How to lock through the Ballard locks.

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THIS VIDEO:
We planned to spend a few days in Lake Washington to entertain friends and family. One could trailer a boat like Emerson and launch her at a boat ramp or - arguably more popular - transit the Hiram M. Chittenden locks. Locally the locks are known as “The Ballard Locks” due to the main facilities of the locks being located in the Seattle neighborhood of Ballard (…bordering Magnolia).

We viewed YouTube videos and searched social media groups and forums (fora). We also visited the locks to observe the process of locking through from land and asked the lock attendants for their insights. We are grateful for all of the help with this process. Some of the information we found was out-of-date or we simply experienced it differently.

Our preparation and timing resulted in us using the small locks both ways to minimize our wait. We don’t want to imagine what it is like to wait with dozens of (or a hundred) boats.

If you are reading this before watching the video, you can put your pencil/keyboard away and copy/paste the highlights from the text below. We believe this information to be correct as of July 2023.

—✄— LOCKING THROUGH — ✄ —
THE LOCKS
- Connects salt & fresh; could cause currents as the two mix
- Two locks, one large and one small; small is easier to transit

BEFORE YOU GET THERE
- Visit, observe, and ask questions of lock personnel
- Holidays and summer weekends are busy; early weekdays are best (before 8:00 am)
- Summer mornings westbound traffic is busier; (less time to get to the locks)
- Required: 2x 50’ lines with 12” eyes for large lock; https://www.fisheriessupply.com/sea-d...
- Fenders for both sides
- Consider big round fenders for bow flare and curvature

HOW TO
- VHF Channel 13 can be used to reach locks
- Check if the spillway is operating; be aware of currents
The waiting pier for eastbound is “encrusted”; we did not use it
- Green/red lights on the wall between the two locks for BOTH, large and small locks
- Speed limit 7 knots, inside locks 2.5 knots
- All traffic, except log rafts, has higher priority than recreational boaters
- Arrange lines to avoid obstructions by handrails and stanchions
- One person on bow, one on stern, and one on controls is best practice
- Tie to cleat with figure eight ONLY; fast to release
- Keep feet and else clear of lines to avoid entanglement
- Keep hands away from cleats
- Keep limbs inside of the boat
- Attach stern first and release when directed to do so
- Attach bow last and release when directed to do so.
- Assume currents will grab you the moment just one line is released
- Lock attendant will direct where to tie up (e.g. ”Stern on 12”)
- Do NOT pull the bow in when releasing; be ready to maneuver immediately

SMALL LOCK CONSIDERATIONS
- Loop line around the button (eastbound and westbound), then tie to your cleat
- Lock attendant may assist when they can reach (entering westbound and exiting eastbound; when water is high in lock)
- Standby at lines to payout or take up line if float hangs up; have not heard of this happening

LARGE LOCK CONSIDERATIONS
- No floating bits
- Eastbound, send up the eye of your 50’ lines by attaching with simple knot to the line the attendant will send your way.
- Payout or take up line to maintain position if your boat is against the wall
- Rafting is arguably easier
- Dozens of boats may be going through at one time

IN THE CANAL(S):
- Red light at bridges: vessels under 300 tons can disregard and proceed slowly
- Salt/Fresh mixing after locks may cause currents

INFO WE FOUND ELSEWHERE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST DIFFERENTLY
- Eastbound red/green light one waiting pier - actually on wall between locks, same as westbound
- Lines released once there is no current - substantial current when told to release
- No wait before 9:00a on weekday - westbound is already busy at 8:40a on a Thursday; reasonable wait, but if you are uncomfortable holding station (or newbie), we suggest transiting earlier when westbound

—✄— LOCKING THROUGH — ✄ —

00:00 - Seattle locks
01:04 - Locking through eastbound (from Puget Sound to freshwater)
04:22 - In the canals
05:00 - Locking through westbound (into Puget Sound)

Our license allows us to not list the individual music titles, but we do so to support the artists. Here is the music we used in this video:
Rockin’ for Decades / Pike Place Market / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Experia / Foreboding Whispers / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Riverworn / Morning Fog / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Tellsonic / Reaching beyond the Clouds / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com