David Cragg wrote: > We moored once to be passed a few minutes later by a chap lock wheeling down > the Stratford Canal. About 50 minutes later a boat passed which we knew was > not his but who's crew were enjoying finding every lock open and ready for > them. A bit later the lock wheelers boat passed, its crew cursing the lazy > lock wheeler who (they told us) had obviously buggered off to some pub > leaving them to work the locks - all of which were against them. This story > backs the old adage of only working one lock ahead and making sure your boat > arrives to use it before you go to set the next.
Going down you probably want to be a little further ahead than that, depending on how the locks as spaced, as for maximum water efficiency you want to have the lower lock below filling before the paddles at the upper lock are opened. Going up, of course, it's the same in reverse so you really don't want to be too far ahead. Locks often also empty quicker than they fill. With your approach, going down Marple, the boat would constantly be waiting for the next lock to finish filling, which sort of undermines the principle. But that's all detail. The key thing is that you should know where your boat is and not get too far ahead. But since I'd guess that only about one boat in 20 does anything other work the lock the boat is at, it's all academic these days.
