Caledonian canal - how long?

armchairsailor

armchairsailor

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I have been looking into a jaunt on the Caledonian Canal this year, having read Mairi Hedderwick's book Sea Room, but it didn't say how long it took to get from one end to the other.

I was thinking of trying to persuade SWMBO that a leisurely week on the Caley Canal might be a nice idea, and would be a viable alternative to sea sailing for a sailing virgin (her, not me!).

What have been peoples' experiences with this - would a week be ample time to mosey from one end to the other and back in a leisurely manner? Would it also hold interest for that time? And, if enough confidence was gained, would there be enough slack in such an itinerary to get on the briney? (Personally I think that I'd be the one getting bored, but the aim of the game is compromise!).
 
When making a passage through the canal 3 days makes for a reasonably leisurely trip so a week for the return is fine. Bear in mind that the locks are only open during the working day so where you are at 6pm is where you stay. There are plenty of good places to stop like the Well of the Seven Heads and some not-so-good, e.g. Urquhart Castle.

Loch Ness can get a bit nasty if the weather is bad.
 
There's easily enough to pad out a 7 day holiday - I've done it a few times without getting bored - the first time with my folks when I was 8 years old.

You could easily snatch a day or two on the sea one or other end.

Some images from a trip ten years ago to give you a flavour:
http://fattie.freehostia.com/Scotland2000/
 
we chartered from west highland sailing, from blakes, back in the early 90's a first venture for my new girlfriend at the time, she had never been on a boat before, so i didnt want to scare her, so we spent a week travelling from laggan locks to caley locks inverness, and back all within the 7 days of the charter. all very leisurely and tame compared to what we witness now, but it was a good foundation for her in relatively safe waters...
 
MarkieMarkMark said:
Some images from a trip ten years ago to give you a flavour:
http://fattie.freehostia.com/Scotland2000/
Click to expand...

Good idea. If you nip out into the Moray firth you can see the famous dolphins.

A friend of ours took his wife for her first sailing experience in a chartered boat on the canal. They had to beat up Loch Ness in a strongish wind and the wife spent the whole time below in tears of terror. The only boating she will do now is the English canals.
 
They might be getting a bit long in the tooth now, but the normal inland charter type of boat, certainly wouldn't match up to a sea charter boat, but i am sure someone who has chartered from them recently might comment soon..
 
armchairsailor said:
Anyone got any comments on the condition of the WHS yachts?
Click to expand...

I chartered from West Highland Sailing a few times and had no problems. Their fleet was old even 10 years ago but I remember their boats being immaculately clean, with no problems whatsoever.

You can't take one on the briney of course.

The boat in my images is 'Lively' a Sigma 33 from WHS, not that you can tell much about condition from that.
 
snowleopard said:
Good idea. If you nip out into the Moray firth you can see the famous dolphins..
Click to expand...

That's one of the reasons why I'd like some slack time! The plan would be to build up my good lady's confidence and then venture out to have a look.

snowleopard said:
A friend of ours took his wife for her first sailing experience in a chartered boat on the canal. They had to beat up Loch Ness in a strongish wind and the wife spent the whole time below in tears of terror. The only boating she will do now is the English canals.
Click to expand...

Yes, that's rather my fear too - to say that my wife is hydrophobic would not be overstating it.
 
