Forth Clyde Canal

[awol]

Your 1st mistake is moving from west to east - £1000 pays for a lot of commuting or covers the cost of laying a mooring on the Clyde! For several years I commuted my CO32 from Port Edgar to Gourock in April and back again in September for the Autumn and Winter race series and lay-up nearer my home. I used the F/C ditch 3 times and the Caledonian Canal more often. The F/C depth and weed was a misery but in those days we got a team of canal workers to take our ropes and work the locks (and keep the feral kids away). The Caledonian Canal was always a joy, even in snow storms and the odd gales. The North Sea, on the other hand, is just a slog, possibly character forming(!) but the spring trip used to set me up for the season.
I would recommend trying one year in the west.

 

[ProDave]

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.

We did the F&C and Union canal in a hired narrowboat. At Wester Halies on the edge of Edinburgh there were yoofs on a bridge dropping rocks in. The only reason they did not drop rocks on our boat is because the 2 biggest ugliest looking crew members (it was a bikers trip) got off walked ahead to the bridge and one stood either side of them looking menacing while out boat went under. But at the Glasgow end I forget exactly where we got a brick through a window.

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!

Not my experience last trip helping some friends move a boat. 4 hours from the Clachnahary sea loch to Calley Marina. Mostly waiting.

 

[Tzu]

I did the F&C about 10 years ago, see my mates write up in Yachting Monthly April 2016. I think we were the last boat to transit East to West before the new sea lock at the Kelpies was opened. Westely Longbow 1.4m draft, didnt touch bottom anywhere, all locks done by Scottish Canals chaps, fantastic value as the £ (sorry, I forget how much) was less than 3 nights in a marina and we were on the canal 3 nights. No trouble from anyone.

I'd do it again under same circumstances of a delivery trip in a new to me boat.

S

 

[srm]

Its a few years since I last went through the Caledonian Canal, but have used it a number of times. The first being when Neptune's Staircase had wood gates and needed the upstream sluice keeping open so water pressure would complete the closure. Quite exciting at times with engine running ahead to help hold position.

The railway bridge near Clachnaharry would only open at a limited number of times each day. Last time the lock keeper told me when it would open so I left his pontoon for that time. He also advised the next lock keeper that I would be going through single handed to the marina. No waiting at the bridge or the next lock.

The road bridges in Inverness do not open during the rush hour/commute times. At other times one bridge is always closed to the canal to allow any emergency service road vehicles a route through the city. Not unreasonable.

The big staircase locks take time to cycle, but there was a sign giving the time of the next transit at each end.

Canal staff proved helpful with advice regarding critical times and saved a lot of waiting and hovering in the canal due to arriving at a bridge or staircase too early.

Take your time and enjoy the canal, we usually extended out transit time and enjoyed the break from tides and wind.

 

[Bilgediver]

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!

Weed is the biggest problem and I would suggest that if not already fitted you fir a modern large transparent type inlet strainer at waterline level. These are easily and quickly cleared due to the convenient placing. Some manage without stopping the engine.

 

[awol]

I passed a boat, could have been a Moody 31, heading east on the M8 today. Have we missed the boat?

 

[grahamwhittle]

Still in James Watt Marina!

 

[bikedaft]

Still in James Watt Marina!

Any idea which way you're going to head East, yet? Or, stay on the West?

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Any idea which way you're going to head East, yet? Or, stay on the West?

I was based in James Watt Dock before moving to Essex, and under other circumstances, I wouldn't have moved. Indeed, I am giving serious consideration to moving back! Mention Paul Cooper and Capricious to Grahame in the office; he'll remember me. Capricious was the first boat berthed at JWDM!

I have experience of sailing on both the East and West coasts of Scotland, and the West Coast is by far the better place for a fin keel boat like the Moody. Most harbours on the East Coast dry, so a boat that can't readily take the ground is at a disadvantage in terms of cruising destinations. When doing the relocation trip, we found few places suitable for Capricious between Peterhead and Eyemonth without long detours or poor shelter in the outer harbour. Of course, a further factor was distance - we wanted to make decent progress on each leg of the journey, so although Aberdeen and Fraserburgh would have been OK (if rather uncomfortable as they are busy ports) they were too close to Peterhead. We could have gone into Stonehaven, but we'd have had to stay in the outer harbour, and in persistent easterlies that would have been uncomfortable.

