TO MAXIMISE YOUR TIME IN SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST INCREDIBLE DESTINATIONS, JANNEKE KUYSTERS REVEALS HOW TO USE CANALS AND WATERWAYS AS SHORTCUTS TO GETTING THERE
CALEDONIAN CANAL
Scotland’s famous Caledonian Canal cuts through the Great Glen from Inverness to Fort William and offers cruisers an unforgettable experience. The 50-mile canal first opened in 1822; it was designed to ensure ships (including those of the Royal Navy) a safe passage east or west, avoiding the dangerous route through the Pentland Firth and around Cape Wrath. Roughly one third of the route is man-made, while the rest is made up of stunning lochs. You also pass through 29 locks and 11 bridges to go from coast to coast. The summit is in Loch Oich, over 31m above sea level.
The channel can handle quite large yachts, with a maximum mast height of 27m (for example, at the bridge in Inverness). The canal is used by motorboats and sailing yachts, as well as cruise ships and commercial vessels, plus kayakers and, sometimes, even swimmers. It is a fun experience to sail through. The canal is very sheltered, so motoring is the order of the day there. But once in Loch Ness, Loch Oich or Loch Lochy, they are open enough to allow for good sailing among magical fortresses and beautiful landscapes.
“Originally, we planned to sail through the Pentland Firth to finish our circumnavigation of the UK,” explains Dutch cruiser Annet van Assenbergh. However, with unstable weather forecast, they sought an alternative.
Her partner Rainier de Groot says: “The locks are a bit daunting at first, especially because we started at Neptune’s Staircase in Fort William. It takes a full day to climb the succession of locks. Once we got used to the locks we enjoyed the scenery, especially seeing Ben Nevis in the distance.
“It’s a place where you shouldn’t be in a hurry: there is so much to see and do. We loved sailing on the lochs: the wind keeps you on your toes, because it can accelerate quite unexpectedly. Sailing on Loch Ness was a highlight, you can’t help yourself looking for signs of the monster!”
Annet adds: “The canal stewards are very helpful and knowledgeable. We had a technical issue on Zee van Tijd, our Garcia 43, when we were in a lock. The throttle of our engine broke off the steering pedestal. The stewards offered assistance and gave us extra time to rig a temporary solution.”
However, their advice for cruisers wanting to take a larger yacht through the Caledonian Canal is to make sure you carry plenty of fenders, rigged on both sides of the yacht, to give you maximum flexibility when you enter a lock, and extra li
