Crinan Canal, more hassle

[Quandary]

The geniuses (genii?) who run the Crinan have decided on a new system, they want boats to lock in to the canal in the evening. (The tides North of Crinan are something no one has ever been able to explain to them) and to transit in convoy the following day. They require boats to book 24 hours in advance. They think this is a good idea because it is what is done in the 'staircase' locks on the Cally. They are still recommending the use of a pilot so obviously this change does not involve them manning the locks. I expect them to try to get this to work for up to a week before we can all go back to normal. Meantime it is good news for the folk on Gigha
The canal goes on to longer summer hours from Easter, there is still no waiting pontoon at Ardrishaig or any sign of one, with the current strong easterlies those waiting overnight in the sea lock looked far from comfortable.
Ardrishaig Sea Lock 01546 502458
Crinan Sea Lock 01546 830285 but note these phones are only manned when the lock keeper is sitting in the office.

 

[JumbleDuck]

The geniuses (genii?) who run the Crinan have decided on a new system, they want boats to lock in to the canal in the evening.

Does this mean that they are providing evening locking-in again? The sealocks used to run until 20.30 in the season, which was very useful.

 

[Quandary]

Don't be daft, you think they are trying to make things better? The Canal runs a cafe/restaurant in Ardrishaig which is doing very little business because many folk coming in in the afternoon head on up to Cairnbaan to eat in the hotel, it has been said locally that this is an attempt to generate some business for it by keeping boats here overnight. Myself, I do not think they will have thought that much out.
Some time later this year they are opening a building they refer to as a 'hub' formerly the 'eggshed'. It is a vaguely Faroese looking red tin box and while it has been a long expensive building project , they are desperately trying to find a coherent use for it, this village has already got two public halls for a population of less than 1,000. Probably finish up as another of these short lived local museums with 3 visitors a day.
Meantime the sea lock gate has broken its attachment from the balance beam and is creaking along until it fails or they find money to fix it.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Don't be daft, you think they are trying to make things better? The Canal runs a cafe/restaurant in Ardrishaig which is doing very little business because many folk coming in in the afternoon head on up to Cairnbaan to eat in the hotel, it has been said locally that this is an attempt to generate some business for it by keeping boats here overnight. Myself, I do not think they will have thought that much out.

Is that the former YotSpot restaurant?

 

[Deleted member 36384]

It's about time that they announced it's closure and intention to fill it in. Only then will there be a sufficient noise made to the Scottish Government to intervene and do something about it. The current board are made up of members experienced in dishing out other peoples money and transitioning sectors through crisis, they don't appear to me to be inspirational.

 

[JumbleDuck]

It's about time that they announced it's closure and intention to fill it in. Only then will there be a sufficient noise made to the Scottish Government to intervene and do something about it. The current board are made up of members experienced in dishing out other peoples money and transitioning sectors through crisis, they don't appear to me to be inspirational.

I don't think they will go as far as filling it in, but when an expensive calamity occurs to an inland lock I reckon we'll see it reduced to locks 1, 14 and 15 operating (enough for the two basins plus Bellanoch Bay to remain accessible) and the rest indefinitely "mothballed". Once that has happened the estimated costs of re-opening will be for full restoration rather than repair to whatever closed it, which will add a couple of zeros and means that it never happens.

It's a great shame, but I don't see the political will to spend a good deal of public money on a relatively small number of relatively wealthy recreational boaters.

 

[bikedaft]

Don't be daft, you think they are trying to make things better? The Canal runs a cafe/restaurant in Ardrishaig which is doing very little business because many folk coming in in the afternoon head on up to Cairnbaan to eat in the hotel, it has been said locally that this is an attempt to generate some business for it by keeping boats here overnight. Myself, I do not think they will have thought that much out.
Some time later this year they are opening a building they refer to as a 'hub' formerly the 'eggshed'. It is a vaguely Faroese looking red tin box and while it has been a long expensive building project , they are desperately trying to find a coherent use for it, this village has already got two public halls for a population of less than 1,000. Probably finish up as another of these short lived local museums with 3 visitors a day.
Meantime the sea lock gate has broken its attachment from the balance beam and is creaking along until it fails or they find money to fix it.

is that the S sea lock at Ardrishaig that seemed to be held together horizontally with a chain winch?

thanks for flagging up the booking on/convoy system. we went through (to the W) 2 weeks ago. v helpful staff, but they seemed reserved about the new system

 

[Quandary]

Is that the former YotSpot restaurant?

