Transiting the Locks, Part One

Transiting the "Locks". Or, "Horror of Horrors!"

Somehow, the Hiram M. Chittendem Locks in Ballard, which connect the fresh waters of the Lake Washington Ship Canal and the salt waters of Shilshole Bay and Puget Sound, conjure up all sorts of apocalyptic frights. Skippers secretly sweat as they consider "going through" the locks. First mates would rather be doing just about anything else, but . . . . (And boating chauvinism again raises it's stereotypical head.) New boaters ask me, "Can we spend some time "practicing going through the locks?", perhaps looking for some magic formula. Letters-to-the-editor all too frequently raise the specter of "the locks." For many, the locks are an apprehensive nightmare.

Actually, the locks are the victim of bad anecdotal reports - - most of the time.

For the next three postings I want to take a look at "transiting the Locks". This week some background as well as how to prepare for a transit.There are two parallel locks, or chambers, each distinguished by their size and their procedure for locking through, so next week we'll look at entering and leaving the small chamber, Then on the third week we'll check out using the large chamber.

Overview of the Locks

As one blogger describes it, "The water goes up, the water goes down. The boats go up, the boats go down."

Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (also known as the Ballard Locks, Government Locks, or, simply, the Locks) are maintained and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The locks were formally opened on July 4, 1917, although the first ship passed on August 3, 1916, and were named after Major Hiram Martin Chittenden, the Seattle District Engineer for the Corps of Engineers from April 1906 to September 1908. The locks connect the fresh-water of Salmon Bay (and beyond, to Lake Washington) and the salt-water of Shilshole Bay (and beyond, to Puget Sound). They raise and lower anywhere from 6 to 26 feet, depending on the tide level of Shilshole Bay.

The large chamber is 825’ long by 80’ wide. Volume of water held (and let out with each locking) is 7.7-million gallons! Exclusive of time for boats entering and tying up, it takes the large chamber 15 minutes to raise or lower, depending on the tide.

The small chamber is 150’ long by 28’ wide. Volume is 508,000 gallons. It takes 5 minutes to raise or lower the chamber, again exclusive of boats entering and tying up and depending on the tide.

Most of the time recreational boats are directed to use the small chamber. On heavy traffic days, e.g. Memorial Day, Labor Day, Opening day of boating the season, the volume of boating traffic quite often means using the large,  as well as the small, chamber. There is a priority for transiting: (1) government vessels- - federal, state, city, (2) scheduled commercial boats, such as Argosy Cruises, (3) commercial boats, and finally (4) recreational boats. You might be first in line waiting, only to be bumped by a higher priority boat. Kayaks catch what they can.

The locks operate 24 hours a day year round, and there is no charge. Occasionally, one chamber or the other may be closed or restricted for maintenance purposes. These closings are published in the Local Notices to Mariners.

Preparation

Preparation is the key word here. Once you start the locking process there isn't much time to get ready. Not that there is any rush locking, there isn't, yet it is a pretty focussed procedure, and one that you don't want to interrupt by doing last minute tasks,

First, you need two 50-foot lines each with an eye at one end. The lines don't have to be heavy dock lines. Half-inch 3-strand braid is fine. "Clean" your lines (they've probably been stored for weeks) by uncoiling them and flaking them out so that there are no twists or kinks in them. One line forward, one line aft. Don't fasten them to a cleat or bollard, yet; you don't know yet which chamber you'll enter or which side of the chamber you'll tie to.

Rig your fenders on both sides, probably at least three a side, cinched up to your widest beam and probably just up to the rub rails. Again, both sides, as you don't know on which side you'll tie. Be prepared for either port or starboard.

Pets best kept below deck and from under foot.

Radars and radios (VHF and AM/FMs) off, so that you can hear instructions from the lockmaster and lock attendants.

Wise to don PFDs (i.e. life jackets) - -self-inflating are great and most comfortable.

Brief/refresh your crew as to what will be happening. Suggesting that those not involved stand politely clear.

Relax and take in what's going on.

While recreational boats are not allowed to use VHF Channel 13 to contact the locks, except for emergencies, I usually monitor 13 as I approach the locks to see if I can get an idea of commercial traffic transiting the locks. It gives me some level of heads-up, which translates into "how long a wait?"

And you'll save yourself a lot of frustration if you simply anticipate that you might have to wait up to an hour (and as much as three hours at the end of a busy weekend!) to lock through, and plans should be made accordingly. It is always great to just cruise on in and out of the locks without any wait, but consider yourself very lucky! Outbound, we often transit whenever and then stage overnight at Shilshole guest dock. Makes for a relaxed, unhindered start of a cruise that next morning.

Next week the small chamber, or small locks. See you then.