Know Your Boat
In the interests of everyone’s safety, it is important you spend time checking the location and operation of some of the more important items of equipment you have on board.

Underway
Keep to the right when passing a boat coming from the opposite direction. Both boats should slow right down if the channel is narrow otherwise each will suck the other’s water away and both will go aground. Sometimes passing on the right is impossible, e.g. if a boat is being towed from the towing path. then the correct procedure is to sound two short blasts of your horn as a warning that you intend to pass on the ‘wrong’ (left) side

Speed
4 miles an hour (about a brisk walking pace) is the speed limit on most inland waterways.

Refuelling
When refuelling, all naked lights including pilot lights must be extinguished and the operation must not be carried out in any confined space (such as a lock) or immediately adjacent to another boat. British Waterways Boat Safety Scheme gives further information on how fuel containers should be safely stored.

Steering
A boat pivots from a point half way along its length when turning, so watch out for the back swinging out.
Unlike the steering wheel of a car, a boat’s tiller operates so that when you push it to the right, the boat turns left, and vice versa.
A narrowboat can generally only be steered when the propeller is moving the boat forward. When it is in reverse or neutral, there is normally no response to the rudder. For this reason, when approaching bridges and locks, slow down to line the boat up with the entrance well in advance, and give yourself time to engage forward gear when you need to manoeuvre the boat to give more effective steering control.

Overtaking
If you overtake another boat, you do so on the left and at normal speed. The boat being overtaken has right of way.
Sound Signals

• One short blast - I'm turning to the right.
• Two short blasts - I'm turning to the left.
• Three short blasts - I'm in reverse.
• Four short blasts - (followed by one, two or three blasts as above) - I'm about to alter course.
• Five short blasts - I have run aground.
• One long blast - Sound every 20 seconds when approaching blind spots, when approaching a lock or moveable bridge and requiring either to be opened, and when entering a tunnel.

Navigation at night
For everyone’s safety, you should use full navigation lights on all waterways.
White lights front and back; green light on the right side and red light on the left side.

Leaving a mooring:

• Start the engine
• Keep the engine in neutral until you are ready to move off.
• Untie the mooring rope at the back of the boat.
• Untie the mooring rope at the front. If necessary hold the boat into the bank with the front rope.
• Always push the boat into deep water. Otherwise you may damage your propeller and the bank itself.
• When the boat is straight, go into forward gear and accelerate gently to cruising speed.

Mooring facilities:

• Security for boat and parked cars
• Accessible and safe environment
• Ready access to your preferred cruising routes
• Friendly atmosphere
• Good range of amenities
• Service support for your boat including boatside waterpoints and metered 240Volt supply
• Helpful and convivial staff

Going aground:

• Position your crew to lighten the side of the boat that is aground
• Use the boat pole to push the back of the boat into deeper water
• You can then use the engine to reverse off
• If the back is aground do not use the engine or you will damage the propeller
• Poling from the front will also help
• When poling use only the canal bank for canal bed
• Rocking the boat can also help

Slowing and stopping

• Always allow plenty of time to come to a stop - you cannot simply brake as you do with a car! Ease off the throttle and only use reverse gear to come to a final stop.
• Remember, you cannot steer properly whilst the boat is in reverse gear.

Arriving at a mooring

• Stop short of your intended mooring spot, with the boat straight and in deep water.
• Move forward very slowly and turn into the bank. Use reverse to stop the boat before the front hits the bank. Put engine into neutral.
• To swing the back of the boat into the bank, use a short bust of forward throttle, pointing the tiller hard over towards the bank.
• Using the ropes, pull the boat into the side.

Gang Planks

• If the waterway is too shallow, you may not be able to get very close to the bank. Use your gang plank to get on and off.

Mooring stakes, bollards and rings

• If neither bollards nor rings are available use your mooring stakes, but do check the stability of the bank before using your hammer.
• Make sure they are firmly embedded. Position the stakes so they do not cause any obstruction to pedestrians.
• Make sure they are clearly visible to avoid walkers tripping over them.

Mooring ropes

All boats should have at least two mooring lines made of strong rope. Extra mooring ropes are always helpful and are essential on rivers and tidal waters. These should be long enough for the deepest lock your boat is likely to pass through (i.e. at least 40ft in length). If your boat is longer than 40ft, you might find it helpful to have a front rope that is long enough to run the length of the boat, allowing your crew to step off the back with the rope when mooring.

Make sure you don’t tie your ropes too tightly, and don’t use knots that tighten under stress and are difficult to untie. If the water level should drop very quickly your boat could be left hanging on the mooring ropes above the water.

The round turn and two half-hitches
There is one basic knot which covers virtually every situation you will encounter. You can use it to secure the boat, the dinghy, the fenders - in fact anything you don’t wish to part company with.It is the round-turn and two half-hitches.

