How to use an automatic lock

Fashion trends

Before I show you how to use an automatic lock I thought I would share with you that it has been cold over here. Very cold for two soft Australians. I know in the media there have been a lot of stories about the heatwave, and we have had some hot days. But the last couple of weeks have been chilly. We had a few days with cold and drizzly rain where it was hard to stay warm.

At this stage of our trip, Ivan and I don’t really have the right gear for outdoor activity in cold weather. Therefore I invented a new canal look that I think is quite stylish as well as practical. I am sure it will take off.

Using an automatic lock

So far in the 6 weeks that Ivan and I have been living on our canal boat in France we’ve been through about 80 or so locks. They are all slightly different, which adds to the fun. But the biggest difference is that some of them are manually operated and some are automatic. Before we came across the automatic locks we were trying to find out how they worked and we couldn’t find much information. So this post is mainly for people on canal boats who would like information on how to use an automatic lock.

I’ve already written about locks in another post so I won’t go into too much detail. But in summary, they are designed to allow canals (and therefore boats) to go up and down hills. They are an engineering marvel.

I’ve recorded a series of videos to show how to go through an automatic lock. Please excuse the quality as I was trying to film and go through a lock at the same time. I was also worried about dropping my phone in the canal.

Where to get your automatic lock opener

The Canal au Rhone Rhin (the Burgundy Canal) commences at a place called Saint-Symphorien. There, at lock number 75, you will be handed an automatic lock opener by the lock keeper. This is yours to keep for the entire length of the canal which ends at Fontenelles (lock 8).

Approaching the automatic lock

About 200 metres away from an automatic lock is the time to turn on the machine. This is what happens.

Securing the boat in the lock

Once inside the lock it’s time to secure the boat at each end. I take the front while Ivan steers us in. Once we are close to a bollard, I throw a line over the bollard and pull our boat in close so that it doesn’t move around too much. Ivan then throws a line over a bollard at the back and then we are nice and secure.

Operating the lock mechanism

The lock gates won’t close until someone pushes up the blue lever. Sometimes I will do this and sometimes it is Ivan – it depends on who is closest. Here’s what happens next.

Going down

Once the back gates are closed fully the lock empties and the boat descends.

Coming out the other side

The final stage is exiting the lock. It’s a matter of waiting until the gates are fully opened, unhooking the lines that have secured the boat and then driving out. Too easy!