Going through locks

[briguy2817]

What does it take to go through the locks on puplic waterways? I am looking to expand my area, Des Plaines River/Illinois River, without having to pull the boat and put in further down stream.

Any info is greatly appreciated.

Brian

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Going through locks

I grew up on the Ohio river and we locked through many times. Its an experience that one must do to appreciate.

I know that on the Ohio which is governed by the Army Corp of Civil Engineers, controls the locks and dam. This is probably the same with the one your using. At every lock there is a Lock Master. Once you pull into the lock area, they will inform you as where to be. Believe me, they will let you know if your in the wrong place. Just be courteous and follow their commands. You don't want to be in line with a bunch of barges and other boats exiting a set of locks. If for some reason the lock master doesn't see you, there is usually a handle on a chain at the lock closest to the bank/shore. The locks I have passed through, this area of the chain is painted in red. Pull the chain and then the lock master will let you know what to do. They will communicate with you over a loud speaker. I never used VHF, but I'm sure they can use that method as well.

BTW, while in the locks there is no smoking, must remain in your boat, and you must tie up to one of the floating buoys. Not a good idea at this time to be consuming any alcohol as they do look inside your boat, but only from their operations towers. I haven't locked thru for about 8 years now, but I don't think much has changed.

When going up, its about like having your boat on a mild jacuzzi ride up
Good Luck and have fun.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Going through locks

Locking through is fun, sort of, sometimes. The message above gives you most of the information, but here are some additional tips, learned from experience:

1. Don't lock through unless you have an engine that starts instantly. You have to shut down while in the lock. This is especially important for folks in small boats with rope-start tiller engines. I go through upper Mississipi locks in my 12' aluminum boat with a 6hp engine.

2. While you're in the most locks, you hold onto one of the ropes dangling down the lock wall. Have disposable gloves in your boat. Those ropes can be really nasty. So are the lock walls. They're not for tying your boat up, unless you want to flip it over sideways.

3. If you lock through with a group of boats, which is very common, move forward as you enter the lock, to take the position behind the boats before you. You leave the lock in order from front to back.

4. Wake-free speeds at all times in and around the locks.

5. As the water rises and falls in the lock, there will be turbulence.

6. When leaving the lock, watch for turbulence, too. Motor right out of the area as smoothly as possible, again, at wake-free speed.

Enjoy.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Going through locks

More info:

The Army Corps of Engineers has the printable .pdf booklet at the link below:

http://www.lrp.usace.army.mil/pubs/celrpp_1130_1_10.pdf

It's got all the information you might need.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Going through locks

The procedures probably vary a little bit, from one place to another.

Here in New Orleans, we have three locks that allow access to and from the ICW. They are heavily used by pushboats/barges, but small boats may use them too. Each has a telephone number posted at either end of the lock and monitors VHF channel 14. I recommend having the VHF radio, because it makes communication much easier when waiting to enter the lock.

First, anyone outside of an enclosed space on the boat must be wearing a CG approved PFD. If there is barge traffic when we go through, we are sequenced to be the last to enter the lock and the first to exit. We are also positioned on the opposite wall of the lock from barges, especially when they are open and carrying any sort of bulk load that could shift and go over the side.

Our locks have rows of pins inset into the walls, which are used to hold vessels up against the them as the water flows in or out. They are not used to "tie-off" to, but serve merely as a place to wrap a line around. The line is held by the "deckhand" and moved to the next one up or down, as the vessel rises or descends. Once the lock has filled or emptied to the appropriate level, the doors on the exit end will open, but the vessels are required to remain secured to the walls until that process is complete.

There really isn't much to passage through a lock - you just have to communicate with the lockmaster and do as you are instructed. The lockmasters are generally friendly and helpful, but can get cranky sometimes when dealing with small boats. I think that happens because they view the locks as being for commercial purposes, rather than for recreational boaters.

One thing to remember, however, is that when locks are busy, wait times for transit can be long. This can also happen if river levels are high and there is a great deal of difference in water height between the two bodies of water involved. In this situation, it takes much longer to pump water in or out of the lock, so the whole process is slowed down. Whatever the reason, it is important to understand boaters can't expect to just show up and be passed through immediately. If there is a need to be in a particular place at a particular time, lock delays must be factored into the overall situation.

 

[Tyme2fish]

Re: Going through locks

More info:

The Army Corps of Engineers has the printable .pdf booklet at the link below:

http://www.lrp.usace.army.mil/pubs/celrpp_1130_1_10.pdf

It's got all the information you might need.

