Tobermory to Largs

[nathanglasgow]

Up to now all our sailing has been in the clyde estuary but we have purchased a new yacht which is in Tobermory and we need to move her to Largs soon.What is the preffered route from those that have done this many times as looking at charts and reading the CCC sailing directions there seems to be a few options.Looking for safest and quickest at this time of year. Yacht is 30ft.

 

[PeteCooper]

I guess the Crinan Canal would be the easiest at this time of year.

 

[Cloven]

Yes agree about Crinan.

Time your departure from Tobe and you will get the tide all the way down the Sound of Mull, past S end of Lismore by Lady Rock and down the Sound of Luing towards Crinan. Oban marina & Croabh are not far out of you way if the weather/tides/daylight etc are not suitable for Dorus Mor.

If weather is really bad after Lismore, you could consider the inside route through Oban bay & the Sound of Kerrera which gives you the option of Oban marina or slightly further south the anchorage at Puilladobhrain. You could then consider the inside route through Cuan sound (always fun but read the pilot book) which drops you nicely down for Croabh or Ardfern.

Have a good trip whatever you do.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

The Crinan canal route was developed to remove the problems of rounding the Mull of Kintyre in winter. A typical sheltered water route would be: -

Tobermory
Sound of Mull
Firth of Lorn
Sound of Luing to Crinan
Lower Loch Fyne
Inchmarnock Water
Kyles of Bute
Firth of Clyde
Largs

However, if you have a sound vessel and competent crew and with a passing low followed by a high, you could get Northerlies and lighter winds to take you down and round the Mull of Kintyre quite easily. As the next low tracks in or the high moves off eastwards, the southerlies can take you back up the Firth of Clyde. This route also has options to bail out back north. Time wise both are about equal time in my experience.

Personally I prefer the MOK route.

 

[Quandary]

Two options depending on weather
Tobermory to Crinan with an optional stop at Oban or Pulladobhrain ( to help with tide timing)
Crinan to Gigha, Gigha to Campbeltown, Campbeltown to Largs (south of Arran. is much shorter than up the sound.
Alternative stops are Loch Aline, Croabh Haven, Ardfern , Croabh needs tide in Cuan Sound unless you go south of Luing when it is easier to go up to Ardfern (about an extra half hour)
Craighouse is further west if you are worried about going round the Mull close to, I find that getting in close to the cliffs tends to be smoother but watch for the counter eddy which slows you down

Alternative if strong winds from South to West
Crinan to Ardrishaig by the Canal (about £100) £55 extra if you are single handed and need a pilot to work the locks for you. (My knee cartilage has given up so I can not offer to help just now). If you get out of the canal by 15 00 or so, Tarbert or Portavadie are only 2 hours further and both are easy to enter in the dark.
Ardrishaig to Largs either side of Bute depending on conditions.
If you are not willing to sail in the dark you may need shorter hops to suit the tidal streams.
Crinan canal is only open Mon. to Fri. 09 00 to 15 30. Let them know by phone (01546 830285 for Crinan sea lock) when you plan to arrive as there is very little traffic going throughthese days, usually none at all. It will be very hard work as the rain running of the hills is filling the locks nearly as fast as you can empty them. Pm me if you need a pilot and I will find someone to meet you at lock 13.

 

[SHUG]

Crinan Canal in winter weather.... BUT..... check that its not closed for maintenance work

 

[Quandary]

Crinan Canal in winter weather.... BUT..... check that its not closed for maintenance work

No, we are open all winter, (subject to ice) but note the restricted hours in my post above.

 

[Sharkx]

I'm doing pretty much the reverse in the new year, in a 30 footer. Can't wait to use the canal.

 

[iain789]

You will need at least 6 hours to get through the canal. It will help if you have at least four on board to work locks etc, and I would concur that a canal pilot is very helpful if you have not gone through the canal before. Well worth the money in my opinion.

 

[NormanS]

I'm doing pretty much the reverse in the new year, in a 30 footer. Can't wait to use the canal.

The passage north from Crinan to Tob is much easier than the passage south from Tob to Crinan. The tide changes about 2 hours earlier at Crinan, so you can carry the flood for about 8 hours going north. The opposite applies heading south.

