Hidey hole for Katie L - Firth of Forth

Would be interesting to go all the way up the Forth to Stirling. You can do it on the tide but you need to drop your mast to clear bridges. There was a cruise of wee motor boats last summer for the jubilee and they anchored of the rowing club in town. I've not done it and wouldn't mind if you're looking for crew. I live in Stirling but sail on the west.

Grangemouth looks your sort of place - muddy marina in the river with canal upstream and the forth downstream. Don't know much about the club or moorings though.

That would be quite sheltered for you're kind of winter sailing.

What about South Queensferry harbour. Lots of folk lift out there so you may get one of their berths for the winter.

Also Cramond boat club http://www.cramondboatclub.org.uk/

is a lovely sheltered mooring in a wee river pool off the Forth - half tide access - went to their regatta a few time with my dinghy many
years ago. Nice club house and friendly with good tidal access to the Forth. Its hidden in the lower reaches of a nice Edinburgh suburb and is on a bus route. You could let the train take the strain then get the bus.

Anyone know anyone in these two clubs? There is a Forth Yacht Clubs Association http://www.fyca.org.uk/cruisingmenu.htm though I don't know anyone within - they do a guide to places to go.
 
EuanMcKenzie said:
Would be interesting to go all the way up the Forth to Stirling. You can do it on the tide but you need to drop your mast to clear bridges. There was a cruise of wee motor boats last summer for the jubilee and they anchored of the rowing club in town. I've not done it and wouldn't mind if you're looking for crew. I live in Stirling but sail on the west.

Grangemouth looks your sort of place - muddy marina in the river with canal upstream and the forth downstream. Don't know much about the club or moorings though.

That would be quite sheltered for you're kind of winter sailing.

What about South Queensferry harbour. Lots of folk lift out there so you may get one of their berths for the winter.

Also Cramond boat club http://www.cramondboatclub.org.uk/

is a lovely sheltered mooring in a wee river pool off the Forth - half tide access - went to their regatta a few time with my dinghy many
years ago. Nice club house and friendly with good tidal access to the Forth. Its hidden in the lower reaches of a nice Edinburgh suburb and is on a bus route. You could let the train take the strain then get the bus.

Anyone know anyone in these two clubs? There is a Forth Yacht Clubs Association http://www.fyca.org.uk/cruisingmenu.htm though I don't know anyone within - they do a guide to places to go.
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I think Cramond id a No No in the winter due to the run off down the river complete with tree trunks etc. There was a winter storm a few summers ago and a whole line of yachts complete with moorings headed to sea!

Yes sometimes there is a berth in Queensferry harbour during the winter months when some of the regular boats lift out. The berth would have to be free by lift in date which is variable according to tides but usually after April 1st. There were a few seasonal visitors there last winter. Not so convenient for the mud bans up around Grangemouth but fine for trips to the pub in Limekilns.
 
dylanwinter said:
I am planning on leaving the Humber in August and heading for the Firth of Forth

I am on the lookout for a hidey hole for Katie L for a couple of months - mid september/October/mid novemberr where I can keep Katie L and use it as a place from which to explore the area

she draws 15 inches, takes the ground, is 22 foot long, I can drop the mast to get under bridges

my dream place is somehere like Winteringham with a bog and a drying pontoon but I will take anything I can get

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Hope you don't miss the Tyne.
I got my first sailing experience there.
Used to row up and down and across from South Sheilds to North Shields.
Regularly caught Tyne trout on my oar.
It was all ship yards and fishing boats back then with a dingy sailing club just inside the breakwater.
I was wondering how far up the Tyne you would get.
Unfortunatly I'm from the west so no idea about the Forth.
Looking forward to seeing how you make out.
Way eye man, The fog on the Tyne is mine all mine.
 
