Update to 'Crinan Drying Up'

[bikedaft]

Does Greenock have it when half-cut also?
Here's some more pics of the Ardrishaig one, from http://www.adrianlaycock.com/pictures/displayimage.php?album=9&pid=166

Thanks. Habe always wanted to see it! Greenock cut ones are more victorian looking - but look like they would still work

 

[Quandary]

Not going to need the water waster anytime soon, 99mm. of rain yesterday in Norn Iron, (a months supply) in Cairnbaan about 1mm. dried off already.

 

[Quandary]

Wednesday update; the Canal expects to be able to continue next week with the same restrictions on draught (1.8m. fresh water) and on entry and sharing.
You are requested to contact the sealocks in advance Crinan 01546 830285 Ardrishaig 01546 602485
Locking in windows next week as published by the Canal
Mon 06/8/18 Crinan 11.21-13.21 Ardrishaig 06.20-08.20
Tues -- 13.13-15-15 -------- 07.44-09.44
Wed -- 14.33- 16.33 -------- 09.10.11.10
Thur -- 15.30-17.30 -------- 10.22-12.22
Fri -- 16.19-18.19 --------- 11.22- 13.22
Sat -- 17.06-19.06 -------- 12.16-14-16
Sun -- 17.51-19.51 -------- 13.07-15.07
Mon 13th. 08.30* then 18.34- 20.34 ------- 13.56-15-56 * one morning locking

 

[JumbleDuck]

My boat's at Kilmelford and may stay there till the autumn.

Followup: we took advantage of a favourable forecast (two days of westerlies, two days of southerlies) to have a wee expedition around the Mull of Kintyre. And very nice it was too. A couple of notes:

Gigha: Still nice, but may be jumping the shark. Lots of campers using the limited toilets and the shower was on the fritz. Food at The Boathouse still very nice, but not as nice as the prices now suggest. Ouch.

Campbeltown: Very busy with boats rounding the Mull, but the harbourmaster seems to be able to fit anyone who turns up in. A fair bit of rafting. The Taj Mahal is under new management and very good idea, except for poppadoms.

 

[MM5AHO]

I was round the Mull twice in the last week and on both ways stopped for a short sleep at Sanda. What a busy anchorage these days. 5 boats there one way and three the other direction. I've anchored often there while rounding, and never seen more than one other boat anchoring in there.
Pity they don't put anchor lights on though, last Sunday night came in thinking there was only the one boat to reveal three, two with no lights. In that dark o'clock time with no moon and little other light, we ended up anchoring a little closer than I'd have liked to one of them.

 

[A1Sailor]

It really is the height of stupidity to anchor somewhere like that without a masthead light, or a lamp hanging in the foretriangle. I used to do the latter, since it illuminated the foredeck and anchor warp/chain.

 

[dunedin]

Any update on transit through Crinan for boats over 1.8m draft?
Plenty of Wet stuff falling over the Caledonian Canal these past few days

 

[Seven Spades]

How long does it normally take to transit the canal when everything is going well?

 

[MM5AHO]

Transit time has deteriorated over the years. Was once possible in 4 hours. Nowadays more like 6 and up to 8 hours. Highly dependent on traffic, experience of fellow lockees, canal staff lunch, and bridge opening timing.

 

[A1Sailor]

Transit time has deteriorated over the years. Was once possible in 4 hours. Nowadays more like 6 and up to 8 hours. Highly dependent on traffic, experience of fellow lockees, canal staff lunch, and bridge opening timing.

I used to reckon 4 hours. Small boat with another small boat, or no others, transiting so only needed to open/close gates on one side. Needed two able bodied crew ashore and one crew on the boat with me. Crew alternating/going ahead to prepare/open next lock while crew closed the previous one. Obviously not on the long reaches!

It isn't a race, though.

 

[ctva]

Any update on transit through Crinan for boats over 1.8m draft?
Plenty of Wet stuff falling over the Caledonian Canal these past few days

Still dry there. So still 1.8m max but may be worth asking.

Sealock operating times are 1 hour either side of Haw at each end. Internal structures open as normal..

