Lock against you with exit gates open? It's not always a lazy boater's fault

As we climbed Stoke Bruerne Locks a couple of weeks ago nearly every lock was against us, as I think I said at the time. Some locks' top gates are balanced such that they swing open when the lock is full. Lock 19 is one example.

Until I went to close up after Jan had steered Jubilee through I had thought that we were following a boater who couldn't be bothered to close the gates after leaving the lock. Then I shut one gate only to see the opposite one open by itself.

To empty the lock in this scenario you might think you need three crew - one on each top gate to hold it shut and one to raise paddles the other end. But all you have to do is crack open a bottom paddle a little and then walk to the errant top gate and close it. The slight flow of water out of the lock will tend to pull the gates to. Then the lock can be emptied as normal.