tips for maneuvering locks

We have a 30 Chris Craft Crowne with twins and dual props. We are having a bit of difficulty manuevering the tight locks in Boston. We enter the locks, but since they are small and very short it is very difficult to keep good head speed without going too fast and without hitting the walls.

Once inside we are able to get close to the wall, generally on the starboard side -- much easier to judge how close to the wall you are. But the problem begins when we go to grab the locks lines that hang down. Just yesterday, my wife was on the bow and grabbed the bow line and I was unable to grab the stern line so the boat ended up on a diagonal. I had her yelling at me and the guy infront yelling back at us. I tried putting the port engine in reverse and pulling the starboard side to the wall but that didn't work. I tried using the starboard engine and turning the bow to port and that didn't work.

Any manuevering tips would be greatly appreciated. Mind you it was just the two of us. Is there a good place for her to stand, maybe mid-ship.

Again any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks

Re: tips for maneuvering locks

When I used to go through the locks in upstate NY with my parents in a similar sized Catalina, they used boat hooks to grab the lines. Those lines were always slippery. We also rigged fenders before or upon going in. How new to this boat, and dual props, are you? Could just be a matter of practice...

Re: tips for maneuvering locks

Maybe in that particular case putting the port in reverse and the stbd in forward (together) would have spun the the stern into the wall for you, of course the bow would have tried to come off the wall but you don't mention the use of boat hooks (poles) we always have 2 on board, one for my wife (admiral) up on the bow and one for me at the stern incase it's a little hard to reach the hanging lines. Our appraach is usally coming into the lock (either side) to get a hook on the line at the bow and then using reverse for a bit to stop the forward motion, even if we drift out from the wall a bit the boat (extendable ones) hooks will grab the line and we pull ourselves in. It's really practice, practice, practice.