Yep, Scottish Canals have so little to do they are running it themselves now after the second major refit in 3 years. They have brought over the wee kelpies to sit outside for a while to encourage some interest. There is talk of them opening it in the evening come the summer.
The Rumblin Tum across the road from it has changed hands but it still does a great breakfast.

The lifting strop and chain are holding one side together, the other side has parted and is waving about in the breeze, no signs of any repairs or maintenance anywhere on the system this winter. Hope the old canal is able to stagger through another season, the guys that work on it are really dispirited about the way it is being run.

 

[JumbleDuck]

thanks for flagging up the booking on/convoy system. we went through (to the W) 2 weeks ago. v helpful staff, but they seemed reserved about the new system

What happens under the new system if I turn up at 11am ... do I have to wait till the evening to lock in and till the following day to go through?

 

[awol]

What happens under the new system if I turn up at 11am ... do I have to wait till the evening to lock in and till the following day to go through?

Why not try it and let us know the result? It looks like the sub-6 hour transit has gone forever.

 

[MM5AHO]

I've about given up on the Crinan and canals in general.
I went round the MoK many times last year, but did go through the canal twice (twice same way, on separate occasions). One time I got told off for starting too early (after I'd planned to transit in a day, and had to overnight part way due to slow traffic). They remove the sluice handles at night, but it's not against the rules to have your own, and I always carry my own. Not uncommon to find a lock with no handles at all, so having my own seemed a good idea. The "rules" say that they don't operate until 0800 (is that right, I forget), and I had started earlier on the basis that they might not start until then, but the rules in the permit don't say that no-one can start before 0800. So I expected no assistance before 0800. It seemed to be upsetting to them, but I still don't know why. They got me back next trip. Arriving at the Ardrishaig end, and approaching the first road bridge they could not decide if they should open, as they're not allowed to open at same time as main road bridge at the basin. It was approaching closing time. They faffed about for an hour or so, then decided that I could not get out to sea as it was too late! So I was forced to wait until next morning, eventually escaping at 0900. Had I go to sea previous night I would of course have been able to sail on, and so I lost 16 hours sailing. Not happy!
The booking in scheme seems doomed just like the brilliant (!) plan for assisted passages a few years back. Next thing they'll be charging for the booking service.
This canal business model is not fit for our times.

 

[wully1]

I gave up on it long before I moved west of the canal due to the hassle, stress and toll on the topsides. I did use it one more time bringing a new boat home in the depths of winter and we got a Pilot which I’d highly recommend.

If you are lucky to be reasonably time rich then the passage round Cape McCartney is a nice sail either way and is probably time neutral especially if you have to waste time waiting to get going like this new system looks like inflicting.

 

[ctva]

I was at the users forum forum on Saturday morning and after the bacon rolls, the meeting commenced with a lot of info. Some good, some questionable and some we had heard before...

However, I’m not sure who your mole in the meeting was but to clarify a few points (btw, I have a healthy scepticism of anything promised by senior management in any business and did tell them in the meeting that SC management couldn’t organise a pissup in a brewery to a point about providing WiFi that has been promised for three years) that may help...

The geniuses (genii?) who run the Crinan have decided on a new system, they want boats to lock in to the canal in the evening. (The tides North of Crinan are something no one has ever been able to explain to them) and to transit in convoy the following day.

Locking in in the evening was not mentioned. Yes they want to gather boats at 9am for a start in convoy from each end, but that’s all. Turn up at any other time and it will be business as usual.

...They require boats to book 24 hours in advance...

To help with planning the transits and it is NOT Require, only request if possible.

...They are still recommending the use of a pilot so obviously this change does not involve them manning the locks. I expect them to try to get this to work for up to a week before we can all go back to normal...

