Some useful advise for working Double Locks with one boat

Quite often when we are out cruising and working double locks many crews we meet at the locks tell us they hate them because they throw their boat around inside the lock.

We have developed our own system that works well for us but our good freinds Del and Al on Derwent6 recently published their method for handling a double lock that works really well.  I'm sure they won't mind me sharing their method and the link to their blog page that describes this method and I hope this will help others too:-

derwent6 - how-we-open-ground-and-gate-paddles on a double lock

First open the ground paddle HALF WAY on the side that the boat is closest too.

Then open the gate paddle halfway on the opposite side to the boat and let the boat settle.

Then its back across the lock and wind the ground paddle up fully on the boat side.

Then across the lock again and open up fully the ground paddle which is opposite the boat side.

Then while your on that side open fully the gate paddle.

Now when the lock is over half full or covering the flow from the open gate paddle, then open the other gate paddle..

The boat should stay on the side that you opened the first ground paddle all the way till you open the gate to leave the lock..

If the boat leaves the lock slowly and you close the gate slowly the other gate should remain closed.

In the case of locks that only consist of ground paddles or just gate paddles (like those on the Shroppie near Chester) we open both half way until the cill is covered then open them fully.