Narrowboat Handling

Narrowboats, as a result of their function, can be somewhat difficult to handle. They are long and narrow (duh) with parallel sides, low powered engines flat, shallow bottoms and small rudders. The small rudders make the boat handling particularily challenging.

On most boats the rudder sticks down below the boat, and when the boat is moving (ahead or astern) there is water flowing freely past the rudder. The rudder directs the flow of water moving the stern of the boat in the opposite direction.

On a narrowboat the rudder does not extend below the bottom of the boat because they are meant to be run in very shallow water. The rudder only extends out the back of the boat. 

It doesn't extend very far aft however, because of the danger of catching the rudder on the cill (English spelling) of the lock.

That makes maneouvering a narrowboat more difficult than a typical sailboat. The water coming around the hull of the narrowboat hits the rudder and the flow is controlled by the rudder, however the water is already changing direction (unlike the water that a sailboat is moving over). A narrow boat steers best when the screw is pushing active water over the rudder, and the rudder forces the active water out to one side or the other (rudder geeks will notice the balanced style of the rudder). With the engine stopped, even while making headway, the steering is very weak. 

When going astern the problem is compounded because the rudder is effectively in the bow wave of the boat, and out of the active water from the screw, so to adjust course a big shot of forward with the helm over is needed. 

The steering is further challenged by the absolutely flat bottom of these narrow barges. The hull can be run very close to the bottom with all the difficulties that presents (pressure, smelling the bank, etc.). They also have little lateral stability, so wind very quickly can blow the bow around. They are kind of like a smooth, flat bottomed canoe with one paddler at the stern.

Nevertheless, barging around the canals is not stressfull. Everything (even the bumps) happen slowly and the boats are built like battleships. There is a long barge pole handy on the roof and a line led to the middle of the roof of the boat that allows one person to jump ashore and control the boat. The English have been doing this a long time. They've got it sorted out.