 

[nathanglasgow]

Thanks to all for the info.Got some passage planning to do and a weather window to find!

 

[pagoda]

Thanks to all for the info.Got some passage planning to do and a weather window to find!

Quite...
The way the weather's going at the moment, you could take a week to find a window with much less than 30Kts for more than 18hours.
For what it's worth, even if the wind is down, you can get some pretty big SW swell off the S end of Mull near Luing if the seas have been running hard in the Atlantic beforehand. Cuan might be quicker and offer more shelter. (hide in Puilladobhrain to get the tide right).


Graeme

 

[Quandary]

Some more info to help with passage planning
If you can afford the extra day go via Oban, seas and winds in Kerrera Sound are less than South Mull and tides are light.
Ideally you want to choose a week with south going tides in daylight hours.
However the tide in the Sound of Mull is not strong until South of Loch Aline and eases again once you get past Lismore, so you can get down against it even at springs.
From Oban south, tides are light until the Sound of Luing where they can be over 4 kts. You can make way against them by going close to the Luing shore but do not close it too soon as there are offshore rocks at the north end. Similarly you can get through the Dorus Mohr by closing to within a few metres of Craignish point which is clean.
The only exposed part of this passage is for about an hour passing Easdale otherwise seas should be moderate with land to the west.
If you get to Crinan after canal closing, tie up port to inside the sea lock beside the ladder overnight, allow plenty of warp for tide, fishing boats come in to unload on the starboard side so it can be noisy for a while, there are plenty of visitors moorings off the boatyard but the lock is handier. If you get there in time to lock in, carry on as far as you can to clear the bridges, tie up just past Bellanoch bridge on the stbd. side, or go on to below lock 13 where there are pontoons both sides. Unless you are mob handed go in to the locks starboard side after the sea lock as the ladder is beside you at the back for getting up and down. Lock 14 was built after the money ran out and is rock cut and very rough but there is timber on the starboard side, You only need to open one gate fully which saves time and effort. If it is as wet as now there will be a lot of water coming over the gates which may have to be run off to get them open. At Lock 9 (correction) examine the top gate to see which side needs to move first, at Lock 6 do not push the top gate right back as it will stick in the pocket. If you use a pilot, have a crew of at least one and keep going, he will expect to get you through in under five hours even in winter. There are no stores at Crinan except perhaps milk in the chandlery sometimes, there is (expensive) food and drink available in ther bar at the hotel. There is a good hotel at Cairnbaan and shops and pubs in Ardrishaig as well as good transport cafe (just beside lock 3) for a bacon butty early in the morning. Showers are available at Crinan Boatyard, Bellanoch Bridge, Dunardry (Lock 11) Cairnbaan(lock 5) and Ardrishaig sealock.
There is a sheltered waiting pontoon in the harbour just outside the sea lock at Ardrishaig which lets you make an earlier start before the lock opens in the morning. If you stay in the basin overnight you will waste some daylight. Do not try to go straight from the sea lock to the pontoon especially at low tide as there is a very strong current past it for a few minutes after the gates open, often easier to go by, turn and come back or wait a couple of minutes.
If you need to borrow some fat extra fenders for the canal transit I can lend you some, the sea locks sometimes have fenders to loan as well.
From Ardrishaig south down Loch Fyne the wind funnels but there is usually a sheltered side, tides are negligible, I would be tempted to go via the Kyles if it is rough as the seas are rarely too big there, but you are familiar with the Clyde anyway.
Correction Lock 9 (top lock Dunardry flight) not lock 8 is the one where the upper gates meet on top of each other.

 

[LittleShip]

I went through the Crinan twice this year on Little Ship. It can be a quick run of 6-9 hours but it is such a pleasant trip I would suggest a couple of days.

A couple of photos of the passage.

Enjoy the trip

Tom

PS The staff are very helpful.

 

[uxb]

I'm hoping to go from the Clyde in the next few weeks and hope the weather settles as I do not enjoy the canal..

 

[pagoda]

I'm hoping to go from the Clyde in the next few weeks and hope the weather settles as I do not enjoy the canal..

