Beginners Guide To Staircase Locks

Details

Hits: 499

When planning a cruise for the future, you may find that you are going to be on a canal that has one or more staircase locks. If this is the case, then it is as well to familiarise yourself with how they work well before you set off.

If at all possible take a trip to the site of one of the staircase locks, so that you can see them being operated and watch other boats going through them. You will find the sites of the various staircase locks are usually signposted and have car parks and  other facilities and are popular visitor attractions. This is one thing to bear in mind when you are on the boat, there will nearly always be sightseers (known as gongoozelers) there, and the fact you are being watched can make you more nervous and prone to getting things wrong, so be prepared.

Thankfully at most of the busier staircase locks  you will find a lock-keeper who will guide and help you through them, and is in control of the order that boats enter the locks so that things can run as smoothly as possible. You will find that quite a few staircase locks are locked out of hours and you will have to wait till the next day to go through, so plan your journey accordingly. 

You will find that some staircase locks have no lock-keeper, and there are some that have a lock-keeper during the day but are not locked at night, so it is essential that you know the basics of how they work if you wish to use them. Once you grasp the basics of how they work and had some practice then you will find them easy to use, you just need to think what you are doing, and not rush things untill you know exactly what you are doing. The one thing to remember is, when you are ascending staircase locks, they must all be full except the bottom one, when you are descending they must all be empty except the top one.

So if you arrive at a three rise staircase lock and  there is no lock-keeper; you are going down hill and find that all three chambers are full. First you must empty the bottom chamber, then empty the middle chamber into the bottom chamber, then you must empty the bottom chamber again. If the water in the top chamber is level with the canal then you can open the gates and bring your boat in; if the water is not level then you will have to open the paddles just like a normal lock to let more water in. When your boat is in the top chamber open the paddles to let the water out into the middle chamber untill the level equalises, there is sometimes a line on the chamber walls showing where the level of water should be, if the water has not reached this level due to leaking gates you will have to let some more water into the top chamber then down into the middle chamber. When the water is at the correct level then you can open the bottom gates of the top chamber and move your boat into the middle chamber, if you find that your boat is catching on the cill then the level of the water is not high enough and you will have to bring more water in through the top chamber. When you are safely in the middle chamber, shut the gates behind you and open the paddles to let the water out of the middle chamber till the water in the middle chamber equalises with the water in the bottom chamber; again if the level is not high enough then you will have to bring more water into the top chamber through the middle chamber into the bottom chamber. When the water in the middle and bottom chambers equalises then you can bring your boat into the bottom chamber, shut the gates behind you making sure sure that all the paddles are shut then it is just a matter of emptying the water out of the bottom chamber till the water is level with the canal, then you can open the bottom gates and move your boat onto the canal, shut the gates behind you and make sure all the paddles are shut.

Going up hill make sure all the chambers are full of water except the bottom one, move your boat into the bottom chamber shut the gates and open the paddles to let the water out of the middle chamber till it equalises with the bottom chamber, move your boat into the middle chamber, shut the gates and open the paddles to let the water out of the top chamber again till the levels are equal, then move into the top chamber, shut the gates and open the paddles to let water in from the canal till the levels are equal, open the gates and move your boat onto the canal, shut the gates behind you and check that all the paddles are shut. As with going down hill, if there are leaking gates you will find that the levels may not be correct, if this is the case it is just a matter of bringing more water down to get the correct levels.

Once you have been through a few staircase locks then you will find them second nature to operate, and you will be able to get through them a lot quicker.

One staircase lock, the Bingley Five Rise is one of the Seven Wonders of THe Waterways.

Again as with everything else on the canals, take your time and enjoy.