Crinan Canal 2024

Preparing to enter the last lock and leave Crinan, I was chatting with a lady from another yacht about Crinan. She'd far more experience of canals than myself, here, EU & the America's. She found it ridiculous that the locks were in such a poor state, and told me that on Canadian canal's there's no need to "throw a line up to 'someone' on the lockside", as they've installed lines from the top down, every 3 or so metres along the lock. The yottie simply has to run a line around the vertical line, and then go up or down with it.
Why isn't this standard? The line will of course have wear, and need replaced, thus it's a consumable of running an efficient operation.
More expensive to engineer of course would be vertical hard 'tubes' to serve the same purpose, but the way it's done at present is literally upside down.

jamie N said:

Preparing to enter the last lock and leave Crinan, I was chatting with a lady from another yacht about Crinan. She'd far more experience of canals than myself, here, EU & the America's. She found it ridiculous that the locks were in such a poor state, and told me that on Canadian canal's there's no need to "throw a line up to 'someone' on the lockside", as they've installed lines from the top down, every 3 or so metres along the lock. The yottie simply has to run a line around the vertical line, and then go up or down with it.
Why isn't this standard? The line will of course have wear, and need replaced, thus it's a consumable of running an efficient operation.
More expensive to engineer of course would be vertical hard 'tubes' to serve the same purpose, but the way it's done at present is literally upside down.

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She appears to have confused the crinan canal with a boat transit. It’s quite clear (and as a Scottish tax payer subsidising the canals I’m quite happy with this) that it is not first and foremost a transit route but is a “destination”, or to use Scottish Canals parlance, “Place making”. They exist, not to help yachties get from Largs to Oban but as a focal point for tourists, locals, small businesses, etc. Yachts are not really the customers, we are the entertainment, the interest factor. Throwing ropes up (you can pass them on a boot hook if you don’t like drama) is part of that process/experience. The canal is old, and essentially very similar to how it worked when it first opened. You can criticise that or see it as part of its charm. It may be hard for our cousins from across the pond to get their head around something which was designed before the US declared independence remaining unchanged… but if they have the capability to sail the Atlantic they definitely have the ability to round the mull - so I’d suggest that they were using the canal not primarily for its short cut but rather because of its beauty, charm and historic interest.

Vertical ropes could work but I am pretty sure boats will still manage to screw it up!

ylop said:

She appears to have confused the crinan canal with a boat transit. It’s quite clear (and as a Scottish tax payer subsidising the canals I’m quite happy with this) that it is not first and foremost a transit route but is a “destination”, or to use Scottish Canals parlance, “Place making”.
...

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Actually, British Waterways, of which Scottish Canals is the Scottish bit, has a primary duty to provide navigation to vessels as indicated in the act of parliment that created BW.

All the other 'pretty' stuff is quango building guff to keep the politicians and Angry of Turnbridge Wells, happy.

jamie N said:

... She found it ridiculous that the locks were in such a poor state ...

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Her comment is just arrogant, exaggerated waffle. Anyone who uses the canal, for visits it, will see that the locks and other canal facilities are not in a state of disrepair. The place is maintained clean, neat and tidy. The grounds maintenance at times appears unkempt because they have to leave wild flowers and even some rare flowers from being mowed. There are new locks and works have been performed to maintain the facility. Ardrishaig, Crinan, points in between, and a walk along the tow paths shows just how lovely and well maintained the whole place is.

What is ridiculous is concluding that it is in such a poor state of repair. I disagree slightly with ylop, ocean sailing does not necessarily make one an expert boat handler or even capable coastal cruiser, perhaps that is reflected in her observations.

The canal works, it doesn't need vertical bars or ropes to moor against, it has drop off pontoons for crews to walk to the lock and receive ropes.

For those who are reading this thread, the Crinan canal is scenically outstanding, it's heritage is mostly maintained as built, and age reflected, there is no requirement to maintain it as built, indeed the whole thing could be converted to a concrete culvert if there was a desire. It has it's quirks as one would expect of an old engineering structure. As an experience to transit between the beautiful Loch Fyne and the equally beautiful Sound of Jura, along a tranquil and well maintained infrastructure, it should not be missed. A great experience, I find, don't rush it, enjoy the passage.

ctva said:

Actually, British Waterways, of which Scottish Canals is the Scottish bit, has a primary duty to provide navigation to vessels as indicated in the act of parliment that created BW.

All the other 'pretty' stuff is quango building guff to keep the politicians and Angry of Turnbridge Wells, happy.

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British Waterways doesn’t exist any more in the form it was. All the bits related to England and Wales were moved out in 2012, and BW as a legal entity was retained purely for Scotland where apparently Scottish Canals is used as a trading name.

ctva said:

Actually, British Waterways, of which Scottish Canals is the Scottish bit, has a primary duty to provide navigation to vessels as indicated in the act of parliment that created BW.

All the other 'pretty' stuff is quango building guff to keep the politicians and Angry of Turnbridge Wells, happy.

