Boating Lessons Learned: Calling the Lock.

BLUF: I find that the locking through process goes more smoothly if I:

– call the lock early
– be patient and polite
– employ professional radio techniques

Source: US Army Corps of Engineers

I find that it is a good idea to contract the lock as early as possible to find out the status of the lock and if any higher priority traffic is pending. If the lock will be busy for a couple of hours and there is no high priority traffic on the way then I slow down and conserve fuel or I try to find an interesting cove in which to explore away the time. This is particularly true if there is no safe location to moor in the immediate vicinity of the lock. But the order of precedence for lockage is set when I arrive at the arrival point so the sooner I arrive at the lock the sooner I am placed in the que. The priority for passage through the locks is as follows:

– U.S. Military Craft
– Commercial Passenger Vessels
– Commercial Tows
– Commercial Fishermen
– Recreation/Pleasure Craft

Sometimes small craft are required to wait and lock through with other craft. It is rare for the lock operator to allow pleasure craft to lock through along side commercial traffic due to the risks involved.

On occasion I have called the lock by phone to check on the status. This link has phone numbers for the locks on the Tennessee River. A number of factors can cause significant delay. Commercial traffic can really back up if the main lock is out of commission for maintenance.

It pays to be patient and polite with the lock operator. A few years ago I got a chance to interview a lock operator and when I asked what frustrates him the most he answered “a boater that fails to follow instructions or gets angry at having to wait.” It is the operator’s mission to do everything they can to lock me through as quickly as possible while working safely and within the regulations. He has no control over the amount of traffic or the speed at which the traffic locks through. He also has no control over locking priorities. But he does have some latitude. I have had the operator work me in between commercial traffic when the delay would otherwise be many hours. But he will only do so if he feels I can do it safely. If the entrance of the lock is congested with large commercial vessels it can be a tricky maneuver and the operator must make a judgment call whether he feels I can safely execute the operation. If I do have to wait for an extended period of time I ask the operator’s advice concerning where to safety await passage. The area below and above the lock is fraught with danger particularly below the lock where the channel is narrow and the current is swift. Sometimes the operator will offer suggestions but there are few good choices and he may choose to leave me to my own devices. The outcome of all this depends a great deal on the operator and his willingness to help so I find that it pays to be patient with and polite to the lock operator. My locking experience is more pleasant and the lock operators job is much easier that way.

Before I make the call to the lock operator I estimate my time of arrival. I call the lock operator on VHF channel 16 and address the lock operator by the name of the lock as I would address another boat. The operator generally responds by asking me to switch to either channel 14 or 13. A typical initial call goes as follows:

Boater – “Pleasure boat JUMA calling Guntersville Lock on channel 16.”

Lock Operator – “Guntersville Lock back to station calling, switch to channel 14 please skipper.”

Boater – “Switching to 14”. Both parties then switch channels followed by

Lock Operator – “Guntersville Lock back to station calling”

Boater – “Yes sir, I wish to lock through going downstream and expect to be at your upstream arrival point at 10:30”

Lock Operator – “I must fill the lock which will take about 20 minutes. Call me again when you reach the arrival point.”

Boater – “Thank you Sir. JUMA clear and standing by on Channel 16.”

Lock Operator – “Guntersville Lock clear.”

That’s about it. Is pretty simple but there are a few things to note about the interchange:

– I take the time to accurately estimate my arrival time and share that with the operator. For me this is a matter of integrity. I want the lock operator to trust my input and make sound lockage priority decisions. If he decides to hold the lock waiting for me and possibly delay the progress of other traffic then I want to hold up my end of that bargain.
– On my initial call I referred to myself as “pleasure boat JUMA”. That gives the lock operator the information he needs to determine lockable priority.
– I include the name of the lock in the call. I do this because in some areas there is more than one lock within transmission range of my radio. It doesn’t do me much good to have the wrong lock prepare for my arrival.
– I told him I was calling on channel 16. I do this because he monitors a number of channels and by telling him what channel I am calling on it eliminates any confusing that may leave me hanging on one channel while he returns my call on another.
– There is an unspoken protocol concerning who calls whom. Of course I made the initial call to the lock but during the course of the interchange the lock operator took the lead and directed me to switch to channel 14. So I switch to 14 but await his return call. By following this protocol I don’t jump the gun and talk over his return transmission.

Boating Lessons Learned: Call Early, be patient and polite, and employ professional radio techniques.

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