Jamie Whitten Lock and How We Transit a Lock

October 4

I have lost count of the locks we have transited but there have been many.  So today for those of you who aren’t familiar with locks, I will show you how we transited Jamie Whitten Lock and Dam.

                                  

Entering the lock

We are approaching Jamie Whitten Lock and at this time we will contact the lock requesting transit.  Sometimes we are able to enter the lock immediately, sometimes we have waited for hours.  Some people have waited days when the lock is going through a major repair.  Commercial vessels have priority over pleasure boats, although our experience has been either, the lock master has asked a tow to wait for the pleasure boats to go through, or the tow captains have told the lock to take us first.  However, if a tow is in transit, it is usually quite a wait.  As we are a sailboat we usually have to circle, anchor or with permission tie off on a wall. 

The lock will either call us or sound a horn as well as give a green light when we can enter the lock.  Prior to entering the lock we usually determine whether it will be a port or starboard tie off.  Locks can either have floating bollards or a fixed bollard to secure your boat.  A floating bollard moves with the water level and a fixed bollard doesn’t move and you may need a lot of line to accommodate the change in height.  
                             

Floating bollard

Fixed bollard

Depending on what part of the river you are on, the lock will either raise or lower the water level.  At this time on the Tenn-Tom we are descending in elevation so the water level will drop.  Jamie Whitten Lock has (on our route) the largest decrease with an 84 foot drop. 

As you slowly enter the lock you find a bollard to tie off and secure your boat.  We have found most of the locks we have visited have floating bollards, which are preferred by most boaters.  You are actually not tying off your boat, but wrapping a line around a bollard, then holding on to the loose or bitter end.  This is done so you can quickly free your boat should there be a problem.  A frozen bollard is a good example.  We have experienced floating bollards that have momentarily frozen.  You do not want to be secured to a bollard with a rapidly rising or dropping water level.  Having a sharp knife is also handy to quickly cut lines to free your boat. 
   

Bruce is holding the loose end.  

This is the gate we came through, notice the before and after pictures.  This is the before picture.

Once your boat is positioned at the bollard, we notify the lock master that we are secure.  Usually around this  time they will begin to close the door.  The other gate is closed when you enter.  Now we just wait, Bruce is usually holding the midship line and I am fending the bow off the lock wall. 

An after picture, notice how high the wall is.

This is the gate we will be exiting.  Notice the difference in height from the first picture of the gate (above).  

When the lock has obtained the water level necessary, the exit gate will open.  We stay secured to the wall until the lock master sounds the horn or gives permission to leave.  At that point we continue on our way, another lock behind us!

Good bye and thank you to Jamie Whitten Lock and Dam

On to Aberdeen, MS on Tenn-Tom Waterway to wait out tropical storm Nate~~~~~→