 

[Alicatt]

I had my first visit to the James Watt Marina last September meeting up with @Skylark of this parish, nice place and quite opened my wife's eyes to the size of some of the yachts there, we were on our way to Largs Marina for the PB level 2 and VHF SRC courses.

 

[Halo]

I did this twice in my Westerly 25. No problem but she did benefit from a 2’9” draft. No problem with local people and a treat a McGonagals sail through chippy. We stayed in Kirkintilloch en route. I would not do it on your boat in case someone has dumped a load of shopping tray olleys and you get stuck.
I would definitely go through Caledonian rather than trucking her. It’s such a beautiful trip I expect people will help you.

 

[grahamwhittle]

I have not completely given up on Firth Clyde Canal, yet. I spoke with Ian Wilson today, the Boat Movement Supervisor. He said it would take 4 days to pass through the canal at present because of daylight. Draft is okay, weed still an issue until the frost comes. The German made weed harvesting machine is having problems. The guidelines state there is a depth of 6ft in the canal. The canal is about to close for maintenance, he said I should contact him tomorrow for an update on the maintenance situation. Obviously this is all too much hassle.
So onto the low loader, ashore at Port Edgar for the winter, then a swinging mooring in Granton Harbour, seems the most sensible plan.

 

[Alicatt]

Weed has almost completely gone on our canal (Kanaal naar Beverlo) was down today checking my boat over, and what a contrast to 2 weeks ago when the canal was thick with weed and every 200m you were having to go astern to shake the weed off the propellor.

On Sunday we had "de Sint" (St. Nicholas + Zwarte Peit) visit, and he took the boat behind ours to go visit the children in Kerkhoven.


A good time was had by all in De Waterkant café (The Waterside Café) later

 

[grahamwhittle]

Just to complete the thread, and thank you for all your advice, Ian Wilson, Boat Movement Supervisor, has just told me that the canal is not passable at present due to weed and three locks being repaired. Should be open for next Easter. I am leaving the boat at James Watt Marina, and will review all the options next year.

 

[dunedin]

Just to complete the thread, and thank you for all your advice, Ian Wilson, Boat Movement Supervisor, has just told me that the canal is not passable at present due to weed and three locks being repaired. Should be open for next Easter. I am leaving the boat at James Watt Marina, and will review all the options next year.

That’s kind of what I expected and reason for my post #9.

But also worth considering as people have suggested doing at least part of a season on the Clyde and or West coast, before perhaps bringing back via the Caledonian Canal (or keeping on the West like others like us who live on the East).

If you have not sailed the Clyde before, put the CCC Sailing Directions for the Clyde on your Santa list - and possibly also Kintyre to Ardmurchan to get up to the Caledonian. If nothing else a great winter fireside read.

 

[awol]

Just to complete the thread, and thank you for all your advice, Ian Wilson, Boat Movement Supervisor, has just told me that the canal is not passable at present due to weed and three locks being repaired. Should be open for next Easter. I am leaving the boat at James Watt Marina, and will review all the options next year.

Not wishing to cast nasturtiums but Scottish Canals have not always met their forecast dates for producing a navigable canal. Why not spend a couple of days in March circumnavigating Bute and/or looking at possible moorings on the Clyde. I, Dunedin and others have experienced both sides of the country and know which we prefer - who knows, we may be right!

 

[bikedaft]

Chatting to a canal barge today, heading W under the Erskine Bridge. He had come from Glasgow. Plenty weed, but he had a keel cooler/no water inlet to clog. He put her into reverse now and again to get the weed off the prop.

 

[grahamwhittle]

Yes checking out the Clyde is attractive. I have some experience of the Clyde. I live mostly in Yorkshire and for family reasons have an abode in Granton overlooking the harbour. The idea of walking to the harbour and sailing with children, grandchildren and friends for a few hours is appealing. There is nostalgia too. In the 70’s I crewed on an IOD there.

 

[awol]

Yes checking out the Clyde is attractive. I have some experience of the Clyde. I live mostly in Yorkshire and for family reasons have an abode in Granton overlooking the harbour. The idea of walking to the harbour and sailing with children, grandchildren and friends for a few hours is appealing. There is nostalgia too. In the 70’s I crewed on an IOD there.

As a resident of Ed'burg with my boat in the west I'm not convinced that the 1 hour drive to an all tide mooring with water that you can see through is a worse choice. Also the water is warmer in the west!

 

[Geoff Wode]

Those numbers are making me green with envy. Averaging 4.5hrs in the car to the boat… on the Clyde.