Lets cruise loch ness

S

starcrafttom

Active member
Ok so I was bored and started cruising Google map. I found that you can enter Loch Ness near Inverness thru a set of locks and then travel all the way to Banavie by way of several Loch's and many locks to end up back in the ocean again. So who wants to go?
 
I would love to! I even have a friend who lives nearby for a local welcome/visit :) He speaks highly of the Caledonian Canal.

Actually, I've always wanted to do the Dutch waterways and French canals, so I did a bit of research into shipping a C-Dory over. It looks like it's doable on an RO/RO ship on its trailer, but there are not a lot of folks who have blazed the shipping trail and written much about it, from what I can find. You just know there would be "gotchas" and complications that would lead to $$ :wink:

Another option (for longer than a week or two) is to buy a boat over there, and then sell it again. That would theoretically be more economical in the end, but then it sure would be nice to have your own, already-outfitted-to-suit-you, devil-you-know, C-Dory while you were there!

I'd be seriously interested if other C-Brat(s) were going, too. It'd be great to have "partner(s) in crime" for the transport logistics, whether or not the cruising was done in tandem.

Sunbeam
 
Somewhere on the RF 246 website is the story of s couple who did this with their Rosborogh. Not Loch Ness but the French and German canal system.

I know you Tom, this is all just a cunning plan to troll for "Nessy" :-)

If you do go don't drink the local "water". Tastes just like Scotch. You could probably run your engines on it and it may actually be cheaper than the local gas.

There is also an large canal system in the UK and you can rent very long boats that could house a family of C-Brats

M
 
We're in! Sounds like fun!

REMINDS ME OF AN OLD JOKE..

"SO AN IRISHMAN WALKS OUT OF THIS BAR....."

No, seriously, it COULD happen! :mrgreen:

Tom, send me your email address via PM, I have something I need to send you.

Charlie
 
The Rf 246 I referred to above was called "Irish Rover". Unfortunately the only website I can now find referring to the journey is now inactive.

For the "narrow boats" on the UK canal system there are numerous agencies but you can get an idea from
http://www.ukboathire.com/

Could be quite a CBGT !!

M
 
Ah, the canals of England:

http://cruisingamerica-halcyondays.com/england.htm

We looked into shipping Halcyon over to Europe to canal cruise - costly. Then into buying a boat there - complex. Finally, decided chartering and sharing vacation with friend's was the best and easiest way for us. The link above illustrates our experience - it was MARVELOUS!

if any of you folks are serious, we cruised with Black Prince in England, and would head back over again (with C-Brats) at the drop of a hat. It would be GREAT to have a little flotilla.

Someone want to take the lead? We'd be VERY interested in heading over to Gr. Britain, Netherlands. Germany etc. (or all the above) this summer.

LET'S GO!!
 
6 PDQ 34 Cats and 1 PDQ 41 cat were shipped to Europe deck load I believe in 2007. Cost was about $18,000 per boat round trip.

It would be considerably cheaper to buy a boat in Europe and sell it there when done. In either case there is VAT, license, (and skipper license) to be considered, as well as other fees.

When we had sailed across the Atlantic, the Pound was on par with the dollar, and we considered buying a boat there and flying over to cruise or charter to friends. We have friends who were in a partnership who owned a canal boat and cruised for 2 months each year. Each couple left the boat at a different place, the next partner picked it up there.

Remember that fuel in Europe is many times more expensive than in the US--so often this type of cruising is with boats which have very small diesels and go about 5 knots.
 
Grumpy":1wojl3c5 said:
The Rf 246 I referred to above was called "Irish Rover". Unfortunately the only website I can now find referring to the journey is now inactive.
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Yeah, that was one of the boats I tried to look up when I started researching shipping a boat over (or buying one there), and I found the same thing. I e-mailed them but it bounced back. I did find a very small portion of their website on the Wayback Machine, but not enough for any real information.

I happened upon another site or two of folks who had shipped boats over, so that gave me some idea of the process -- and then I contacted a couple of RO/RO shippers for estimates. That's as far as I've taken it. Buying a boat over there looked easier (and if it's old enough to be VAT exempt, you have that advantage); but then I know myself, and I'd have a hard time just stepping onto a boat as-is and spending a summer on it - and re-doing a boat over there isn't what I'd choose either. So that brought me back around to shipping the C-Dory over (and probably back).

Spending time in the UK would be handy as they aren't a Schengen country, so time there doesn't count toward the number of days you can spend in them (which is most of Europe). If anyone else is interested in potentially shipping their C-Dory over, I'd be happy to work together on it. I know if I bought a boat over there, it wouldn't be a C-Dory (OTOH, I think there'd be precious little need for the C-Dory's speed).
 
The "Irish Rover" actually spent about 2 years in EU. They stored it in Holland for the winter and last I heard it was sold back in the states.

Bob is right, most boats in the UK are much lower powered than we are used to mainly due to the price of Gas. I sure as heck could not afford to run our RF246 in UK. (Approx $10.-/gal)

Thanks to Bill & Ell for reminding me about their narrowboat trip. Lot's of good info in there but you have to watch the "other" mileage figure when you sotp at waterfron Pubs all the time. (Miles/pint).

There are similar deals available in France, Holland and Germany but you need to check the details about licensing and in some areas you even need a pilot on board.

Tempting....

