Forth Clyde Canal

[grahamwhittle]

So I have bought a Moody 31 with a 1.5m fin keel, based at Gourock. I want to move her to The Firth of Forth. John Shepherd Transport quoted £1000 for the task by Road. My son Daniel, who is no sailor, suggested passing through the Forth Clyde Canal, “Wonderful once in a lifetime experience!” he said. Has any of the members of this forum experience of doing this? I know that the draft and and mast down height should be OK, and that there are 40 locks and it will take at least 21 hours of passage time, which can be spread over several days or weeks. Is this a daft idea?

 

[penfold]

The fruitier districts of north Glasgow can have lively wildlife, I recommend Royal Navy pattern cutlasses to repel potential boarders. It should just fit through but you'll be sniffing the bottom as you'll be slightly over the maximum recommended draft, reduce this by running with as much removed from the boat as possible, minimum fresh water etc. Dealing with your mast will be the hardest bit, creating temporary braces to keep it off the deck while keeping under the airdraft. Not a daft idea at all.

 

[ylop]

In your shoes I’d spend the £1000! I’m sceptical that you’ll have no problems with depth although with care 1.5m might be possible. I’ve kayaked and paddle boarded bits of it - if you do decide to do it, ideally you’d want the follow someone else through who had a narrow boat / outboard that could easily clear the prop of weed and act as a weed cutter for you!

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I too have a Moody 31 and considered going through the F&C to bring her to Essex. I decided against for the following reasons:

1. Depth. The Moody's published draft is right on the limit and a) they notoriously draw more than their "official" draft and b) the freshwater draft is greater than the saltwater draft. A shopping trolley in the wrong place would stop you. You might make it if there's plenty water in the canal, but low water conditions could see you stranded.
2. As already mentioned, you pass through hairy areas where shopping trolleys, vandalism and even stones being thrown are a risk.
3. Mast lowering and raising facilities are on a semi DIY basis - they provide the crane, but no other assistance.
4. The mast with all its sensitive masthead gear will overhang the bow and stern, putting it at risk in locks.
5. You need to arrange crutches or similar to hold the mast.

Further but far more scenic with no doubts about depth or air draft is the Caledonian canal.

 

[Sandy]

So I have bought a Moody 31 with a 1.5m fin keel, based at Gourock. I want to move her to The Firth of Forth. John Shepherd Transport quoted £1000 for the task by Road. My son Daniel, who is no sailor, suggested passing through the Forth Clyde Canal, “Wonderful once in a lifetime experience!” he said. Has any of the members of this forum experience of doing this? I know that the draft and and mast down height should be OK, and that there are 40 locks and it will take at least 21 hours of passage time, which can be spread over several days or weeks. Is this a daft idea?

Do you know its true draft?

My boat, a Gib'Sea 96, has a published draft of 1.70m. Its measured draft is 1.80m.

Personally, I'd be getting the boat on the transporter or waiting until the summer and sailing her round.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Do you know its true draft?

My boat, a Gib'Sea 96, has a published draft of 1.70m. Its measured draft is 1.80m.

Personally, I'd be getting the boat on the transporter or waiting until the summer and sailing her round.

As I noted above the Moody 31 is well known to draw at least. 10cm more than it's published draft. And that's not taking account of the increase in draft caused by being in fresh water.

 

[ProDave]

Don't forget the canal licence for the transit and almost certainly a mast craning charge each end. Makes the road transport look better value. Your quote is in line with what we paid to get out boat moved from PE to the Black Isle.

 

[arc1]

As I noted above the Moody 31 is well known to draw at least. 10cm more than it's published draft. And that's not taking account of the increase in draft caused by being in fresh water.

Measured mine last time out of the water; 1.63m to where she normally sits (in massively overloaded everything including the kitchen sink cruiser trim!). For me this would make Forth and Clyde canal a no go.

 

[dunedin]

Worth checking if through transits of the Forth & Clyde Canal are even possible at present. Been lots of closures of the F&C Canal for various reasons, even for boats that do fit.
Would I do it - No!
Unless want to do lots of winter jobs when nearby, could leave till May / June next year, enjoy sailing the Clyde then go round via Crinan and Caledonian Canals. Only problem is that after a few weeks sailing the Clyde, when you reach the Forth you will probably want to put it on a lorry to take it back to the Clyde

 

[Thistle]

I went through some time ago with a boat drawing 1.5m. We certainly touched the bottom in a few places so any more than 1.5m would have been a definite no go. Discussing the transit in advance with the canal folk, they strongly advised being through Maryhill before 1300 on the basis that the undesireable elements who might well deliver the odd paving slab as unwanted deck cargo were likely to be in bed until that time.

