Into the Caledonian Canal

Called up Clachnaharry Sea Lock at 0805, and was told to leave Inverness Marina and come along for an 0830 lock in. We got there at 0825 and the gates were still closed against us, but they opened a couple of minutes later and we were in.

We were alone in the lock, with Worm on a very short lead behind. The lock keeper advised us that he should charge for the dingy since we could not get her aboard (he didn't) and advised us to moor her along side in the locks.

Julian had time to cook breakfast before we were let loose in the canal at 0920, then we motored slowly to the bridge at Muirtown and moored up just before it. The marina here (which we did not go in) is conveniently close to a retail park, where there is a branch of GO Outdoors. We had reserved 10 litres of cooking alchohol and after picking it up we were treated to watch Drakenharaldharfagre, the largest replica Viking boat in existence, moor up just behind us.

We invited one of the crew aboard as he wandered past, and he told us that they had lost their mast on passage between Norway and Shetland. We had heard about a lost mast as a navigational warning while we were in Orkney, but not known it was from a Viking boat!

We headed up the Muirtown flight of locks at 1105 in company with 4 other boats, all Swedish, but not travelling together. Getting into the first lock was a bit fraught as my rope throwing kept failing, but a we progressed up the series Julian stayed ashore with the lines and I took them in as needed from the stern, which worked well.

After clearing the locks we moored up at Caley Marina to go to the chandlers for spare shackles and rope to replace the reaching sail outhaul. A friendly Dane called Jurgen took our lines for us, then shared a beer as we ate lunch. He's hoping to go to Orkney, but lost his forestay and has been waiting at Caley Marina for five days for their riggers to get back from holiday...

Drakenharaldharfagre powered past as we watched. We're unlikey to see her again as she is on her way to Liverpool and needs to be through the canal in two days.

After that we had to wait a couple of minutes (such a hardship!) for the bridge to open for us at Tomnahurich, but the lock was open and waiting at Dochgarroch. We were not alone here. John Sargeant was on an old (ex-fishing?) boat with a film crew and did a mini interview witth me as we moored up. The production crew asked if we would be willing to sign waivers for the footage to be used. We agreed but they did not turn up with the paperwork, so I don't think we'll be in the programme!