Crinan Canal opening

[RunAgroundHard]

I would recommend that you work out a similar arrangement as my post number 40 for your own boat.
You really need to control at the boat.
The slips don’t work as the risk of a line catching in a stone cleat or gaps between the blocks, or snagging on a ladder is real.

 

[steveeasy]

I would recommend that you work out a similar arrangement as my post number 40 for your own boat.
You really need to control at the boat.
The slips don’t work as the risk of a line catching in a stone cleat or gaps between the blocks, or snagging on a ladder is real.

Hi
Yes that sound very well thought out. Ill adopt that stratigy. I’ll set some blocks up. Of course one still needs to be careful lines do not snag. But we’ll thought out.
Thank you
Steveeasy

 

[Martin&Rene]

Perhaps Quandary can adopt a slightly different approach. He could offer to voluntarily assist people going through the canal who have made a £60 (or whatever it is) donation to Mary's Meals and carry a charity donation box with the appropriate details on it into which the money goes. That way there is not a contract in existence from which Quandary accrues any benefit.

The position will then be basically the same as if you offer to take anybody's lines as they come into a berth. Knowing all the charter yachts from Largs I often help them with lines if it is an awkward berth and to reduce my liability in that instance, I always ask the person who is about to pass the line, what he wants doing with it. The situation is though, I rarely get an answer.

If anybody thinks ylop is getting a bit pedantic, then see how the situation has gone in the USA where Stella Liebeck successfully sued McDonalds because the coffee was too hot and she scalded herself, even though she was in a car and holding the cup between her knees.

 

[MisterBaxter]

Are there different or unusual difficulties on the Crinan Canal? I'm used to taking a 60', 18 tonne narrowboat through locks single handed, including the Bath Deep Lock, which is a bit out of the ordinary in operation; it's never seemed especially slow or difficult. Possibly a narrowboat is easier, being less lively in the water than a smaller yacht?

 

[scottie]

Are there different or unusual difficulties on the Crinan Canal? I'm used to taking a 60', 18 tonne narrowboat through locks single handed, including the Bath Deep Lock, which is a bit out of the ordinary in operation; it's never seemed especially slow or difficult. Possibly a narrowboat is easier, being less lively in the water than a smaller yacht?

Yes a combination of midges and posters with itching s to scratch?

 

[Bristolfashion]

Um, basic (and possibly dumb) question .... where do you get the lock winch handles to operate the sluices? Do you pick 'em up on entry and return, do you have to buy one etc? All the information seems silent on this.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Um, basic (and possibly dumb) question .... where do you get the lock winch handles to operate the sluices? Do you pick 'em up on entry and return, do you have to buy one etc? All the information seems silent on this.

They are stored on the gates.

 

[Peter Pilot]

Are there different or unusual difficulties on the Crinan Canal? I'm used to taking a 60', 18 tonne narrowboat through locks single handed, including the Bath Deep Lock, which is a bit out of the ordinary in operation; it's never seemed especially slow or difficult. Possibly a narrowboat is easier, being less lively in the water than a smaller yacht?

Some of the sluices do not work properly...especially on lock 12. There are notices on some of the gates that they require a minimum of two people. The water levels at Dunardry are often wrong and cause delays. Currently the shortage of water makes mooring on the pontoons between locks 8 and 9 perilous.even for 2.0m draft boats.

 

[Peter Pilot]

Um, basic (and possibly dumb) question .... where do you get the lock winch handles to operate the sluices? Do you pick 'em up on entry and return, do you have to buy one etc? All the information seems silent on this.

RunAgorundHard is correct. They are placed on the gate beams at 8.30am and collected in at 5pm each day.

 

[ylop]

Are there different or unusual difficulties on the Crinan Canal? I'm used to taking a 60', 18 tonne narrowboat through locks single handed, including the Bath Deep Lock, which is a bit out of the ordinary in operation; it's never seemed especially slow or difficult. Possibly a narrowboat is easier, being less lively in the water than a smaller yacht?

I’ve taken a narrow boat through locks, never single handed. Being steel nobody seemed too concerned about stuff, whereas fibreglass yachties are a bit more delicate! I’m pretty sure crinan locks are bigger (longer and wider?) than narrow bot ones, and being quite busy often operated with the sluices quite fast. I don’t think in over 30 years of visiting crinan canal I have ever seen someone climb a ladder from a boat to the top of the lock. Presumably you could single hand (if they let you) but the throughput would be quite a bit lower, opportunities for passing are limited (especially for yachts with deep keels) and compare to many canals the traffic is much higher, with manned bridges on relatively busy roads etc. so that’s probably the practical stuff.

From a risk perspective climbing slippy ladders is not ideal, and seasoned canal-boaters might have perfected it but your average yachtie has not. Whilst I wonder if a rope round a prop is easier to sort (and maybe even avoid) with a canal boat than a yacht - a stranded boat could hold up a lot of customers paying to get from A-B. Which I guess is another difference - whilst narrowboaters obviously also want to go somewhere they are perhaps a bit more relaxed as they aren’t trying to hit a wind/weather window, sea lock closing time, etc.

 

[Dippseyboat]

Hi Joe

I'm sorry if you feel offended by my post, but I don't comment on the way anyone delivers their piloting service.

My personal opinion is that anyone offering services to the public, in a public place, should carry an appropriate public liability insurance. My piloting service is one of my businesses.

I only get on the boat across the top of the canal (if the skipper agrees) as it makes the experience more personal and I have a very wide range of conversation.

See you on the canal soon, Take care.

Do you carry public liability insurance for boats ?