Caledonian Canal Transit Licence Cost

[Bunbury]

The cost of transiting the Caledonian canal (for a return journey with the return more than two weeks after the outward) seems to be a shade over £500 for a 13-metre boat. That's made up of £21.55 per metre for the outward journey and £17.05 per metre for the return (see www.scottishcanals.co.uk/activities/boating/caledonian-canal/). That seems a surprisingly large amount, unless of course I have misunderstood something?

 

[Quandary]

When you take into account that it includes up to 7 nights berthing and the attendance and assistance of lock keepers at every lock perhaps not so bad, probably better than the Crinan which is only eight miles long and if you need help both ways it can cost another £160 on top of the transit license.
I notice that they have cut back on the number of nights berthing included, the Crinan used to be three now it is down to two, plenty of time to make the transit but seems to be a bit mean.
The Callys traffic is mainly hire cruisers which do not use the long flights at either end but the Crinan really depends on transit traffic, a look at the AIS shows that the majority are shunning it and the price plus the alternatives of paying for help or struggling with the decrepit infrastructure may be the reason for that.

 

[Sandy]

The cost of transiting the Caledonian canal (for a return journey with the return more than two weeks after the outward) seems to be a shade over £500 for a 13-metre boat. That's made up of £21.55 per metre for the outward journey and £17.05 per metre for the return (see www.scottishcanals.co.uk/activities/boating/caledonian-canal/). That seems a surprisingly large amount, unless of course I have misunderstood something?

You could say in B&B and drive the road from Corpach to Inverness or walk the length of the Great Glen Way.

 

[ctva]

Don’t know where you are getting the costs from as on the SC website, and as far as I have always known, the Cally canal is 7 nights each way, so you can get 14 nights for your £500, So £35 per night for a 13m boat. And then you look at the cost for up to 3 extra nights is £1.55 pm! Not good value?

https://www.scottishcanals.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Short-Term-Licence-prices-2020.pdf

As to the Crinan return price, it is 4 nights EACH WAY, not 2. Again good value.

Both, whilst lacking in funds for maintenance, are great options to move a boat, see more than just sterile marinas with walks, villages, historic sights And more all along their lengths.

I for one have my issues with Scottish Canals but still recognise them as the great historic monuments they are trying to work within the constraints of Historic Scotland and the limited funding from the state and a good facility for leisure boaty people.

 

[awol]

Or you can get a 16 day explorer licence for £52.30 per metre and shuttle back and forth through all 4 canals (though the F&C and Union may be a bit shallow for a 13m boat).

 

[Quandary]

Chris, have you looked at the 2020 transit charges listed in the link the OP posted?
Of course it does not surprise me that SC have two sets of contadictory charges on the go at the same time. I will try to establish which is valid.

 

[ctva]

Same link, same SC document, the op is just mistaken,

 

[Quandary]

Same link, same SC document, the op is just mistaken,

No. I can not explain it, but when I first clicked on his link it came up with the colored general page and when I clicked on the license link on that it came up with a page which looked entirely different, different color and different charges and extent of stay. I am definite that I did not imagine it but despite trying have failed to find it again. I am comforted by the knowledge that my recollection matches the OPs.
And no, it was not dementia though I do have other symptoms.

 

[ctva]

..
And no, it was not dementia though I do have other symptoms.

Gin...?. ?

 

[seafox67]

When you take into account that it includes up to 7 nights berthing and the attendance and assistance of lock keepers at every lock perhaps not so bad, probably better than the Crinan which is only eight miles long and if you need help both ways it can cost another £160 on top of the transit license.
I notice that they have cut back on the number of nights berthing included, the Crinan used to be three now it is down to two, plenty of time to make the transit but seems to be a bit mean.
The Callys traffic is mainly hire cruisers which do not use the long flights at either end but the Crinan really depends on transit traffic, a look at the AIS shows that the majority are shunning it and the price plus the alternatives of paying for help or struggling with the decrepit infrastructure may be the reason for that.

With assistance at every lock on the Caledonian, is it possible for a single-handed to transit? or do they still recommend hiring help?

 

[awol]

Give Corpach or Clachnaharry a ring and ask.

 

[Quandary]

With assistance at every lock on the Caledonian, is it possible for a single-handed to transit? or do they still recommend hiring help?

This year they are only operating the locks, you are expected to have enough crew to handle the lines. Last month I met a singlehander with quite a small boat in Oban who had been sent back from Corpach and was faced with going round the top. I thought his boat was small enough to be walked through or rafted to another but they would not let him in to the canal. On one transit a few years back we tied a smaller boat alongside and the skipper went ashore with my wife and handled one of our lines, they used to ask you to do it that way but perhaps social distancing now prevents it.
Hiring help on the Cally is unusual, mainly because of the length of it and the distances between lock flights, I suspect if it is possible it might not be cheap.

 

[seafox67]

This year they are only operating the locks, you are expected to have enough crew to handle the lines. Last month I met a singlehander with quite a small boat in Oban who had been sent back from Corpach and was faced with going round the top. I thought his boat was small enough to be walked through or rafted to another but they would not let him in to the canal. On one transit a few years back we tied a smaller boat alongside and the skipper went ashore with my wife and handled one of our lines, they used to ask you to do it that way but perhaps social distancing now prevents it.
Hiring help on the Cally is unusual, mainly because of the length of it and the distances between lock flights, I suspect if it is possible it might not be cheap.

Quandary, thank you for your 'on the ground' feedback which is far more valuable than the often 'grey' advice from the canals office (My experience from a 2019 Crinan transit)! I have been thinking about next seasons holiday going through Crinan, visit parents at Tobermory and then through the Cally to spend a few weeks in the moray! I can see now that I will definitely need to try and talk some family members into a holiday on the Cally.

Many thanks... Paul