Canal Etiquette On The Waterways Of Great Britain.

A Quick Summary

Casting off, cruising and tying up.

 

Have a read through these pointers to learn all about the process of piloting your canal boat.

Setting Off

 

Start the engine, keep it in neutral and allow some time for it to warm up before you move off. Untie the front and back mooring ropes from the bank, but leave them tied to the boat, coiled and ready for use.

On rivers, untie the downstream rope first. Make sure your ropes can’t trail in the water and get caught in the propeller. Don’t forget to stow the mooring stakes and hammer.

 

Because the boat steers from the back, you can’t drive away from the bank as in a car. Check the area is clear of boat traffic then push the boat, at the bow, away from the bank so you can make a clean getaway with your propeller in deep water.

 

In shallow water, push the back of the boat out, then reverse away until there’s room to straighten up. When the boat’s straight, go into forward gear and accelerate gently to cruising speed.

Underway

 

On all waterways, the rule of the road is to drive on the right. On wide waterways, this may be easy. But on most canals, unless there’s another boat coming towards you, you’ll steer down the middle as it’s likely to be shallow near the edges.

 

When you do meet an approaching boat, keep to the right and pass ‘port-to-port’ (the left side of your boat passes the left side of the approaching boat). Don’t cut the corner when going round bends. You run the risk of a collision or going aground.

 

Go slowly past boats, anglers and other waterway users.

 

Don’t let your boat create a breaking wave or a lowering of the water along the bank just ahead of the boat. These are signs that you should throttle back to prevent damage to the bank and disturbance to moored boats. Excessive speed can also dislodge mooring pins.

 

Look out for swimmers, canoes, punts, rowing boats and sailing dinghies. Remember they cannot always see or hear you approaching. Slow down so that your boat isn’t creating a wave. Give them plenty of room as you pass by. Warn other boaters coming in the opposite direction if you can.

Steering

 

Steering a boat with a wheel is like steering a car, but it’s more difficult to judge where your wheel should be for going straight ahead. Get to know the feel of the wheel and the rudder position before you set off.

Using a tiller to steer is simple – as long as you remember that pushing to the right will make the boat head left and vice versa. Be patient and plan ahead – the boat will take a few seconds to respond. You have less steerage at very low power, the boat will respond more quickly to the tiller when the propellor is turning more quickly.

 

Most boats pivot from a point about halfway along their length. That means you need to watch out for the front and the back. If you line up the front only and then try to turn into a narrow gap – a bridge or lock, for example – you risk hitting the side with the back of your boat. Watch out for currents or cross-winds pushing you off-course too.

Too Fast

 

A canal boat holiday is all about taking your time and relaxing, not rushing around the canal! Your maximum speed on the canal is 4mph, which is a walking pace and you have to go slower than that when you are approaching moored boats or passing others.

 

You will need to slow down when approaching, bridges, locks and other users using the canal such as anglers, paddle boarders and canoeists etc. Slow is the ‘watch word’!

 

You should not create a ‘breaking wash’ by going too fast, i.e. causing a bow wave that travels to the embankment. This will disturb natural wildlife and cause erosion to the banks

Going Aground

 

Everyone goes aground at some point – it’s not a disaster.

 

Don’t try to force your way over the obstacle or you’ll find yourself even more stuck. Instead, use reverse gear to back away into deeper water.

 

If you’re firmly stuck, ask some or all of the crew to move to the side or back of the boat that’s still floating – but not to the extent that you’d risk capsizing! Now use the pole to push off against a solid object or the bed of the waterway – if you put the pole straight down and try to use it as a lever, it’ll either break or you’ll fall in. And keep the top of the pole away from your face and body, in case it slips suddenly.

Slowing Down and Stopping

 

Because boats don’t have brakes, you need to give yourself plenty of time to stop – especially when travelling downstream on flowing waters.

 

Ease off the throttle, move into neutral and then use reverse gear to slow down and come to a final halt. Opening the throttle to give more engine revs will increase the braking effect when in reverse. Remember that it’s extremely difficult to steer when you’re in reverse gear. You may need an occasional forward boost to get better control.

Locks – Etiquette

 

On arrival at a lock, there may be other people waiting, possibly to come ‘up’ as well as ‘go down’. It’s prudent for a member of your crew to walk ahead when you come to a lock and see if anyone else is either waiting on either side of the lock.

