How I go through locks on my own 

Very informative Robbie,especially ,for those new to boating as locks can be very daunting for many first timers,vlogs like these paint the real picture in real time,another cracking vlog mate take care respect.👌👍

That's a lovely video of a beautiful part of God's County. I tackle locks single-handed by staying off the boat as much as possible and moving it as much by using the lines. That way I avoid using the ladder except once. Ideally, I'd fit a radio-control so I wouldn't have to touch the boat throughout the entire process! #lazyBoater

The locks in Ontario Canada have plastic coated cables hanging down inside the locks, anchored at the top and bottom and spaced about 6-8 feet apart. Pull up to the cable, flip your line around the cable and secure it to the boat. Now the boat will stay close to the wall and won't pull forward or backwards when it fills. The rope loop will slide up or down the cable as the lock fills and drains, so the boater doesn't need to worry about it.

Thankyou for sharing you singlehandedly working the locks. Some useful tips.

Well explained Robbie.....thanks for sharing

Great info, thanks Robbie

Thanks for the video, Robbie, Take care.

I always click like....before I have even watched the video! 😆

My relative had a big part in building Huddersfield Broad Canal. Thanks for such a great video.

Hi Robbie, I recently binge watched your brilliant BBC4 series and got inspired to take my first canal trip, just learning the nuts and bolts from your vlogs here before I go. Thanks mate and keep up the great work :-)

Many thanks Robbie, take care

The Kings Head is a cracking pub, always a stop off on the Rail Ale tour 😎

Yes , it is nice of you. Thank you.

Excellent tutorial....cant wait get my boat, I to will be doing the locks on my own, few years yet though..

I am trying to curb my addiction to watching these great vlogs.It was good to hear about the Vegan options in the pub. Greatly appreciated information from this vlog. Thanks Robbie.

I really like, instructive video

I really like your "warts 'n all" style of presentation Robbie. Even though I've only done 2 separate weeks' canal cruising (many years apart !), I am well aware of the difficulties of "going it alone" on the network, so more power to your proverbial elbow !!

That's exactly my sort of pub of the week - calm and decorous.

The King's Head looks like a pub one could hang out in for sure ALE!!!

Hello there, enjoyable veiwing n Very interesting good camera work Thank you for sharing your video cheers take care see you soon

I would enjoy a pint at the King's Head pub. Any pub that has Timothy Taylor's on is going to be a good pub! Lovely pint that Landlord Ale! Enjoying your videos from Indianapolis, Indiana USA. Safe travels! Cheers! :D

Thanks so much for the video.

Looking forward to this year's BV canal boat diaries, Robbie.

Brilliant!

Keep the vids coming 👍

Bravo Robbie! You must have muscles where ordinary humans don't have any! Superb video old friend. Be careful on the river please

North cut at Brighouse has the best chip shop we have ever been to!!

Top vid again you are just too good. !!!

Doesn't’’t it make you ridiculously happy when you’re coming out of a lock and you see a boat coming the other way so you don’t have to stop and close it? It’s a Tea and biscuit moment for me

As a newbie CCer these are great videos to watch mate ... keep up the good work ... Red

Thanks Robbie. I love to see so much green along the canal when I have white saturation in real life. Snow, snow everywhere. Shovel, shovel, shovel. It’s fun to try to figure out how you must have set up the camera then go back to get the sequence of shots you want. Then go and get the camera. For every hour doing that there must be another hour of editing to cut out the back and forth parts.

Enjoyed your video again. Looks like you're loving your life on board The Naughty Lass

Cool, Thanks!

Hi Robbie Nice to see lock operation how you do it solo looking forward to seeing the video

Enjoyed the vlog, I was born in North of England not far from Huddersfield narrow canal.

Aww dewsbury , my home town... Back in the day , the river used to change colour, as the factories used to discharge the dye into the river after use....how times have changed

10/10 for the vlog. Video was fantastic, clean with no blurring or shaking. Music, not too intrusive. Speech; clear, concise and interesting. Luckily I’m part of a couple so it was interesting to see how a solo boater manages.

Travelled this canal in September last year ,really surprised it had a country side feel for most of its length despite being in continuous suburban areas . Interesting to see a single handers problems with various locks and gate issues must be a lot more time consuming than having at least one crew . Ended up with our boat un manned in the middle of the cut here due to hopping off to shut the gates as I left ,quite funny looking back but not so much at the time. Great vid rob ,oh HAPPY New year

Professional confidence is shining through now, Robbie, and the video is excellent. The effort was worth every minute - or more likely, hour. Thank you.

