Etiquette, locks, and tracks...

For those that don't know (and until a few weeks ago that included your's truly) they paint a portion of the concrete wall outside of a lock blue in Canada. Since the lockmasters don't use VHF radio to communicate, that “blue line” is where one ties up if the intent is to go through the lock on the next opening. The first one to arrive goes to the head of the blue line and is the first into the lock. If there is no room on the blue line, you will likely not be going through during the next cycle. Take a spot on the wall and move to the blue line as soon as the earlier arriving boats go in the lock.

Since we had tied up yesterday not intending to take the lock until morning, we didn't tie up at the blue line. Neither had any of our traveling companions from the day. 

Come this morning, we were all standing around talking about who was going on and when, when a new boat turned in and headed for the blue line, pulling up at the end away from the lock. We walked over to help catch lines and the newcomer who asked if we were locking through. We said we where. Whereas he suggested, since we were the first arrival of those intending to go through first thing this morning, that we move from where we were to the head of the “blue line” and tie up in front of him. At first I thought that was kind of silly since we were all standing around together and could just decide who was going to go when. But he then mentioned that there were likely more boats headed to the lock. If they spotted an empty blue line they would assume none of us was leaving and fill it up. Worse, if they found out that we had intended to move, well, cutting in front is considered bad manners, even if it is by accident. (Which is why he didn't pull up to the front of the line.) Of course that isn't to say they wouldn't also take advantage of our lack of manners, leaving us waiting for a later cycle. 

So, having learned a bit about proper lock etiquette, we moved First Light to the head of the blue line in front of our new friend. Then we all stood around and discussed actually leaving, given that the wind was already blowing to the promised 20. While chatting about plans for the day, the dockmaster walked up to let us know there would be an hour's delay as there wasn't enough water on the other side of the lock for us to navigate. It would take a couple of cycles of the bathtub lock, which was next in line, to bring up the water level. Just the thought of how much water he had to be talking about was enough to make my head spin a little. While we waited, a third 50' boat pulled up to go through the lock.

Locks were the center of attention today. Lots and lots of locks. Including the “bathtub” lock”. That still struck me as a hair brained idea. It turned out to be a pretty intriguing experience. It was fast, a 90 second lift of 65 feet. It usually takes several minutes to move enough water to pick up (or lower) the boats less than half that far. Which helped explain how they could move enough water get us on our way in less than an hour's wait while they raised the water level between the two locks. (The locks are about a mile apart. That is a LOT of water.)

The bathtub lock is an impressive looking thing. We pulled in and tied to, which wasn't really necessary. They have handles you just hold on to. With no water rushing in, there are no currents pushing the boats around. And the wall we were “on” didn't move in relation to the boat. No grinding up a rough concrete surface. The lift was utterly calm, smooth, and completely painless.

We cleared all seven locks with the same two boats. After the first one in the morning, we had the dance down pat. The smaller speed boat helmed by our etiquette instructor had followed us into the first lock. But for the remainder of the day he went in first, pulling up as close as he could to the closed gate, and tied up to the starboard wall. First Light would coast up his port side and tie to the port wall a bit further back. Then the third boat in the party, a 50 footer, would pull in behind the first boat with about 15 feet of his port side bow riding next to First Light's starboard stern. That would get him in far enough for the gates to close. The water would flow in, the boats would go up, and gates would open. The small power boat would leave first and lead our little three-boat flotilla to the next lock. Since there were seven total today, it helped to have it all worked out before hand.

After the last lock, we moved barely 200 feet and took up one of the last spots on the lock wall in a little town called Young's Point. The 50 footer is tied up to the wall across from us. He took up the last spot. The little speed boat kept going, covering some more miles. He needs to be in Chicago in a couple of weeks so he is driving hard, doing close to 45 MPH wherever he can. There was no reason for him to go that fast today as all he would have been doing is speeding to the next lock and then waiting for us. Plus, there are a lot of places during this part of the trip where the speed limit is 10 KPH, about 5.3 knots. Once he gets to the Great Lakes he will be making tracks. 

Tomorrow we will be on our way once again, taking advantage of several days worth of forecasted near perfect weather. We will also be making tracks, just at a far more sedate pace.

Make the call...

We woke up this morning to the sound of engines. Our friends on Avalon, tied up just off our bow, were cranking up and pulling in lines. We looked at the weather and started to debate leaving or staying. The forecast and future RADAR suggested that, if we got going, we would beat the weather to our planned wall perch near Peterborough with a couple of hours to spare. It was a close call but we decided to get moving. A few other boats made the same choice so, all in all, it looked like about half a dozen or more headed out. First Light ended up center boat in a clutch of three puttering up the canal. Though there were a few narrow and shallow places along the way, it was a pretty low key route. It helps to be following another boat with the same draft. If she comes to a quick stop, stop.

There was only one lock today. When we got there, Avalon and two other boats were heading past the doors. I aimed First Light at the wall figuring we would be part of the next cycle when the dock master started to motion us in. That would make for four boats bow to stern and side to side. We had done something similar the the day before with three boats so, why not? The only difference was that First Light was the last boat in this time, filling the last “empty spot. Her captain (me) was responsible for not banging into the boats just a few feet off our starboard side and bow. Once in place, our anchor was just shy of hanging over the dink in front, and our sides were, maybe, three feet from the boat next to us and maybe a foot off the lock wall. But, apart from some very close quarters boat handling, there wasn't much to it.

It was a short run from the lock to the wall. But it was long enough for the winds to start picking up with dark clouds building to the west/southwest. There was some debate as to where on the wall mooring  was permitted. The safest bet looked like tying starboard side to on the east wall. So that's what we did. If it turned out I wasn't “allowed” to do that? Someone would have to write me a ticket as we weren't going anywhere by the looks of the sky. We tied to with lots of fenders and and five lines, checked in with the dockmaster (who had no problem with where we had parked) paid the tab, and it started to rain. Thunder rumbled in the near distance and it seemed like we had cut this one a bit too close.  But once again, the worst of the weather split north and south of where First Light lay. So it turned out to be a good call after all. But, as they say, hindsight is always 20/20.

It is supposed to be pretty windy tomorrow. Windy enough that we may wait a day before tangling with a thing called a “bathtub lock”. It seems they fill two giant tubs with water and boats. Then one tub goes up while the other goes down, each tub acting as a counter weight to the other. Which amazes me for two reason. One, that someone would actually come up with such a hair-brained scheme. And two, that someone else would decide that sounded like a really good idea, then go ahead and build such a thing. But it is the only way to get where we are going and it has done its task tens of thousands of times, at least. So goofball idea or not, we will be giving it a go. But giving it a go in 20 knot winds? We might give that challenge a pass.

NOTE: The wind doesn't mean anything to the boat once it is in the lock. It is getting in and out, particularly on the high side, that gets to be a challenge when the wind is blowing. Locks are narrow, there are things to bump into, and the boat isn't the best handling thing in a stiff wind. I am getting better at it, but I wouldn't be surprised if my pacer is sending a message to my heart Doctor every time I am handling the boat in tight quarters with a stiff breeze. 

This tour boat goes through the lock several times a day and takes its customers up through the

lift lock and back.

Most of the lock walls are in parks like this one with walking trails.

The Canadians really know how to take care of their natural resources.