Caledonian Canal

Because we moor in the Crinan Canal we can visit the Caley free so we usually have an end of season jaunt to Inverness when the nights are long. (you always need something from Gaelforce, last year it was a Manson anchor and they were selling yellow Musto HPX at half price, so I can spot the wife and dog from miles away now.) There are still a few yachts for hire within the Canal from the base at Laggan at the East end of Loch lochy, (used to be Hoseasons) The boats are old Moodys etc. and there is at least one masthead Sigma, but they do look pretty tired. Most hire cruisers do not use fenders so you can imagine that the hulls are a bit scuffed. The lock keepers are sensitive to the differences between hire boats and yachties and generally manage to keep them apart, some of the hirers have some boating knowledge and enjoy chatting to boat owners, like everywhere, you get all sorts. Hire boats are not permitted to descend Neptunes staircase but I think they are allowed to go as far as Muirtown Marina. There are a lot of them and they tend to move in flocks so it is worth taking into account when timing your passage. They are all usually back at Caley cruisers or Laggan on Saturday.
Good places to stop. Gairlochy, scenic close to Commando Memorial and Ben Nevis, great for birdwatchers . Laggan, scenic, floating pub. Cullochy and Kytra, pretty but quiet (means no pub.) Fort Augustus, touristy but lively with pubs and restaurants museum etc. Foyers dramatic waterfalls quiet alongside mooring. Drumnadrochit/ Urquhart Castle, very touristy: Dores, anchorage but with good pub.
Caley marina, hire base with chandlery, Muirtown, run down marina but close to centre of City of Inverness. Our favourites are Gairlochy, Fort Augustus and Foyers. There is nothing at Banavie except the staircase and not much at Corpach other than the steam trains going by to Mallaig.
The Caley is not a patch on the West Coast but an interesting alternative particularly if you like to step ashore, a good winter destination. You meet a lot of Danes, Norwegians etc. fleeing South for the winter. A lot less work to transit than the Crinan, you can sail in Lochs Lochy and Ness but Loch Oich is shallow outside the marked channel.
I have up to date info. on most of the places mentioned above if anyone needs more detail.
 
Some more info on hiring a yacht for the OP. The Laggan base no longer trades as Blakes/Hoseason but still has a few small yachts, they seem only to be updating the mobos. I will try to find the new trading name but you could Google 'Laggan, Loch Lochy, Hire Cruisers' External condition of the boats is a little scruffy and gear is basic, they are not to the standard you would find for sea charter in age, condition or equipment. Worth taking your own lifejackets if you have them, as the issue is Titanic style. You will not get these boats into the sea and they do not look equipped for it.
However Caley Cruisers at Inverness as well as servicing its fleet of hire cruisers,(in Caley Canal speak a 'cruiser' is a hire motor boat) operates a yacht yard and brokerage with some sea going boats in the yard. I have the impression that one or two of these might possibly be available for charter. Last year we encountered a Bav. 48? which we know as it is operated by Crinan Charters,it was returning through Loch Ness with a German crew, so they must allow their boats to go through. It is one longish day sail from Crinan to Corpach up Loch Linnhe but the passage is mainly sheltered water though tides are strong so passage must be timed. (Glencoe makes a dramatic stop on the way, but the Bridge at Ballachullish has only 17m. head room, our Finngulf 33 is touch and go at HWS.)
Loch Laggan is wide enough to enjoy a sail and there is plenty of room in Loch Ness and it tends to blow straight up the glen. Our experience in Loch Ness is that the mainly SW wind will increase substantially from Fort Augustus. 20kts. will become 30kts. after Castle Urquhart as it funnels. The lochs are very deep with no hazards but there are limited opportunities to anchor. If your crew don't like to tackle strong winds, they are only really a problem in Loch Ness and generally only when southbound, they usually drop toward evening.
The last option is the 'Lord of the Glens' a mini cruise ship which operates from Inverness but goes through the canal to visit some of the West coast islands. I suspect it is very expensive, popular with the Japanese.
Also 'Fingal' a big Dutch style cruising barge with canoes etc. more outdoor than Lord of the Glens which is a bit like a bus.
 
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Yes. I see from the site they appear to have used that trading name since 2001.
In 2008 the shed they operate from had Hoseasons logos all over it so I presumed they owned it, but perhaps they were only booking agents. No sign of that name in September last year so may have split. Hoseasons link above now indicates a link with Caley Cruisers, they may have taken that over though until recently it was a famously successful local family business
Still the same old yachts at Laggan though, all with the faded red canvas trim.
 
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Toad Does it really matter???
I am not Wikipedia, just someone trying to help answer a query, which was not one on the history of hire companies. I apologize deeply if I have inadvertently posted something that was not fact, if I had realized that detail mattered so much I would have held my wheest.
 
Thanks Quandary. Lots of useful gen there as we are planning to transit the Caley again this year. Very useful to have a bit of local info. I'm posting an extract on the Circumnavigators' social group.
 
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