How NOT to navigate a lock

How the English navigate a French Lock!

[@MrDorbel]

I had been boating on canals for over 50 years, including many years of owning and working full length narrow boats, when I hired a small glass-fibre cruiser on a French canal. Entering or leaving a lock cleanly was almost impossible in a breeze, as the boat handled like a polystyrene raft! Very shallow draft, high superstructure, light weight and a steering wheel with no centre indication do not make for accurate handling. Engaging reverse to try and stop caused unstoppable rotation. I have the greatest sympathy with these obviously inexperienced boaters.

[@MrBooojangles]

I nearly peed my pants with laughter. I'd hate to see them on the sea, if they can't even manage a canal without waves and constantly moving water. I think they must have hired a way too big boat for what they needed or could handle. I bet the hire company are glad they put so many fenders on it. 😂

[@EASYTIGER10]

Quite an achievement turning a boat round in that width of canal

[@CocoaBeachCharters]

Reminds me of Austin powers turning the golf cart around in the hall way.

[@lewisharper3353]

The lady fending off on the bow looks totally knackered at the end!

[@Mgt461]

Perhaps laughing at someone who is finding something incredibly difficult to do isn’t exactly helpful or kind?

[@cazw179]

Only need to turn the wheel slightly....otherwise it goes too far left or right. Sailed on the broads...only needs a slight touch.

[@orelygarcia]

Going to need more fenders.

[@skydofinurhead4599]

The rotation of the prop can cause new captains headaches till you learn hot the low speed rotation of the prop will drag you to the right and left

[@MrRCGNL]

Boat in reverse, bowthruster on, and it wil turn around its own centerpoint.

[@finbira]

Eyy nice Little 360 there! Amazing you pulled it off on such a narrow canal!

[@ZX12IAN]

Obviously attended the Stevie Wonder school of boat handling.

[@micokaluzny7889]

Wenn der Propeller bei diesem 360 Grad Manoever in die Boeschung kommt 😨

[@scottwallace3900]

I thought frank spencer was dead

[@JD-qv2dq]

my man did a doughnut before sending it to another lock..!!! LMAO...!! hahaha thumbs up to booze..!!! ;-)

[@travelwithme1583]

Interesting...thumb up for you video

[@alancrook1034]

They need a ten year old to show them how to do it.

[@williamerdman3349]

As the saying goes....drive it like you stole it...

[@michaelbryant2383]

Feck moi, there's a space near the bow for yet another fender!

[@cathrynm]

Boating, more difficult than it looks.

[@apathyintheuk265]

Why the 360? I thought they were just attempting an about turn. I thought that was a nifty 27 point turn up until 1:50 and then it started to go very weird.

[@markduncan6690]

Grounds for Divorce!!

[@funkyfender1]

Completely ignorant of the phenomenon of ‘prop walk’ and how to use its properties and bias to manoeuvre a boat in close quarters! Too heavy on the throttle during the 360 (why was he doing a 360 in the first place?) and too fast entering the lock. Use bursts of ahead and astern, vectoring thrust using the rudder... lucky not to have lost his prop, grounding it during the ridiculous superfluous 360 manoeuvre! Clearly a rental boat!

[@rogerwhittle2078]

Stephen Bradley. I am a hire boater (unashamed and unapologetic,) but mostly narrowboats on UK canals. We did Nieuwpoort - Dixmude - Ypres - Nieuwpoort - Brugges - Nieuwpoort a couple of years ago in a similar cruiser. What with wind, rain and commercial barges, the Ghent - Ostende is not a place to do that sort of thing. However, the boat we had, did have slightly different turning characteristics than a narrowboat. It was easier, in fact. The instruction I had from the boatyard was to keep the wheel in the same place, once you had started the turn and then fore and aft (gently) on the throttle and it will keep turning. Prop walk is present all the time, of course, but it is almost negligible going ahead, but very prominent going astern. In very serious cases (like an ex navy motor whaler) the trick was to centre the rudder, give it some beans astern, then close the throttle and point the rudder in the direction you want to go. I don't know if there was something wrong with that boat, but it didn't seem to want to turn left? Even after the mysterious 360 degree turn, he snatched defeat from the very jaws of victory, by drift off right - again. There didn't seem to be much wind? I agree about the laughing. A bit of gentle, timely advice might have gone down quite well.

