Crinan Canal Operational Curtailment

[Quandary]

Some info. for those of you who might be planning to use the canal this year, because of cuts (13% reduction in grant aid and 3% efficiency savings) Waterways Scotland is not planning to recruit as many casuals this summer (this might be a particular disappointment to Ubergeekian who had expressed his appreciation of the cheery girls in the short shorts and big safety boots who looked after him at the sealock last season)
There will be a significant reduction in summer working hours with locks and bridges not opening until 09.00 and stopping at 17.30. Note that there is still also a half hour mid afternoon interruption to both the Ardrishaig bridges to allow the mummies to get about to collect their weans from the primary school by car.
Extended summer opening will not start until 24th. June until 21st. Aug. and will only be available on Thur. to Sun. evenings with a last locking time of 19.00 for a 19.30 close.
However it should still be easy enough to transit and lock out in a day with time to spare unless you get stuck behind someone slow.
They also warn that there will be less cutting of grass, trees and tidying up litter etc. so not a lot changes there then. (I have been cutting the grass beside the towpath and removing scrub and treating J. knotweed and H. balsam on the banks of our canal frontage for the last two years.)

 

[Sandyman]

Just another sign of the times i suppose. We went through in winter and it was a wonderful first experience of locks & canals.

 

[Resolution]

We went through in winter and it was a wonderful first experience of locks & canals.

Seconded. We went through early last summer and it was a fantastic experience. Didn't see the girls in shorts though.

 

[pagoda]

Some info. for those of you who might be planning to use the canal this year, because of cuts (13% reduction in grant aid and 3% efficiency savings) Waterways Scotland is not planning to recruit as many casuals this summer (this might be a particular disappointment to Ubergeekian who had expressed his appreciation of the cheery girls in the short shorts and big safety boots who looked after him at the sealock last season)
There will be a significant reduction in summer working hours with locks and bridges not opening until 09.00 and stopping at 17.30. Note that there is still also a half hour mid afternoon interruption to both the Ardrishaig bridges to allow the mummies to get about to collect their weans from the primary school by car.
Extended summer opening will not start until 24th. June until 21st. Aug. and will only be available on Thur. to Sun. evenings with a last locking time of 19.00 for a 19.30 close.
However it should still be easy enough to transit and lock out in a day with time to spare unless you get stuck behind someone slow.
They also warn that there will be less cutting of grass, trees and tidying up litter etc. so not a lot changes there then. (I have been cutting the grass beside the towpath and removing scrub and treating J. knotweed and H. balsam on the banks of our canal frontage for the last two years.)

Another valid reason for going round the Mull
Or..
See Sanda / Rathlin / Gigha / Port Ellen & Craighouse , count the porpoises , basking sharks and gannets, start thinking tidal gates earlier.. no wrestling with fenders and other boats, no green slime off the lock walls...more sailing?

Graeme

 

[Ubergeekian]

Seconded. We went through early last summer and it was a fantastic experience. Didn't see the girls in shorts though.

My sympathies.

If the grumpy old boy at Lock 4 attempts to wear the shorts instead this year I'm sailing down to Tarbert and pushing the boat across on rollers.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

If the grumpy old boy at Lock 4 attempts to wear the shorts instead this year I'm sailing down to Tarbert and pushing the boat across on rollers.

I knew it!!!!!!!! you ARE Tristan Jones.... hah.... see... I knew all along!

 

[Seajet]

Tristan Jones would say he'd already done it by way of the summit of Ben Nevis, but sadly he forgot to take his camera...

 

[Quandary]

Another valid reason for going round the Mull
Or..
See Sanda / Rathlin / Gigha / Port Ellen & Craighouse , count the porpoises , basking sharks and gannets, start thinking tidal gates earlier.. no wrestling with fenders and other boats, no green slime off the lock walls...more sailing?

Graeme

You have been reading our log, that is or route from Ardrishaig to our summer berth at Crinan though if we start off late in the afternoon we might look in to Portavadie, canal transit = 5 hours, via Rathlin = 5 days.

 

[pagoda]

You have been reading our log, that is or route from Ardrishaig to our summer berth at Crinan though if we start off late in the afternoon we might look in to Portavadie, canal transit = 5 hours, via Rathlin = 5 days.

Snap, more or less.
We're going round the long way again this year, rather than use the canal. We might just stop at Sanda & Gigha and take 3 days or a little less. Depends on weather needless to say. And getting the tides right.
Other than occasional commercial traffic in the N Channel, the Mull always feels remote and is generally not busy. Compared to ducking & diving around in locks it's almost relaxing.

 

[snooks]

We loitered through the Crinian cos it was blowing a F7 in the Clyde and we were in no rush to get pasted (again)

Thanx again Quandary for your advice at the time

 

[rhumlady]

Simple answer to this is to close the Forth & Clyde canal as it's hardly used anyway. It has been a few years since I saw anything going through and I work in Clydebank Just above the canal.

As for the Crinan, I was told it was built to avoid the Mull of Kintyre. On the other hand the Mull of Kintyre is a good way of avoiding the Crinan canal!