How do raft up going through the Ballard locks

[billwerth]

I'd like to get your opinion and advice on something that happened today. Possilby you might avoid what happened to me.

My boat is moored just inside the Ballard locks, so most trips start and end with going through the locks. Occasionally we go through the large locks. Being one of the smaller boats, we have to raft up to a larger boat. Of the two times I've gone through, I've seen boats almost collide due to being improperly tied up.

Today, I was one of those boats. I normally keep the bow mooring line with the looped end attached to the cleat, so I naturally handed the other end to the boat we were instructed to raft up to. So this fellow boater secures the end to a cleat on their boat. Everything is fine until the loud speaker says "Secure all lines ...", and for some reason they misunderstand and loosen the line and hold one end in their hand. I expain to her that when the lock gate opens, it will be like a rushing river, and that she needs to secure the line, but instead she just wraps it back and forth over the cleat a few times, but doesn't lock it down. Now the water rushes in and my boat begins to separate from their boat. I yell, "secure the line". We manage to work together to get the boats back together. I pull up, then release the slack, then she pulls the slack in. Disaster averted.

So what would you do to prevent putting the safety of your boat in the hands of a complete stranger?

I'm thinking next time I will hand the looped end to the other boat and ask them to put it around a cleat. I will then secure the other end to my cleat. This way I can be sure it won't be release prematurely and also will know that it is tied down correctly.

[1northernstar]

In the past I've put the loop on my cleat, had the other boat wrap it around their cleat, and pass it back to me to secure on my cleat. This way (1) you know its secure, and (2) when you untie, you don't need their help and can just pull the line back onto your boat.

[Go Aweigh2452]

In the past I've put the loop on my cleat, had the other boat wrap it around their cleat, and pass it back to me to secure on my cleat. This way (1) you know its secure, and (2) when you untie, you don't need their help and can just pull the line back onto your boat.

Same here... No sense in getting tied to someone who may or may not know whats going on... when the gates open, we have someone on the line and they wait for the lockmasters to let go. If everyone watched their own boats, their would be fewer problems. I would never give my lines to another boater in the locks without me having the bitter end so I can retrieve at my will.

[billwerth]

Thanks.

Looping the line around their cleat and tying off on my boat sounds like an excellent idea.

[Nehalennia]

Glas there was no damage and yes that's the best way to do it.

[Pegasis]

Make sure your lines are long enough to go from your boat, to the other boat, and back again. All the other boater needs to do is loop your line over their cleat and you tie off to your own boat. When it comes time to release all that's needed is a little slack from your end and the other boater picks the line off of their cleat and off you go. If the other boater isn't paying attention when it's time for you to move all you cave to do is untie the line from your boat and pull the secured end end back to your boat and the line easily slides past their cleat.

[billwerth]

No damage to my boat. I didn't see it, but my wife said the boat I was tied to wasn't properly tied to the next boat in line. When my boat went sideways it put a lot of pressure on the other lines and a dingy tied on the back with an outboard made contact with the next boat.

Next chance I get I plan to ensure the bow line is long enough to easily reach another boat and back with spare to tie off. I know it is long enough for a straight across tie, but might not be if their cleat is too far to one side.

Thanks.

[Go Aweigh2452]

A requirement is to carry at least two 50' lines to go through the locks...

[billwerth]

A requirement is to carry at least two 50' lines to go through the locks...

That is a good point, although if you have a smaller boat, you may never use them, since you will usually be rafted to a larger boat. I carry two 50' lines, but haven't used them yet.

For those that may not know what the 50' lines are for, the loop end is attached to the dock, and the other end is kept tight to the boat cleat. As the water goes up (or down) the boat end must be constantly adjusted to keep the boat against the wall of the lock. Last time I went through, the captain of the boat against the dock wall neglected to tighten one of his lines, so the dock personnel had to take in the slack up above until he was instructed to do it.

Not really a smooth time through at all :shock:

[burrman]

Great information for a first timer. Is there a radio frequency I need to monitor when approaching the locks? What are some of the other requirements other than the 50' lines, fenders and common sense?

[Tedster]

Burr, you can listen only to Ch 13 but that is for commercial traffic only. However that being said by listening you can tell if any commercial traffic is going to go in front of you since they have priority always. Your equipment list is right on, esp. the common sense.

[Pegasis]

The few times I took my boat through the locks I've never needed the 50' lines, although they are nice to have as I've seen motor yachts that were tying multiple lines together to get a line length long enough for the task.

Make sure you have bumpers all the way around your boat so you're not needing to reposition them if the lockmaster tells you to go the wal you're not expecting to go to.

Also there is a class that you can take provided at the visitor center at the locks if you feel uncomfortable. They talk you through what to expect. Take a drive one day and take the class and watch the zoo in the locks.

[billwerth]

Take a drive one day and take the class and watch the zoo in the locks.

When I go through the locks, I do feel a bit like an animal in the zoo. :) There is a fence around the top with people gawking and taking pictures as the boats go through.

Fun to watch, usually fun to go through them too, unless something goes wrong :)