Crinan Canal
At a Glance
Contacts
Crinan Canal Office in Ardrishaig 01546 603210
Crinan Sea Lock 01546 830285 or VHF 74
Ardrishaig Sea Lock 01546 602458 or VHF 74
Summer 2022. There is a "capping" system in force for both the Caledonian and Crinan Canals. Book ahead on line on a first come first served basis
Probably the most important information we can give is that
there is a Skippers Guide available on sale for £4.50 (used to be
free) but you can download it here:-
https://www.scottishcanals.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/5008/Crinan-Skippers-Guide-Web-Version-Aug-17.pdf
Operating hours from early May to mid September are 0830 to 1730
seven days a week with an extra "late opening by request" until
1930 from Thursday to Sunday. The last locking must commence half
an hour before closing time and all locks/bridges cease operations
for lunch from 1200 to 1230.
The minimum time for transit is given as five or six hours. You
can see from this that it may be pointless pushing to get through
the Canal in a hurry only to find that you end up having to anchor
off Crinan until the tide turns in the Firth of Lorne - far better
to potter up and leave yourself time to get out next morning.
There are width and length restrictions – max length
is 88 feet, beam 20 feet and draft 2.7 metres. If your draft is
over 2.2m you should contact the Canal Office at least 24 hours
before intended transit.
You may think that all these regulations and operating times are a
bit bureaucratic until you take into account the fact that water
supply here can be a real problem; it's not like the Caledonian
Canal which has huge, deep lochs to supply the demand; the
catchment area is very small and in periods of prolonged dry
weather they have to manage the supply very carefully. Thus, every
time you lock down, you take a lock full of water with you so in
the high season (when, hopefully, it isn't raining too much) there
is a constant movement of water out of the system into the sea.
That's why they need to stop for the night to let the water levels
replenish naturally and, if you are deep draft, they need to know
you are coming as they may have to manage the water at the top more
carefully (they may even have to say "No can do")
Last Summer (2018) they were forced to restrict transits very severely due to the lack of water.
The canal, as we have said is roughly nine miles long and has 15
locks (that includes both sea locks) and 7 bridges. There are no
"flights" of locks where you go straight from one lock into another
though there are three main locking areas where the locks are close
together but separated by short stretches of water; these are at
Ardrishaig, Cairnbaan and Dunardry.
The sea locks are mechanised but the rest of the locks are
"handraulic" (ie you have to operate the paddles and the gates
manually) The Skippers Guide gives extensive advice on how to work
the locks and your boat within them and it is not proposed to give
you a lesson on how to do it in these notes; but if you are
unfamiliar with canals and locks you need to give that section a
good read (and even if you are familiar you still may learn
something!!) The most common (and very tiring) mistake is for the
crew handing the bow rope to enter into a tug-of-war with the crew
on the stern; those ropes do not have to be bar-taught, a gentle
tension to stop you drifting around the lock is sufficient; as a
single hander you are normally able to handle both stern and bow
ropes in one hand.
How you treat the Canal is up to you; the lock keepers have seen
it all and will dig out to get you through as quickly as they can,
but there is a limit and you either accept that or spend a day
champing at the bit. The good thing is that if your tide gate at
the Crinan end is early evening and you get to Ardrishaig at the
start of play the chances are that you'll catch your tide gate and
still have three hours or so of daylight to get where you are going
so East Loch Tarbert to Craobh in a day is do-able but it would be
an early start and a long day; far better to potter up to
Ardrishaig after breakfast, get through to the Crinan basin (either
above or below Lock 14) have dinner in the Hotel (if you can afford
it!) and then lock out in the morning with the whole day ahead of
you.
Mind you, if you are trying to get to Tobermory for West Highland
week from Kip Marina you're going to have your work cut out if you
leave it until Saturday lunch time to leave Kip!!
There is the question of single handing. It is is perfectly feasible for a skipper to manage this canal on his own but it would take ages and you'd get in the way of people in a hurry. There is a list of Private Pilots on the Scottish Canals website at
https://www.scottishcanals.co.uk/activities/boating/crinan-canal/plan-your-trip/
The yotspot no longer does this.
Crinan Canal
Approach
Summer 2022. There is a "capping" system in force for both the Caledonian and Crinan Canals. Book ahead on line on a first come first served basis
Ardrishaig
To the South of Ardrishaig in the entrance to Loch Gilp there are
several reefs to be negotiated...
... and if you are sailing a finkeeler close to the bottom end
of a spring tide you will need to be very careful.
The main reef extends out from the shore to the ESE of Ardrishaig
from Rubha Buidhe, through the Duncuan Islands out to Sgeir Sgalag.
The end of this reef is marked with a lit, green SHM (buoy) but
have a care because, only a cable and a half to the SW of this buoy
it starts to shelve again towards the other shore. Two cables to
the south of the green buoy is a red can buoy, also lit, which
marks the Gulnare Rock reef. There is a sector light on the end of
Ardrishaig Pier but if you are running in on this at night you need
to pick up the red flashing buoy (4s) as early as possible and ease
over in the white sector to leave it to port.
