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Forth and Clyde Closure


Tim Lewis

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1 minute ago, rgreg said:

You could always hire a boat on the Caledonian canal for some spectacular Scottish scenery. 

I didn't know that was a possibility.  Everything I read here (in Australia) said that you couldn't do a private hire boat on the Caledonian.  I shall keep that in mind!

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1 minute ago, rgreg said:

You could always hire a boat on the Caledonian canal for some spectacular Scottish scenery. 

I would second this ........ and without reservation. I came to this waterway relatively late in life and was completely blown away by it: talk about saving the best until last!

 

However, the money has been found to repair the defective bridges (all four of them) in time for next year's hire boating season and just in time for the hire boat companies to include details in their 2019 brochures – the boats are operated by SC under a franchise agreement with Black Prince, ABC, Capercaillie  and Marine Cruises.

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1 hour ago, rgreg said:

You could always hire a boat on the Caledonian canal for some spectacular Scottish scenery. 

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.

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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

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5 hours ago, Alison007 said:

I didn't know that was a possibility.  Everything I read here (in Australia) said that you couldn't do a private hire boat on the Caledonian.  I shall keep that in mind!

http://www.caleycruisers.com for starters and I believe there is also boat hire at Laggan Locks, including sailing yachts

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1 hour ago, Up-Side-Down said:

http://www.caleycruisers.com for starters and I believe there is also boat hire at Laggan Locks, including sailing yachts

Don't forget also the various Hotel boats and for a real experience try VIC32 the coal fired steam puffer that carries just 12 passengers and does 2 weeks on the Caledonian Canale each year.  They still have some berths available in 2019.

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1 hour ago, Up-Side-Down said:

Sail boat or Tupperware? 

6 berth dual position motor cruiser. 

I was a little dismayed that I did not see many yachts under sail even on the wide open spaces of Loch Ness and Loch Lochy. 

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28 minutes ago, AllanD said:

6 berth dual position motor cruiser. 

I was a little dismayed that I did not see many yachts under sail even on the wide open spaces of Loch Ness and Loch Lochy. 

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

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9 minutes ago, Jokar said:

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

No bow thruster needed when you know how to use fore and aft warping techniques learned over a number of years. 

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42 minutes ago, AllanD said:

6 berth dual position motor cruiser. 

I was a little dismayed that I did not see many yachts under sail even on the wide open spaces of Loch Ness and Loch Lochy. 

I would happily overcome any of my dodgy bigoted principles and hire Tupperware to be able to boat the Callie. Cycling it just isn't the same!

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37 minutes ago, AllanD said:

No bow thruster needed when you know how to use fore and aft warping techniques learned over a number of years. 

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. 

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At Drumnadrochit we were Moored in the faraway corner on the same side as the Lifeboat Station. The moorings filled up in the course of the day and was quite tight when we were leaving the following morning. One nervous private owner came out to check that I didn't bump into their boat. I let all ropes go except for the aft starboard spring and with engaging astern our bow swung slowly to port easily clearing the craft opossite. Into neutral and engaging ahead, we left the Harbour with a "well driven" by the onlooker. 

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Back on topic: met the interim (likely to be with us until the end of the year) SC CEO – Catherine Topley – yesterday and first impressions are good. I'm not necessarily the best judge of character but I am at heart an optimist! Watch this space ...........

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3 minutes ago, Up-Side-Down said:

Back on topic: met the interim (likely to be with us until the end of the year) SC CEO – Catherine Topley – yesterday and first impressions are good. I'm not necessarily the best judge of character but I am at heart an optimist! Watch this space ...........

Oh right. What gave you the positive vibes?

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Largely because, off her own bat, she can already see a need for a sea change in the culture at Applecross Street HQ. Whether she can achieve much during her reign we will see but she agrees that she can set trends and put wheels in motion. It's now down to KCA! and the like to ensure that they're the right trends and a set of regular, round wheels!

Edited by Up-Side-Down
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3 minutes ago, Up-Side-Down said:

Largely because, off her own bat, she can already see a need for a sea change in the culture at Applecross Street HQ. Whether she can achieve much during her reign we will see but she agrees that she can set trends and put wheels in motion. It's now down to KCA! and the like to ensure that they're the right trends and regular, round wheels!

I don't recognise the name. Was she a Scottish |Canals employee or has she been brought in? Why the delay in appointing someone till the end of the year? Doesn't look like it will be Richard then

haggis 

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Been 'lent' from the Prison Service. Interestingly enough Claire Lithgow – SC legal director – was posted up on the SC website as covering while a new CEO was appointed. Suddenly excuses are made and someone is appointed from outside which I think you will agree is "interesting".

 

SC have appointed consultants to conduct the interview process and their appointment, together with advertising the new post, has already been a protracted affair!

 

So it's being dragged out over at least a six month period ......... which just might turn out to be good thing?

 

Obviously I can't speak for Richard except to observe that in Catherine Topley's company he was a very relaxed, laid back, happy chappy and I couldn't help feeling that they were both very much in the same mold. 

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Am I the only one who sees the irony in someone from the prison service being brought in at a time when most boaters are prisoners? (Due to the knackered bridge.) :D

 

But, best of luck to the lady. She (and the appointed CEO) have a lot of negativity to overturn. Here's hoping this is a turn for the better. :cheers:

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1 hour ago, ronnietucker said:

Am I the only one who sees the irony in someone from the prison service being brought in at a time when most boaters are prisoners? (Due to the knackered bridge.) :D

 

But, best of luck to the lady. She (and the appointed CEO) have a lot of negativity to overturn. Here's hoping this is a turn for the better. :cheers:

Thanks Ronnie – I'd quite missed that bit of irony and, now that you've drawn my attention to it, it really does appeal!

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2 minutes ago, Up-Side-Down said:

Thanks Ronnie – I'd quite missed that bit of irony and, now that you've drawn my attention to it, it really does appeal!

Hopefully, the nice lady can get the cell door working again. Failing that we might need to make a jailbreak.  :D

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