Kings head, hands down!

Brilliant vlog as always Robbie & sound quality has definitely improved 👌

Having the centre line to hand is a great idea. There are times when coming down a lock, I'll pull the boat in rather than use the engine. Also, I prefer to open just one paddle if I'm on my own, so that the water flow is lower and I can then control the boat with that centre line more easily.

therapy besides my Aussie Shiraz ..is hearing "Pubbb of the weeek" Aaaahhhhh

Hi Robbie, nice vlog. I was born in Huddersfield. That last lock before the river Calder was where my Mum and Dads friends lived. My "aunty" Emma was the lock keeper. Our house, was up to the left. Built over a foundry, It looked on to that lock and the river. The houses were knocked down and It eventually became a car pitch for Landrover, until recently. Those locks actually looked quite good. The Calder and Hebble towards Wakefield are disgraceful. Its like CRT don't know it exists. Needs some brass spending on it.

Pretty sure any vandal worth his salt and willing to carry a crank around with him is going to get himself a key (but ho-hum). It is incredible the amount of effort those tw@s will put in to get up to mischief - boggles the mind sometimes.

Good tutorial, should do more of it.

Hi Robbie I have been watching since 2017 on and off Stewart William

Absolutely loved this vid, I'm trying to catch up with all ur vlogs but I'm doing so in a very random order 🙄...

cool!

My...all of the fiddly parts!!! With that locke.

Don't tie up to ladders or handrails, use bollards or put your foot on a long centre line. My pet hate loose ladders or bent handrails

Seems to me that the key thing about the centre line is to wrap at round anything available, and safe, to prevent it falling into the lock, so you can use it to manoeuvre your boat if necessary. Obviously, it's more tricky in wide locks (some of those going down to Chester are vicious!). Andy, Nb Whiskey Mac.

Just goes to show it's not always pimms o'clock, however, chilling out is always better when you've worked hard.

I saw a neat lock trick on another video. The guy used a rope attached to his stern, and as he steered the boat into the lock, he lassoed the the upright posts on the gates, and just let the momentum of the boat pull the gates shut after him.

Hi Robbie. I think you'll find that in most cases you can save yourself a bit of time and trouble (the bit you don't like) by just stopping the boat immediately past the exit gate(s), get off, close the gate, and jump back on. The boat shouldn't be going anywhere for few minutes but you can keep an eye on it in case it starts to drift (leave the stern rope off).

That was a lot of yanking for the cranking!

OHHH Hand spikes!!!

Is this your first proper vlog after the Beeb stuff? It's a good one. Great to hear you got a series 2.

wow.. the most literal sense of Lift Bridge

I have a shetland 644 and planning on bringing her down the canal

Decisions, decisions!

Feelin a bit fed-up Robbie?! You appear a little disenchanted with narrowboat life? I do hope it’s just a passing phase, I enjoy your vlogs and your TV series must be the best canal based TV program I’ve seen! Here’s hoping you’re just a bit “SAD”, it’s that time of year after all. Go find yourself a good pub of the week! All the best.

7:39 "Okay s'this this me coming into..." Google on my phone: "Oh! Did you say my name? Was it my name? Let me interrupt, was it for me? Can I help? How can I help? Aren't I a wonderful tool?" :/

5:30 for start of the how to

Good tutorial, thanks! I know next to nothing about locks and narrowboats, but I was a bit concerned about the loose drawstrings of your hoodie flapping around next to the machinery. Do take care! :)

Just binge watched your canal diaries on iPlayer; I’m taking ownership of a boat in spring and will be bringing her back from rugby to Manchester probably on my own so really interesting to watch your techniques. Seems from the videos you dont always moor up in locks as “naughty lass” is often diagonal across the lock? Is this the case or do you usually tie up alongside with the centre line?

I have a question. When the lock has 2 gates to open, how do you get over the canal to open the other gate ? Do you have to get back in the boat, and move it to the other side, so you can then get out on that side to open the opposite gate ? Sorry but its bothering me xx

Hi Robbie, I have been following your adventures along the canal, and really enjoy your videos. I would like to buy you a drink, could you please le me know how I can do this? Keep up the brilliant and very entertaining vidoes. I live in Devon, and wonder if you have been along any of the canals down south.

