Crinan Canal 2023

[Peter Pilot]

The Crinan canal is due to re-open on the 4th April after the winter shut down for extensive maintenance. Hopefully anyone who plans to go through the canal will find the information below of use.

The transit licence lasts for 5 days (4 nights) so , for those not in a hurry, there is plenty of opportunity to take in local history and wildlife in addition to the scenery along the canal. The Cairnbaan Hotel at lock 5 is a good place as a half way point. The canal provides decent mooring with electricity points (for a fee) showers and toilets.

Along the route both Dunardry, (locks 9 to 13) and Bellanoch bridge has showers and toilets.

Bellanoch provides the opportunity to see various wildlife. Excellent for bird watchers (bird hide just past the bridge with mooring.) There is a Beaver trail nearby on the road to Tayvallich. There is a 1 mile walk around Loch Barnluasgan just before you reach the Beaver trail. Long horn cattle may often be seen near the bridge, right up to the towpath!

Historical sites are plentyful in this area. Last year several crews with bicycles visited Dunadd Hill Fort and the Templar graves, and the cairns at Kilmartin. (The Kilmartin museum has been redeveloped and re-opens in the summer (no date published to my knowledge.)
Neolithic rock art can be seen near Cairnbaan.
Kilmory Castle in Lochgilphead was rebuilt in c.1830. It is approximately 1.5 miles from Oakfield bridge. Kilmory loch behind the castle is offers a very pleasant walk (approximately 2 miles.)

Two little tips:
Use bowlines on your ropes
Stay in the centre of the canal as much as possible as the bottom is not U shaped.

It is possible to transit the whole canal in a day, but you require a prompt start and a little luck with traffic. There may be delays at the bridges at locks 1 and 4 because they cannot be open at the same time. Lock 4 also has restrictions in the morning and afternoon for school traffic.. Boat movement times are from 8.30am to 5pm.*

*as per 2022.

 

[Peter Pilot]

For anyone looking for supplies while travelling along the canal:

The Riverside garage has fuel, a well stocked shop and a cafe. There is a pontoon opposite the garage, located just after Oakfield bridge going towards Cairnbaan.

 

[ridgy]

I think this thread is still just about recent enough to ask on...

Max draft, the website says 2.5m with 0.1 added per m of draft due to the freshwater.

I think I already know the answer but I'm taking a 2.3m boat from Clyde to Oban next week and was considering if Crinan was an option but this would put me at 2.5 which is bit tight for my taste, to say the least.
Thought I would ask if that is a conservative limit e.g. 2.5m is comfortable in reality or would we be actually scraping the bottom?

Also website says to allow at least one day for transit...in reality how likely is it to be achieved in one day? For planning purposes should one always assume 1+ days and if lucky you get through in one?

The weather is currently looking benign for rounding the Mull but still curious for my future reference.

 

[ylop]

I think this thread is still just about recent enough to ask on...

Max draft, the website says 2.5m with 0.1 added per m of draft due to the freshwater.

I think I already know the answer but I'm taking a 2.3m boat from Clyde to Oban next week and was considering if Crinan was an option but this would put me at 2.5 which is bit tight for my taste, to say the least.
Thought I would ask if that is a conservative limit e.g. 2.5m is comfortable in reality or would we be actually scraping the bottom?

Also website says to allow at least one day for transit...in reality how likely is it to be achieved in one day? For planning purposes should one always assume 1+ days and if lucky you get through in one?

The weather is currently looking benign for rounding the Mull but still curious for my future reference.

I'll let someone else comment on the depth. It IS doable in a day, but you need to be very organised, arrive first thing, and not have a queue in front of you (so probably easier on some days or the week than others). If it were me, I'd at least get locked in the night before if I wanted out the next day.

 

[Aja]

You could contact the canal office and advise on your required depth. They have in exceptions increased the depth to accommodate deeper draft boats.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I think this thread is still just about recent enough to ask on...

Max draft, the website says 2.5m with 0.1 added per m of draft due to the freshwater.

I think I already know the answer but I'm taking a 2.3m boat from Clyde to Oban next week and was considering if Crinan was an option but this would put me at 2.5 which is bit tight for my taste, to say the least.
Thought I would ask if that is a conservative limit e.g. 2.5m is comfortable in reality or would we be actually scraping the bottom?

Also website says to allow at least one day for transit...in reality how likely is it to be achieved in one day? For planning purposes should one always assume 1+ days and if lucky you get through in one?

The weather is currently looking benign for rounding the Mull but still curious for my future reference.

Depending on where you are on the Clyde, it may not offer a time advantage over going round the Mull of Kintyre. You can do the passage in a day or less, but whether you can depends on factors out of your control. And as others have noted, it depends on an early entry into the canal and little other traffic. I've done two passages - one was really quick ( not much over 4 hours); the other took 2 days; my crew was getting antsy about rejoining his wife!

So from the east of the Clyde, you have to reckon a day to the canal, a day transit through the canal and then a day to Oban.

The alternative is two longish days, first to Sanda or Gigha, and then Oban.

Regarding depth, I draw 1.6m and touched once when approaching a waiting berth. The depths quoted are in the centre of the canal and there may not be as much at waiting berths. You basically aren't allowed to stop except at designated berths, and may be required to stop if they think you can't make it to the next vacant berth before shutdown in the evening.

 

[Shuggy]

We’ve only done it once… (a) we did it in a day but only just, and (b) we draw 2.1 and had no issues with depth. Unless the weather is dodgy my preferred option is going round the MoK. If you go round the MoK the weather and sea state are in charge; if you use the canal then you’re at the mercy of traffic and canal staff.

 

[Peter Pilot]

We’ve only done it once… (a) we did it in a day but only just, and (b) we draw 2.1 and had no issues with depth. Unless the weather is dodgy my preferred option is going round the MoK. If you go round the MoK the weather and sea state are in charge; if you use the canal then you’re at the mercy of traffic and canal staff.

I know the frustrations of getting stuck with the traffic. Last week I had to lock in with a boat with two (useless) crew. They took 10 minutes longer than my boat to sort themselves out in the locks. On numerous occasions they drifted backwards as I started closing the gate. Fortunately we reached lock 4 just in time before it closed for the school run and consequently managed to get out of the Ardrishaig sea lock before 1700hrs.

Some of the canal staff are excellent..............

 

[RunAgroundHard]

... a boat with two (useless) crew. They took 10 minutes longer than my boat to sort themselves out in the locks. ...

If that is the criteria, then you must be nearly useless.

You openly tout for business on this forum and promote your service, slagging off a couple of crew on here as useless doesn't really promote your service. You could have claimed your better efficiency without slagging them off. Makes you sound like an impatient person.