Forth and Clyde Canal 10th Anniversary 24th September 2011
With the 10th
Anniversary of the reopening of the Forth and Clyde Canal coming up, Kathleen
was keen that we become part of the celebrations by joining in with the 80 plus
boats which planned to sail from Speirs Warf in Glasgow through to the Falkirk
Wheel over the course of two days. While this is not really my idea of
Drascombe sailing, it would potentially be an interesting way to spend a
Saturday and so plans were made for Braveheart to joining the flotilla for one
day only. This would involve sailing (motoring!) from Speirs wharf to the
Marina at Auchinstarry where the flotilla would stop overnight and where we
would pull out and head home.
As most of the
boats taking part were already in the canal, where to launch and where to
recover were our first considerations. Luckily Kathleen through her work
contacts with British Waterways was able to arrange for us to use the slipway
at the Firhill Road Basin to launch and the slipway at Auchinstarry to recover.
The seldom used access at Firhill slipway (behind the Partick Thistle football
stadium) was dependant on an official from British Waterways meeting us at a
given time and opening the barrier for 15 minutes to allow us to launch
Braveheart. – you can see the potential for this to go wrong.
On the 24th
of September, having already driven out
to Auchinstarry to drop off Kathleen’s car we were ready to go and we were sitting parked up at
the slipway waiting for the British Waterways official at 6.50am. Having looked
at the slipway I was having some doubts about whether the car could cope with
the change in gradient (BW’s idea of
a slipway is simply a very steep concrete slab running into the water). No
consideration appeared to have been given to its use by anyone not driving a
large tractor or military assault vehicle. Presumably this had been “designed” by
one of the many “experts” employed by British Waterways on the Millennium Link
Project 10 years ago when the canal was being re opened!
Much to my
surprise, but I have to say not Kathleen’s, the official from British Waterways
appeared exactly on time (7.15am) and with little bother he opened the barrier
for us. My concerns regarding the car were borne out as we could not get onto
the slipway due to the extreme change of grade at the top of it. Reverting to
“Plan B” we let the trailer down the slipway using a length of rope taken twice
around the swan neck under the tow ball. This provided an adequate friction
brake to control the speed of the trailer.
Once afloat we
tied Braveheart up to an adjacent pontoon. As one of many installed during the Millennium
Project, it would be interesting to know how often – if at all – this one has
been used?
With the boat in
the water I set off back to Auchinstarry with the trailer which I would leave
with the car there before driving back to Speirs Warf with Kathleen’s car. I
would then walk / run back along the canal back to Firhill.
An hour or so
later we set off from Firhill to motor the mile and a half back to Speirs Warf.
Speirs Warf was
a hive of activity when we got there with boats of all shapes and sizes – but
generally of the canal type- decked out in bunting, balloons and streamers. By
comparison we probably looked very under dressed as we had not even taken our
masts with us!
At 10am while
various bands played on the banks, the 80 strong flotilla set off, slowly
towards the east. Given our size and not wishing to be the filling in a boat to
boat or boat to bank sandwich we felt it would be prudent to join in towards
the back of the flotilla. During the course of the day and having witnessed in-
numerable boat to boat and boat to bank collisions
we were happy to have made this strategic decision.
The trip along
the canal in beautiful sunshine was slow and smelly. The normal still and
placid canal waters had been agitated by probably 60 propellers by the time we
came along, releasing all sorts of unpleasant smells and garbage from the bottom. On a number of occasions
we passed boats which were alongside the banks trying to untangle assorted
rubbish from their propellers.
The canal took
us through parts of Glasgow which we were perhaps not too familiar with – and
which to be honest we probably do not want to be any more familiar with. In
places local worthies added canal side colour by trying to teach the visitors from the
east to speak “Weegie” while slugging down their cans of Special Brew.
With all the
boats passing, it was a bad day for fishermen. Despite this there were a good
number sitting along the banks giving weight to my theory that the fishing is
secondary to getting out of the house and into the country for a day. As not
many if any fishermen appear to take their wives with them, perhaps there is
are other reasons to go and sit on your own in the country and enjoy the peace
and quiet of a canal bank?
Once we reached the
outskirts of Possil we were leaving the city behind us and moving more into
open countryside. By the time we reached Bishopbriggs spectators were in
greater evidence having come especially to watch the boats go by. This created
a carnival atmosphere as spectators and boat crews cheered and waved as we
passed under bridges or past groups of well-wishers.
By 13.00hrs we
had reached Kirkintilloch where the planned lunch stop was. Being one of the
smaller boats we were allowed to enter the marina and tie up alongside a pontoon.
With an hour for lunch we set off at Kathleen’s suggestion to buy bacon rolls
from Ghilonis café in Townhead. This I must admit was one of her better
suggestions.
After lunch we
rejoined the flotilla heading east towards their planned overnight stop and our
final destination at Auchinstarry. When we set off again after lunch, we
appeared (not deliberately) to have been inserted in within the first 30 or so
boats. This proved to be beneficial in that they were more spread out and that
we would arrive at Auchinstarry before the basin there became too busy.
The afternoon’s
cruise was definitely along the better section of the canal as we were now out
into open countryside with pretty decent views of the Campsie Fells on our left
for a good part of the remaining journey.
Arriving at
Auchinstarry we made straight for the slipway and had Braveheart out of the
water and onto her trailer before most of the remaining boats had arrived.
Strapping her down outside the “Boathouse” which is the marina’s pub / restaurant
we decided that it was just too busy to go for what we felt was a well earned
drink and so at 16.00hrs we set off back to collect Kathleen’s car and go home.
The canal
journey was an “experience”. It was a great day out and took us to a bit of
water that we would not otherwise have sailed (motored) along. So saying that while
it was interesting to do it once I have no real desire to do it again, nor can
I understand why anyone would want to go on a canal holiday and stay overnight
on the canal within the boundaries of Glasgow City.
With all the
amazing bits of water which are easily accessible within Scotland and while not
belittling the efforts of the many enthusiastic and motivated British
Waterway’s employees, volunteers and interest groups, I can only compare the
Forth and Clyde Canal to a dirty ditch!
Mileage
Firfill to
Speirs Warf 1 mile
Speirs Warf to
Kirkintiloch 8.1 miles
Kirkintilloch to
Auchinstarry 5.4 miles
Total 14.5
miles
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