Crinan canal charges

[Bodach na mara]

Last time I used the canals, I think I found out about the charges from a web site, but can find no site carrying this info today. The British Waterways Scotland site is useless (more of a corporate advert than anything) and other sites seem to provide information more for other "users" than for boat owners.

What I want to know is what the licence arrangements and costs are this year. The arrangements have changed over the years, varying from discounted licences for a period of time, or a discount on a return transit is you kept the outward receipt.

Also have they improved the toilet access yet? Last time I was in "a bit of a rush" at Cairnbaan and was faced with a queue of five people. all with towels waiting to take a shower. There was only one combined toilet/shower and I worked out that the place would be occupied for the next hour at least.

 

[jimi]

Though you said criminal .. but maybe that's what you meant?

 

[maxi77]

It is bloody difficult to find, but if you look half way down this page you will find the Scottish Licence fees

http://www.britishwaterways.co.uk/downloads/craft_information/index.html

I spend ages looking for it in preparation for my trip through the Forth and Clyde in April. Mind you the Forth and Clyde is exceptional value for money and the canal staff service is excellent.

Good luck

 

[Bodach na mara]

Thanks Peter. As Jimi said, we seem to be talking about "criminal" canal charges! £9.70 per meter for the outward passage and £6.40 for the return. And all for a DIY operation.

Ah well, I hope the gates and paddles are working a bit better this year. Every time we have been through before, someone has suffered an injury or strain. On one trip, the only fit member of the crew on the return was my ten-year old daughter (strewth, was it THAT long ago!) as the rest of us were nursing pulled muscles, strained backs and cuts and bruises.

 

[saskia]

They should take a lesson from the French - I just paid 93 euros for unlimited navigation on the French canal and river system for a month in my 11 metre boat. I expect to go through around 350 locks - most automated and the rest manned..........

 

[EdWingfield]

The price may include free berthing and may allow extra time before expiry. As per Cally Canal.

If so, not quite so bad.

 

[Bodach na mara]

Free berthing? Ah yes, but the allowable passage time is three days (or part of a day) each way and at a total cost of £16.10 per metre, that works out at over £2.50 per metre per day. Now that is a similar price to Largs marina, but there you would get a finger pontoon, decent toilets and other facilities. On that basis, the canal does not seem so much of a bargain.

Also, when I leave a marina, I do not need to clean down the boat as I always need to after a trip through the canal, especially after leaving Ardrishaig on the return leg. The amount of muck trailed aboard there is incredible. I would take the advice of others on the forum and go round the Mull but for three factors.
1. It is an awful long sail from anywhere on the Clyde to the nearest haven on the other side.
2. My crew is not at all keen on the idea.
3. The chances of getting the settled spell of weather for the long sail seem to be slim this year.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

[ QUOTE ]

1. It is an awful long sail from anywhere on the Clyde to the nearest haven on the other side.


[/ QUOTE ]

You could stop at Sanda; it is reputed to be very pleasant there, and of course it breaks the trip round the Mull nicely. I hope to stop there for a night later this year.

 

[Sgeir]

I agree.

<ul type="square"> 1 The web site isn't very good;
2 you may have to queue for lavvies and showers;
3 some other people may have peed in the shower;
4 you need to have normal fitness to turn the handle and push the gate;
5 Largs marina is great value (OK, that was a joke);
6 all that getting on and off the boat means that the decks are filthy;
7 after all that, the weather might not be any good.
[/list] Is it really worth it?

 

[Appleyard]

8 .... midgies .

 

[davierobb]

If you do go through then don't expect a warm welcome at the Crinan hotel, most unfriendly place in Scotland.

 

[MM5AHO]

Went through earlier this year (westbound), charged £97 for 10m boat, several toilets along route, found our own handle useful as always, managed in with several others, which makes the going easier, especially as one boat had paid an old guy £50 to open the locks for them....

but the best sight is this one... the sealock opening after the transit.

I don't think its bad value, but much prefer the trip "round the bottom", with Ghigha, Sanda and Arran as stopping points.

 

[Searush]

price has tripled then since late 80's. I remember droping quietly down into a lock & wondering why it had gone so dark. There was a HUGE cloud of midges descending on me!

An elderly local guy warned me to NEVER kill a single midge . . . .















. . . It seems that millions will come to the funeral!!!!