where you'll also have to be prepared to correct your vessel's position immediately.

One of the mistakes boaters often make is they begin to steer toward the wall before they are in the lock. Don't do this. Take it slow, step by step. Go through the gates and into the lock in a straight line. Once you're in the lock, stop the forward motion, direct your bow toward the lock wall and then proceed as if you were landing on a pier. Have a crew member take the bowline through the cable and back to the boat.

When the bow is secured, move the outside gearshift in reverse and direct the stern to the wall, backing up to the next cable for the crewmember to secure the stern. The moment when you land do not secure the line to the cleat or bollard at the top of the lock. It will be ripped off your boat. Pull the end of the line or a loop around the cable and hold it while the vessel lowers or rises.

Here are a few other quick tips. Before you head into the lock make sure your fenders are raised to protect the sheer line and rub rail. Have your lines secured to the cleat, untangled and ready to throw. Always follow the direction of the lockmaster. He will tell you when to proceed and where to put your boat and his lock crew will be ready to take a line and pull you into place if you need help.

While you're dreaming about warm weather this winter, think about taking a trip this summer. Get the most you can out of your boat, then you'll have a real adventure to share when the season ends.

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The above article was originally published in Power Boating Canada Magazine.