Crinan Canal, more hassle

[Quandary]

Aaaah, the card school has gone, not enough of them in any one place now for a hand of solitaire. We thought the pilot business might be reduced by the 'free' assisted passage but since it was only offered to two boats each way per day it made no difference, other than winding up the skippers who had paid for a service they were never offered. Last year the Dunardry flight was good, manned most days by a guy who would rather prepare a lock or close up than stand aside and watch, but such enthusiasm does not go down well with all his colleagues. The grass is now cut by contractors, the maintenance of locks and landings ceased a few years back when the job was categorised as unskilled and worth a lower rate so now they only operate bridges, however the historic Dunardry bridge needs the services of a decent carpenter and blacksmith so has not been used for several years. The main task now is letting water down into the system from the reservoirs so a fair bit of time spent up the hill.

 

[A1Sailor]

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

I think that was Wednesdays only in my youth. Crinan used to stay open till late for the fishing boats, too.

Ardrishaig was staffed until 10pm seven days a week in 1978 and 1979. The seaward gates were left open overnight to provide a "safe haven".

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Ardrishaig was staffed until 10pm seven days a week in 1978 and 1979. .....

And we all know who became Prime Minister in '79!

 

[A1Sailor]

Aaaah, the card school has gone, not enough of them in any one place now for a hand of solitaire. We thought the pilot business might be reduced by the 'free' assisted passage but since it was only offered to two boats each way per day it made no difference, other than winding up the skippers who had paid for a service they were never offered. Last year the Dunardry flight was good, manned most days by a guy who would rather prepare a lock or close up than stand aside and watch, but such enthusiasm does not go down well with all his colleagues. The grass is now cut by contractors, the maintenance of locks and landings ceased a few years back when the job was categorised as unskilled and worth a lower rate so now they only operate bridges, however the historic Dunardry bridge needs the services of a decent carpenter and blacksmith so has not been used for several years. The main task now is letting water down into the system from the reservoirs so a fair bit of time spent up the hill.

When I worked on the canal in the summers of 1978 & 1979 I spent a fair amount of time at Dunardry. Although primarily staffing the bridge over lock 11, I too would assist on 10-13. Lock 9, at the top, was just out of sight from 11 so I didn't venture up there.

 

[wully1]

Is the staff middle aged or older? My employer found that by releasing all his grey haired staff who were experienced and hiring bright young things more was done at far less cost i.e. productivity improved remarkably. The knock on effect with the remaining grey haired staff has also paid dividends. Sounds to me as if they should all be on zero hours contracts and called out when needed i.e. opening a bridge, operating a lock, paid by the bridge or lock, not time.

Yer employer could do that with Company Men- Just pay them for the morning call?

Edit, forget that’s all they do anyway...

(are you about anytime soon?)

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Yer employer could do that with Company Men- Just pay them for the morning call?

Edit, forget that’s all they do anyway...

(are you about anytime soon?)

They don't even do that any more. We have automatic daily drilling reports being scripted from all the fancy machines recording everything. As my big cheese said, why are we paying film star wages for monkey work. I was in Asia and they don't like the word monkey, it's insulting, you could hear a pin drop. Anyway, the young people had written this script and let it loose on the data stream and we now have automatic daily drilling reports. Which is fine until the driller leaves a joint out of his tally and has not told the machine.

Just had 4 cold days of holding on to the pontoon in the easterly winds, came back home last night. I should be up soon, will text. Still got some time at home.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Is the staff middle aged or older?

Mainly middle-aged men, showing the traditional enthusiasm and efficiency of poorly paid and badly managed unsackable public sector employees. See also: British Leyland.

I exclude completely from this the (younger woman) lock-keeper at Crinan, who in my experience is unfailingly helpful, hardworking and efficient.

 

[JumbleDuck]

That year of "assisted" passages - I bought a 16 day pass and transited 7 times, 5 of them single-handed.

I'll bite. Why?

Bypasses are devices that allow some people to dash from point A to point B very fast while other people dash from point B to point A very fast. People living at point C, being a point directly in between, are often given to wonder what's so great about point A that so many people from point B are so keen to get there, and what's so great about point B that so many people from point A are so keen to get there. They often wish that people would just once and for all work out where the hell they wanted to be.

-- Douglas Adams​

 

[JumbleDuck]

Ardrishaig was staffed until 10pm seven days a week in 1978 and 1979. The seaward gates were left open overnight to provide a "safe haven".

I started using the canal in 1988, I think. I used to take the boat between Kilcreggan and Ardrishaig myself, leaving in the evening after driving up from England. I was normally just passing Tignabruaich at 10pm, and used the sealock when I got to the canal, partly for security and partly so that no bugger could queue-jump me.

 

[awol]

I'll bite. Why?

I started in May heading for SIPR with a less than friendly forecast for the Mull. That's when I discovered the price hike to £140+(IIRC). Also discovered the 16 day price had not risen. Quick thoughts had the present trip, the Round Mull Race at the end of June, return from WHYW and how much my wife enjoyed the Caley Canal which made the £400 (again IIRC) a reasonable prospect. I added a couple of round trips west from Gourock to amuse family and 4 days in the Caley Canal to amuse my wife - only as far as Fort Augustus, and finally for SIPR the following year within 1 day of expiry.
So 8 transits @ ~£50 ea with all the effort I should have expended being throwing and coiling ropes + 4 free days of Caley was a relative bargain. One round trip was as far as the Sound of Luing when mobile comms returned and I was called home.
I have only been through once since!