Our worst problem, by far, was the mixture of weed and discarded fishing line. We ended up with a rugby-ball sized lump of line and weed round the shaft and had to get lifted out - at very considerable expense - to clear it. Thankfully the full price of the lift was eventually reimbursed or it would have more than doubled the cost of our 2 week visit to the west coast.

On the up side, seeing a Kingfisher in the middle of Glasgow was a wonderful sight.

 

[grahamwhittle]

LOL!

 

[Paddys milestone]

£1000.00? I would bite his arm off before he changes his mind. I would rather take my boat round the horn of Africa than
attempt the Forth and Clyde canal,even with an armed escort.
Bandit country.

 

[Alan S]

So I have bought a Moody 31 with a 1.5m fin keel, based at Gourock. I want to move her to The Firth of Forth. John Shepherd Transport quoted £1000 for the task by Road. My son Daniel, who is no sailor, suggested passing through the Forth Clyde Canal, “Wonderful once in a lifetime experience!” he said. Has any of the members of this forum experience of doing this? I know that the draft and and mast down height should be OK, and that there are 40 locks and it will take at least 21 hours of passage time, which can be spread over several days or weeks. Is this a daft idea?

Presumably you bought the boat to sail her. Moody 31 is a very capable sailing boat so the obvious way is via the Caledonian canal. Should be a very enjoyable trip.

 

[Alicatt]

Lots of weed at the Bowling end of the canal when we were there last month, also I hope you have a key for the locks and bridges.

 

[ProDave]

also I hope you have a key for the locks and bridges.

They are not self service. You are supposed to phone SW and they operate the locks for you. It was a very clumsy operation with a lot of waiting around.

Mind you the Calley is not much better. Slick speedy operation of the locks and bridges does not seem to be company policy.

 

[Alicatt]

They are not self service. You are supposed to phone SW and they operate the locks for you. It was a very clumsy operation with a lot of waiting around.

Mind you the Calley is not much better. Slick speedy operation of the locks and bridges does not seem to be company policy.

Here most of the lock opening is done remotely, first you call up the Vlaamswaterweg on the VHF and they will allocate you into the lock if there is enough room with the working boats and barges.
Some you call by telephone and then they will open, our nearest opening bridge which you have to pass to get out onto the wider canal network is owned and operated by the factory beside the canal, so that one is operated by the gate security guards for the factory.

Bridge at Nyrstar: full open for a boat heading to Leopoldsburg, and bridge just starting to open for me last week. 4.67m clearance when open, the canal is still used a lot commercially up to the bridge for the industrial estate at Balen and Nyrstar for their bulk zinc delivery to make plates for batteries

 

[penfold]

Our worst problem, by far, was the mixture of weed and discarded fishing line. We ended up with a rugby-ball sized lump of line and weed round the shaft and had to get lifted out - at very considerable expense - to clear it. Thankfully the full price of the lift was eventually reimbursed or it would have more than doubled the cost of our 2 week visit to the west coast.

Sounds like it's inadvisable unless you use an outboard for power or have a stripper or similar on the prop shaft.

 

[grahamwhittle]

Thank you for your replies. Seems like using the Forth and Clyde Canal in a Moody 31 is a daft idea after all. Which seems a tragedy for such a historic (Opened 1790) monumental piece of maritime infrastructure once used by commercial vessels.

 

[bikedaft]

I commute along the canal (on a bike!) daily, and the fear of yobs, whilst understandable, is generally undeserved. The vast majority of folk by the canal are lovely. In 35 years of cycling along it, have only had an issue once (with a drunk). Only fell in it once, too . Maryhill can be "fruity" but generally fine if passed in the morning, as the folk who work there daily suggest.

I see the weed clearing boat - currently in Dalmuir. There were some trees in the water from the last storm, they have been cleared.

Can you measure your draft accurately?

If you do go through, please let us know, come and catch your ropes. If not, enjoy the Crinan and Cale canals...

 

[AntarcticPilot]

They are not self service. You are supposed to phone SW and they operate the locks for you. It was a very clumsy operation with a lot of waiting around.

Mind you the Calley is not much better. Slick speedy operation of the locks and bridges does not seem to be company policy.

I did the Caledonian a few years ago, and my experience was that the locks were worked very smoothly. Only had trouble at one lock, and that was at least 50-50 our fault!