Automatically Opening Canal Lock Gates

[morethanadequate]

Thumb-lining is how the technique is referred to by boaters.

[Dyad1968]

Doesn't dropping the gates rather than lowering them by windlass damage them?

[degsy2us]

@Dyad1968

I think you refer to the paddles being dropped (the gates are left standing). Watch and listen and you will see and hear that the 'dropping' is damped by using the hand on the rotating shaft as they go down. You can of course wind them down, but allowing them to hit the bottom ensures they are ALL the way down and seated.

[mynextstopkraljevo]

I'm always fascinated by canal locks. So much so, I made my own YouTube video. Have you seen it yet?

[morethanadequate]

Excellent! Maybe the first video of thumb-lining on YouTube. The really clever part I think is where the slip knot lets go as the boat passes out of the lock.

[degsy2us]

@morethanadequate

I know it's a year ago, but 'thumb lining' is incorrect - it's called using a gate line, or 'gate-lining'. No thumbs were harmed or caused damage to in this video.