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Our rivers and canals provide something for everyone:
enjoying the scenery,
having fun on the water,
learning new skills
or just relaxing into a whole new, slow pace of life.
One of the most important contributions
to your enjoyment of this wonderful waterways world
will be you and your crew's ability to handle the boat
and operate the locks safely and without stress.
This DVD aims to take the worry out of steering and handling a narrowboat
and performing some basic manoeuvres
to enable you and your crew to enjoy your time spent on the water.
Crewing a boat is a team effort with everyone mucking in and doing their bit.
However, someone has to be in charge, and that person needs to ensure
that everyone knows what they're expected to do.
You'll need to decide which of your party will be the skipper.
Before setting off,
make sure that you understand how everything on your boat works
and that you can carry out all the necessary routine checks.
Also, make sure you know the location of the fire extinguishers
and how to operate them
and that everyone knows exactly what to do if a fire should break out.
Although fires and explosions are rare,
it's important that you're aware of the risks.
LPG bottled gas, used for cookers and heaters, is heavier than air,
and if there's a leak, it will build up in the bottom of the boat
and could be ignited by a spark.
Always keep ventilators open and free from obstruction.
If you smell gas, immediately turn it off at the cylinder.
If there's an incident, switch off the gas,
steer the boat to the bank and secure it,
get all the crew ashore and call for help.
Lifejackets are recommended,
especially for under-18s and non-swimmers.
Remember the water can be very deep and, at times, extremely cold.
Setting off is simple.
Start the engine and if you've used mooring pins,
remove them by twisting and pulling straight out
so as not to damage the bank.
If you're in deep water, untie the front rope and push off.
Do the same with the back, then motor away from the bank.
Make sure you keep the deck areas tidy.
Loose items of gear can be a trip hazard.
Also, stow all ropes carefully.
If a rope trails in the water, it can easily foul the propeller.
If you're in shallow water or moored close to other boats,
it's a good idea to push the back out first
and use reverse gear to get well clear of the bank
before engaging forward gear to motor away.
When travelling, always keep within the profile of the boat;
a steel narrowboat weighs several tons
and you don't want any limbs or heads
between it and a hard place or another boat.
If you need to get from one end of the boat to the other whilst under way,
go through the boat rather than walking along the side.
When you need to stop your boat, remember it doesn't have brakes
and it's important to give yourself plenty of time.
Ease off the throttle, move into neutral
and then use short bursts in reverse gear
to slow the boat down and come to rest.
Your boat won't always stop in a straight line,
and may need a short burst of forward gear to correct its position.
Most canal boats are steered using a tiller,
which is quite simple once you've had a little practice.
Always stand in front of the tiller so it can't knock you
if the rudder hits something under the water
and swings the tiller over unexpectedly.
Likewise, keep crew members clear of the tiller.
Steering a 50- or 60-foot-long boat down a narrow canal
might seem a little daunting at first
but if you remember a few basic things, you'll soon get the hang of it.
Always think ahead and line the boat up for bridges and locks well in advance.
Don't go on the roof of the boat while under way.
Bridges and overhanging branches can easily sweep you off.
When steering, there are two main principles to bear in mind.
Firstly, the boat can only be steered when the engine is in forward gear,
which creates a flow of water across the rudder.
Remember: no gear, no steer.
Secondly, a narrowboat doesn't turn like a car,
with the back following the front.
Instead the boat will pivot around a point roughly halfway down its length.
The boat is steered by the rudder
"pushing" the back in one direction which, in turn,
causes the front to move in the opposite direction.
So it's important to allow for the swing of the back when manoeuvring the boat.
The secret is to let the front go past the point where you want to turn
before pushing the tiller over to take the boat around,
otherwise you run the risk of cutting the corner
which can sometimes take you into shallow water
and you may even run aground.
On bends, keep towards the outside where there is usually deeper water.
If you do run aground, don't panic; it's easy to sort out.
Simply get your crew onto the side of the boat
opposite to where you're aground,
then gently reverse away from the obstruction.
Trying to go forward will just make matters worse.
Selecting reverse gear will flush water under the boat, floating it off.
If you're in very shallow water, you may have to use the pole
to push the back out into deeper water before reversing.
Make sure you use the pole against a solid object or the bed of the waterway,
not against another boat or as a lever.
Give yourself enough room to straighten up and steer away from the obstruction.
If you want to turn the boat round, look for a turning place,
which is called a winding hole
and will be marked in the guidebook by a curved arrow.
Most winding holes have a rough V shape cut into the bank opposite the towpath.
To turn your boat, put the front of the boat into the V,
then use your engine in forward gear
or use a pole to push the back of the boat round slowly.
When you're far enough round,
engage reverse to pull the front of the boat off the bank
until you can steer away forward.
Watch out for shallow water at the towpath edge.
