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.

 

[Quandary]

Took a boat through yesterday so this is my report on how SCs target to assist all boats to transit is going.
The intention is there but like in the past it is let down by their inability to man all the flights particularly in the morning, at Cairnbaan yesterday there was only one guy responsible for four locks and the bridge though they found another to help later, the same at Dunardry, one man for five locks, we made progress because we had 3 persons ashore but the idea of being able to stay aboard while keepers work the locks seems a bit like fantasy. It might work but I imagine it would be very slow with a lot of interruptions. However down at Ardrishaig when starting out, they had five, one on the sealock and four people involved with the flight and bridges and that was quick and efficient.
Despite the long winter closure there has been nothing done in terms of repair or maintenance, mooring hooks and pins are still missplaced under gates or missing altogether, one that the Vic pulled out last year is still lying on the grass, lock 6 is still as hard to move and the sluices on Mackenzies (new 2023) gates at 12 and 13 still do not work when the lock is full. I had hoped they might have forced them to come back and sort them out last winter. Everywhere is very overgrown and muddy and the grass is ready for silage. There have been some trees and bushes cut though. Polly's coffee wagon was at lock 10 and the brownies are as good as ever.
My impression is that everything is operating much as last year so if you came through then you should know what to expect.

 

[ylop]

Quandary - that sounds about right. And just as surprised to see us when we had booked in as they were last year!

 

[Peter Pilot]

As Joe says, the canal appears to be operating as last year with locks 9, 10 & 11 leaking badly so the water has to be run for the basins at 12 & 13. to prevent flooding the farm. Last year this took up to 11am on a couple of days. Additionally when the water levels in the basins are high it takes two people to push the gates without straining. Personally I wouldn't be relying on the staff to assist all the way, especially if there are more than one set of boats on a flight. Two full time staff who operated Dunardry last year, and understood running the water in the morning, left over the winter.
Essentially no work has been done to address the issues of the difficult gates and dodgy sluices at various places between locks 3 and 13.
Navigation has improved somewhat due to clearing some of the overhanging vegetation.
Also the Cairnbaan hotel is closed at present.

If you see an artist painting at lock 5, lock 10 or Crinan give me a wave. LOL

 

[jlavery]

We're planning to go through in about a week, 2 handed. Will be hoping to pair up with other boats, and/or take it steady.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Issues with gates, sluices, difficulty achieving the optimum transit time have been continually observed and discussed for as long as I have used the canal, since the mid 80’s.

Just use the canal and don't over think it. To be honest I am surprised that the works have been done to keep the canal open. I was convinced the past state of disrepair would be used as an excuse to close it.

Glad they have done the works, happy to see it remain open.

 

[jamie N]

I've just been turned away from the canal until Friday, as I'm solo.
This is 2024, and if you want business, you provide a service.
I've twice been through the Caledonian Canal Solo.
The 100 miles diversion isn't practical, and I was offered the opportunity of an unendorsed "Pilot" for £100, which I declined.

 

[awol]

Some years ago the Crinan Canal increased prices hugely with the sop of "assisted passage". On arrival at Ardrishaig I was shocked at the price hike but found that the 16 day (not necessarily consecutive) any canal ticket had not risen proportionately. That year I transited the Crinan 5 times mostly single-handed, spent an idyllic week in the Caledonian and still had a couple of days over to argue the next May whether the 12 month validity was a calendar year or a duration (I won) - all for the price IIRC of ~£240.
Last year I made it from Crinan to the Dunardry Locks before some jobsworth decided I couldn't continue single-handed!
The Scottish Canals site for the Crinan states "Please ensure you have adequate competent crew to manage the vessel and your lines through the canal." I suspect both JamieN and I, having seen some of the performances of other "fully crewed" boats, feel we meet that criterion.

 

[jamie N]

Funny thing 'Solo'. I'd imagined that when they said that, I'd only be allowed to go through with another boat, rafting in the locks, I could see their point.
I actually started through on Thursday as a French Yacht turned up, so I could go with them. I'm a GK24, quite beamy, and the French boat was quite beamy as well, so we physically weren't able to raft due to width. What it meant though was that the 2 of us, he being 10T+ had to squeeze into these relatively small locks.....
The canal crew were very willing, and helpful, but it still felt 'lacking' somehow.
The showers at Cairnbaan and Crinan are very good, and I've enjoyed it, but felt a frustration in not being able to moor in the basin at Crinan due to a U/S gate leaking.
@awol says "Please ensure you have adequate competent crew to manage the vessel and your lines through the canal." I suspect both JamieN and I, having seen some ......", at Lock 13 my performance level actually did prove their point, as I made a hash of it to the extent of Giles/Peyton cartoons, scratching my poor wee boat at the same time.
I blame a strong gust from the stern of course.......

 

[awol]

It helps if your prop kicks to starboard in reverse - makes the uphill locks easy. just attach a midship line to the ladder while taking the ropes up. Of course, my boat kicks to port!

 

[RunAgroundHard]

The last two times through I was solo and hired a pilot each time. Very easy and fast transit, worth every penny.