claymore wrote:The perfect combination for any boat going through the Crinan is 3
The skipper needs to be on shore doing all the work with the lines and opening and closing all the gates.
One crew member needs to glue themselves to the steering device - wheel or tiller and develop a set of white knuckles to communicate to the others that this job is not about to be relinquished.
The other just needs to stand there, they need a fat arse and it always needs to be in the way. They should regard each and every lock as if it were the first they had ever encountered and never develop skill, competence or intelligence.
They then need to wrestle the steering device from Crew 1 once in the bottom basin prior to the sealock.
They must then pay no attention to what is going on and T-bone as briskly as possible the biggest motorboat in the area.
It helps if the 2nd crew can be called Parahandy....
ljs wrote:As an aside, when I was young and holidaying in Scotland, there were lots of notices saying, 'SHEEP SHUT THE GATE.'
I never saw a sheep shut the gate once. Is it the same with tidal gates?
If you're through Dorus Mor with a couple of hours or more of favourable tide still to go and the weather's good, I'd be very tempted to carry on through the Sound of Luing (easier than Cuan and no further) and anchor in Puildobhraoin. Access to the TnT is a fairly straightforward walk, and the following day you can leave whenever you want without worrying about the tide.
Access to the TnT is a fairly straightforward walk
Aye, it's usually the walk back that is the problem . . .
I am a dab hand at crawling on all fours home from the pub, the bit I dont like is when I burn my hands and knees on fag douts when leaving the pub, and folk kicking me out o the way mistaking me for a dog.
Thanks Dave, it could be possible we may be going around the M O K if the weather was very kind to us, probably save a day too.
Cheers, C_W
Purists will not take a headtorch but will rely upon their instincts. it is also character forming for a crew to be led by their Master under God, safely back to the dinghy. Even Parahandy has benefited from this although he protested a bit at first.
Silkiepoos - ah'm dissappointed that ye chose tae show that - at least hev the decency tae point oot that the heedtorch isnae switched oan.....
Jings but wisn't I a fat wee fekker!
It looks like I'll be heading west sometime (in May) too. It would be optimistic to believe that we will head North out of Crinan and pop into the TnT for a beverage, but I suspect we will turn left and head for Tayvallich without passing Go or collecting £200.
I have to admit to having had some medicine to alleviate another repetition of murrayfielditis, but please let me interject. -
don't go past the puddle without stopping for a night - whether or not you get to the pub is irrelevant - it's the anchorage that counts. There are others, and it may take years to sample the best, but one of the tricks is not to drive past too quickly... They're special.
http://trooncruisingclub.org/ 20' - 30' Berths available, Clyde.
Cruising, racing, maintenance facilities. Go take a look, you know you want to.
I would recommend going to Carsaig and walking over as a way of enjoying the delights of Tayvallich without having to endure the drudge up and down Loch Sween and it would give you mair time to head north.
Then again the Eilean Macormic is better than either for an overnight stop.
What an idiot I am - never read that you were coming out of Crinan. Left the original post in as an idicator of how stupid and irrelevant it was
A thousand pardons
and, of course, there is the free bus -for those and such as those, which will take you from Carsaig to Tayvallich and beyond.
Haven't actually tried it yet, but could be useful on the return journey (after a pleasant Sunday lunch).
http://trooncruisingclub.org/ 20' - 30' Berths available, Clyde.
Cruising, racing, maintenance facilities. Go take a look, you know you want to.