Crinan Canal 2024

[Quandary]

It looks as if Mackenzie expect to get her open by the end of the month as promised. Ardrishaig end is already operating. With so many new locks, (which are much harder to operate than the old ones) Scottish Canals are looking to increase the manning to the extent that the early starters each morning should be assisted most of the way through, they do not undertake to help every boat but I understand that is what they hope to do. They are not recommending 'pilots' by name just advising that local assistance is available but there is a good chance most will not need our help this year. Their website is much improved with up to date information, worth a look if you are coming this way.

 

[bikedaft]

Many thanks for the update.

Why are the new locks harder to operate?

Cheers.

 

[magicol]

Thanks for the update, Quandary. We are aiming to go through in May and it is encouraging to hear that work is likely to be completed on time although a bit worrying if the locks are difficult to operate.

 

[dunedin]

Thanks for the update.

With all the strong southerly winds, it is a shame that the canal wasn’t open in April, as it used to be, for the many boats which were on winter contracts in the Clyde which expired end March - a point which has been raised with the Scottish Canals CEO.
Even the proposed mid April opening date once promised moved back to end April.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

It looks as if Mackenzie expect to get her open by the end of the month as promised. Ardrishaig end is already operating. With so many new locks, (which are much harder to operate than the old ones) Scottish Canals are looking to increase the manning to the extent that the early starters each morning should be assisted most of the way through, they do not undertake to help every boat but I understand that is what they hope to do. They are not recommending 'pilots' by name just advising that local assistance is available but there is a good chance most will not need our help this year. Their website is much improved with up to date information, worth a look if you are coming this way.

Do you mean upgraded Locks? I wasnt aware of new ones being proposed and cant see where they might go. However if they have simply upgraded I cant see why it should be ok to make it worse. Canal folk have been coping with old technology for years and a handy ratchet socket set have got me through several river to canal locks

 

[ylop]

Do you mean upgraded Locks? I wasnt aware of new ones being proposed and cant see where they might go. However if they have simply upgraded I cant see why it should be ok to make it worse. Canal folk have been coping with old technology for years and a handy ratchet socket set have got me through several river to canal locks

New lock gates rather than new locks. The canal staff were just about managing to make the old ones work. Will be interesting to see what “harder” means - but I’m assuming it means heavier, hopefully because they’ve been engineered robustly rather than installed badly.

 

[Aja]

It looks as if Mackenzie expect to get her open by the end of the month as promised. Ardrishaig end is already operating. With so many new locks, (which are much harder to operate than the old ones) Scottish Canals are looking to increase the manning to the extent that the early starters each morning should be assisted most of the way through, they do not undertake to help every boat but I understand that is what they hope to do. They are not recommending 'pilots' by name just advising that local assistance is available but there is a good chance most will not need our help this year. Their website is much improved with up to date information, worth a look if you are coming this way.

Thanks, Joe.

Hope to avail ourselves of your services this season none the less.

Donald

 

[Quandary]

The problem last year on the new gates at 12 and 13 was that some of the new sluices did not work and also with the leaky gates above they were often overtopped making them very difficult to break. The old timber gates and sluices have a built in tolerance which allows them to move when under pressure. SC overcame that by putting up notices that these should only be worked by canal staff but did not provide enough to avoid them sometimes being elsewhere when needed to do this. All of the new gates also had notices saying that min. 2 people are needed to operate though this may be meant to protect them against injury claims, (my knee replacement ten years ago was the consequence of a split cartilage after a macho tussle when I went to assist a lady struggling with 6, I also talked to another woman who sustained a permanent back injury there) some of the old gates (6 was always difficult) have similar notices stapled to the swing bars. Printing a sign and stapling it to the gate is an awful lot cheaper than fixing stuff.
Having said all this the help offered by canal staff last year at all three flights was good and as long as there were 2 per flight worked fine. This year I expect that other than busy times it may be possible to transit without getting off the boat just like the French have been doing for years.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

So the problem is badly installed new gates and equipment, which would now be expensive to correct unless done free by the original contractor, now requiring additionally staffing and thus expense from the canal operating trust.

Hmm.

On The Other Forum someone asked if we Brits moan too much, but perhaps it should be wether we protest to little

 

[Quandary]

She is open right through from today, the locks are all manned by SC and three boats have gone west in the rain this morning.