My boat trip hopefully in May Around Scotland

[RobBradley]

I need to correct my statement about Savvy Navvy. I have checked Savvy Navvy on a phone and the charts have been updated with the additional layer of data. Now man made features are shown, such as fish farms and height below power cables. Therefore, there is no reason not to use Savyy Navvy.

I now have Naviontics, Imray charts and now the memory-map charts, I think I am pretty much covered! Lol

 

[RobBradley]

Get one of those old grannies shopping trollies, the foldable ones. Take the bag off it.
Then you can go inland a mile or so for fuel with your canisters tied onto the trolley if needs be.
Damn sight easier than humping them back by hand

Oh I am definitely having a trolly for the jerry cans, no way am I carrying them! I will be having 4 on board, so I can have 80l of fuel at worst

 

[RobBradley]

If you are going round Skye I'd go a little further out to the east coasts of Na h-Eileanan Siar, though fuel might be a problem.
I've sailed Uibhist a Deas to An t- Eilean Sgitheanac, ( and back) and on a different boat from Ulapul to Blyth over the top..
Also sailed a little on the Firth of Forth as that where most of the immediate family live in sight of..

Please, name good spots on way, I appreciate it, I want to see as much as I can, I will be vlogging the entire journey and more, so please, suggest!

 

[RobBradley]

North of Edinburgh you have the tidally restricted and very sheltered harbour at Arbroath. We called in there this year on the way up the east coast en route west. After that it was a about a 65 mile sail to Peterhead, we didn't stop at Stonehaven but it was another option. Bypassing Aberdeen which mainly caters for commercial shipping.

From Peterhead around Rattray Head was benign for us despite its reputation. Check your tides and weather well there, if you've boated on the west you'll already understand what to look for or avoid.

Heading west towards Inverness there are a few small harbours, some more amenable to pleasure craft than others. Whitehills and Lossiemouth, two of the ports you'll see between Peterhead and Inverness are welcoming if a little short of visitor space. Your boat's shallow draft and modest length will help there and at some of the other small harbours you'll pass.

You will find refuelling a challenge with a petrol engine and will need a lot. Even at 15knots you’ll likely be burning through more than a 5 gallon tank/hour. Transporting several full tanks to the boat will be a pain even for short distances and most ports don't have petrol pumps so you'll have to walk or taxi to a petrol station.

We had the idea to sail around the UK starting in early spring through summer and early autumn but soon realised the more we rush the less we would see. Your journey looks very optimistic and even if the weather is kind and all goes well you’ll miss so much. If you’ve just retired and have the time then can you plan to take longer? If you’re still restricted to a month, consider a shorter trip, either breaking the journey into legs where you can start again in the future or pick a less ambitious route so you don’t have to rush.

Good luck.

I am hoping that when I get to Grangemouth, there is an Asda with petrol station just near it, and I am hoping to fill up all my 4 x 20l jerry cans, and hoping that that will get me to near enough Inverness, as at 15mph, it should be about 3/4l per hour, at worst there is Elgin, and I will make sure my tank is full which is a 35 gallon tank, hopefully fuel will not be an issue on this part.

 

[SaltIre]

F&C Canal is currently shut - I think it is scheduled to reopen in time, but it’s a government project and one that doesn’t have that much through traffic so might not be the no 1 priority to deliver on time!

It’s also quite a long way and quite slow so most of your trip is actually going to be spent in Canals: when everything goes well Crinan is 1 day, but I’d plan for 2 unless you are really slick. Bowling to Falkirk is probably 4 days at a sensible pace unless you have a slick lock working team! It will take you a day to get to Edinburgh and another day to get back to the wheel, and then I think it’s another day to get to the Edinburgh Coast. Then most people would spend at least 3 days on the Caledonian so I think you have 11 days of canal in there.

When I went through the F&C Canal in 2012 it took two days. It might have been quicker had we been allowed to operate the locks, but we weren't. They were all operated by "mobile" staff, and there was a lot of hanging around waiting for them to appear - mainly at bridges. The overnight stop at The Stables between Bishopbriggs and Kirkintilloch was pretty peaceful. There are plenty of places where one wouldn't want to spend the night, or be marooned with engine failure!

 

[Concerto]

I am hoping that when I get to Grangemouth, there is an Asda with petrol station just near it, and I am hoping to fill up all my 4 x 20l jerry cans, and hoping that that will get me to near enough Inverness, as at 15mph, it should be about 3/4l per hour, at worst there is Elgin, and I will make sure my tank is full which is a 35 gallon tank, hopefully fuel will not be an issue on this part.

When I visited Whitehills, the harbour master was very good to chat with. He told me that he took one boat owner to the local petrol station to fill his tanks and refused any payment for the service. This should be worth noting as a place to visit. The entrance is fun as after entering the bay with rocks all round, you keep the harbour wall to port and the have a sharp turn to port followed by one to starboard. You moor alongside the pontoon to port.

 

[SaltIre]

It's quite a hike from the canal to ASDA in Grangemouth. There's a Tesco Express with an ESSO petrol station in Falkirk, near locks 10 & 11.

 

[ylop]

When I went through the F&C Canal in 2012 it took two days. It might have been quicker had we been allowed to operate the locks, but we weren't. They were all operated by "mobile" staff, and there was a lot of hanging around waiting for them to appear - mainly at bridges. The overnight stop at The Stables between Bishopbriggs and Kirkintilloch was pretty peaceful. There are plenty of places where one wouldn't want to spend the night, or be marooned with engine failure!

