Onderwerp: Locks and time to pass it through

Dear all,

Continuing my passage plan on the trip I will be taking to bring my new (to me) boat from Roermond to Markermeer, we are going through several sluis.

I have a couple questions I would like your knowledgeable input as it will help me with the planning and also to rest my mind as well.

1 - I was told to be extremely cautious when entering the sluis with commmercial cargo ships. But mostly, specially when the lock opens and they start moving. I was told that the turbulence is so much, it's quite difficult to secure the boat on the lines. Therefore, I was advised to avoid the locks with commercial shipping at all costs. Do you share the same concerns? Knowing I won't be able to avoid commercial shipping all the time, what's your advice?

2 - In average, what's the time it takes to go through the lock? half an hour? 45 minutes? 1 hour? more??

Thanks,
Pedro

From Roermond you travel quite a bit downstream following the river Maas.
It has some huge locks in it. You have to let the barges in front of you when entering the lock, you can wait at approximately the entrance. When they are moored and put their prop in neutral you can enter . Tie up as much as you can in the back of the lock.

When coming out, let the barges leave first, only when they are outside the lock untie your lines. Current is less when you wait long enough.

You cannot and do not have to avoid beeing in a lock with one or some barges, you will get nowhere. I travel this part of the country twice a year with a 28 ft motorsailer, sometimes alone. Get your fenders, lines and picking hook ready and make sure your engine is ok.

Time to pass a lock is between half an hour when you can enter right away or 3 hours when there is a hot summer with little water in the river.

Much of the regulation of traffic through the locks goes through VHF.

It might be an idea to get your certificate and have at least a handheld with you.

and simply follow instructions from lock personnel, through VHF or in the lock itself. Usually, they understand the dangers of commercial ships combined with yachts, and make sure the process is safe.
I was once in the commercial lock of Zeebrugge (other lock was closed) together with a 350m (!) cargo ship. They simply let us in first, and we moored in front of the cargo ship. We also moved out first. That also works fine. But again, follow instructions.

Most locks and bridges also do have an intercom in front of it where you can announce yourself to get a pass through in case you dont have a vhf .
Or you simply have to moor and walk to the lockmasters house.
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Stefanvanvee schreef :
Thanks Stefan for your insightful information. It's in line with my thoughts but good to have a confirmation of someone who has done it before!

Regards,
Pedro

Joop66 schreef :
Hello,

Yes correct. I do have an SRC certificate and for this trip I will be using an handheld VHF radio.

Thanks,
Pedro

AndreAzuree schreef :
Hello,

Indeed... I went through locks a few times in the past but, never with cargo ships, so I more or less know the procedure.

We will be 2 persons on board during the trip and this friend has some experience dealing with the situation. I just need to get a few more fenders to make sure I'm not going to scratch the gelcoat on the walls.

Thanks,
Pedro

Yellow Boat schreef :
Thanks Ad,

Yes... I will be using an VHF handheld, so I guess it will be be "easy" that part.

Regards,
Pedro

Stefanvanvee schreef :
BTW Stefan, the trip is planned to start on April-2nd. Although I hope I can do a dry trip I don't expect lack of water on the rivers and canals

Pedro

Or call the phone number for the lock.

paredondo schreef :
ah nothing can go wrong then

paredondo schreef :
Indeed. Especially this early in the season there will be plenty of room in the locks. Be aware with your line handling that some locks drop 11m. For instance the second lock downstream from Roermond.

Orange Sunset schreef :
Actually... that would be the preferred way. Maybe it would be easier to "convince" the lock master to allow us be in front

perry2 schreef :
Well... it's going to be Easter weekend and also the first where people like myself, had the boat on the water after the winter, so there might be some additional traffic.

I am taking notes as part of my passage planning and the drop is one piece of information I am noting down.

All of that said: I once left a lock near Hansweert. It is a HUGE lock, but the freight boats left the water in complete turmoil.

When driving out, I needed almost the entire width of the lock not to hit the walls.

Typically the strategy then is:
1: Wait a bit.
2: Use quite a bit of power.
3: Never mind the pointing of your boat, just keep both walls at approximately the same distance. This feels WEIRD!

Make it yourself a bit more easy, take the canals till Den Bosch, not the river Maas. Till Veghel hardly any traffic.

From there take the Maas downstream till Heusden, Heusdens Kanaal and Afgedamde Maas till Woudrichem, cross the Merwede to Gorinchem, take the Linge to Arkel and then the Merwedekanaal to Vianen, cross the Lek and continue on the Merwedekanaal to Utrecht and follow the Vecht to Muiden.

PS or take a very experienced river- and canal-sailor with you.

La Mavare schreef :
I will look into this option but... if I'm not wrong and based on what I could see already, the first part until Den Bosch has a lot of locks, right?

Joop66 schreef :
Yes... I guess one key point is to wait a bit, until the waters inside the lock are more settled and a bit before the lock master starts to complain.

Yes, but the canal is quiet till Veghel, no big barges. And the scenery is very nice.

If its not mentioned already ; because youn go downstream its quite possible that there will be some current from behind in thet loch so aways first fasten to behind the stern and after that the front otherwise you may get turned around by the current. And thats really not so uncommon to happen in several Dutch lockgates
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Yellow Boat schreef :
Good tip!

Thanks Ad

La Mavare schreef :
Will analyze that option in detail.

paredondo schreef :
pepe, tranquilo sigue los instruciones y pasa

The canal from Panheel to Den Bosch is first called canal Wessem Nederweert, and then Zuid Willemsvaart. The amount of kilometers from Roermond to Den Bosch through this canal vs the Maas is about 60 km less.
The canal has 13 locks in total, as La Mavare says, till Veghel is mostly quiet with smaller locks, with the exception of lock Helmond.
After Veghel container barges get bigger, the locks also.
Last part towards the Maas is called Prinses Maxima canal, which is a diversion around Den Bosch.

Mostly this is the route I prefer, the whole canal is doable in one long day of motoring when you are lucky with the locks. Mostly two days with a stop in Aarle Rixtel or Veghel.

The lock operation is by two traffic centers. When using a VHF operation is mostly very smooth and quick.