Jokar

I'm no expert, especially from one photo, but the wood looks rotten and weak

Thankyou for the info, I'll be at the next one for sure.10am on a Monday is a ridiculous time to expect folk to attend a meeting

Hi, was the meeting to do with service or the canal, can you make it public?

Scottish canals are a public body, if you want to know ask under the freedom of information act, I'm sure they will need to give the information when asked. Maybe you should also ask for the maintenance records for the faulty bridges at the same time lol

Ronnie, the story told is about the decline of the canal due to lack of funds, canal society were interviewed as was Ronnie Rusack, and Richard Miller. I don't see anything happening if Nicola Sturgeon thinks the canal at Falkirk and Glasgow is thriving, she obviously thinks the canal is the Falkirk wheel and the Port Dundas water sports. We really need some drastic change in management and for the government to see how bad the situation has become.

I'll watch the news at 6pm, I wonder if the canal still goes from Bowling to Falkirk, or will it go to Grangemouth ?

Hi Allan, would that be Mytho the boat Dutch cruiser in the left corner nearest the hotel bedrooms ?

I know a few of you have joined the group now, anyone on here is welcome. I've been trying to get a response from Scottish canals about the statutory navigation, the fact they won't answer feeds me with the answer, if they were in the right they would have answered right away

https://www.facebook.com/groups/312149205999406/

Tonight I have started a Facebook group called "Forth and Clyde canal neglected" , can I ask everyone to join the group, the purpose will be to try and put pressure on Scottish canals by showing support for the canal, it will also let folk share communication and any progress made. Obviously on this page we are all passionate about our boating but not enough folk can see your posts. I look forward to seeing the join requests.

Oh yes, I heard about the plywood too lol, how the hell is plywood going to help, seemingly it was plywood left over from a contractor that was doing work, so may or may not be marine ply, but we left a sheep of plywood out during the winter and within 2 months sitting on the decking it was delaminated, god knows how it will bare up under water. I've been asking Scottish government, and scottish canals what the statutory obligation to navigation means, ie 7 days per week or 4 days per week, I'm still waiting a response. I have given a comparison based on the M8 motorway. If the Edinburgh side of the M8 needed roadworks would they close the full motorway 3 days per week, because the Edinburgh side is quite?

Has anyone seen evidence of work being done with the bridges or any further maintenance, I was told today both weed cutters are out of action awaiting repairs, not sure if it's true or not, but I've not seen them in action.

Has anyone heard of any updates, ?

Alan, these new to boating skippers need anything to make life easier, some very large cruisers fitted with a single 80hp engine with a shaft prop, at Drumnadrochit they had to berth stern to in a fair breeze with little space, not an easy task with prop walk steering. It certainly made me very slightly more relaxed when they tried to berth next to me.

And all fitted with a big noisey bow thruster, but to be honest I was impressed with most of the hire boats and their crew, all did well

Not once in the three weeks we were out the Forth and clyde canal did I need to wash out my weed strainers, ie boater through the Crinan and Caledonian both ways plus the sea, from the sea lock at Bowling to the berth in the middle basin my weed strainer was full of the usual green weed. My berth was covered with litter plastic bottles and what looks like an old wooden rudder. I hope the canal reopens soon and the garbage and weed gets dealt with

Probably the best holiday on the boat we have had, certainly not the most relaxing but well worth doing. Oh it helped we did it in a heatwave with no rain.

WGreat to see the IWA backing our canal, and I totally agree, more needs to be done to encourage boats to use the canal, no reason why foreign boats can't use the Forth and Clyde the way they use the Caledonian canal I'm sure some Sweden, Finland, Denmark and German boaters would transit to the west coast through the F&C and crinan rather than going down from the north at Inverness. Very short sighted management.

I kept telling them boating is a leisure activity, when they cut down to a 4 day week and cut the hours at Bowling. The Caledonian canal and the crinan were very busy with foreign boats, no reason why the east coast of Scotland boaters don't come through to the west once the canal gets reopened

Very good news for the Forth and clyde canal, BUT, now folk need to use the canal, transits, and general boat movements, we need the canal used to control the weed, catch 22 though, if folk struggle due to the the depth and weed they won't use it, then as we moan how shallow it is others won't use it, this could be the best chance we have to keep the waterway open and use it, I will be honest I have transited the Forth and clyde canal a few times and the scenery all but matches the crinan, it's a cracking trip if all goes well. We went through both the Crinan and Caledonian canals in the past few weeks and they both need money spent, but both are a joy to use. The crinan is hard work with just one crew but it was well worth the effort, the Forth and clyde is every bit as good when the boat is suitable.

Alan d, downloaded cale cruiser map today, thanks again

HI Allan, starting the journey in the morning, certainly all a different scale from normal. Can I ask you, how is the route for berthing pontoons etc, we walked to the top of Neptune's staircase there, and noticed a couple of derelict pontoons, are we best staying over on the canal sections or the lochs, we also want to stay a few days at Drumnadrochit as we have family there, I know there is urquhart bay, but not sure if we can use that or is it a caley cruiser berth area? Any info will bean education

Ronnie, I've struggled through walls of water between Greenock and Dunoon, it's all about common sense and planning. One day we went to Arran and the weather was stunning, and not a ripple on 5he clyde. Then within 2 minutes we were shitting ourselves trying to reach portavadie to get out the incoming weather that lasted 3 days

The barge would have did fine in flat calm water going with the tide, ut I'd not be so keen if it was anything but a perfect day

Ronnie, I have chart plotters and charts on board, but coming into unknown to me waters ie now at the Caledonian canal, I made good use of my tablet and the navionics app, where with my plotters I'd need to input way points., the navionics app let's you put in a start and end and works out a suitable route based on your boat data, very good when faced with islands everywhere in front of you. Oh and your boats not too small in the right weather, but can be lethal in the wrong weather.