Boat Lane

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Europe's largest raft slide at Straßlach-Dingharting with a length of 365 meters

A boat lane or raft lane is a passage for water vehicles such as boats , canoes or rafts . It is used as a descent structure to bridge the difference in level between the upper and lower water in a flowing water parallel to a barrage without a lock system or a ship lift .

Colloquially, these passages are also called boat slides or raft slides , since the watercraft slide down like on a slide on the fast flowing water.

The alley is structurally designed in such a way that the watercraft can still be navigated with the aid of the smallest possible amount of water. This is achieved above all by channeling the waterway by lining it with concrete and adapting the alley cross-section to the cross-section of the watercraft (width and depth ).

In order to ensure that the watercraft do not collide with the walls when driving through the boat lane, in most boat lanes built for canoes or rowing boats a special current is generated in the direction of the middle of the boat lane.

Currents to steer boats in a boat lane

In order to generate the current, lamellas are attached to the bottom of the boat lane (steel frame or incorporated into the concrete). These point outwards from the center in the direction of flow. As a result, the water shooting past in the direction of the underwater is pressed on the bottom in the direction of the walls, rises up the walls and flows on the surface from both sides towards the center. This creates a channel in the middle of the alley that is often visible on the surface of the water. This and the double circular flow automatically keep the boat in the middle of the alley.

If there is a boat lane at a barrage with a hydroelectric power station , the water supply into the lane can be switched on and off via gate valves or other shut-off devices. As a result, the average water drainage through the alley is lower, which enables the power plant to perform better. The entrance to the alley is regulated by a traffic light system and is only permitted after the "water flush" has been activated.

See also

Web links

Commons : Boat Alleys  - Collection of images, videos and audio files