 

If the lock is set in their favour (i.e. empty if they are going up or full if they are going down), allow them to go first.

 

Pull into the canal bank and using your middle rope, tie up to a post, in some instances you may have to hold your boat until a post becomes vacant.

 

If the lock is wide enough for more than one boat, it maybe you can share the lock with another boat to save water. Many hands make light work!

 

The most important thing to remember when working a lock (apart from ensuring your boat doesn’t catch on the cill!) is to make sure that you leave with all the paddles down and the gates are closed. If you should leave them open, you’ll end up draining the canal making navigation impossible! Find out more about operating a lock here. 

Mooring

 

Prepare your crew in advance. Make sure they know what their jobs will be.

 

Slow down almost to a stop and carry out all your manoeuvres as slowly as possible.

 

Stop short of where you want to moor with your boat straight and in deep water. Move forward very slowly, pointing the front of the boat towards the bank, then use reverse to stop the boat just before the front hits the bank. Put the engine into neutral.

 

Your crew should step ashore – not jump. They can either carry the ropes with them – making sure there’s plenty of slack and that one end is fixed to the boat – or you can pass them the ropes once they’re on land.

 

On rivers you should moor with the front of your boat facing into the stream. This gives you more control as you slow to a halt. So, if you’re heading downstream, you’ll need to pass the mooring and turn your boat around. The same applies if you have a very strong wind behind you.

 

It is easier to go past the mooring and turn your boat around so that you moor into the wind. Allow for the fact that the water level may rise or fall by several feet. If it’s a tidal river, you should always moor facing the tide – and avoid mooring to the bank overnight.

Tying up

 

To keep your boat secure, you need to tie it to the bank with a rope from both the front and the back. On rivers, you should fix your upstream rope first.

 

Many mooring sites have bollards or rings to tie up to – choose ones a short distance beyond the front and the back of your boat. Run your ropes at about 45º from your boat, loop them back onto the boat and tie securely, but not too taut.

 

To stop your boat from moving backwards and forwards in flowing water, you can use extra ropes as ‘springs’. There are helpful illustrations of knots and springs on pages 14 and 15 of the Boaters Handbook.

 

If there aren’t any bollards or rings, use your mooring stakes if the ground is suitable. Do not attempt to hammer into concrete or other hard surfaces. If the ground is soft, check the stability of the bank and watch out for signs of underground pipes or cables before you start hammering. Position the stakes as far from the bank as you can, but don’t tie your ropes across the towpath.

 

Knock them into about three-quarters their length and make sure they’re firm. Mark them with a piece of light-coloured cloth or a white plastic bag or bottle so that other towpath users can see them clearly.

 

Leave some slack in your ropes – this is especially important on tidal waterways or rivers. If the ropes are too tight and the water level drops, your boat could be left hanging from the bank.

 

Remember that your anchor can be used if you need added security or extra help in a strong stream or tide – and you should still use mooring ropes.

Those That Fish

 

Canals and rivers are popular with anglers and on occasion, you will pass through areas where there are lone anglers or fishing competitions taking place. You’ll then see lots of anglers situated some 40 metres apart along a canal, slow down and navigate nearer the opposite bank if the depth allows – otherwise go very slowly down the middle.

Winding Holes

 

Always check for oncoming traffic in both directions when you are planning to turn in a winding hole. If necessary, pull over and allow other boats coming to go past. Let other boaters know that you intend to turn by raising a hand and rotating it in the air above your head.

Tunnels

 

Check for oncoming traffic before you enter a canal tunnel, many of these structures are only wide enough for one boat. You must turn your headlight on and put on your life jackets when navigating through tunnels. Look out for the light of an approaching boat when checking for on-coming traffic.

 

You have heard the expression ‘light at the end of the tunnel’, this is what you will be looking for as you approach and enter. As you enter the tunnel look for any lights coming towards you, you may use your horn as you enter a tunnel to warn other boaters of your entry.

 

Some of the longer tunnels have set times that you can go through, for example on the hour for 30 minutes (which means that you can’t travel between the half-hour and the hour) or for a very few of the longer tunnels you need to pre-book a designated passage time with Canal and River Trust.