Where to moor

Always moor to the towing path if you can, in a position where your boat is not a hazard to navigation.

Do not moor:

• In lock entrances
• Near swing bridges and lift bridges
• Near sharp bends
• In winding holes (turning points)
• At junctions
• By blind spots at bridges
• On the outside of bends (large boats need this channel)
• Within lock flights
• Where an angler has established his fishing spot and it is not a recognised mooring - please try and find a mooring at least 50ft away.
• Against private land on the bank opposite the towing path
• Tie your boat at the front and back

LOCKS

A lock is a stone or brick-built chamber with wooden, or sometimes steel gates at either end. It enables boats to travel up and down hills on the canals by raising or lowering the contained water level.

Locks are either narrow or broad. They are all operated using the same basic principles. On narrow locks you will find one top gate, and on broad canals there will be two. In order to operate locks you will need a windlass (also known as a lock key). You should always have one on board before you set off. This is used to work the paddle gear, which then operates special sluices, known as paddles, to allow water in or our of the lock.

If someone falls into a lock, you will need to act quickly. Immediately close all the paddles and throw in a lifebelt or line to the person in the water. Then consider how to get them out. Often there is a ladder down the lockside, or foothold on the gates. In some circumstances, you may need to fill the lock up slowly to bring the person to your level.

There are many types of paddle gear (or winding gear), but they all work on the basic principles and are easy to use. The two main types are hydraulic and the more traditional rack and pinion. British Waterways is now standardising lock spindles; a square type for hydraulic paddle gearing and a tapered square type for mechanical gear. To make lock operation safer, we have also designed a new windlass which fits these spindles precisely, and so has less chance of slipping. Windlasses are available through your local British Waterways office or chandlery outlets.

On the rack and pinion type always engage the safety catch before winding up the paddles. This stops the gears slipping back down

The windlass should fit securely on the spindle, so make sure you select the correct size of hole

Remember to keep firm pressure on the windlass to prevent it sliding off the spindle

Once you have finished winding up the paddle, check that the safety catch is in position and take your windlass off the spindle (otherwise it could fly off and hit someone if the paddle slips)

Always wind the paddles back down, again keeping a firm grip on the windlass the whole time. Allowing paddles to drop can cause them to shatter

Hydraulic gearing has no safety catch

Be careful not to trap your fingers in any of the mechanics. Keep clothing and fingers way from the gears

Keep children out from between the balance beams and the lockside whilst gates are being opened

Using Locks

• Always share a lock with other boats if possible. Better to wait a few minutes than to close the gates on an approaching boat and waste up to 80,000 gallons or more of water! For the same reason, always wait your turn at a busy lock. Be courteous and don’t prepare locks ahead of you if you can see boats coming in the other direction.
• Check that no rubbish gets jammed in the gates as this can cause leakage. You will need a boat hook to clear any jammed rubbish, and may need to open the gate again to clear it away.
• Always ensure that all gates and paddles are closed after you leave a lock, unless you see another boat approaching, in which case leave the gates open to help them. Never dangle your arms and legs over the side of the boat or the lock as they can get crushed between the boat and lockside.

Gate Paddles

Most locks simply have ground paddles positioned alongside the gates on the lockside. However, some locks also have paddles in the gates themselves. These are operated like ground paddles, using a windlass, but the procedure is slightly different.

1. Partly fill the lock by opening the ground paddles which let water in near to the bottom of the lock.
2. Wait until the gate paddle is submerged, so there is no danger of water cascading into the front of your boat, and then open it.
3. Keep your boat well back from the top gates.

Going uphill

As you approach the lock, let one of your crew off the boat in plenty of time to check whether the lock is full or empty. If the lock is empty, he or she will be able to open the gates and you will be able to steer your boat straight in.

If, on the other hand, the lock is full, the crew will need to empty the lock first, and you will have to moor up well back from the lock for a few minutes and wait, avoiding the turbulent water below the lock as it empties.

1. Make sure the top gates and paddles are closed.
2. If the lock is full, empty it by raising the bottom paddle.
3. Open the bottom gates and enter the lock.
4. Close the bottom gates behind you and lower paddles.
5. Open the top paddles to fill the lock.
6. Open top gates and take your boat out.
7. Close the gates behind you and lower the paddles.

As your boat rises, continually check that it is floating freely. In particular, make sure your rudder does not catch the bottom gates, that the front does not catch under a timber on the top gates and that your tiller does not get caught on projections from the bottom gates.

If the boat does get trapped, close the top paddles immediately and slowly open the bottom paddles to lower the water level and allow the boat to float clear.

Going uphill

The same procedure applies when approaching the lock and preparing it.

