Yacht Capella

Jan 29 2009
The Forth and Clyde Canal PDF Print E-mail
Written by Ron   
Thursday, 29 January 2009

 Capella has made two transits of the canal from west to east, here in words and a lot of pictures is the story  of these trips.

In 2003 and 2008 Capella and her crew of JIm "sailing master" Reid and Ron the skipper used the Forth and Clyde canal to bring Capella back from cruising on the west coast.
An overnight  stay in Largs marina allowed the short passage to the river Clyde to be calculated as it is imperitive to catch the flood up river, the tide is fierce and, as we discovered, very narrow so it is also necessary to stay in the well marked channel.

On or first sortie we assumed that thebroad expanse of water at the mouth was all navigable and whilst watching a submarine excercising with a rather scary warship, painted in army camouflage colours to blend in with the hils, Capella, helm unattended, ran gently aground. A we were well off shore and had met a huge sand bank. Brought roughly back to the care of our ship we pulled the boom out as far as it would go and with the anchor and chain lashed to the end Capella heeled nicely and slid off the bank. Jim hastily steered us back into the channel and we proceeded more carefully towards Bowling Basin.
               
The twist and turns and the lack of water make it all the more amazing that so many great ships were launched into this narrow strech of water over the years. It must have been some sight as many thousands of tons of ship careered towards the opposite bank from the launching slip.
On the way we slip past the now silent yards of  Clydebank  on the south bank and on to  Dumbarton rock with its impressive castle on the north. With Erskine bridge in sight we radio the lock keeper to get our entry time and when the lock gates open slip into the crowded basin.


               Below the derrick mast down and ready to go


The basin is home to all sorts of craft some live aboards, some still sailable and some appearing derelict.
Capella is moored under then tall mast derrick, as the maximum air clearance is 3 metres the mast must come down.
The derrick is a column some12 metres high with an arm extending at right angles at the top from which the lifting cable dangles. Once attached to the mast with a stout rope under the crosstrees  human power winds handles to rotate the tower or raise and lower the cable.
It is easier than it looks and JIm and I did it our selves second time around.
Once secure on deck Capella is ready to go on the following morning bright and early.
                           
The old Erskine ferry                                                                                               Patriotic landing stage

                                               
A Bascule bridge                                                                                                  The Dalmuir drop lock


                             
Exiting the lock                                                                                                      The safety barrier comes down   

The team of three helpers operate the locks and bridges in rapid succession so there is little time to admire our surroundings.
The Dalmuir drop lock is an engineering masterpiece however taking Capella under the busy A814 Dumbarton Road.

Through Clydebank and up the Clobberhill series of locks, the Temple locks and the last of the day at Maryhill, a much improved area now
with new housing and parks.There are four locks in the series and once up at the top it gets more rural unless you do as Jim and I did on our first trip and take the wrong turning, we finished up in the middle of Glasgow where the canal ends at the waterway HQ.
                      

Sailing through Clydebank                                                                                Bridge lifted chippy ahead
                     

A sail through chippy                                                                                         A shopping mall stop

We had a slow meander towards Kirkintilloch intending to stop for the night at the Seagull Trust HQ where there are good toilets and the ubiquitous Weatherspoons emporium of food and ales.
                     

Entering the Maryhill staircase                                                                       Totally unconcerned

                    
Perfect                                                                                                                 Central Scotland's not so bad!
                  
Snug for the night                                                                                            The kirk in tilloch!
                                                          
                                                           Seen on the way back from the pub

After a good night's rest we set off early to meet the new team who would take us through to Carron basin. We passed Auchinstarry where a new marina is being built and on to theroad brdge carrying the A80. Here the crew had the traffic stopped and the bridge swinging to allow us on our way.
From now on the terrain is going down making locking much easier for all concerned. Bonnybridge lifting bridge frees us to pass the entrance to the Falkirk wheel where I had arranged to take on diesel. The lockeeper was waiting and Capella was soon replete and declining the offer to visit the wheel soon caught up with our mobile keepers.
A number of close together small locks drops us down to sea level and into the last stretch of new canal towards Carron basin where we thank our valiant helpers and tie up for a well earned cup of tea.

                     
Happy holiodays                                                                                                The Falkirk Wheel

                        

Joining us for the last bit                                                                                      Ready for hire

The Carron keeper reckons on getting us through the sea lock shortly after 0800. It's a big spring tide tomorrow, not ideal for getting out to sea but we'll be ready.
                           

Carron basin looking west                                                                                    The sea lock is over there

.


                       

Down the Carron river Grangemouth docks to starboard                           Longannet chimney ahead

                      

Winding post and beacon                                                                                 Heading home a glance back

Up and away early, Capella scrapes under the Kerse bridge with inches to spare and the big ebb tide rushes her towards the sea where she is meant to be, down river passed the crane pontoon where Jim and I raised the mast in 2003. No time now as the water flows out of the Carron river, soon it will be just mud and stones and no place for a long keeler to lie. As Longannet  power station approaches the winding posts used to get the sailing ships up river appear on our port side and then we are back in the Firth and heading home to Port Edgar after another successfull passage across Scotland by water.
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 03 February 2009 )
 
< Prev   Next >
[ Back ]