Uricanejack said:
Hope you don't miss the Tyne.
I got my first sailing experience there.
Used to row up and down and across from South Sheilds to North Shields.
Regularly caught Tyne trout on my oar.
It was all ship yards and fishing boats back then with a dingy sailing club just inside the breakwater.
I was wondering how far up the Tyne you would get.
Unfortunatly I'm from the west so no idea about the Forth.
Looking forward to seeing how you make out.
Way eye man, The fog on the Tyne is mine all mine.
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I am allowing myself six weeks to get from the Humber to Edinburgh

so it depends on what the weather does

if it stays good then lots of time to explore

but if it turns bad then in a small boat you can easily lose the odd week cowering in harbour

D
 
Bilgediver said:
Nah......Not Dylans sort of place. He needs mud and bog and drying moorings so this suggests the Upper Forth say Grangemouth Yacht club on the Carron river.
He can enjoy hios time exploring the Carron River and the Forth up to Stirling.

I wouldn t send my best English friend to Dysart let alone Dylan!!!!;):rolleyes:
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Well I'm techncally English, though my Dad is Scottish and Mum Welsh; I sailed from Dysart and was introduced to the locals, and got away alive !

There's a very interesting local class there, I can't remember the name but they look fun and seaworthy, wooden, about 18' ? One chap had decked his over and put an E-Boat rig on her, looked a very impresive boat.

One does have to be careful to find a clear patch to moor up though, some of the harbour seabed is rocky.
 
Twister_Ken said:
Is the Grangemouth atmosphere still four parts nitrogen, one part oxygen, two parts hydro-carbons, one part particulates.

GRANGEMOUTH.jpg
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yes but we've gone green with 2ppm Bioethanol mixed in now :)
 
we have a very nice harbour too. Parking for 6 ships:)

Seriously though, the mud flats over the back of us are a SSSI and teem with wading birdlife in the winter. I had to use a special silenced piling rig on a project last winter to avoid disturbing them while they were nesting

Weird world but its all here
 
For those interested, the F&C Canal was built in Jacobite times, and closed in 1963. The sea lock was previously further down the River Carron, downstream of the M9 motorway and the Kerse Road Bridges. Motorway was built in the 60s. The canal re-opened in 2000, with the sealock now above the two bridges - the first lock after the sea lock is lock 3! Access up the River Carron is dependent on state of the tide and air draft. At present you have to enter the river once there is enough water, ideally an hour or so after LW neaps, get your mast down, then limbo under the bridges while there is still enough clearance - on a rising, or falling tide before the river becomes a ditch... There is less clearance under the bridges at HW springs than HW neaps - obviously.
The works currently underway re-route the canal under the M9 and "Kerse Road", parallel to the River Carron, to a downstream sea-lock. This will allow yachts to enter the canal with their masts up, then have them lowered for onward passage.
For those not interested; you are too late. You've read it! :)
 
Forth and Clyde Canal

EuanMcKenzie said:
I'm interested - if I'm honest the current arrangement puts me off using the canal as a cross country route.

Looking forward to it finishing and i may bring my boat east for a winter
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You should be fine in your Optimist!

I did East to West last June. "Highlights":
- mast down in the River Carron. Into canal with 0.5m clearance under the bridges on the rising tide. Boat draws ~1m and had 1.5m "height above waterline" with mast on top. Could have waited until after HW, but no need.
- canal passage was entirely escorted, by a squad of BBW(S) staff. No need for me or my crew to step ashore.
- left canal basin one Sunday morning; got through Falkirk before the inmates awoke...
- hit something a glancing blow with a keel in the middle of the canal near Twechar. BWB(S) staff thought possibly an abandoned car.
- quite a bit of weed grows up from the bottom of the canal from June onwards, and can foul the prop and block the cooling intake. Be prepared... On occasions we gave a burst astern to clear weed.
- stopped overnight at a pontoon next to "The Stables" pub/restaurant between Kirkintilloch and Bishopbriggs. Nice and quiet...
MM2canal.jpg
Boat is facing east in the pic.
- left at 6.30am, to pass Lambhill housing scheme "in the dead of night" arriving Maryhill Locks ~8am; before the inmates awoke...
- OldGlowInTheDeeps/OGITD of this parish kindly assisted as crew from there to Bowling. Thanks John!
- Dalmuir drop lock which is under the fixed bridge on the main road west of the Golden Jubilee Hospital is amazing. You enter, water is pumped (or drained?) OUT of the lock and you then pass under the bridge. Water then flows back in, and you enter the next reach.
- mast hoist in Bowling was out of action due to nesting jackdaws. Got my mast up at Rosneath; Sandbank Marina at Dumbarton or James Watt Dock, Greenock an alternative. Weather was calm so "happy" to motor to Roseneath. There aren't always nesting jackdaws...

