Ardrishaig Harbour, the waiting pontoon is back after a two year absence.

Q

Quandary

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If you plan to use the Crinan Canal next year, you will be pleased to hear that the old waiting pontoon outside the sea lock has at last been replaced, similar size to the old one, two sections, each about 12m. but with access by one of those clever metal ramps which turns into a staircase as the tide drops. Strange sensation going down it when each step is only about an inch but it has handrails each side..
Pity that they have not got round to raising the guardrail on the walkway over the lock gates, it is still taped off but the new SC director seems to have a bit more push than her predecessors so you never know?
 
That will be nice to use. As soon as works are complete at Silvers, I'll be heading back up. Travelling a lot in January, so likely February. Do you know if there are any planned closures?
 
BlowingOldBoots said:
That will be nice to use. As soon as works are complete at Silvers, I'll be heading back up. Travelling a lot in January, so likely February. Do you know if there are any planned closures?
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I think that the canal will be closed between 10 January 2020 and 02 March 2020 and the section between Ardrishaig Sea Lock and Lock 4 will be de-watered. Best to check.

Ash
 
Quandary said:
If you plan to use the Crinan Canal next year, you will be pleased to hear that the old waiting pontoon outside the sea lock has at last been replaced ...
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I presume it has been there for more than a day now and is therefore festooned with scratty local fishing boats ...

Has there been any sign of word to stop the lock wall with the geet big 'oles behind it (Lock 10?) from collapsing? My money is on that closing the canal.
 
No doubt it will become inhabited but not by localfishing boats, we only have two creel boats in Loch Gilp operated by one family and they have moorings north of the timber pier, Davy, the fisherman, did use the pontoon for a while in winter when they had buried his mooring when repairing the pier. The invasion, if like in the past, will be by a miscellany of wee mobos and ribs with mysterious ownership.
Lock 11 is the most undermined but most of them badly need grouting, Hopefully some of that and the gates on Lock 4 will be tackled this spring. You will be excited to learn that I have been co-opted to represent the Crinan on SWFA a pressure group set up on the lowland canals which includes the RYA and meets in Falkirk, quite a long drive but worth it if we can get some work done here. The new director was seconded from THe Prison Service to serve for one year, but SWFA lobbied Holyrood to get it extended so that she could get her teeth in to the job as we have big hopes for her. Now all we need is some active boating representation on the Board of Scottish Canals, I think there may be some changes there forthcoming.
 
Delighted to hear the holding pontoon is back,
I hear all sorts of promises and having used Crinan over several years, I was sad to hear there are only 7 permanent staff to operate powered locks and bridges. Maintenance is at a standstill, there are several major issues with lock gates and sluices, not to mention the poor toilets at Ardrishaig , the Crinan end is better but the new (?) building has design issues and was closed when we passed through. However, the staff on the whole are excellent and got me through from 1030 to 1630. Doing the sums that was the best part of 7 hours, 7 hours to do 13 miles is nonsense at the prices charged. Hard to put the clock back but in 1963, it cost something like £5 and every lock was manned but we had to assist , if memory serves well we took 4 .30 to go from Lochfyne to Crinan .Point being the high tariffs are driving boaters to risk the Mull of Kintyre, a difficult passage in even moderate weather, the very reason the Crinan has conceived. The high tariffs was a contributory factor to demise of the CCC two part Tobermory race .
Graham
 
Mark-1 said:
Was a ladder at one time, wasn't it?
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Probably the worst ladder in Scotland, designed to anchor the pontoon, the vertical side tubes were about 200mm. dia. so no option but to grab the treads while praying that no one before you had been walking in dog shit. The new one feels very stange when the rise per step is only about 25mm. but at least you can carry a sail bag up it.
 
awol said:
Is it still there? The piccies on tonight's News were a bit scary.
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By the time the wind and tide had reached full height and coming over the road it had backed round toward the west a bit so the pier would have provided more shelter from the waves, I tried to take some photos as the spray flew over the harbour but it was so high and continuous it was like being in the middle of a cloud. Not often you see white topped waves in the canal itself.
 
Quandary said:
Probably the worst ladder in Scotland ...
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Not while Portpatrick exists, but I take your point about the side tubes.

Edit: Just saw this on the BBC news website. It's more or less how I remember Portpatrick.

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