 

[Quandary]

Regarding transit times it is very fast just now with only 3 or 4 boats each way per day, on Monday we brought four boats through from Crinan in time to lock out to Loch Fyne when the window opened and then started another from Ardrishaig and had it at lock 13 by 15-30 as he wanted to get to Tob. that evening, but that was the only day Crinan was locking morning and evening. By contrast we had to follow two newbies next day and if the lock keepers had not persuaded them to let us by, the boats would not have got out that day. Most boats are having to wait overnight to get out depending on tide times and despite some light rain this month the reserves are still depleting.
In my opinion it is unlikely that the restrictions will be lifted this season.

 

[dunedin]

Thanks both for the updates. At 2.0m unladen in salt water it looks like Crinan is out for us.
MoK lovely in the right weather - but rather much of the wrong weather currently (wet’’n’windy)!

 

[lpdsn]

In my opinion it is unlikely that the restrictions will be lifted this season.

My money is on floods before the end of the year.

 

[A1Sailor]

My money is on floods before the end of the year.

Are the hills above Cairnbaan prone to flooding?

 

[Quandary]

Are the hills above Cairnbaan prone to flooding?

No, but in recent years there have been occasions in summer when the Crinan has been closed because of flooding, getting rid of too much water can be an even more serious problem than not enough. We were stopped at least once last year when it was regarded as too risky to proceed and all effort had to be directed at getting rid of water safely. The safe level on the reach from Dunardry to Crinan is over a metre lower than when the Canal was built, the banks are still high enough they are possibly not strong enough, that is why the rise on Lock 13 is now something like 13' with the sluices now exposed at the bottom of the gates when it was originally 8' like all the others.
The extent of the moorland loch catchment above Dunardry is very extensive but I am told levels of some of the lochs up there are down 40' while the very uppermost ones are empty. How they let it get so low is a question that may need to be answered eventually.
While our house on the West Bank sits above the Canal many (2 storeyed) along the East bank are within a few metres of the bank, with the water level with their roof, so when it rains as hard as it can up here it must worry some householders, combine that with the steady decline in the unmaintained structures????

 

[JumbleDuck]

The safe level on the reach from Dunardry to Crinan is over a metre lower than when the Canal was built ...

That seems like a huge amount. An extra metre would put the Linnet's steps at Crinan well under water.

The extent of the moorland loch catchment above Dunardry is very extensive but I am told levels of some of the lochs up there are down 40' while the very uppermost ones are empty. How they let it get so low is a question that may need to be answered eventually.

There was an occasion some years (20?) ago when vandals effectively pulled the plug on the Lochgilphead drinking water reservoir, and this wasn't discovered until it was almost empty,some weeks later. A cross-feed from the canal reservoirs was arranged, and transits were very restricted for the rest of that year.

Just reminising. Probably not relevant.

 

[A1Sailor]

I always thought lock 10 had a huge drop. I remember working there on a Tobermory Race weekend in 1979 when the locks were crammed full of boats. The Sonatas and other smaller yachts were three abreast at the rear, and no matter how many times you advised them to move forward to avoid their transom hung rudders "drying out" on the concrete ledge under the upper gates there was generally a great deal of alarm and nashing of teeth when the water drained out!
9, 11 and 12 on the Dunardry flight seemed lesser drops, with 13 similar to 10.

Edit: I guess 13 has an extra metre drop, since the reach to Crinan is a metre lower than designed...

 

[Kylora]

We transited on Tuesday, 21 August after locking in on Monday at HW. We were waiting for the sluice handles to turn up at lock 13 at 0930. We stopped for a 45 minutes lunch, and were in Ardrishaig basin by mid afternoon. We were 2 yachts (10 metre) sailing in company. Each yacht had 2 crew and we had friends to provide 4 experienced shore crew. The Dunardy flight had issues. One of the top sluices can't be closed so the water pours through, requiring 4 people to lean on the bottom gate. One of the locks is so low that the top sluices are above the water line. The canal staff have to run water to provide acceptable levels. The summit reach looks to be 1.5 metres low. I think that I saw 0.3 metres below a 1.5 metre draft entering one of the locks. The canal was very quiet, only 3 boats came through. We locked out this morning at 10 at Ardrishaig, when 2 boats came in.

Ash