Given the fact that you can't get into the canal until 0800 in the
morning and it's light from about 0430 I shouldn't imagine you will
find it necessary to make your approach in the dead of night
– far better to stop off at East Loch Tarbert or anchor
north or south of Barmore island (just to the North of East Loch
Tarbert) the evening before and amble up in the dawn light to
Ardrishaig! Of course, these days, there is also the option of
Portavadie which is not dependent on tides.
Further South there are Big Rock, High Rock and McLarty Rock and
their associated shallows; Big Rock is the one to be sure to avoid,
the others have a fair bit of water over them.
Once you have negotiated the passage through the reefs just swing
round the pier and look ahead for the pontoon on the starboard bow.
The pontoon is very close to the lock gate and, if they are
flooding down, the current past it is quite strong – not
a problem if you are entering the lock but if intending to tie up
on exiting the lock you'll need to turn round and come back at it
to tie up starboard side to.
Crinan
From the North, unless you are coming from Ardfern you are going to
have to decide whether to pass between Craignish Point and Garbh
Reisa, or go South of Eilean na h-Earne. In either case you will
have been coming south on the "ebb" so should experience favourable
currents at either choke point but don't be surprised if
(especially in strong Southerlies) if you encounter quite strong
overfalls.
There are no isolated off shore dangers coming up the Sound of Jura
but watch out for Carraig an Daimh and Skervuile at the southern
end.
Once in Loch Crinan, Black Rock just to the North of the Sea Lock
is very obvious and a good aid to identifying the lock. Just give
the Sea Lock a call on VHF 74 and they'll advise you when you can
expect to be locked in. There is no waiting pontoon here so if you
arrive in the evening you'll have to find somewhere to anchor
(there are plenty of places in Crinan Harbour and the bays to the
SW)
£ GMT
Waypoint
Charts
Rules & Regs
Hazards
Tides
Berthing
There are anchorages in the bays to the SW of the Crinan Sea lock and.....
.... at the Ardrishaig end you can anchor to the north of the
pier (but there are a lot of moorings here and you would be wise to
use a tripping line)
Once in the canal there are pontoons available for waiting/
overnight stop at pretty well all the locks and bridges and there
are several pontoons at Lochgilphead near to the filling
station.
You will note that there are no visitor moorings at Ballanoch
Marina but there is room to anchor in that little bay if you
wish.
There is normally enough room to moor alongside in the basins at
either end of the Canal but you may have to raft; at Crinan you
could be asked to moor above Lock 14 if the basin is crowded. For
prices go to:-
Facilities
These are well signposted on the Skippers Guide but you need to
plan a little. Showers and toilets are no problem as they are
available at all the major stopping points apart from Millers
Bridge. There are now toilets and showers at the Crinan Lock
dedicated for Canal users - much better than the public toilets we
used to have to use! Any major shopping is best done at
Lochgilphead.
Big Note – there is no diesel provided by the canal; you
can get it by arrangement at Crinan Boatyard and in cans at the
filling station at Lochgilphead. If you need petrol the only place
you can get that is at Lochgilphead and, from a planning point of
view, that is the last place northbound until Oban (and even there
it is awkward). There is a useful pontoon North of the Oakfield
(Miller's) Bridge which is quite close to the Filling
Station.
Shore power is available as per the Guide at (extra cost) so that
may influence your choice of overnight stop but it is not available
at Lochgilphead, Dunardry or Ballanoch Bridge.
Calor Gas refills are available at the filling station in
Lochgilphead but they don't supply Gaz 907 refills; you'll find
those at the caravan park in Lochgilphead itself (the pontoon at
Millers bridge is the closest place to stop for that) and there is
also a laundrette there.
Chandlers
Ardfern Yacht Chandlery
Ardfern Yacht Centre Ltd
Ardfern,
Lochgilphead
PA31 8QN
The Yot Spot
Pier Square
Ardrishaig
Ardrishaig
PA30 8DZ
Crinan Boatyard Ltd
Crinan
Lochgilphead
Argyll
PA31 8SW
What to Do
You can eat ashore at Ardrishaig, Lochgilphead, Cairnbaan and
Crinan
If you have time there's a wee boatshed in behind the Canal Office
in Ardrishaig where a chap called Jack Kay builds wooden boat
tenders with an attention to detail and finish which is pure poetry
(He's also a mine of information on the conditions at the Mull of
Kintyre). That was a while ago now and he may have retired.
History
Local Business
Activities-and-Trips
The Puffer Preservation Trust
Cathy MacLennan
Crinan Boat Yard
Crinan
Lochgilphead
Argyll
PA31 8SW
Boat-Charters
Sailmakers-Repair-and-Covers
W.B. Leitch & Son
Gravel Road
Tarbert
Argyll
Scotland
PA29 6TR
Laundry Facilities Also Available.
Uncategorised
W.B. Leitch & Son
Gravel Road
Tarbert
Argyll
Scotland
PA29 6TR
Laundry Facilities Also Available.
Ardfern Yacht Chandlery
Ardfern Yacht Centre Ltd
Ardfern,
Lochgilphead
PA31 8QN
The Yot Spot
Pier Square
Ardrishaig
Ardrishaig
PA30 8DZ
Crinan Boatyard Ltd
Crinan
Lochgilphead
Argyll
PA31 8SW
The Puffer Preservation Trust
Cathy MacLennan
Crinan Boat Yard
Crinan
Lochgilphead
Argyll
PA31 8SW
Tide Information for crinan-canal
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