Royal Gourock Yacht Club Moorings

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seafox67

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Anyone with experience mooring in West bay at RGYC?

It looks a bit exposed so I was wondering how often it is too choppy (does it ever get that bad during the summer months) to use the tender?

Is it no worse than other moorings in the area?

Any negatives about this area?


Cheers
Paul
 
As an ex member of RGYC I can say that in general the bay it okay as can be judged by the number of moorings already there. It is basically okay in the summer but not for the winter. It can get very rough in a westerly gale but as long as the launch is able to be used, it is very handy. I eventually finished up berthing in Kip marina because there were times when I would arrive back at the moorings and the launch was off because it was too rough.
 
gus said:
As an ex member of RGYC I can say that in general the bay it okay as can be judged by the number of moorings already there. It is basically okay in the summer but not for the winter. It can get very rough in a westerly gale but as long as the launch is able to be used, it is very handy. I eventually finished up berthing in Kip marina because there were times when I would arrive back at the moorings and the launch was off because it was too rough.
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Gus... thanks for your reply

My limits for fun in the Clyde would be around 16knots steady gusting up to maybe 22.
From your experience on this mooring, would you say the launch would be off due to the weather?
 
I have a current mooring there, almost the furthest from the ramp / clubhouse. I often row it in the dinghy and don't find that too bad, though a strong breeze with tide could be more strenuous. The launch is great of course. It's deep. The clubhouse is great, good food and service. The launchman could not be more helpful!. The downside is the ferry wash from the Argyll Ferries. These must have the most inefficient hulls in the Clyde, as the kick up far too much wake. That wake isn't such a hassle in wave height etc, but it does cause frequent wetting of the waterline and just above it. My first year there I had more growth above the waterline that below. I added a 100mm boot top line in hard antifoul and that seems to have cured the issue. I do not spend any overnights there on the mooring, and if arriving late in evening, for a morning getaway, I tend to go and anchor in West Bay Dunoon, where there is no ferry wake.
An issue less specific to that place, but to moorings is that seagulls leave calling cards. In a marine with a higher stacking density of boats, the amount of guano is distributed among more boats so a small share. But moorings are a landing spot, and a place to leave a calling card.
 
MM5AHO said:
I have a current mooring there, almost the furthest from the ramp / clubhouse. I often row it in the dinghy and don't find that too bad, though a strong breeze with tide could be more strenuous. The launch is great of course. It's deep. The clubhouse is great, good food and service. The launchman could not be more helpful!. The downside is the ferry wash from the Argyll Ferries. These must have the most inefficient hulls in the Clyde, as the kick up far too much wake. That wake isn't such a hassle in wave height etc, but it does cause frequent wetting of the waterline and just above it. My first year there I had more growth above the waterline that below. I added a 100mm boot top line in hard antifoul and that seems to have cured the issue. I do not spend any overnights there on the mooring, and if arriving late in evening, for a morning getaway, I tend to go and anchor in West Bay Dunoon, where there is no ferry wake.
An issue less specific to that place, but to moorings is that seagulls leave calling cards. In a marine with a higher stacking density of boats, the amount of guano is distributed among more boats so a small share. But moorings are a landing spot, and a place to leave a calling card.
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Thanks for your feedback... very useful information.

Your comment about the Argyll ferry made me chuckle. My son in law was up for a holiday recently and wanted to go out for a sail but was a bit disappointed by the lack of wind. He wanted to film himself in choppy conditions for his facebook page. So, I put my boat on beam to the wake when the ferry went past :) He thought it was better than the rollercoaster's at Alton Towers!

I'm itching to get out of the marina and save a bit of money. Living in Greenock makes cardwell bay sailing club or RGYC ideal. Cardwell bay is a bit full so even though I will have the initial cost of laying down a mooring, RGYC is looking very promising.


Cheers
Paul
 
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I would suspect that the launch would probably not be on if it was stronger than a force 6 from the West. If it was from the South there would be more shelter. I got stuck without a launch because I was able to sail regardless of whether it was blowing a 7 or an 8. At force 7 I was still able to carry full sail.
 
You might not have the full cost of laying your own new mooring. There are often moorings for sale, and asking at the club would reveal current situation. I moved there to save marina fees too, and at the size of the saving, an occasional rowing or waiting for the launch pales into insignificance. I bought my mooring from someone selling their boat. There appear to be some moorings that have had no boat at all this year.
 
Like Geoff, I keep my boat, and have done so for many a year, on a swinging mooring at Ashton, though as a more senior member of RGYC do not have so far to row. The only problem with the launch I know of this year was a half hour period when it was so bouncy the boatman could not get from his dinghy onto the launch on its mooring due to its rolling.
Having a secure oar store, outboard motor shed and CCTV means keeping a dinghy ashore is no problem and, like Geoff, I am happy to use it and have done so in quite "sporty" conditions. The Argyll ferries wash is indeed a pain - I have a cork for my Eberspacher exhaust and time any mast climbing between their passings.
I can heartily recommend the anchorage and the Clubhouse ain't too shabby either. You can even dabble in racing if you have a mind to.
 
Thanks for the feedback guys...

I went for a look at RGYC on Sunday afternoon when there was a bit of a breeze. The launch was happily operating. It also looks like they have added more car parking recently which is a plus.

I've sent off an email to find out if they have any spare moorings up for sale.

Cheers
Paul
 
JumbleDuck said:
If you are willing to put up with the ferry ride, I am pretty sure that there are quite a few moorings for sale at Port Bannatyne on Bute.
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Thanks for your feedback....

I've thought really hard over the last few years about Port Bannatyne which would be ideal for location. However, I was two years at Holy Loch marina using the ferry and when you add up the extra cost of travel it becomes a bit of a false economy. I do mostly short (3 or 4 days) sailing trips but many of them so the ferry costs would soon mount up.

Cheers
Paul
 
seafox67 said:
I've thought really hard over the last few years about Port Bannatyne which would be ideal for location. However, I was two years at Holy Loch marina using the ferry and when you add up the extra cost of travel it becomes a bit of a false economy. I do mostly short (3 or 4 days) sailing trips but many of them so the ferry costs would soon mount up
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Fair enough. I only do three or four trips per year (one of them for 4-5 weeks), so the ferry cost is no biggie. If I was going much more frequently I would rethink. Not being able to get on or off the island between 8pm and 7am can be a bit of a pain as well.

There are moorings at Fairlie, as I expect you know, but I'd be leery of anything on a west-facing shore. "Yachts Blown Ashore At Fairlie" seems to be headline after every in-season gale ...
 
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JumbleDuck said:
Through the Moorings Association, yes, I would expect so. Why wouldn't they be? It's only £45 per annum
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Owners of moorings in PB thought they were exempt from paying a levy to the Crown Estates as they believed they had rights under a Royal Charter :rolleyes:
Donald
 
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