Thoughts:
There are areas you wouldn't want to spend the night - so engine must be reliable to avoid unanticipated stops.
BWB(S) staff were brilliant - 2-4 men all the way, but obviously not overnight. Fee for passage was less than £50. We never felt threatened anywhere. Staff didn't appear to be armed!
If you go west to east, you are likely to go through Maryhill-Lambhill in the afternoon or evening...
You will go through Falkirk in the afternoon or evening...
OGITD very kindly took some video, which is at:
www.siva2013.co.uk/Forth _ Clyde Canal June 2012.mp4 It is about 34MB in size. You might recognise "Osprey Heights", although we saw no sign of Jack and Victor! :p
 
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Bilgediver said:
Nah......Not Dylans sort of place. He needs mud and bog and drying moorings so this suggests the Upper Forth say Grangemouth Yacht club on the Carron river.
He can enjoy hios time exploring the Carron River and the Forth up to Stirling.

I wouldn t send my best English friend to Dysart let alone Dylan!!!!;):rolleyes:
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I think Dysarts perfect. It drys out, its picturesque, its close to rail and bus links, its sheltered, It has a post office, the metrpolis of Kirkcaldy is walking distance and its a good base for both the upper river and outer reaches.
I believe the boats Seajet is talking about are Dysart Yawls? The have the same lines as a Fifie or Baldie but are generally undecked. Another little hideaway is Lower Largo. Its tight but drys out and is quite pretty. Bit tricky getting in past the reef and I have no idea about moorings etc but there are a few small boats there. Also Elie which is basically a beach with a harbour wall. It does have a great pub though!
 
Mmm. You need to do some sums...
Forth & Clyde:
Max. Boat Length: 19.20m (63ft)
Width / Beam: 6.00m (19ft 8in)
Channel Depth: 1.83m (6ft)
Maximum Headroom: 3.00m (9ft 10in)
* Slightly longer vessels, depending on their hull shape, may be accommodated. Contact 0845 676 6000 when planning passage.
It might be do-able, particularly if the extension under the M9 is complete. If it isn't, you might still be OK since you can lie in the sea-lock and time your exit into the River Carron. The motorway bridge is right there, and the next one and the overhead pipe 10-15 minutes downstream. As air draft and keel draft increase, the sums get more critical! Don't forget you'll need you mast propped/laid on top or to one side, and might increase your air draft.
The staff at the sea lock at Grangemouth are very knowledgeable & helpful, and will be able to advise. Bowling too, I guess.

EDIT:
It took me longer than I'd hoped to get my mast down, and it was above half (neap) tide by the time I got to the bridges. There is 5metres from the River Bed to the underside of Kerse Bridge, so you should have 2metres to play with!
 
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Not sure if it might be of use to you, but the places that are close to railway stations on my side of the Firth include Dunbar (East Coast Main Line), North Berwick (Branch Line, change Edinburgh), Port Seton/ Cockenzie (on the North Berwick Branch, get of at Prestonpans), Fisherrow (NB Branch, get off at Musselburgh), Granton (bus down from Edinburgh Waverley), Queensferry/Port Edgar (get off at Dalmenny).

Of these, I think your best bet may be Fisherrow, which is likely to have winter space, is reasonably pleasant and is not too exposed, and has plenty of folk in the area who can keep an eye on your boat when you are not about.

Dunbar outer harbour is not winter proof. If you can get into the inner harbour you should be safe. North Berwick sometimes has wall space after lift out in October, but is gernerally fairly full, and had a wee bit of an incident last year when the harbour wall was damaged by storms.

Further up the Firth though might give you more winter sailing in relatively sheltered waters and shorter hops to other harbours.

Enjoy one of the most overlooked and underutilised sailing areas. If the Forth was anywhere in the South of England, or indeed was anywhere further from the West of Scotland, it would be mobbed and much more developed. Lots of intresting places for folk who enjoy shallow water and wee harbours.

You must, by the way, try to call in at the tiny harbour hewn out the rock at seacliff. You will just fit in and no more. er, approach with caution. The entrance is to the left of the photo.

seacliffharbour2.jpg
 
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