If it is empty and there is no boat attempting to come up you will need to signal to the boat that this is the case and then fill it. Once the lock is full and the water level is the same as the canal ahead open the top gates and move the boat out of the lock.
You fill it up and then sail out the other end.
How to operate a canal lock. Tie up on the bollards below the lock 2. A lock is therefore needed to follow the level of the ground. Open the sluice gate to allow the water from the top pound to flow into the lock chamber.
A lock is basically a chamber that holds water and accommodates the boats to either lower on raise them to a lower or higher level. If this needs adjusting put the safety catch pawl in place and then start again. The boat will rise slowly as the lock fills.
Close the sluice gate and the lock gate behind you. The lock crew needs to set the lock. Open the gate and enter the lock.
A lock is a bit like a big bathtub that you sail in to when it is nearly empty. By siting two staunch gates so close by one another qiao had created a short stretch of canal effectively a pound lock filled from the canal above by raising individual wooden baulks in the top gate and emptied into the canal below by lowering baulks in the top gate and raising ones in the lower. As we said the water flow in locks is controlled by the paddles so to learn how to operate a canal lock let s start with a few safety tips.
Locks are quite simple things with boats going into the lock then the crew shutting the gate s behind the boat. Close the gates and make sure that you lower the bottom paddles fully. The lock keeper will indicate to the bargee that the lock is ready.
The barge will enter the lock slowly the deckhand will stop the barge advancing with a rope and bollards generally on a bow bollard. Keep a firm grip of the windlass when winding. The lock must be full of water with the upstream doors open as indicated in paragraph 10 for barges going upstream.
How to operate a canal lock. If the water in the lock is not exactly level with the stretch of canal that the boat is in you will need to equalise the water levels. How to operate a lock.
If you want to go downhill and it is full you can just open the gates and drive straight in. This lifts the boat up to a higher canal level. Empty the water from the lock by ensuring the paddles are down on the top gates then opening the bottom gate paddles.
If the lock is set for an approaching boat allow them to use the lock first. Locks allow canals to go up and over hills and sometimes come in flights of twenty or more. To go downhill reverse the procedure.
Drop your lock man on the towpath and send him ahead to identify whether the lock is empty or full. Normal procedure to go up in a lock which was set against you would be 1.