Moor at the bottom gates rather than go to the lock mooring ! Much easier and quicker ... Most have steps at the side

Please let me know the first music, looked on his music but can't find it!

Oh, so this fella is still around. I thought maybe he'd gone back to regular land lubber life.

I know what you mean about mooring on the other side so you can close the gates, makes it such a tiring job being on your own. Amazing how tired you are at the end of the day!

Newbie question. How do you get across the lock to shut the far gate? Do you have to go back onto the boat and up the opposite ladder?

You Crank It right through of course!

Hand spike paddles would love to go back in time and ask the inventor WHY?!!!!

That was very interesting. The open access to operating the bridge lift and locks was interesting also. I do not think that is something you'd find in the U.S. What if someone just left both sides of the locks entirely open? What if someone just left the bridge lift up?

When you're leaving a lock, is there no way you can loop your stern rope over the post at the end of the lock gate and use it to pull the gate closed behind you as you leave, to avoid having to stop again to close the gate afterwards ?

I have a question! So a friend of mine is selling me his old canal boat and its going to be my first boat. I want to completely renovated the entire thing, including taking all the walls down and starting from scratch. Is this a good idea or do the walls hold some structure to the boat?

Is your rev counter knackered?

Have to give credit to single boaters like you, I'd do one lock on my own and say, nope, not doing anymore.....LOL

Is there such thing a disabled moorings

all they need is a pair of mole grips(I have seen them do it Robbie)

Was this recorded in January? It looks almost summerish...

Was the Venice video removed?. Didn't get chance to watch it :/

I guees it must be harder for you. Jono has molly to steer him out of trouble if need be :)

Surely you can afford to hire someone to do that for you now :)

Hi what do you use to cut out the wind noise x

Gasometer at 4:20

Hi Robbie. I've just tried to watch the video you uploaded today about Venice but it says it's a private video🙁

Just thought you might like to know you have just been on spanish TV on a program called Zapeando talking about narrowboats.

So nice pic i see here.town nice.i love almost all boat.you are so handsome men.ok..my love there and have souper times.

Robbie, I think you meant "single handling" not "single handing" - unless you've tied one behind your back.

Small point, Iain is pronounced exactly the same as Ian..... just so you know!

Robbie do you know when CBD is going to be repeated on BBC please? Best rgds Ian

I have just found you I'm sorry.I will find you again.

@za

Wouldn’t it be great if the CRT could fit all new lock gates with eye bolts so that individual boaters could pull the gates closed with a barge pole from the boat as it exited to save mooring up.

ey up robbie im moored brighouse basin give me a shout ill do rivergates for u

I myself do not call that easy. Looks like to me it's a pain in the ass to jump on land, tie up boat, take a key or whatever you called it earlier & I was to lazy to rewind the video to hear what you called it, my bad sorry, unscrew that part of the lock to put your wrench on that part of the lock, open the doors, jump back on your boat after you untie the line, putt putt your boat thru the lock, jump back off your boat, tie it up again, walk back to the lock, close the gates, lower the part that you cranked up before, put the key back on & screw the two parts together, untie your boat yet again, then off to the next 250 locks on that part of the canal. DID I MISS ANY PART OF THAT OPEN & CLOSING OF THE LOCK? IF I DID. OH PLEASE DO CORRECT ME IF I MADE A MISTAKE I WOULD HATE TO OF MISSED ANY STEPS ON THAT. OMG CALL ME LAZY, I would sell my boat so damn fast if I had to do all those steps or I would cruise somewhere else where there wasn't any locks...... lol.... Oh how I do love & appreciate are waterways here in Missouri. Thank God we didn't have a drunk engineer working on our water ways........ YEAH OH YEAH to lazy me. I'm not trying to disrespect your water travels. I'm just being honest about it all & my honesty gets me in a lot of trouble. So I would rather have an honest subscriber who had my back then one blowing smoke up my ass.... lol... So I'm sorry to you & all your English waterway fans if I hurt your feelings. Keep on CRANKING & doing what makes you happy. Have a wonderful week, Chris from Missouri

People will watch this and try going through on one gate, IMO terrible practice, thats why the majority of gates leak. It only takes a few minutes longer to open both.