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Except that is not actually its statutory obligation:

The Transport Act 1962 (which created the British Waterways Board) did do as follows:

10 (1) It shall be the duty of the British Waterways Board in the exercise of their powers under this Act to provide to such extent as they may think expedient—

(a)services and facilities on the inland waterways owned or managed by them, and
(b)port facilities at any harbour owned or managed by them,

and to have due regard to efficiency, economy and safety of operation as respects the services and facilities provided by them.

....

(4) Subsections (1) of this section shall not be construed as imposing, either directly or indirectly, any form of duty or liability enforceable by proceedings before any court to which the Board would not otherwise be subject.

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(My bold)

They 100% can decide to close any or all of Scoltand's canals if they think it is not expedient to operate those services or its not efficient or economical to do so. Angry of Turnbridge Wells can say what he likes because the Canals are entirely devolved, and since 2012 when the CRT took over in E&W British Waterways has no longer been a cross border public body. However, don't worry as Angry of Morningside will still be penning letters in green ink. Ultimately their funding comes from the Scottish Ministers.

dunedin said:

British Waterways doesn’t exist any more in the form it was. All the bits related to England and Wales were moved out in 2012, and BW as a legal entity was retained purely for Scotland where apparently Scottish Canals is used as a trading name.

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Wot I said

I liked the canal, the views are amazing, the pathways alongside are well kept, and the amenities are OK. Singlehanding could be done more easily with vertical lines though. Having the locks still operated in the same way as they were over 200 years ago is avoiding progress. A couple of the locks were thunderingly noisy, leaking vast amounts of water from the lock above. The lock gate in the basin leaking,, and stated as a safety hazard, so that lying alongside in the Crinan basin is prohibited, isn't good.
I know nothing of the politics and the financing, but these will have the most effect on the future of the canal, not the views of any one of us with a boat.
Tomorrow I;m away up the Caley, after trying to book today by 'phonong the Corpach office which had a broken mobile, permanently on 'Line Busy' and the office phone going to 'ansaphone'. I missed getting into the canal today by 1/2 an hour........; the 1/2 hour where I'd slowed down to try and book online, which I couldn't, and trying to get in touch with the Inverness Seaport office.
How I chuckled....

The canal is over 200 years old and one of Scotlands Ancient Monuments, while it has had a lot of money spent on it recently it has not been improved, some of the new sluices do not work and the new gates and sluices are heavier, the sluice pumps are not powerful enough, are positioned out beyond the gates where you can not see the water come in as you open them and out of reach so when you need to put a pin in the sluice to secure it as it drops you need a second person. This is the way Mackenzies handed the works over, they did come back for a look about a month later but since it still could just about be worked decided not to fix anything and SC did not like to bother them. There is a rumour that while the new sluices are more than twice the weight, no one remembered to specify the new pumps.
As for the genius idea of dangling ropes, imagine what they would be like if they were still there after a month, you would not want them near your boat though you would have them tangled up with your fenders.
The guys in 1805 understood canals a lot better than anyone around here today.

Fully agree with Joe (Quandry) on all his points. Basically whoever designed the maintenance plan, basically fu**** up big time. It appears that McKenzies do as little as they can get away with. According to canal staff the new gates at Crinan are leaking which is why no boats can moor up in the basin.

The assisted passage offered by the canal staff.

Reality check.

Please note that I am good friends with a few of the staff,

Today. No staff at lock 3, no staff in sight on arrival at lock 5. Both hovering at lock 8. 2 boats had to wait in lock 5 for 90 minutes while the staff made them wait for a boat coming in the other direction because they only wanted to open the bridge once. One crew was heading for Oban today for the Three Peaks Race. The staff didn't give a damn. Then the two staff remained at lock 5 and were not seen at 6,7 or 8. Lock 9 and 10 closed and drained! no staff seen until lock 11. Not told the two boats were coming by the staff at Cairnbaan, so not their fault.

So much for any claims of assisted passage. If anyone gets help all the way they should buy a lottery ticket.

Yesterday the staff made good use of their bothys in the heavy rain. A member of staff who has worked at Ardrishaig for two weeks didn't know where the handles for lock 3 were kept!

On Monday I went from 13 to 9 with no sign of any canal staff

Who knows what might happen on Thursday and Friday.

I feel sorry for the really good staff, one of around 35 years service, who are let down by their colleagues, but there is no getting away from the culture of people doing the minimum they can get away with. I saw a guy closing a gate at lock 3. Two staff on the opposite side. They looked at him and then walked away back to the basin without touching the gate. He had to run around and close it himself.I don't think he thought he was getting an assisted passage.

In fairness I don’t think they actually claim to be offering an assisted passage!

That said there is a weird culture where none of them seem to be able to have any concept of time - waiting an hour is mildly frustrating, waiting an hour when they tell you it will take 20 minutes is infuriating. They all ask your plans, then don’t pass them on so you repeat yourself everytime you meet someone new.

