Well it just depended on who you asked. However what was definite was that there was a tree down and blocking our passage through the canal.

It all began, for us, as we started through the sea lock, the swing bridge for the road and the next lock up. Apparently we would have to wait as there was a tree in the canal. We moored up above the second lock and eventually, after various communications, started walking along the canal in the direction of the incident – Auchindarrach

DAY 1

It was evident pretty quickly that this was not going to work; using a tractor’s winch to pull a heavy, submerged beach tree up at about a 20 to 30 degree angle and into the vertical metal sidings of the canal was going nowhere. Earlier in the day the winch had pulled the main trunk of the tree and roots wholly into the canal.

Prior to this it turns out that boats had been passing for the last two days …

Nothing to do.

DAY 2

Anyhoo, the following day they must have started early as by about 9 am we passed a hydraulic excavator which had already done the business and the chainsaw was buzzing away.