Upper Clyde run to city Sun 7th Sep

[BruceB]

Thats the 64000 dollar question at the moment. If only a few boats turn up the tall ship has a cafe, next is SECC but really this is in the middle of nowwhere as far as food and drink is concerned. The last option for which I have names and numbers but not managed to get hold of the relevant person yet is Braehead where at least there is food and drink in the food court overlooking the pontoon.
The reason I am putting off a hard decision, although I have investigated the relevant options, is that the 5 day forecast will be available Tuesday and folk will hopefully make their attendance a bit more concrete.
Once numbers are known with a little more accuracy, although I suspect this will not be at all certain till the morning itself to see how many turnup, some decision on a destination can be made based on likely numbers.
Its all in hand although suggestions I may not have considered are always welcome, I have been away from Glasgow for some years and it is always changing especially around the south street area from my last drive through!

[K&S]

Bruce,
If you want, i can take a trip over to the Maratime museum at Braehead and ask if we can use their pontoon.
It would give us access to food as you have mentioned and we could take a wander around the museum and remind ourselves of the clydes history.

One advantage of this would be security as you cannot gain access to the pontoon easily if i rememer right.

Let me know and i will see what i can do.
Kim

[Clyde]

Hi love to come along based at kip,great run have been a few times. Meet you at kip.

[BruceB]

Originally Posted by K&S

Bruce,
If you want, i can take a trip over to the Maratime museum at Braehead and ask if we can use their pontoon.
It would give us access to food as you have mentioned and we could take a wander around the museum and remind ourselves of the clydes history.

One advantage of this would be security as you cannot gain access to the pontoon easily if i rememer right.

Let me know and i will see what i can do.
Kim

By all means, would be nice to have had a sight of the pontoons as I am working on telephone descriptions from 100 miles away. I am starting to get a bit wary on numbers if everyone turns up that says they are
Braehead centre says they own that one at the museum and the contact name I have has been uncontactable. I am still trying to get hold of the contact as for sheer numbers it may be the best option.
It is also the largest and I will make another attempt at getting hold of the responsible person tomorrow.
I am looking forward to getting up as far as the suspension bridge in the city centre...

[Clyde]

Would not be possible to berth at the basin on the right where they had the boat fest just before the first bridge, plenty room.

[BruceB]

At the Science centre where the Waverley docks?

[BruceB]

So far 8 definites and two more possibles plus another local guy I am waiting to hear from.
If everyone turns up its going to a good laugh cruising upriver in such a large group
Even if half turn up its still going to be a big group. I think the Braehead pontoon is going to be the only large enough one so will have to make a concerted effort tomorrow to get hold of the woman responsible and get something arranged. I think after looking at the Tall ships pontoon pictures that we would be rafted 8 or more out to fit and who would want to be one of the inner boats

[Bigmuz7]

Originally Posted by BruceB

and who would want to be one of the inner boats

Where is Craig C when you need him I'm sure we can structure a raft that will work Bruce, dont worry about it, where ever we land, as ribs are the easiest of boats to do this, with a bit of common sense.. big question is, do we take lunch or not ?

[Pinto]

Hi

Just been out for a recky around to see where might be reaslistic, although I travel into town each day I couldn't actually remember what was exactly where as it changes on a regular basis!

In short my recommendation would be Braehead. We found a really helpful security guard at the bus terminal who took us down to the dock and gave us as much info as he could, he radio'd to get further info, but the guy (Big Dave) who could really help at the Maritime Museum won't be around until after 10:00 tomorrow. As Kim said it is pretty out of the way and wouldn't have the wandering neds that you might get elsewhere - there was a police rescue boat and a big yacht docked at it tonight. Would imagine that if anything was going to be a target, the police boat would be and therefore if it considers it ok for it I am sure it would be fine for us. The access to the pontoon is very high and visible. Braehead or Xscape have plenty eating places, however none of them actually have the pontoon visible (you would have to be standing on the roof of the Braehead Centre to see it).

The other options are:

- At the Casino: this appears to be shut due to the new bridge construction.

- At the other side of the bridge from this (upstream) - where the Passenger Ferry between here and Braehead (Pride of the Clyde) docked. would not recommend this as it is very hidden from the road and a real haven for any local neds to hang out - particularly if they have any "attraction".

- At the Renfrew Ferry - no space at this pontoon the Ferry takes up the whole length.

- At the Science Centre - a possible - not much in way of security.

- At the Crown Plaze Hotel (SECC) - a possible, a big luxury boat was there (and is seemingly there on a regular basis) however there was still room - questionable where there is other than the Hotel that we could go to and still be reasonably close by. Not much in the way of security.

- At the Tall Ship - again this would be a possible particularly if anyone has access - this is a RYA/Seaforce Centre so we must be able to use connections. Again the difficulty is what is around locally - if we can use the Tall Ship facilities that would be great, alternatively we could ask the Ashoka (Curry Karioke) if they would open for lunchtime if we knew rough numbers.

Hope this helps a bit.

Vivienne

[Bigmuz7]

Originally Posted by Pinto

alternatively we could ask the Ashoka (Curry Karioke) if they would open for lunchtime if we knew rough numbers.

.. hold on now thats what I call a day out whos driving me home ?