Ah, I didn’t realise they were manning them all. That might make it viable to single hand.

I am hoping that when I get to Grangemouth, there is an Asda with petrol station just near it, and I am hoping to fill up all my 4 x 20l jerry cans

Mmm… the asda isn’t that close to the canal. It’s quite close to Grangemouth docks but I don’t think you’ll be welcome there! The River Carron is your nearest point but it’s highly tidal, fast flowing, muddy “banks” - don’t seem to make it a good place to get in/out or lug Jerry cans.

There’s an Esso at camelon which would be doable - but with 4 cans a PITA!

Ah! I see Saltire was thinking the same before I got distracted!

 

[The Q]

I am hoping that when I get to Grangemouth, there is an Asda with petrol station just near it, and I am hoping to fill up all my 4 x 20l jerry cans,

As others have mentioned it's a long walk from the canal...
One of my nieces worked in that Asda, until Asda got taken over and the workers conditions were given the squeeze..

 

[RobBradley]

It's quite a hike from the canal to ASDA in Grangemouth. There's a Tesco Express with an ESSO petrol station in Falkirk, near locks 10 & 11.

Thats good to know, thanks

 

[lustyd]

and I am hoping to fill up all my 4 x 20l jerry cans

This would be illegal and most garages would refuse to even let you fill one 20l unless it’s metal. Diesel has no restrictions but petrol is limited to 30l in cans of up to 10l plastic or 20l metal so your fuel trips could become cumbersome.
If they realise you’ve been back a few times it’s possible they’d refuse too.
More remote garages sometimes ignore the rules but it’s hit and miss.

 

[Phil_boat]

I looked into it a while ago and I don’t think it’s illegal unless you are carrying it in a car or storing it. Neither of which you would be as it’s going straight in a boat.

But it appears to be a can of worms & legalities aside, the garage may still have a max they will allow you to fill.

I regularly fill 60litres at a time and have only been stopped at a Sainsbury’s, I use my local Esso and they don’t seem to mind.

 

[Tamar]

My neighbour in the marina on his powerful RIB wouldn't pay Marina fuel prices so he took his 4 25ltr cans to Tesco petrol station in his van. They let him fill on the understanding that he would come back.

 

[lustyd]

My point wasn’t that you can never fill, obviously lots will allow it or will be oblivious to the rules. It’s more that it only takes one officious person to prevent filling in one location which could turn into a big issue.

Carry a couple of 10l plastic cans just in case.

 

[ProDave]

Our boat club needs petrol for it's ribs. they can't just take the large plastic tanks used on the ribs to fill them, the garage will not allow that. So by agreement with the local filling station, they take a boot full of 5L cans and fill those.

It does seem a bit silly that a large plastic tank, designed for use on a RIB cannot be directly filled at a petrol station because of it's size and it is not metal.

 

[RobBradley]

Its weird, many times we have gone to our local BP (Ullapool) with 4-6 jerry cans in the back of our L200, and filled them all up, no problem what so ever, never a single comment.

 

[Minerva]

Our boat club needs petrol for it's ribs. they can't just take the large plastic tanks used on the ribs to fill them, the garage will not allow that. So by agreement with the local filling station, they take a boot full of 5L cans and fill those.

It does seem a bit silly that a large plastic tank, designed for use on a RIB cannot be directly filled at a petrol station because of it's size and it is not metal.

That’s a shame - the garage nearest my old club seemed quite accustomed to random folk turning up when on rescue duty to buy a 20(?)l plastic can of petrol.

Guess it really does depend on the person sat in the kiosk

Sounds like there is a market for a metal 20l can crossed with a roll on suitcase with wheels and handle.

 

[lustyd]

Its weird, many times we have gone to our local BP (Ullapool) with 4-6 jerry cans in the back of our L200, and filled them all up, no problem what so ever, never a single comment.

Many times Ive driven “72”mph of the M40 and never any problem or comment from the police…

 

[ylop]

This would be illegal and most garages would refuse to even let you fill one 20l unless it’s metal. Diesel has no restrictions but petrol is limited to 30l in cans of up to 10l plastic or 20l metal so your fuel trips could become cumbersome.
If they realise you’ve been back a few times it’s possible they’d refuse too.
More remote garages sometimes ignore the rules but it’s hit and miss.

It may be handy to have a copy of the actual rules with you The Petroleum (Consolidation) Regulations 2014 because there are people who think they know them but don’t. (Eg arbitrary 30L limit, not knowing that demonstrable boat tanks are not subject to the 10L limit etc). Of course anyone can refuse to serve you for any reason.

My point wasn’t that you can never fill, obviously lots will allow it or will be oblivious to the rules.

Actually you said most would refuse it. Having run an outboard powered RIB for 15 years I never experienced refusal and only once got told it was against the rules (when I was paying!). That’s in many locations around Scotland.

It’s more that it only takes one officious person to prevent filling in one location which could turn into a big issue.

in reality more likely to have an issue with a particular fuel station being randomly out of fuel than completely refusing service! But contingency plans are always sensible.

In really rural parts of Scotland a customer making multiple trips is more likely to be offered a lift than refused service!

 

[lustyd]

It may be handy to have a copy of the actual rules with you The Petroleum (Consolidation) Regulations 2014

Each fuel station has their own rules so quoting regs at them won’t be productive. Most have it written on the pillars with other rules like not using a mobile phone.

Multiple regs and guidance are relevant to this issue.

Edit: in that link, demountable plastic boat tanks are included by the look of it?