 

[JumbleDuck]

I started in May heading for SIPR with a less than friendly forecast for the Mull. That's when I discovered the price hike to £140+(IIRC). Also discovered the 16 day price had not risen. Quick thoughts had the present trip, the Round Mull Race at the end of June, return from WHYW and how much my wife enjoyed the Caley Canal which made the £400 (again IIRC) a reasonable prospect. I added a couple of round trips west from Gourock to amuse family and 4 days in the Caley Canal to amuse my wife - only as far as Fort Augustus, and finally for SIPR the following year within 1 day of expiry.
So 8 transits @ ~£50 ea with all the effort I should have expended being throwing and coiling ropes + 4 free days of Caley was a relative bargain. One round trip was as far as the Sound of Luing when mobile comms returned and I was called home.
I have only been through once since!

Ah-ha. So 16 days means "16 days total in the canal" and not "16 consecutive days", does it? I had visions of you stoating two and fro for a fortnight to get your money's worth.

When I first went through the old single/return system had just been abandoned in favour of consecutive days. Being a poor student then, I could only afford an 8-day ticket (I think they were 3, 8 or 15) so we belted round the outside as fast as we could and got back just under the wire. From memory it went Crinan - Colonsay (through Coirebhreacan) - Port nan Ròn (the old one, at Ardalanish, not the new one behind Eilean a Chalmain) - Bull Hole - Puilladobrain - Crinan. Ah, happy days. A bigger boat and more money haven't made it any more fun.

 

[Railbob]

Scottish Canals have clarified the situation on Facebook, apparently inexperienced crews will set off in convoy between 08:30 and 09:30hrs, experienced crews can set off at any time and single handed boats are requested to employ a pilot. All boats must still book 24hrs in advance. I’m okay with this setup as it does not hold me back.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Scottish Canals have clarified the situation on Facebook, apparently inexperienced crews will set off in convoy between 08:30 and 09:30hrs, experienced crews can set off at any time and single handed boats are requested to employ a pilot. All boats must still book 24hrs in advance. I’m okay with this setup as it does not hold me back.

The convoy idea seems fine, and is what has happened de facto for as long as I can remember, but the "must book 24 hours in advance" is a potential pain in the derriere.

 

[Robert Wilson]

Mainly middle-aged men, showing the traditional enthusiasm and efficiency of poorly paid and badly managed unsackable public sector employees. See also: British Leyland.

I exclude completely from this the (younger woman) lock-keeper at Crinan, who in my experience is unfailingly helpful, hardworking and efficient.

As a once only, and first-timer user (both ways) in June/July 2013 I can only comment on this dire-sounding situation thus:-
1. No-one was available at the Crinan Office to offer advice when I arrived at 16:00
2. I went through with two other boats first thing next morning and was "out" around 15:00, in good time to motor to Tarbert (flat calm).
3. On my return two weeks later at about 15:30, exhausted, frozen and bedraggled I was treated right-royally by the two extremely attractive and experienced young ladies who had me "in" and up to Cairnbarn in quick-sticks.
(They even let me "steam" infront of their electric fire while they went out and did all the lock preparations.)
4. I found the then "assisted passage" absolutely faultless and enjoyable.

5. It looks like I'll be avoiding the Crinan, at least until they get this apparent B*lls-up sorted.

Pity

 

[JumbleDuck]

3. On my return two weeks later at about 15:30, exhausted, frozen and bedraggled I was treated right-royally by the two extremely attractive and experienced young ladies who had me "in" and up to Cairnbarn in quick-sticks.

As well as the excellent woman lock keeper at Crinan, there was another excellent woman lock keeper at Ardrishaig for a few years. I don't think it's being women that makes/made them good, though, it's being rather younger than the embittered, cynical, bone-idle old lags.

 

[Quandary]

Book 24 hours in advance? What do you think will happen if like most folk who do not read Facebook you just turn up, they are not going to send you away. Once you are in the sea lock you have control of it they can't drive you out.
The regular, on the water, staff are now down to around 7, 'backed up' by 4 who stay safely indoors in the Ardrishaig office (including two managers) All the rest including the girls with the legs who excite you guys are summer casuals, often students. The 'embittered cynical bone idle old lags' have good reason to be, employee management and relations is and has been disastrous, one does not have to work here too long to experience it, it is a very top heavy organization but despite this really badly run.

 

[A1Sailor]

I and my "student colleague" were unpopular with the embittered lags, particularly the union rep, who considered we were depriving others of jobs. I stopped going to the Labour Exchange and had a job as Canalman Grade 1, so it didn't really bother me too much.

 

[webcraft]

.
The staff I talked to last week seemed to be of the opinion that management had little idea of the realities of yachting and canal transit.

- W

 

[MM5AHO]

I cannot find any mention of this booking system or the early convoy system on the SC website. Nor on their Facebook page (where I asked, but got no reply).
I suspect this is fake news.

 

[awol]

We'll, the flyer has been circulated widely. Copies at JWD, promulgated by the RGYC news posts, I saw it first on another trusted website. I think you probably pass as an experienced user!