They’ve had issues with the Cairnbaan bridge again (which your latest update might imply they still are?). Now interestingly we got talking to one of the automation engineers who was there doing some training for staff - and he let slip that the issues at Cairnbaan that day had not been electrical/mechanical but were operator error…

ylop said:

In fairness I don’t think they actually claim to be offering an assisted passage!

That said there is a weird culture where none of them seem to be able to have any concept of time - waiting an hour is mildly frustrating, waiting an hour when they tell you it will take 20 minutes is infuriating. They all ask your plans, then don’t pass them on so you repeat yourself everytime you meet someone new.

They’ve had issues with the Cairnbaan bridge again (which your latest update might imply they still are?). Now interestingly we got talking to one of the automation engineers who was there doing some training for staff - and he let slip that the issues at Cairnbaan that day had not been electrical/mechanical but were operator error…

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Funny how some of the staff have said to me that they don't understand why I'm piloting every day when they are giving assisted passage....it's because the chance of having staff at all three set of flights on the same day that are both visible and will assist is highly unlikely.

Also I had a booking cancelled for next month and the reason quoted was "I found out that I don't need a pilot because the staff will do all the locks for me" or words to that effect. It would be amusing if his boat is in with a boat that I'm piloting. But hey, everyone has the choice and if I didn't pilot another boat for the rest of the season I have plenty of other things to do. It would be a shame because it keeps me fit, I meet great people (11 different countries last year) and have a good craic. My book TOWPATH TALES will be published on Amazon next week. I have my paintings at a few art exhibitions this year as well. When I'm not piloting, and the weather is fine I sit along the canal and paint.

The issue last Saturday was due to an overnight power cut which caused the sensors reset to factory settings. They don't check the bridge at 8.30 so it was only when they had to use it at 10.30 they discovered the problem. It doesn't help having, as the staff nicknamed him, "Captain Flappy" working there. The bridge always seems to have issues when he's there. Perhaps it's a coincidence.

Yesterday was a joke where they wouldn't open the bridge until a boat 90 minutes away in the other direction arrived. They don't give a F*** about the boaters and how not getting through the canal in a day can ruin all their plans. It's only a matter of time before a skipper loses his rag and there is a nasty confrontation.

Please note that some of the staff are excellent and it's just a few that really let the others down.

Unless you have a canal boat or a very tight delivery schedule, I can't see why you would go through the Crinan, it's a great sail round the MoK

nevis768 said:

Unless you have a canal boat or a very tight delivery schedule, I can't see why you would go through the Crinan, it's a great sail round the MoK

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It is indeed, but it's a long way and is weather dependent.

nevis768 said:

Unless you have a canal boat or a very tight delivery schedule, I can't see why you would go through the Crinan, it's a great sail round the MoK

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Right now light winds are forecast. Starting from Largs. So our options are to motor down and round the MoK and up the other side, or the Crinan.

We went round the MoK last year and it was indeed a great sail.

But this year its Crinan for us. Currently just down from Cairnbaan where we'll stay tonight, then on to Bellanoch Bridge for tomorrow night, with a side excursion to see if we can find beavers at Knapdale. Then out at Crinan the next day.

Quandary said:

As for the genius idea of dangling ropes, imagine what they would be like if they were still there after a month, you would not want them near your boat though you would have them tangled up with your fenders.
The guys in 1805 understood canals a lot better than anyone around here today.

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We have vertical wires in our lock, and so easy to single hand through it by comparison. Absolutely no problem fending off, especially as there are fenders also in the lock. This system also means you don't have to tend your lines whilst on the rise and fall. Dutch locks often have bollards set into the wall. Scottish system wouldn't be so awkward if it wasn't for some of the huge heights that you need to throw a rope to the top (thinking more the Caledonian). The lock-keepers of course do have lines they drop down in some of them - keeps them in work and occupied.

I can understand the point she was making, though find the Scottish locks quite nostalgic and fun, but then again I have always had (youthful) crew when going through making it significantly easier.

nevis768 said:

Unless you have a canal boat or a very tight delivery schedule, I can't see why you would go through the Crinan, it's a great sail round the MoK

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I see it as a destination in itself, a lovely transit in beautiful surroundings and enjoyable. Sailing for the majority is leisure activity, hence a transit through the canal can enhance that leisure. I have sailed around the MofK many times and I find it a bit of a bore as a passage in itself. I guess it is horses for courses and whatever fills your boat, hopefully not a lock over topping or a standing wave.

jlavery said:

Right now light winds are forecast. Starting from Largs. So our options are to motor down and round the MoK and up the other side, or the Crinan.

We went round the MoK last year and it was indeed a great sail.

But this year its Crinan for us. Currently just down from Cairnbaan where we'll stay tonight, then on to Bellanoch Bridge for tomorrow night, with a side excursion to see if we can find beavers at Knapdale. Then out at Crinan the next day.

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Beavers best at sunset

nevis768 said:

Unless you have a canal boat or a very tight delivery schedule, I can't see why you would go through the Crinan, it's a great sail round the MoK

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You would want to go through the Crinan to meet characters like me

Sorry I couldn't resist...........