Sue & Charles Sail Ariel-: Friday June 10th & 11th- Enter Caledonia Canal

On Friday June 10th we left the Marina on a rising tide and entered the Caledonian Canal seal lock. You pay the lock keeper for the canal transit ($375) and that pays for everything you need, the canal employees work the locks and you are provided with a key that lets you into the bathroom facilities on the way. After the sea lock were two sequential locks and then a stretch of canal to a flight of six locks which were successfully negotiated. We stopped for the night on a pontoon just beyond the locks. Going up is a bit tricky because the dock wall is quite high and you throw your line up to the lock keeper who will attach it to the hook and throw it back to the boat. Sue on the bow me on the stern. When the lock is filled the hooks are right next to the boat and easy to disentangle from. Nevertheless it is quite intense and we were glad to be safely moored on the pontoon. Our weather has been cold and wet for the most part. I want summer to begin.

You can download the skippers guide to see the details of each lock.

https://www.scottishcanals.co.uk/activities/boating/caledonian-canal/

Our First Lock

Our appointment was for 1:15 pm to enter the canal. The first lock they gave us a polypropylene line to hold for a 3 meter drop.

First lock- they make it easy for you.

The Office where you buy your ticket at the start of your journey. The hook at the left is the type used through out the canal.

The second lock was another line they provided for a four meter drop.

For lock three you handed the attendant your line and the drop was 4 meters. Now you are considered experienced at locks!

Some portions of the canal are a plain bank with vegetation and field animals.

This yellow brush was found a lot in Scotland. It is thorny and covers a thick area with pretty yellow flowers.

This is at the Doch Garrach Lock. The Doch Garrach Garden has a lovely restaurant alongside it. Unfortunately others can come here by car so we could not get a reservation and had dinner on board. Our floating dock was directly in front of it.

Day Two Leaving Doch Garrach to Loch Ness

In the morning I made Charles some Kippers on the boat. I saw a great recipe which was easy to do. You line a pot which has a steamer in it with foil. Place the fish in and put butter on it. When it starts to steam time it for ten minutes and they are done. This was his English treat on Ariel.

At 8:25 we left Doch Garrock Lock and we passed a large commercial tour boat the Jacobite Rebel. We entered the famous Loch Ness at 10:40 am (Lake Ness). It was a rainy day.

As you are going along there are changes in water depth. You can see the water fall to our port side cascading downward.

Beautiful little cottages along the banks.

another one

The weather pattern for us was COLD and WET with misty rain off and on. Guess these clouds give it away.

This building is a large hotel that seemed to be stop for the Jacobite boats on their tour.

This LAKE IS Lock Ness... No monster in sight but plenty of water.

The Depths here are in the 600 range. Obviously some areas are wider than others. Don't' know why there is such a fuss about the Loch Ness monster but it keeps the tourists coming.

Boundaries are mountainous.

Some fog for you.

Cloud formations

The Loch Ness Bridge coming into Fort Augustus. You need to get a reservation for the time they will take you going up the lochs. We were told to get some lunch while we waited and keep the VHF on.

All kinds of tours are arranged here to see the Loch Ness area. Not all of them go through the locks but stop at the boundaries of the lake.

A closer look at the Lock Ness bridge and the town of Fort Augustus. We found every kind of tour bus stopping here off to the right. Tourist City. We arrived around 11:57 pm. We had a lock reservation for two pm.

One of many floating docks before the next lock. Tie up till you are called for the opening. Fort Augustus- Charles walking the dock to get our schedule.

This building was a center for tourist information. The bus loads of people came here to sign up for things.

Inside a typical lock. the water can swirl pretty intensely when filling up.

Ariel in a lock

scenery of the town of Fort Augustus. Restaurants, tourist sales of every sort.

hooks for the locks and the railing on top of the lock which people use to cross over until the lock opens and it is parted.

Ariel tied up for a rest after climbing upward in the last set of locks. He would drive the boat, Sue was walking on land with the bow line and another person was needed to hold the stern line or else it would get caught on the hooks along the bank. Charles made special wooden fenders for the canal trip.