1. Make sure the bottom gates and paddles are closed.
2. If the lock is empty, fill it by opening the top paddles.
3. Open the top gates and enter the lock.
4. Close the top gates behind you and lower the paddles.
5. Keep the rear of your boat clear of the sill, and also the front end clear of the bottom gate timbers.
6. Open the bottom paddles to empty the lock.
7. Open the bottom gates and take your boat out.
8. Close the bottom gates behind you and lower the paddles.

Sills

The top gate of a lock rests against a sill which sticks out into the lock by 2ft to 5ft. It can only be seen when the lock is empty. When going downhill, always keep the back of the boat and the rudder at least 6ft from the top gate. Some locks have white lines on the lockside to indicate this position.

If you do get stuck on the sill, close the bottom paddles immediately and slowly open the top paddles to refill the lock. The boat will then float off the sill. Check that the rudder and propeller are not damaged.

Narrow locks

These are approximately 7ft wide and up to 70ft long. Sometimes two boats can use a narrow lock at the same time - but do check the total boat lengths first! In this type of lock, be aware that a boat tends to get drawn towards the upper gate when the lock is filling with the danger of damaging the boat or gate. This effect is particularly noticeable in deeper locks and can be avoided by raising the paddles only half-way until the lock is about half full. If you are drawn towards the gate, use reverse to maintain the position of your boat (or use ropes passed up and around bollards on the lockside).

Broad locks

Keep your boat to one side of the lock and well back from the gates, using ropes around the bollards on the lockside. When going uphill, open the ground paddle on the same side as the boat first. By doing this, the circulation of the water will hold the boat against the lock wall. Then slowly open the remaining paddles. Never open gate paddles until they are submerged. The water could pour into the front end of your boat and sink it.

Shared broad locks

Try to conserve water where you can and, if possible, always share a broad lock with another boat. If your narrowboat is sharing with a glass reinforced plastic (GRP) boat, ensure that your boat enters first, and allow the GRP boat to exit first. (The momentum of a steel boat can crush a GRP hull if they collide).

Whilst the lock is filling, hold your boat secure by using the throttle and by looping the front and back ropes around bollards on the lockside. Do not tie the boat up as you will need to slacken the rope off as the lock empties, or tighten it as it fills.

Keep the two boats in line, and open the two top ground paddles equal amounts and at the same time.

Pushing off in a lock

Never fend off another boat in a lock with your feet - it looks easy but in fact it is extremely dangerous.

Guillotine lock gates

There are only two places on British Waterways waterways that have guillotine gates (Salterhebble Locks on the Calder & Hebble Navigation and Stamp End Lock, Lincoln on the Witham Navigation). These are both power operated and have instruction boards at the locks. A British Waterways (sanitary station) key operates the controls.

Staircase locks

Occasionally two, three, four or even five locks are joined in a staircase. The bottom gates of one lock are also the top gates of the lock below.

Water let out of one lock directly fills the lock below.

If the lock below is already full the water will overflow - running over the lock gates and sometimes flooding the lock side. So it is important to prepare all the locks before starting through the staircase. Staircase locks can be broad or narrow. They are operated in a similar way to single locks. There are, however, some additional things to consider - so do not attempt to use a staircase unless you understand the correct procedure.

Going downhill

• Water levels ready for going downhill
• The top lock is full
• The other locks are empty
• DO NOT empty a lock unless the lock below is empty
• Prepare all the locks in the staircase before you enter the first lock:
• After you have prepared the locks, check that all paddles are fully closed

Although we say a lock is ‘empty’, there should, in fact, always be some water still in it. The lowest water level should be deep enough to float your boat. (Some staircase locks have markers to indicate this level.)

If the level is not correct your boat could get stuck on the sill between the locks. If this happens - don’t panic! Ensure the paddles below the boat are fully closed. Very carefully let water into the lock using only the ground paddles. Take care that water does not pour into your boat and risk sinking it.

Staircases are exciting and ingenious ways to raise or lower your boat through a great height in a short distance.

However, mistakes cause greater problems.

So remember:

• Prepare carefully.
• Think before you act.
• Check that all the paddles not in use are fully closed.

SWING BRIDGES AND LIFT BRIDGES

There are a variety of swing and lift bridges along the canals which vary in the way they operate. Most are manually operated but there are some mechanised bridges. Care should be taken to operate all bridges correctly.