[BruceB]

Don't panic! don't panic! They don't like it up em sir!
1. I was keen on the Tall ship but the sheer numbers are militating against this. I do have access if we want it to the pontoon but although this would be my preferred option there are just too many boats coming for too small a pontoon.
2. Science centre pontoon is under construction and is closed
3. Broomielaw-ditto
4. Crown Plaza, again I have permission to use this if neccessary but not keen due to its position and no facilities
5. Braehead- I have contact numbers and names but not been able to get hold of her, this is now the preferred pontoon after seeing how big it is on google earth and with the nearby facilities as well as being relatively secure.
I intend to hunt down the braehead person by phone tomorrow (I have her name) and get sorted for there for us all. I am doing the planning by remote control due to the distance but in my job I am used to herding cats at a distance with nothing bar a phone and email
Its all in hand, tomorrow evening something will be posted as a plan to be looked at.............
As for lunch, my plan is to get off for lunch as that is part of the point of the trip for me. Scoot upriver, off for a pie and pint (figuratively speaking) and scoot back down, luverly!

[Bigmuz7]

Originally Posted by BruceB

4. Crown Plaza, again I have permission to use this if neccessary but not keen due to its position and no facilities

Well.. we could suggest we are a 'lower Clyde' delegation looking for some 'facilities' for the commonwealth games .. I know they will do lunch etc, might look a bit odd if we traipse in there in full life jackets etc at first, but if we let them know in advance they might be happy to handle a few of us.. they do dinners for 500 if requested (have been at a few ) .. I'll let you know what polite brush off I get in the morning

[Poly]

Originally Posted by BruceB

1. I was keen on the Tall ship but the sheer numbers are militating against this. I do have access if we want it to the pontoon but although this would be my preferred option there are just too many boats coming for too small a pontoon.

Bruce, Speedy uses a huge floating fender alongside the ship for "pontoon bashing" practice on his PB2 courses. Assuming there is some way to tie up to that I would have thought it could fit 7 boats no problem. You could then use one boat to ferry everyone else back and forth to the real pontoon. (I am assuming he doesn't have a course on too - as obviously you don't want hit by an over enthusiastic beginner!). He's more approachable than he may have seemed in this thread (I guess his concern is making sure his paying customers are not inconvenienced).

[BruceB]

He does have courses on that weekend and the offer of the pontoon was the one attached to the ship.
Looking at the aerial pics it looks very small.
The tall ship, the pontoon and the razed area behind it are all different to when i lived in Glasgow. There used to be a car dealership and a row of warehouses alongside an empty wharf then.........

[BruceB]

We have use of the braehead pontoon, its big enough to take all the boats that are likely to come and more, freeish, relatively secure and has a museum and food locally.
I will contact everyone by PM later today that has expressed an interest to swop numbers etc but the basic plan is-
Meeting Kip just outside the entrance at 10:30am on Sunday 7th.
Leave approx 10:45 to allow for stragglers and saying hello.
travel up Clyde picking up anybody on the way,will be arranged with those folk as far as
times and meeting points are concerned.
Arrive at City centre and have a looksee.
Arrive back down river at Braehead approx 12:00-12:30 and berth on pontoon.
Pay to get into museum if wanted (optional), go for lunch at the various food places inside
and outside Braehead.
Approx 13:00-14:00 leave Braehead and travel downriver splitting up as we go to various
recovery points on river.
Go home and relax!

Pontoon use is kind of free, we have been asked for a "small" donation which may consist of enough folk going to the museum or in the worst case a quid or so a skull. Any wrinkles that folk want worked into this now is the time to say! Also if folk want to go to the tall ship or SECC or anywhere else it is a free country and they can if they want.
I have the contacts if they want to make their own arrangements with these venues. Braehead has come out on top because it is the only one that can take the number of folk that have said they want to come and I have had to plan for these numbers, even if not everyone is likely to turn up
Now i just need to go and organise some weather

[K&S]

Well done Bruce, good work!

We will use the pontoon at Braehead and happy to go take a look around the museum and grab some lunch at the shopping centre.

Best of luck sorting the weather

See you and everyboby else on Sunday

Kim & Susan

[dougcrock]

hi bruce
looks like your the cruise meister
we will rv with you at dumbarton rock also Good Looking. I have taken a few cruises up river and use crown plaza it is big enough for all rafted 2 3 up. have done Glenlee and quite happy to to be inside rib (almost always anyway) and stay aboard while you guys visit. think i will use mark1 eyeball and check the facilities tonight (and the beer)will pm you the results tomoro we have also tied to the quay wall which has vertical ladders outside the campagnille hotel its below squinty bridge on north side it has a terrace bar overlooking the river and you can watch the boats

[BruceB]

Everyone now PM'ed that has said they are thinking of coming so if you have not got one then I don't know about you, PM me to make sure I do!
Plan as stated above, will post any last details saturday, weather arranged blue skies booked
seriously though, there is a high coming in to reach us either Sunday or monday, get down on the old knees and pray for sunday morning

[BruceB]

It'll be hard to get lost on the way up as its such a linear feature but for those using GPS;s without charts the following waypoints will give distances etc and meeting points.
KIP 55, 54.607 N, 004, 53.136 W meeting point at kip.
DUMBARTON 55, 55.998 N, 004, 34.311 W meeting point off Dumbarton
PONTOON 55, 52.549 N, 004, 21.604 W Braehead pontoon
GLASGOW 55, 51.281 N, 004, 15.233 W Highest point of run in city.
all positions in WGS 84 and degrees,mins decimal.

[Pinto]

Well you seem to have certainly sorted it Bruce - even the weather looks good at this point for Sunday!