The cardinal rule with all manoeuvres on the water
is to think it through first and perform the manoeuvre slowly.
Slow right down, just short of where you want to moor,
with your boat parallel to the bank.
Have a crew member ready at the front and move forward slowly,
steering into the bank.
Before the boat touches, use reverse to stop the boat
and let your crew member step off with a mooring rope.
There's no need to jump;
it's all too easy to slip between the boat and the bank.
If there's a convenient ring or bollard, use this to help steady the boat,
but don't pull it tight or you'll prevent the back coming in.
With the tiller pointing towards the bank,
use the engine to bring the back in,
then use reverse gear to bring the boat to a halt,
allowing you or another crew member to step off the back with a rope.
Pull the boat into the bank and secure to the rings or bollards.
It's a good idea to take the mooring ropes back to the boat
rather than tying to the ring or bollard itself.
If there are no rings or bollards, you'll need to put in mooring pins,
again, where possible, taking the line back to the boat to secure.
Pins should be kept away from the water's edge,
but should never be positioned across the towpath.
Always tie up with the ropes going outwards
at roughly 45 degrees from the ends of the boat.
When tying up, you won't need to learn lots of complex rope-work;
a few basic hitches will be all you need.
The most common is the round turn and two half hitches,
used here to secure the back rope around the boat's bollards.
If securing to a T-stud, take a couple of turns around the arms,
then turn the rope under on itself to form a locking hitch.
A good way to secure a rope temporarily around a bollard is the clove hitch.
Form a loop in the rope, then take the free end around the bollard
and place the loop over it.
These three hitches should cover all the situations you're likely to meet.
Make sure you never place your fingers
between the rope and the bollards or rings.
If the boat were to move, the rope could suddenly trap your fingers.
Locks allow boats to travel uphill or downhill.
They provide a chance for the whole crew to get involved and are often a place
where you will swap stories and local knowledge with other boaters.
Locks do come in different shapes and sizes,
but the principle of using them is pretty much the same.
A lock is simply a chamber with gates to contain the water at either end.
The flow of water in and out of the lock is controlled by sluices called paddles
which are operated using a windlass.
The paddles at the top of the lock are used to let water in
and those at the bottom, to let water out,
thus raising or lowering your boat.
Stop the boat well before the lock.
Hold the boat with ropes
and put one or more crew members ashore to get the lock ready.
If there are only two of you, you may have a centre line.
This makes it easier for one person to hold the boat steady.
But the centre line should never be used for mooring up.
The golden rule at locks is to take your time and do things methodically.
Remember that some of the lock mechanisms
can be stiff and heavy to operate.
Consider getting your fittest or strongest crew members
to do the hard work.
Make sure you lift any side fenders before going into a lock.
It's important that the steerer stays at the tiller at all times,
with the engine running so the boat is always under control.
Children love to get involved and help out at locks;
it's all part of the adventure.
But locks are deep with strong water flows, so be particularly vigilant
and make sure they're always fully supervised.
For younger children in particular, the paddle gear is often at head height,
so keep them well clear.
A spinning or flying windlass can cause a lot of damage.
Never leave a windlass unattended on the paddle mechanism.
It's important that crew operating paddles
stay by their paddle mechanism until the lock is empty or full,
and they remain in contact with the skipper in case of emergency.
Keep an eye on the boat at all times and if anything goes wrong,
close all paddles quickly and sort out the problem.
Some locks have anti-vandal devices which you release with a handcuff key.
Just a word about priority.
Locks aren't operated on a first-come, first-served basis,
but on whether the lock can be used by another boat without wasting water.
For example, if you're going downhill and come to a lock that's empty,
always check to see if another boat is approaching from below the lock.
If so, the lock would be in their favour.
Wait for them to enter and use the lock.
You would have had to fill the lock anyway,
so you might as well do it with a boat in it.
Of course, if there isn't another boat coming,
you don't need to wait for one to arrive.
It's a case of using a little courtesy and common sense to save water.
If there isn't another boat coming,
make sure the gates and paddles at the far end of the lock are closed
before lifting the paddles at the end nearest the boat to fill the lock.
Make sure the windlass is a snug fit on the spindle by using the correct hole.
All paddle mechanisms will have a safety catch of some type.
These should always be engaged where possible.
When the lock is full, push the gate open, steer the boat into the lock
and make sure the top paddles are fully closed.
Always wind the paddles back down;
letting them drop can cause them to break and put the lock out of action.
Close the top gate.
Then you can open the paddles in front to let the water out.
The steerer needs to keep an eye on the back of the boat
to make sure it's always clear of the top gate cill.
If necessary, briefly engage forward gear to keep the boat away.
Make sure the front is clear of the bottom gate
and that the boat is floating freely.
As the lock empties you'll find that the bottom gates will open quite easily
once the water levels are equalised.
