Wed 15 July Neptune’s Staircase

Caledonian Canal Transit Night 2

First thing told, be ready at 1500 to do Neptune’s Staircase. Next thing it is 1200 and off we went. Different orders from the lock keepers got Steve confused, so there was some close-quarters manoeuvring in the basin while we got ourselves in order. A bit of confusion on Steve’s part-it seems obeying the last order doesn’t apply.

Managed to get 5 boats into Corpach double lock.
Anyway we got in comfortably at midday, doing the double lock and the 9 gates of the staircase in blistering hot sunshine, to exit the top gate at 1625 and stop at Banavie top basin for the night at 1645.
Exhausted.
Some of our intrepid travellers managed to procure ice creams from the café on the other side of the locks from us, dammit! We made do with water, lots and lots of water.Read more