I was looking in my computer files under "Boating Files" to answer this question, but your link is excellent.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Going through locks

Good points. There are differences, especially with regard to how you tie off or don't in a lock. Some locks have floating tie-offs along the sides of the lock. On the two locks I use on the Mississipi, you let a rope pass through your hands as the water level changes.

A google search for your particular river should bring up the information you will need.

As was pointed out, there can be serious delays, especially if a very large barge tow is locking through. Some of them have to be broken down and locked through in sections. This can take considerable time. Pleasure boats have the lowest priority of all in the locks.

 

[briguy2817]

Re: Going through locks

Thanks for the information. Illinois waterways are governed by the Army Corps of Engineers also. I've watched many barges go through them since I was a young fella. This spring, we'll be going through at least one if not two in one day.
Brian

 

[briguy2817]

Re: Going through locks

2. While you're in the most locks, you hold onto one of the ropes dangling down the lock wall. Have disposable gloves in your boat. Those ropes can be really nasty. So are the lock walls. They're not for tying your boat up, unless you want to flip it over sideways.

This makes sense! I can just see some moron tie off when the water is high and as it drops, the boat is still attached to the lock walls, flipping over sideways, as the people in the boat are screaming, not having the foggiest idea how to fix the situation.

Thanks for the tips.

Brian

 

[briguy2817]

Re: Going through locks

I recommend having the VHF radio, because it makes communication much easier when waiting to enter the lock.

I am looking into getting a handheld one as we speak. I have wanted to get one since I bought the boat.

If there is barge traffic when we go through, we are sequenced to be the last to enter the lock and the first to exit. We are also positioned on the opposite wall of the lock from barges, especially when they are open and carrying any sort of bulk load that could shift and go over the side.

Illinois locks are some of the smallest and narrowest in the country. They have been tlking about upgrading them for years but a lack of funds shuts them up. If a tow is carrying 8 barges, they must undo four of them and go through with only four, then go back and get the other four. It takes forever to go through the locks in Illinois.

Thanks for the help,
Brian

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Going through locks

Illinois locks are some of the smallest and narrowest in the country. They have been tlking about upgrading them for years but a lack of funds shuts them up. If a tow is carrying 8 barges, they must undo four of them and go through with only four, then go back and get the other four. It takes forever to go through the locks in Illinois.

Thanks for the help,
Brian

Yes, it does take forever. So for that reason, you need to be prepared to wait, or have an alternate place to spend a night should you not be able to get locked through. And just think, while you are waiting for the tug to go back and get the rest of his tows, another tug approached from the other direction, he'll get to go through before you too!

Please don't rule out trailering to Peru or Spring Valley, and then boating all the way to Peoria. Once west of the dam at Starved Rock State Park, no lock until south of Peoria, and there isn't much to see there anyway.

VHF radio is an absolute "must" in my opinion. It makes getting the Lockmaster's instructions and following them so much easier.

 

[briguy2817]

Re: Going through locks

Please don't rule out trailering to Peru or Spring Valley, and then boating all the way to Peoria. Once west of the dam at Starved Rock State Park, no lock until south of Peoria, and there isn't much to see there anyway.


I wasn't aware that there weren't any more locks west of Starved Rock. One of the trips I wanted top do this year involves going from the Kankakee all the way down to the Starved Rock dam. Now that you mention this, I may just put in in Spring Valley and go from there.


VHF radio is an absolute "must" in my opinion. It makes getting the Lockmaster's instructions and following them so much easier

I'll be up at the Bass Pro Shop tomorrow pricing them and checking them out. Hopefully I'll get something before the season starts for me.

Brian

 

[scoutabout]

Re: Going through locks

I'll second (or third) the idea of gloves for those slimy lines and concrete walls!

Other tips I've learned over the years is if you have crew, arm one of them with a boat hook and put fenders out on both sides. Occasionally you will get yahoos that like to stampede for the open end and end up bouncing off other boats.

Then there's the "other" kind of lock - which isn't a lock at all. Check out the Big Chute marine railway on the Trent Severn waterway in Ontario. Quite the ride and more than a bit creepy feeling your boat balanced delicately on its keel the entire way. This time...keep those lines tight!

 

[briguy2817]

Re: Going through locks

Good Lord, don't sneeze!

Brian

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Going through locks

I'm glad to hear that you are looking into a VHF, because it will make the process much easier. The are quite a few handheld radios available and some are very inexpensive - as little as $75. While the bottom end radios won't be the best in terms of function, they are perfectly adequate for the type of short range use that you will need one for.