Email: Hirers and locks

We started as hirers before buying our own boat several years ago. What I remember most is that we were never shown how to operate a lock.

However, being the sort who wanted to know all about canals before we ever started cruising my wife and I researched how to do it, and went and watched others do it, so we did have a clue.

I think the issue is difficult for hire bases to resolve, given the different levels of interest in the subject hirers have and their level of prior knowledge, especially given the hectic and fraught situations you often find on handover day.

I reckon the hire companies do their best and should pay special attention to those hirers for whom it is their first ever experience of canals, if they are able to glean that information from them. I have seen hire companies with locks relatively close to them tutor hirers through the first lock but understand the logistics issues if there are no locks close enough to do that.

I also know that the operating procedure will be in the manuals on the boat, but in the excitement of the first day of a holiday how many hirers look at that, at least before they stop for the evening!

Like nearly all of us, I suspect, I have lost count of the times where either myself or my wife have helped hirers (and others) through locks and tried to explain how it all works and the majority of them seem to be grateful for the assistance of those who have done so, so many locks over the years and still treat them with the caution they deserve.

Stuart McCord, Nb GipsyMac