No, the old pilots have retired and there are new ones whom they will provide details if asked. In the convoy system mentioned above, the staff will travel with them to assist but not in the same as the assisted passage before. A certain amount of self help is expected from either crew or pilot.

...there is still no waiting pontoon at Ardrishaig or any sign of one, with the current strong easterlies those waiting overnight in the sea lock looked far from comfortable...

This is in the planning stages for a new waiting pontoon with proper safe access rather than the old vertical ladder. I was assured that it will be policed properly to keep for transit traffic only and not local long term. But we don’t frequent Quandry’s end of the Canal so we’re not bovvered.

...Ardrishaig Sea Lock 01546 502458
Crinan Sea Lock 01546 830285 but note these phones are only manned when the lock keeper is sitting in the office.

Cant comment about Ardrishaig, but at Crinan, the lock keepers will only answer ch74 if in the office but carry mobile phones linked to the main number. Rarely not been able to speak to them.

Other than that, one can but hope that things will continue to operate...

 

[JumbleDuck]

Why not try it and let us know the result?

Normally I drive up to Port Bannatyne in the afternoon, leave there in the boat about 7pm, get to Ardrishaig in the small hours, tie up at the non-existent pontoon, lock in first thing and then head through. If there is no point in doing that, because you have to lock in the previous day to be in the convoy, I won't bust a gut to get there overnight.

It looks like the sub-6 hour transit has gone forever.

It sounds as if the in-and-out-in-one day transit is gone too. Last year we tied up at Easdale twenty four hours after leaving Port Bannatyne.

 

[A1Sailor]

Does this mean that they are providing evening locking-in again? The sealocks used to run until 20.30 in the season, which was very useful.

They used to run until 22.00, at least the Ardrishaig sealock did when I worked there last century.

 

[Quandary]

To respond to CTVA ,the info I gave did not come from the meeting he attended but from a notice on Scottish Canals website, I used to go to those meetings but after being lied to so often tend regard it as a waste of time. (they have stopped inviting me, can't understand why)
I did a transit yesterday and asked about the new system, no one I spoke to thought it would work or last long. Employee relations are continuing to deteriorate and morale seems very low but the only way they can control transit is by refusing to operate the bridges, no one seems to think that is a good idea. The workers would like to see management come out of the office to look or else consult them on these ideas but things have got so bad neither happens. I would be surprised if the canal is not working all day again by June.
A 53' Dutch Halberg Rassy came through with us yesterday, they could not start first thing because they held it back to run water for its 2.4m, draught, they kept the wee boat I was helping back too. So the pair did not get going until around 11-00 and despite a 45kt. headwind made good time but failed to reach the basin in time to lock out by about 15min. because they did not make lock 4 before the 3-30 school run closure. The Dutch crew found the restraint with only 2 boats moving in the canal yesterday quite frustrating. This school run interruption means that they will not let boats out that turn up close to or after 3-30pm even though I had all the locks down to the basin open and ready for them, summer hours will mitigate this.

 

[ctva]

On the SC website apart from the out of date details from last year, https://www.scottishcanals.co.uk/activities/boating/crinan-canal/plan-your-trip/, all that is mentioned is a temporary period till this weekend for operational reasons where they request bookings.https://www.scottishcanals.co.uk/news/crinan-canal-temporary-restrictions/

The 24hr advance notice is for draughts >2.2m.

Is there an other notice that I have missed on their fantastically dreadful website?

 

[awol]

 

[Quandary]

Glad someone found it, going to be fun. Of course such silly rules will not apply to Bellanoch marina and you will be able to get out faster if they are not admitting ordinary folk in the mornings. They are going to reschedule the tidal streams in the Sound of Luing to suit, so it will always be flowing south from mid-day.

 

[ctva]

Glad someone found it, going to be fun. Of course such silly rules will not apply to Bellanoch marina and you will be able to get out faster if they are not admitting ordinary folk in the mornings. They are going to reschedule the tidal streams in the Sound of Luing to suit, so it will always be flowing south from mid-day.

I knew I liked the SC management.

We could relax our strict admittance rules for Bellanoch and let you back in... :encouragement: