Caledonian Canal Closed!

[Ian_Edwards]

For info'

The Caledonian Canal is currently closed to through traffic. A lock gate at Gairlochy has collapsed. The current estimate for the canal reopening is Sunday 6th May, this seems to be a best guess, it might take longer and is unlikely to be shorter.

I'm currently trying to head for Corpach (Fort William) and I'm stuck at Lagan.

It's a real PITA, my crew have to be back at work on Monday and my car is miles away at Linnhe Marine.

But at least the sun is shining!

 

[Ceejay]

Diversion

by way of Cape Wrath

 

[ukmctc]

For info'

The Caledonian Canal is currently closed to through traffic. A lock gate at Gairlochy has collapsed. The current estimate for the canal reopening is Sunday 6th May, this seems to be a best guess, it might take longer and is unlikely to be shorter.

I'm currently trying to head for Corpach (Fort William) and I'm stuck at Lagan.

It's a real PITA, my crew have to be back at work on Monday and my car is miles away at Linnhe Marine.

But at least the sun is shining!

should have went all the way round, Caley closes regularly during winter months, closing more due to lack of maintenance in winter months, as is Crinan who do no maintenance.

 

[NormanS]

should have went all the way round, Caley closes regularly during winter months, closing more due to lack of maintenance in winter months, as is Crinan who do no maintenance.

Absolute nonsense. When the Caley is closed during the winter, it's because they ARE DOING MAINTENANCE.

 

[stuhaynes]

For info'

The Caledonian Canal is currently closed to through traffic. A lock gate at Gairlochy has collapsed. The current estimate for the canal reopening is Sunday 6th May, this seems to be a best guess, it might take longer and is unlikely to be shorter.

I'm currently trying to head for Corpach (Fort William) and I'm stuck at Lagan.

It's a real PITA, my crew have to be back at work on Monday and my car is miles away at Linnhe Marine.

But at least the sun is shining!

It's lagging it down here!!

 

[Ian_Edwards]

update

I've been down to Gairlochy today, it seem that the bottom hinge on one of the upper gates has failed. Talking to the guys working on it, it's a wooden peg set into the masonry on the bottom of the lock which locates into a socket in the base of the steel lock gate. They expect to crane out the lock gate on Wednesday and then get divers to fit a new wooden peg. it sounds like the original Telford design. The lock gate will then have to be craned back in.

And the sun is still shining, not a cloud in the sky, although there was a hard frost last night the grass was still frosted at 08:00 this morning, snow on the mountain tops and a very cold NE wind.

 

[ffiill]

Sorry is it raining somewhere?-shorts and T shirts here on Loch ness for past two days.
As for maintainence only thing is this winter they spent three months doing a bit of welding on the swing bridge at Laggan.They also made a big song and dance about repairing the bridge south of Fort Augustus including closing the main road to London at night for several days whilst they jacked the bridge of its swinging track then the contractors sat on their backsides for almost three months and only carried out the repair work in the final couple of weeks before the canals reopening!

 

[Quandary]

When we came back through last August we intended stopping at Gairlochy overnight as they were having trouble with the top gate, however the engineer working on it came round just before dark and told us they were letting us through to get to Banavie as they thought it might not be working the next day or thereafter. So the problem is not new. It is the tallest gate on the canal installed when the banks were raised after the big flood there about a century ago.
As for BW winter maintenance, here on the Crinan the only work done last winter was ripping up the concrete pavers around the gates on lock 5 and replacing them with granite setts at £1 per block. The misaligned or leaking gates and those with flooded buoyancy chambers are as they have been for the last few years so there will still be plenty of work for chiropracters and orthopaedic surgeons.

 

[ukmctc]

Absolute nonsense. When the Caley is closed during the winter, it's because they ARE DOING MAINTENANCE.

hmm, how do I explain the theory.....more regular maintenance less closure, does that cover it?

 

[Stripe]

When we came back through last August we intended stopping at Gairlochy overnight as they were having trouble with the top gate, however the engineer working on it came round just before dark and told us they were letting us through to get to Banavie as they thought it might not be working the next day or thereafter. So the problem is not new. It is the tallest gate on the canal installed when the banks were raised after the big flood there about a century ago.
As for BW winter maintenance, here on the Crinan the only work done last winter was ripping up the concrete pavers around the gates on lock 5 and replacing them with granite setts at £1 per block. The misaligned or leaking gates and those with flooded buoyancy chambers are as they have been for the last few years so there will still be plenty of work for chiropracters and orthopaedic surgeons.

Not quite so the stone sets were obtained at no cost. Bellanoch bridge was re decked and surfaced, scrub was cut to clear the channel amongst other works