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Sesame, open up...
when approaching a lock, one must first signal to the operator or to the automatic system that supports him. A simple blow of the horn in the case of a manual lock, a button, a remote control or a pole suspended above the canal when they are electrified... it depends on the waterway.
In any case, coming from the sea, the first lock is always guarded and you will be given all the instructions to pass through the following locks, as well as the possible remote control to operate them. Once your arrival is detected, the system prepares the basin by adjusting the water level to match that of the reach you came from. Once this is done, the doors open and you can enter.
Signage
The electrified locks are regulated by lights on triangular panels: red, the lock is on standby, green and red: the lock is being prepared, be ready to enter, green light: you can enter.
at the height of the doors, sensors detect the passage of the boat and only human intervention will trigger the rest of the process; you therefore have time to pass the mooring lines (on the side where the ladder is located). No need to worry about the doors closing on the boat.
Rising lock
You enter between two streaming walls and you have to pass the bow and stern mooring lines around the bollards located on the quay which is not always easy. In the absence of a lock keeper, and to limit the acrobatics, it is often preferable to disembark a crew member before the lock, so that he can take the mooring lines and pass them on to those on board.
They will keep them in hand, without tying them, so that they can adjust the length as they go up. It is better to moor in the center of the lock, because when the gates open, there will be a lot of turbulence and it is better not to be too close to the source of the flow.
Once everything is in place, you can start the pond, usually by raising a blue pole. The downstream doors close and the gates open on the upstream doors and the water rushes into the pond.
The automatisms are set to be progressive, and in case of trouble, you just have to pull on a red pole to stop the maneuver. In a few minutes, the torrent calms down, the boat emerges, the doors open and you just have to leave the lock.
Descending lock
This time you enter a full lock, which is much more comfortable for passing the mooring lines. The emptying of the basin generates very little turbulence and the mooring can be more partial (a single mooring line on the middle or back is usually enough). On the other hand, make sure that the mooring line is clear and above all, do not tie it up, otherwise the boat will remain suspended...
In the downward direction, never stay too close to the upstream door: it rests on a massive masonry, on which it is better to avoid placing the rudder or the propeller!
Good practices
The RPP or Règlement Particulier de Police (Special Police Regulations), which can be consulted on the website of the waterway concerned, defines the navigation procedures and, among other things, the lockage times. It is good practice to arrive about ten minutes before closing time so that the lock keeper can complete the manoeuvre on time. Without consuming, each basin leaves between 300 and 400 m3 of water downstream, which is all the more precious during the summer period, since a canal has no source and must be fed to stay in water. Whenever possible, try to limit the number of maneuvers by passing several boats, which also allows you to help each other during mooring maneuvers. In manual locks with a lock keeper, the lock keeper has to go around the basin several times. It is appreciated if a crew member comes ashore to help him maneuver the opposite gate. This is an opportunity to make contact: often the lockkeepers sell some products from their garden, cider or home-made jams, a good way to improve the ordinary life on board!
Small river lexicon
- Upstream / downstream : said of a boat that goes up or down a waterway
- Bajoyer : the wall of a lock
- Bassinée : passage of a lock
- Vantels: openings in doors through which water enters or drains
- Anchorage: available water depth
