Scottish Canals Looking for Public Opinion on 5 Year Development Plan

[ylop]

The Kiel Canal is nearly 100km long and costs ~20 Euros for a 10m boat. The Caledonian is 37km long (about another 60km is LOch Ness, Loch Oich and Loch Lochy) and costs £215.50 for the same boat.

That doesn't tell me if the Caledonian Canal is particularly expensive or the Kiel Canal is particularly cheap.

C&RT looks like £45/week for that size,
Norfolk Broads £65/week
One way trip on the Gota (Sweden) = £252 GBP in peak season
Corinth Canal €145 ( I think)

but we may not be comparing apples with apples - pontoon access, shore power, water etc - 4-7 nights in a marina would be £100-200 at least.

No, but being told at the end of a day that there are no available berths then having to continue and motor past berths full of deserted, presumably long term unused, boats is not very welcoming and does not make a return or recommendation very likely.

i don't think the boats are generally long-term unused. They may be treated like floating carvans, some are even permanent live aboard but generally the cost of mooring + license + BSS etc means someone cares for that boat..

Yes, I do have a holding tank but the subject is the long term use of "Scottish Canals".

Complaining about having a long walk in the rain when there is a viable alternative on board seems odd then! IIRC the canal has pump out facilities at both ends. Obviously the purpose of the survey is to gather views on their vision. Your views are as valid as anyone else's but I'd be surprised if "make visitor berths close to the toilets" is the transformative insight that they were looking for as to what SC should be doing. There’s surely no denying that SC are doing some great work off the water for the wider visitors and locals. I understand people who see them as a service provider may not think that should be a priority but if SC were literally to just provide a canal I am certain that within a few years they would close completely.

 

[srm]

To be clear, I like the Caledonian Canal and have enjoyed every transit since my first in the mid 70's. (Far more exciting then with wood gates needing water flow through the chamber to close them). Indeed, we normally finish up cheerfully paying for the extra time we have taken beyond the standard allowance when checking out at one end or the other. The canalside staff have always been helpful and friendly, even when they are busy in mid season.

However, over the last fifteen years or so I have noticed that transiting boats seem to have become a lower priority, mainly due to shoreside facilities not keeping up with the increased demand placed on them due to the wider uses and increased long term berthing being generated. Given the level of direct charges (about £250 for my boat plus two people for seven days or £36/day) the value for money seems to be declining. For boats wanting to make a rapid transit, (possible in 3 to 4 days without breaking speed limits) the daily rate for the same boat rises to around £65.