Correct procedure

1. Well before you reach the bridge, land your crew with windlass and/or key if appropriate. Never drop a crew member off onto the bridge itself. Some manual bridges are heavy and may need more than one member of crew to move them.
2. If the bridge carries traffic, check that the road is clear. Many swing and lift bridges have road barriers which must be closed to warn vehicles that the bridge is being operated.
3. To open a manual swing bridge, unhook the retaining chain and give the bridge a steady, but controlled push - it may be necessary to slow the bridge down towards the end of its swing as it is important that it doesn’t bounce back across the canal in front of the boat. To open a manual lift bridge, pull the chain which should hang down from the balance arm. Once the bridge is open sit on the arm to keep the bridge raised until the boat is clear.
4. Call the boat through and hold the bridge steady while the boat passes.
5. Once the boat is clear, to close a manual swing bridge, push the bridge firmly back into place and put the retaining chain back on. To close a manual lift bridge, gently lower the bridge again by the chain, taking great care not to let the bridge drop heavily.
6. Reopen the road barriers if fitted, and reboard the boat from the back.

Mechanised bridges

These bridges vary in complexity, some require a windlass to operate, others are powered and need a British Waterways (sanitary station) key. If there are any instructions, always read them and then follow exactly what they say. (For information on the requirements for individual waterways please refer to the Navigation Guide).

If the bridge carries traffic check that the road is clear. Some swing and lift bridges have road barriers which should be closed to warn traffic that the bridges is being operated. On some bridges starts moving the barriers cannot be moved back until the bridge is returned to its original position.

Bridges needing a windlass must be unlocked before operation. Please ensure that they are relocked before vehicles are allowed back over.

Some of the modern bridges are made secure by wedges that stop the bridge bouncing when vehicles drive across. Instructions are on the bridge and involve either using a windlass or pushing a button to release the wedges.

Make sure the wedges are back in place before leaving, otherwise vehicles driving across the bridge will damage the mechanism. If a bridge breaks down, please:

• DO NOT attempt to force it
• Don’t leave before letting British Waterways know (usually your British Waterways key will not released until the bridge is correctly returned to its starting position).
• Do not telephone British Waterways. Call the number shown in the instructions on the bridge or your local British Waterways office or Freshen Canals

SAFETY ADVICE

• Never use your feet to stop the boat hitting a bridge.
• Always make sure there is nobody on the roof or the foredeck of the boat when passing through a swing or lift bridge.
• Watch out for traffic on the road that crosses the bridge.
• Always ensure you moor sufficiently far away from the bridge to be able to push off from the side 14 and manoeuvre your boat back into the centre of the channel before passing steadily through the bridge.
• Don’t let the boat arrive too early. If the bridge sticks open halfway there would not be time to stop the boat before a dangerous collision.
• As you approach watch for crosswinds.
• Never allow children or passers-by to operate swing or lift bridges.
• Children should not be allowed to steer the boat through the bridge.
• Take particular care to keep lift bridges fully open while the boat is passing through.

TUNNELS

Tunnels vary not only in length but also in width. Some permit two boats, but others are only wide enough for one boat to pass through. Check notices at the entrance for any special instructions or entry times.

Before entering a tunnel:

• Check the local cruising guide for any special regulations.
• Put on waterproofs as tunnels are often damp.
• Switch on headlight and also some internal lights. Your headlight should be positioned to illuminate where the tunnel side meets the water level ahead of the boat - this helps steering. Make sure that additional lighting in the form of a waterproof torch is available for the steerer.
• Extinguish all naked flames except pilot lights.
• Do not smoke or use cooking appliances. This will reduce the possibility of fire on board.
• Check that there is no boat already in the tunnel if it is too narrow for two boats to pass. Be prepared to wait your turn, staying well clear of the tunnel entrance.
• Ensure nobody is on the roof or sides of the boat. Crew members should stay inside the cabin if possible. Keep arms, legs and head tucked in board. Do not lean out of the boat, and mind your head!
• Some tunnels have traffic lights. Always observe their signals.
• Sound one long blast of your horn as you enter the tunnel.
• Look out for small, unpowered craft.

On entering a tunnel:

• Travel at a moderate speed and steer by looking at only one side of the tunnel.
• Move the tiller as little as possible, but watch out for the changing profile of the tunnel - tunnels are seldom dead straight!
• A common illusion is to feel the boat is going into the side. Don’t panic and pull the tiller too hard to compensate.
• Remember to keep a distance of at least 270 yards from the boat in front of you (about 2 minutes apart at normal cruising speed). Do not overtake other boats.
• If traffic is two-way, keep a good look out for oncoming boats. You should see their headlight a long way off. Pass on the right very slowly.

SAFETY ADVICE

• Never stop in a tunnel unless you break down.
• If you have to stop for any reason turn off your engine. This will avoid any danger from exhaust fumes.
• If you break down, sound long blasts on your horn to attract attention. Do not swim out. As a last resort, you could try to push the boat out using a boat pole.
• Arrows show the shortest route out and will glow in the dark if your lights fail.