Trying to force them before they're ready is a total waste of effort.
Close all paddles and, unless another boat is approaching, close the gates.
Collect your crew, unless there's another lock close by,
in which case it's easier for them to stay off the boat
and walk ahead to get the next lock ready.
Going uphill is a similar procedure.
If the lock is full, make sure another boat isn't approaching,
then empty it and steer the boat in.
On most canals, you won't experience strong currents
but on some, water flows round the locks quite fast.
If you see water movement, steer into the flow,
as it will push the front of the boat away, then back as it passes.
Close the bottom gates and make sure the paddles are fully down.
To fill the lock, open the top paddles one at a time.
Do this slowly.
It's a good idea to initially lift the first paddle just halfway
to avoid a great in-surge of water
that can throw the boat backwards and forwards,
making it difficult to control.
If the lock is fitted with paddles in the top gate,
don't open them until they're under water.
Opening them too early can cause water to swamp the front of the boat.
Again, open them slowly and keep a watchful eye on the boat at all times.
When the lock is full, the gate will open easily.
Check that the paddles are all down and close the gates after the boat,
unless another boat is waiting to use the lock.
Sometimes you'll come across two or more locks joined together
in what is known as a staircase,
where the top gate of one lock is the bottom gate of the next.
Setting these locks is slightly different from a normal lock.
Make sure that all paddles are down.
If you're going uphill, the bottom lock should be empty
with the upper ones all full.
You use the water from the upper locks to fill the lower ones in turn,
raising you up the flight.
When going downhill, the top lock should be full with the lower ones empty.
You empty the upper lock into the lower ones in turn.
With staircase locks, it's important to check
that another boat hasn't started in the opposite direction
before you enter the first lock.
The general rule is one boat up, one boat down,
unless local notices tell you otherwise.
Broad locks, that is ones which are wider than your boat,
need a little extra care.
Try to share with another boat whenever possible to save water.
And always use the front and back ropes to steady the boat in the lock.
When you're using the lock alone and going uphill,
always slowly open the top ground paddle;
that's the one on the lock side rather than the one in the gate;
on the same side as the boat first.
This way, the flow of water into the lock
will help to keep the boat against the lock wall, making it easier to control.
When the lock is part full,
you can open the paddles on the opposite side as well.
Don't use gate paddles until they're under water.
You'll find many types of bridges crossing the waterways.
Most are fixed, which you will pass under,
and others need to be moved out of the way.
These are either swing bridges or lifting bridges
and will need to be operated by your crew.
Remember to check you have sufficient headroom to pass through.
Stop the boat well before the bridge.
Leaving yourself plenty of room will make it easier
to line the boat up correctly when you go through the bridge.
Moveable bridges are usually locked.
Make sure when you land your crew that you have the proper key or windlass
to unlock and operate the bridge.
If the bridge carries traffic, make sure the road is clear
and close any warning barriers.
Unlock the chain or catch
and, for a swing bridge, give it a good, controlled push.
Be ready to slow the swing
to prevent the bridge from bouncing off the buffer stop.
Once the boat is through, close the bridge, secure the lock
and raise any warning barriers.
Lifting bridges will have a winder which you operate with a windlass,
or sometimes a chain or rope to pull to operate the bridge.
When fully open, unless there's an obvious latch,
get an adult to hold on to keep the bridge raised.
Once you're sure that the boat is clear, gently lower the bridge,
always keeping it under control.
Some bridges are powered and need a facilities key to operate.
Make sure you always follow the instructions
and pay particular care to traffic barriers,
unlocking and re-locking them when leaving.
And don't forget to retrieve your key.
Some cruising routes include tunnels.
These are quite easy and often fun to navigate, but they do require care.
Tunnels may be narrow, only allowing one-way traffic,
or wide enough for boats to pass each other.
Look for information and instruction boards
or traffic lights at the entrance.
If you have to wait for another boat coming through,
stay well clear of the tunnel entrance to give them room to pass.
Make sure everyone is inside the boat,
with nobody's arms or legs hanging over the side.
Prepare the boat by switching on the headlights and some interior lights.
These will help to illuminate the tunnel walls.
Turn off any gas appliances.
Many tunnels are damp, so put some waterproofs on and have a torch to hand.
As you enter the tunnel, sound one long blast on your horn.
Steer by looking at one side of the tunnel only
and keep to a moderate speed.
Some tunnels allow canoes to use them.
They won't have navigation lights,
so have someone as a lookout in the front of the boat
to warn the skipper if you see one.
Always keep a reasonable distance between you and any boat in front.
If it's two-way traffic, watch out for oncoming boats
and pass slowly on the right.
If your route includes a stretch of river,
there are some additional factors to bear in mind.
You must follow any specific instructions which are signposted.