[@swingaleles]

A 360 turn on a 38ft boat in a 40 ft canal gets 8/10 but lock entry only gets 3/10. Your friends on shore are useless. A good reason why you dont buy ex rental boats :-)

[@TheByard]

Nine fenders down one side should give a clue on the shippers skill. But helping will not improve performance, the skipper needs some tuition and lots of practise.

[@psirvent8]

This is a rental boat and they always have a lot of fenders as most people hiring them don't have a license.

[@1yachtcarpenter]

Interesting..

[@jasonwoods2240]

Why not offer assistance rather than laugh at someone struggling !!

[@ianr5978]

JasonWoods He is the type who wouldnt accept help..its a member of the family/party thats quite rightly laughing.. so calm down cupcake !!!

[@bandit8720]

Don`t drink don`t Drive................

[@jaredcolahan759]

is this staged ? even by accident you would do better.

[@sarahsytubeid]

Boats do not turn like cars volume 12,963

[@MrRCGNL]

Correct, my car needs approx 2.5 times its lengt to make a 180 degree turn. My boat 1.5 ...... As long as you know how to handle a boat

[@geoffb1138]

Left hand down and it goes left , right hand down it goes to the right, what does your boat do?

[@jeffsmith380]

Some people should just stay home so they don't become public idiots.....

[@numptyjames1]

l hope he dosent drive a car

[@andyowens5494]

OMG, I’d have laughed too. I’ve only canal’d once, and its just not THAT hard; takes a special effort to nawse it up that much. I really wouldnt want to be in the road when they leave the boat and drive home.

[@DoktrDub]

Depends on the specifics of the boat, this can happen and get out of control if you aren’t used to the boat.

[@Thief400]

Is he drunk lmao

[@jerryadams2191]

Small knowledge. 😎

[@bogoto247]

Perhaps a new hobby? A hike might be a bit more suitable.

[@psirvent8]

Rental boat and most likely the first time at the wheel for the captain. (These boats can be rented by anyone, even without a license).

[@terrybarnhurst7119]

Could be German they have no canals

[@ianwilson6417]

terry barnhurst. Not quite right mate. Germany has some what 7000 Kilometers of navigable waterways, 1700 of them on canals. Canals that are only used by pleasurecraft not included. But neither the less, if you can`t afford to go to the Cinema on a Weekend, go to a busy lock. It`s more entertaining.

[@renerene5370]

Omg haal deze mensen van het water die brengen andere schade toe

[@898moto5]

That was painful to watch.

[@psirvent8]

A bit, yeah...

[@andyaldrich5110]

Let me no if your out on the UK canals..could do with anther laugh

[@theklrdudeoo9173]

that is fake !

[@Hugofreddie]

Doh maybe instead of laughing try helping . Inexperience and a small current makes it hard . Put the camera down and help. Everybody has to learn

[@danielbarnes8694]

The laughing is well immature

[@looneyirish007]

jesus fucking christ,

[@peterbamforth932]

BLIMEY ...lol

[@CosgroveNotts]

Ffs

[@CrawfordJohnstone]

Totally pathetic

[@guglielmodicarlo4139]

omg that woman is so annoying

[@MrBoltonlee]

I bet it's a woman

[@harveysmith100]

It was clear at the beginning that he was nervous of locks, he made a really good attempt at getting onto the towpath to go around.

[@nicholascarter2640]

I’m on the canal du midi at the moment, and I can tell you it’s not just brits, it’s every nationality. French are worst, full speed ahead mon capitan!

[@psirvent8]

🤣🤣

[@iguanapete3809]

why the 360?

[@psirvent8]

And the lock keeper was just patiently waiting... 😂😂

[@michaelbonello7795]

She couldn't be doing a more dangerous job for her own safety and the worst place to be with an untrained helmsman. She should thank her lucky stars that boat hook did not hit her back when pressing against the walls. As if she was going to stop the power of the boat with a boat hook!

[@SuperPirate100]

Amazing how some folk can make a simple manoeuvre look so difficult

[@yinny11-11]

See above comment. It was far from easy even for an experienced canal boat captain & they explain why. Easy to be a keyboard captain.❤

[@SuperPirate100]

@yinny11-11 I'm a retired ships captain, marine pilot and have also sailed small boats for 64 years . Believe me it's an easy manoeuvre .

[@PeterNGloor]

I have witnessed French boaters acting like this...

[@regdetouraine9571]

Moi, jamais...

[@Itsaboutthewaterlife]

Remind me: if I ever buy a Narrowboat: train.

[@hornplayer1228]

A rather strange looking lock!

[@kenmay4468]

the dads drunk again