A webcam from the MOK lighthouse looking SW might change your mind ;-)

Graeme

(I prefer the long way round too, by the way..)

 

[Deleted member 36384]

A webcam from the MOK lighthouse looking SW might change your mind ;-)

Graeme

(I prefer the long way round too, by the way..)

Is this the one?

http://www.liveontheedge.co.uk/Surfcam.html

 

[pagoda]

Is this the one?

http://www.liveontheedge.co.uk/Surfcam.html

Gives a flavour of what's happening a few miles south....

Just a flavour...

 

[uxb]

A webcam from the MOK lighthouse looking SW might change your mind ;-)

Graeme

(I prefer the long way round too, by the way..)

I've been round the Mull enough time to know to keep clear if it in a blow....and turned back once when heading south past Gigha. The swell there was huge and the wind was building.Later in Crinan I met the crew of a boat who'd pressed on a bit farther.

Their eyes were still out on stalks...

The view out from the lighthouse on a rough day lets you watch the churning water and see how much the rough patches move around without the consequences... I've never forgotten the Russian ship that had it's wheel house crushed by a breaking wave south of Islay some years back.

 

[bikedaft]

Some more info to help with passage planning
If you can afford the extra day go via Oban, seas and winds in Kerrera Sound are less than South Mull and tides are light.
Ideally you want to choose a week with south going tides in daylight hours.
However the tide in the Sound of Mull is not strong until South of Loch Aline and eases again once you get past Lismore, so you can get down against it even at springs.
From Oban south, tides are light until the Sound of Luing where they can be over 4 kts. You can make way against them by going close to the Luing shore but do not close it too soon as there are offshore rocks at the north end. Similarly you can get through the Dorus Mohr by closing to within a few metres of Craignish point which is clean.
The only exposed part of this passage is for about an hour passing Easdale otherwise seas should be moderate with land to the west.
If you get to Crinan after canal closing, tie up port to inside the sea lock beside the ladder overnight, allow plenty of warp for tide, fishing boats come in to unload on the starboard side so it can be noisy for a while, there are plenty of visitors moorings off the boatyard but the lock is handier. If you get there in time to lock in, carry on as far as you can to clear the bridges, tie up just past Bellanoch bridge on the stbd. side, or go on to below lock 13 where there are pontoons both sides. Unless you are mob handed go in to the locks starboard side after the sea lock as the ladder is beside you at the back for getting up and down. Lock 14 was built after the money ran out and is rock cut and very rough but there is timber on the starboard side, You only need to open one gate fully which saves time and effort. If it is as wet as now there will be a lot of water coming over the gates which may have to be run off to get them open. At Lock 8 examine the top gate to see which side needs to move first, at Lock 6 do not push the top gate right back as it will stick in the pocket. If you use a pilot, have a crew of at least one and keep going, he will expect to get you through in under five hours even in winter. There are no stores at Crinan except perhaps milk in the chandlery sometimes, there is (expensive) food and drink available in ther bar at the hotel. There is a good hotel at Cairnbaan and shops and pubs in Ardrishaig as well as good transport cafe (just beside lock 3) for a bacon butty early in the morning. Showers are available at Crinan Boatyard, Bellanoch Bridge, Dunardry (Lock 11) Cairnbaan(lock 5) and Ardrishaig sealock.
There is a sheltered waiting pontoon in the harbour just outside the sea lock at Ardrishaig which lets you make an earlier start before the lock opens in the morning. If you stay in the basin overnight you will waste some daylight. Do not try to go straight from the sea lock to the pontoon especially at low tide as there is a very strong current past it for a few minutes after the gates open, often easier to go by, turn and come back or wait a couple of minutes.
If you need to borrow some fat extra fenders for the canal transit I can lend you some, the sea locks sometimes have fenders to loan as well.
From Ardrishaig south down Loch Fyne the wind funnels but there is usually a sheltered side, tides are negligible, I would be tempted to go via the Kyles if it is rough as the seas are rarely too big there, but you are familiar with the Clyde anyway.

excellent! thanks for all the canal tips. do you get the sack now for giving away all the secrets? ;-)

PS hope your knee gets better soon