Unlike canals, the water in a river is always moving.
In dry weather, this current is quite gentle,
but in prolonged wet weather, the river has to carry more water,
and its speed will increase and the water level will rise.
It's easy to tell if the flow is normal.
At every river lock, there are marker boards.
At normal river level, a green band shows.
If the level rises, it goes into yellow, which means take extra care.
If the level is in the red, navigation on the river is prohibited
and you should stop and moor safely until conditions improve.
So all you have to do is check at each lock.
On some rivers there are flood locks;
locks which are open at normal flows, and closed in strong stream conditions.
They're only operated by Canal & River Trust staff.
If you come across a closed flood lock,
you'll need to wait for Canal & River Trust staff to open it
when the flood recedes.
If you need to moor up on a river,
always approach the bank with the boat pointing upstream.
If travelling downstream, go beyond your chosen stopping place,
turn around and approach the bank against the current.
This uses the current to slow the boat down and helps to maintain steering.
When tying up, always secure the upstream rope first.
And when setting off, untie the downstream rope first.
Always leave some slack in your ropes to allow for water level changes.
Don't moor overnight except at designated mooring sites,
and always use fixed bollards or rings.
When approaching bridges, look for signs showing which arch to go through.
Weirs, generally near locks, may have a sideways current flowing towards them.
Be ready for this. Watch for signs and steer to counteract the current.
All boats on rivers must carry an anchor of adequate size and weight
with a suitable length of rope, secured to a strong point on the boat.
The anchor should be stowed in such a way
that it can be deployed quickly and easily in an emergency.
Hire boats which go on rivers will have a suitable anchor.
The rule of the road on the canals is to steer down the centre of the waterway,
but to move to your right when you meet an oncoming boat.
Pass each other slowly.
Going faster makes it more likely that you'll go aground.
If you're approaching a bridge or narrow section, slow down,
and if an oncoming boat is closer to the bridge or narrow section,
wave them through and keep to the right until they're well clear.
However, on rivers, the boat travelling downstream has right of way.
The speed limit on narrow canals is 4mph,
which is equivalent to a brisk walking pace. But this is a maximum speed.
On many canals, particularly if the water is shallow,
you'll need to go much slower.
Going too fast pulls the back of the boat deeper into the shallow water,
making steering more difficult.
The important thing is not to create a breaking wash which damages the bank.
If another boat is slower than you,
it's usual to keep your distance and stay behind.
If the other boat wants you to overtake, the skipper will wave you on
and pull over to one side and leave you room to pass slowly.
A final word here about horn signals.
Give a single long blast when the view ahead is obscured,
such as blind bends, junctions or bridges.
On commercial waterways, two long blasts from an approaching boat
means it wishes you to pass on the wrong side,
that is, to the left of them.
No one should ever end up in the water, but it could happen,
and if it does, it's best to know what to do.
If you're on a canal or a slow-flowing, shallow river
and someone falls overboard, you should immediately go into neutral.
If it's safe to do so, turn off the engine
to prevent the person in the water being dragged into the propeller.
Throw them a lifebelt, and then ask them if they can stand up.
It's more than likely that they'll be able to wade to the side of most canals.
Guide the boat slowly to the bank
and get one of your crew to help the person ashore.
If you're on a wider river or deeper waterway,
throw a lifebuoy or lifeline close to them.
Manoeuvre the boat to approach them very carefully from the front
in order to keep them well away from the propeller.
If there's any danger of them getting too close to the propeller,
immediately select neutral gear.
Pull them towards the front and side of the boat and help them aboard.
But the best advice is to take great care not to fall in in the first place.
The canals are there for all to enjoy,
whether boating, walking, fishing or cycling,
and you need to show consideration for other users.
Your speed is probably the main thing to bear in mind.
When passing moored boats, slow right down to tick-over speed
to avoid your wash pulling craft away from their moorings
and possibly pulling out mooring pins.
Slow your boat down well in advance to allow it to lose momentum
before you reach the moored boats.
The same applies to fishermen.
Always slow down to tick-over
and keep to the centre of the canal unless asked to do otherwise.
When mooring, always try to leave room for other boats
and never moor on the approach to a lock or bridge,
opposite a winding hole or at a water point.
Some of our bigger waterways carry freight in big barges.
They have priority over pleasure boats.
Keep well clear and watch for signals from the skipper,
who may need you to move to give him the deeper water.
Barges make a big wash, so when you moor on commercial waterways,
use fixed bollards or rings.
Barges also have restricted sight lines.
If you can't see the skipper, he can't see you.
OK, that's it.
It may seem a lot to remember, but if you take your time,
tackle everything slowly and think things through first,
you'll soon get used to handling your boat confidently.
And your time on the waterways will be enjoyable and safe,
for you, for your crew and for other waterway users.
Happy cruising!