The Key to Locks
Tom Cunliffe explains how to skipper a yacht through unfamiliar locks, steering clear of stress and the likelihood of damaging your topsides.
The lock-keepers at Hythe Marina, on Southampton Water, have produced a DVD of clips from their CCTV cameras, built up from a seemingly endless procession of 'cock-ups'. Boat after boat is seen arriving full of hope, only to end up sideways-on, bouncing from wall to wall, or hung up by her cleats as the water level falls inexorably. Any old hand who watches starts out by laughing fit to bust, but ends up with a sneaking feeling of guilt at all the near misses he or she may have got away with.
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