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We are going out today and will be going through the locks on the local lake channel. It is a smaller lock, 77' long and 19.5' wide. I have gone through it on our boat when I was about 6 (35+ years ago) so I have a vague memory that there are hanging chains along the wall to hold on to. It will only be my wife and I and two young kids. Trying to visualize how to navigate the boat and keep it against the wall while I turn it off and move to the front or back to hold onto a chain.

We do have four fenders so my thought was to put two on each side to keep other boats away from us, 19.5' isn't very wide with two 8.5' wide boats together.

Looking for any advice or tips to keep from banging into the walls and other boats as well as any tips to keep other boats from banging into us.

thanks

Sounds fun.
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Biggest mistake people make is tying up while the lock water level goes up or down. Other than that it’s a non-Event.

Don’t over think it, you already know what you’re doing. Get in line at the entrance to the lock, when the gates open the boats in there will start exiting, there will be a red stop light on until the lock is clear. Once clear the lock master will change your light to green and provide direction over a PA.

Pull in, fenders out, and when you’re where the lock master wants you grab the ropes hanging off the wall and wait. There’s another red/green light in the lock, so when the gates open back up wait for the green light and the lock master will direct order of exit.

Here’s a video posted to the Chain O Lakes FB page, I love the Chain!

Bring disposable gloves with you. The lines/ropes could be slimmy. Have fun!

Our locks run a little higher, 50-60 ish feet drop/rise. (fascinating fact: uses 15 million gallons of water with each flush!) We make sure to position fenders so as they will "wedge" themselves either above or below the rubrail depending on the travel direction, and not tend to try to squirt out. Our locks have floating (trapped in wall channels) tie offs, want to make sure to tie to those, and not a stationary one.

We convinced a newbie lock traveler that is was tradition to lick the lock on their first trip through. She was a trooper, and we stopped her just in time!

thanks for the tips, as expected it was a non-event, they only allow 4 boats in at a time, there is a pier on each end of the lock to stage at. The lock master comes over and provides direction on where he wants each boat to go and what to do. The side of the lock are lined with composite decking run vertically with roughly 6" spacing between them, plenty of protection for the boats and easy to hold onto as the water goes up or down. Biggest issue, as would be expected, is the other people's ability to control their boat at slow speeds

The only locks Ive went through were on the Mississippi, I think a person could ski in them. It is a little unnerving the first time.

Glad to hear it was a non-event. I'm guilty as being one to overthink things. It can be a good think, but I realize there are occasions that it just kinda bogs the system down.