The trip from Oban to The Crinan Canal involves “passage planning”.
For those that don’t really understand the intricacies of yotting (me, you (Dear Reader), Bonzo etc.), “passage planning” can be a challenge.
However, in essence, this is what it is about:
1. The tide tends to flow the way you don’t want to go, and (in addition),
2. When the tide flows rapidly over an uneven rocky channel (all of Scotland) the sea may get very rough.
Oban to Crinan is basically like this.
Anyway … having worked it out 3 times, we agreed that the best time to set off was 1255.
We set off at 1240.
The route took us through the Sound of Luing, past (but not through) the infamous Gulf of Corryvreckan, through Dorus Mor and on down to the sea lock at Crinan .. to start our “transit of the canal”.
Anyway (again), despite being fearsome, our trip to Crinan went swimmingly (I may regret using this adverb). Having carefully done as much of the difficult part of the route at slack waters and as near neaps as possible, we hit only 3 knots of tide in Dorus Mor.
Clouds over The Gulf of Corryveckan
John and Ann met us at Crinan.
We were the last boat to get into Canal that night.
We motored through a couple of locks and settled down for the night.
It is important, Dear Reader, to remember to look out for bridges ahead when motoring along canals. Our boat (mast height 16.5 metres) will not easily fit under a closed road bridge (height 2 metres).
A nice stop on the Crinan Canal
Next day was sunny and hot but then became windy.
The Crinan Canal was built about 200 years ago so that ships could get from the Clyde to Oban without going around the Mull of Kintyre (thus avoiding endless renditions of Paul McCartney’s little ditty****…which, of course, at the time, had not been written). Unfortunately because Sir Paul was not born 200 years ago *, the canal served little use until recent years when yotties re-discovered it.
Anyway … Wednesday 15th August 2012
We locked our way, first up and then down the Crinan Canal from Crinan to Ardrisaig.
John and Ann were wonderful, opening and closing gates, catching ropes and providing cake.
Jean helps John close a lock.
Locking with another boat
We teamed up with another boat which accompanied us through most of the locks. This was good thing because they knew what they were doing.
Towards the end of the day the wind got a bit nasty (F6) and this made locking quite a challenge **.
Wednesday night was too windy for further progress so we rafted up to “Adela” ably assisted by her charming, helpful and altogether very nice skipper ***
We said “Goodbye” to John and Ann and settled down to worrying about the weather.
Thursday 16th August.
After a prolonged period of dithering and worrying about the weather, we eventually decided “to go for it” and left the canal at about 1300 hours in F5 and motored to Portavadie Marina.
Portavadie Marina has hair straighteners in the men’s showers.
For a man with as much hair as I have, this is obviously of crucial importance.
Portavadie Marina
As I understand it, Portavadie Marina was constructed in a basin excavated 20 or 30 years ago to create a harbour for the maintenance of oil rigs.Portavadie is on the West Coast of Scotland.
The oil was on the East Coast.
They didn’t get a lot (any?) business.
The oil rig harbour was therefore converted into a Marina (with hair straighteners in the loos, obviously).
Friday 17th August.
We went home.
Portavadie to Glasgow Airport isn’t difficult (2 buses, one ferry, one train, a shuttle bus … and you’re there!)
The house felt strangely empty without Bonzo.
I hadn’t realised that dogs could be held on remand and then bailed, but perhaps our modest contribution to the Retired Dog Warden Benevolent Fund helped a little. Anyway, our tame psychopathic canine is home again, at least for now.
* Note to Author .. I need to check this
** Yottie term meaning “very difficult”
*** name withheld for security reasons
**** "Mull of Kintyre"
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