M
 
The estimates I've received so far look like around $3500. That's for a 22' on a trailer on a RO/RO vessel, with the boat being delivered (by me) to the shipper ready to go. Of course there would be added costs, such as insurance, broker's fees, etc. etc. Also, you can't "load up" the boat with stuff - it's supposed to be basically empty. And if you wanted to ship it back home you'd have to pay again.

The one account I found of a couple shipping their boat over RO/RO seemed to fit in the same cost range (and they did have a few extra "gotchas," but nothing super huge).

Of course just speaking in dollars and cents - and presuming you bought a decent boat over there and didn't have problems with it - it probably makes more sense to buy and sell a boat over there. You start out nearly $10k "ahead" by not paying the back and forth shipping. But there is certainly something to be said in time/psychological value for bringing one's own boat that one knows and loves. And no-one is going to be doing this trip because it makes "financial sense" anyway (of course what does, in boating? And does that stop us? NooOOOOooo :mrgreen:)

There is one cruising sailboat that's been over in the Med for over a decade now. The way that boat's owners handled it was to get it over there (I forget if they shipped it or sailed it), use it in Europe for a few years themselves, and then advertise it for sale on a popular US sailing site wherein another US couple bought it, happy to have a boat over there all ready to go. When they were "done" with Europe they did the same thing, and now a third US person has owned it (and spent summers there) for a few years. He just leaves it stored there when he comes back to the US for the winter.

Sunbeam
 
Sunbeam":3voev62x said:
He speaks highly of the Caledonian Canal.

Sunbeam
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Well, please let me speak highly of that canal just outside your front door, the C&D canal. That 14 mile sea level waterway connecting Chesapeake Bay with Delaware Bay allows boats large and small access to wonderful destinations on the east coast. Whether headed west to Rock Hall on the east side or an easy crossing to Baltimore, Annapolis and points south, or headed east to Philadelphia, Cape Lewes or across to Cape May and then north to NYC and beyond, the C&D canal is a lockless boating gem maintained by the Corps of Engineers. An overnight in a Chesapeake City B&B and a great meal at Schaefers makes for fond boating memories. Thanks for renewing some happy memories for Dotty and me.
 
dotnmarty":2hgg4f80 said:
An overnight in a Chesapeake City B&B and a great meal at Schaefers makes for fond boating memories.
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Schaefer's Canal House.....wow does that bring back memories. I lived in Wilmington for part of my childhood, over 35 years ago. As an occasional treat, my family would go down to Schaefer's Canal House for dinner. After dinner, we'd sit outside and my dad would smoke a cigar while I'd stare at all the beautiful boats docked outside the restaurant...dreaming that some day I'd have one of my own. Ok, so my C-Dory isn't as big as some of those yachts. :cry

I tried to go to Schaefer's about 6 or 7 years ago when nearby for work and it was closed for business! From what I can gather online, they've since re-opened.
 
beermanPDX":3n99qfwl said:
dotnmarty":3n99qfwl said:
An overnight in a Chesapeake City B&B and a great meal at Schaefers makes for fond boating memories.
Click to expand...

Schaefer's Canal House.....wow does that bring back memories. I lived in Wilmington for part of my childhood, over 35 years ago. As an occasional treat, my family would go down to Schaefer's Canal House for dinner. After dinner, we'd sit outside and my dad would smoke a cigar while I'd stare at all the beautiful boats docked outside the restaurant...dreaming that some day I'd have one of my own. Ok, so my C-Dory isn't as big as some of those yachts. :cry

.
Click to expand...

No matter how big your boat someone always has a bigger one. But, no matter how small your boat, your fond memories will bring the same smile :D
 
The Kerri On crew is up for a canal boat trip in England or Holland or Germany or Italy or Greece or? this summer our only challenge is we're on the road on this wee jaunt till mid April at least. We aren't prepared at this point to be the leaders but will join up Perhaps July? In south England? Holland? we have passports and credit cards! Let's go! George and Carolyn :smiled
 
I graduated Newark (DE) Senior High Class of 1965 and U of D December 1972 (USMC detour to RVN). Lived off Limestone Rd and worked for Dupont in Wilmington 1980 - 82. Lived in New Jersey and northern Virginia over the years

My father is in the Delaware Veteran's Cemetary which almost overlooks the Canal, my mother is in Newark Manor and my brother is at 728 Academy St in Newark.

We celebrted many events at the original Canal House which sadly is no more.

It has reopened http://www.cecildaily.com/business/arti ... 03286.html

http://www.menuism.com/restaurants/scha ... ity-187190

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Schaefers ... 7407407195

Bill Uffelman
 
There boats might be slower but I believe the Loch has been used in years past for speed runs because of its straight protected stretches.

Kerri On - are you offering that credit card ??? :lol: :lol:

Regards, Rob
 
One other issue (aside from the electrical (110 V 60 hz vs 220V 50 Hz)=resolved by using a European battery charger, or one by Victron or one of the other EU manufactors, which is combo 110/220), is bunk size.

One of the major reasons we did not buy the margin boat in the Med (physician had sailed it "down"--the easy way) and his time ran out, and it was too difficult to sail it 'back up" to UK. Was the size of the bunks. This was a 34 foot pilot house motor sailor--60 hp diesel, slept 6 in regular bunks, but not a one was over 6 feet long! Head room was 6'6" so that was OK...

There are a lot of "cute" and efficient boats, not exactly like the C Dory, but similar. As for speed; lots of speed restriction in the canals--you are not going to go fast in most of them.
 
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