Glossary

Page 4. (S thru Z)

Staircase Locks:-[Photo]

A flight, or series of locks so arranged that the top gates of each lock, except for the top one, is also the bottom gates of the lock above. Also known as "Risers".

Staithe or Staith

The extremity of a line of rails laid on a platform for discharging material into a boat. Derived from the Old English word "staeth" meaning 'bank'.

Sill:-

A masonry shelf upon which the upper lock gates rest; it is below water but care should be taken to be forward of it when locking down

Swan's Neck:-

A curved bar at the stern of the boat. The lower part connects to the rudder and the top part to the tiller.

Summit Level:-

The highest pound of water in a canal, and therefore the pound into which the main supply of water has to be delivered.

Tiller:-

A lever, often removable, that connects to the boat's rudder via an "S" shaped bar aptly called a Swan's Neck. Pushing the tiller to right turns the boat to the left and vice versa.
The tiller is secured to the Swan's Neck with a "tiller pin".

Towpath or Towing Path:-

The path alongside the canal originally used by the horses towing boats. Generally speaking, boats may moor on the towpath side of the canal, subject to certain basic rules.

Tramroad or Tramway:-

Rails usually laid on stone sleepers on which carts could be pulled by a team of horses. The tramroad was constucted to connect a mine or works to the nearest canal. The engineer, Benjamin Outram, was renowned for their construction. Ironically, they eventually played a part in the demise of the canals when the Welsh tramroad at Trevithick was used for testing the first steam locomotive.

Weir:-

A river-damn that raises the level of water above it.

Winding Hole:-

A wide area in a canal used for turning a boat around. Also known as a "Winning Hole.

Windlass:-

An "L" shaped handle used to open and close the paddles. Also known as a "Crank".

More of the Canalictionary:- (A thru E) . | (F thru L) . | (M thru R) .

If you have any comments, corrections or additions please send an EMail to John..... The Canaloholic.