BLUEMOMENT

Was planning to bring Shard down the Clyde later this week, but what with the tides to get through the Sound of Luing, the resultant window looks too tight. I suppose if I was Marisca I'd just do it anyway, but tacking all the way down to the Mull at night just didn't seem too attractive.

Cluck, cluck....

Shard wrote:Was planning to bring Shard down the Clyde later this week, but what with the tides to get through the Sound of Luing, the resultant window looks too tight. I suppose if I was Marisca I'd just do it anyway, but tacking all the way down to the Mull at night just didn't seem too attractive.

The tides are fine if a tad antisocial - it's the south wind that I would baulk at. I ended up at Port Ellen in August having sat out the good tide hove-to in a southerly near gale. The next day was an oily flat calm and neither were in the forecast!
May I recommend the Crinan Canal though my problem with that is persuading the necessary couple of bods to be there on the day I want? The next likely favourable wind is about 3rd Nov. Good luck!

Hmm, we wouldn't have gone through the Sound of Luing until the early evening, or first thing tomorrow morning. Canal was an option, but prefer a decent sail. Maybe next month.

Anyway, got other things to do, like go and wind up the gramophone for Louis Jordan....

I've given up the canal...

Or rather, my wife has.

wully wrote:I've given up the canal...

Or rather, my wife has.

It's the only place my wife likes to be on the boat. We make work our way up to the Caledonian some time to see if she can cope with being more than ten feet from the bank ...

There's a fair degree of nonsense spoken about the Crinan and needing extra crew.
The last time I went through I had Para and Muzzy on board and was met by the Shards.Para, Muzzy and Shard didn't seem to do much and in fact it was the wonderful Madame Shard and my humble self who shared the workload and got us through to Cairnbaan in a jiffy.

The others became galvanised at the prospect of drink and did give a hand to zip up the patio.
The following day - sans Shards - I had to become self reliant. Had the redoubtable aforementioned M.Shard been present, there is no doubt in my mind that my fine ship would not have been allowed to drift sideways into the biggest motorboat in Scotland.

.
Last time I transited the canal it was with a 25ft Folkboat. The skipper stayed aboard and I did all the legwork and gate manipulation myself. We transited the canal in under six hours, but this was helped by only having to open a single gate at each lock.

And pray inform dearest, Did one walk on water or use the towpaths?

Nick wrote:.
........... helped by only having to open a single gate at each lock.

Ah, takes me back to our shipman 28 - the joys.
Just how wide is one gatesworth I wonder? No point in risking everything for a lazy transit if you've got to take in the fenders to get through a narrow bit, especially if you've just had the topsides done professionally.

sahona wrote:

Nick wrote:.
........... helped by only having to open a single gate at each lock.

Ah, takes me back to our shipman 28 - the joys.
Just how wide is one gatesworth I wonder? No point in risking everything for a lazy transit if you've got to take in the fenders to get through a narrow bit, especially if you've just had the topsides done professionally.

Crinan has a max. beam of 20ft, so 10ft for one gate. Fairwinds at 8' 2" would just about be OK, but we've never taken her through.

10ft is us, so that coat of paint, should it ever happen, wouldn't make it.
The Soupdragon likes the services of 'captain' Hugh Kirk (07717396755) when transitting, everything goes very smoothly with no appreciable effort from anyone aboard.
No connection, just highlighting a good source of assistance to those (short-handed or over-mature) who may find it a bit daunting.

Last trip through was with an Irish friend in his rather sparkly new Arcona 400. My 12 yo son and I did most of the lock gates for him and his wife and young family. Having a car to run ahead and prepare locks certainly helped. Crinan sea-lock at 11:30, final stretch to Ardrishaig at 16:00. They were planning to moor there for the night so I headed off home, only to be called back by a now very distressed friend. He'd opened a can of beer, taken a drink, put it down and when he took the next drink, had swallowed a wasp, which then stung him in the throat.
Dangerous place the canal, better the wide open sea

claymore wrote:There's a fair degree of nonsense spoken about the Crinan and needing extra crew.

In my experience it's easier with 4 folk to share the work, that's not to say a Billy Nomates couldn't do it, it'll just be harder work.

I noticed the difference when we just had 3 aboard, I was pooped doing the gates with assistance from mum. It took longer because cups of coffee and big wedges of sustaining fruit cake kept appearing. It's not a race, we have always took it steady and enjoyed the experience, sometimes a bit too steady for me, the impatience of youth hey?

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[youtube]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=B_0WokmBEFM[/youtube]

Nick wrote:

sahona wrote:

Nick wrote:.
........... helped by only having to open a single gate at each lock.

Ah, takes me back to our shipman 28 - the joys.
Just how wide is one gatesworth I wonder? No point in risking everything for a lazy transit if you've got to take in the fenders to get through a narrow bit, especially if you've just had the topsides done professionally.

Crinan has a max. beam of 20ft, so 10ft for one gate. Fairwinds at 8' 2" would just about be OK, but we've never taken her through.

The lock gates must be wider than that. Sheena and I took Rebel our Jeanneau Rush through in under 6 hours using the one-lock-gate method and she (Rebel) is 10' 4" on the beam.

Amazing what the promise of gin and chips at Ardrishaig will do. Sheena, being Sheena, ashore had every man, woman, child and dog helping her out.

Regards
Donald