Clyde Marinas

Jodel

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Here's the question...

I'm looking at buying a yacht in the 32-36ft range to be based on the Clyde in a marina (no swinging moorings due to 'domestic management').

As I see it the choices are Rhu, Kip, Largs, Ardrossan or Troon. All are much the same driving time from home (Dunfermline) although Rhu has the advantage that I can get there without going through Glasgow. The two southern marinas are cheaper although price is not necessarily a deciding factor. All appear have availability.

Where would you choose and why?
 
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I chose Largs. It has fairly good shelter from waves which suited my young family at the time. I had theft from my cockpit on the hard at Largs. Marina services were good, facilities good. Usual return to marina at end of weekend was easy weather wise. Car parking is tight when hard is full of boats.

I was based at Kip for 5 years. Good marina services, facilities a bit less than Largs but not much. Entrance is lee shore from prevailing winds and weather. Outer berths near entrance can get rolly but not an issue. Good car parking.

Sailed out of Rhu early 80’s. No real changes and still issues with fetch from across the Firth of Clyde, but not something I would worry about if boat is coming out the water in winter. Good car parking.

Ardrossan and Troon I have used over the years and would not base my boat there. Both have long sails to get anywhere and both have big fetches off their entrances. It would not be a pleasant experience. Both are old harbors and not pleasant vistas if hanging about in the marina.

Janes Watt dock is getting a good reputation. I would favor this over Rhu but Rhu has better vista and gets the sun blazing in. James Watt is a Deepwater dock with high dock sides, boat stuck in a hole if hanging about marina.

My advice is Largs or Kip and I would rank Largs higher for all round pleasant experience whether in marina or sailing to / from marina. Rhu would be satisfactory as well.
 

scruff

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I chose Largs. It has fairly good shelter from waves which suited my young family at the time. I had theft from my cockpit on the hard at Largs. Marina services were good, facilities good. Usual return to marina at end of weekend was easy weather wise. Car parking is tight when hard is full of boats.

I was based at Kip for 5 years. Good marina services, facilities a bit less than Largs but not much. Entrance is lee shore from prevailing winds and weather. Outer berths near entrance can get rolly but not an issue. Good car parking.

Sailed out of Rhu early 80’s. No real changes and still issues with fetch from across the Firth of Clyde, but not something I would worry about if boat is coming out the water in winter. Good car parking.

Ardrossan and Troon I have used over the years and would not base my boat there. Both have long sails to get anywhere and both have big fetches off their entrances. It would not be a pleasant experience. Both are old harbors and not pleasant vistas if hanging about in the marina.

Janes Watt dock is getting a good reputation. I would favor this over Rhu but Rhu has better vista and gets the sun blazing in. James Watt is a Deepwater dock with high dock sides, boat stuck in a hole if hanging about marina.

My advice is Largs or Kip and I would rank Largs higher for all round pleasant experience whether in marina or sailing to / from marina. Rhu would be satisfactory as well.


Can't disagree with any of that! Kept a swinging mooring just North of Rhu for 6 seasons. Great view for when we got to the boat on a friday night, but long slog to the Kyles soon got boring.

I'd choose either Largs or Port Bannatyne on Bute - great sheltered boat yard and friendly staff.
 

Robih

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Our boat is at JWD. We live in Devon and JWD is easy of access via rail, air, road. As we are 550 miles from the boat we need a place that is storm proof, JWD is, those steep dock walls, although not attractive to look at, offer complete protection. It is not a place to linger on a boat, it is somewhere safe to berth a boat.
 

Solwaycruiser

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I agree with Largs. Best place to sail from with most shelter when leaving, best choice of destinations in easy reach, good shoreside facilities and nice coastal path walk into town.
 

scottie

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As the majority of local destinations in the Clyde are past Bute Largs the extra boat time involved with Rhu and JWD I would suggest either Kip or Largs are the most practical options to maximise actual sailing
For what it’s worth Kip was our choice for 40 years although never the cheapest
 

West Coast

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I'm based in Ardrossan - this is a good marina, with really friendly and helpful staff and on site engineering services. Downside is no chandlery now, and limited shore restaurants etc! There is an ASDA superstore at short walking distance.

The entrance can be more exposed in strong NW, but the marina can close the entrance gate to protect boats in the inner marina area. After 12 years of being there, I have never had a problem with entering, or being prevented leaving or entering when the storm gate is closed.

It is the best compromise for me as I live Glasgow southside, can get to Ardrossan in circa 40 mins. Largs is arguably a better location from sailing point of view, but is a further 25 mins or so driving for me. I was in Troon for a while, and that was far more limiting with regards to the time to sail anywhere, Ardrossan is a good balance for me re driving time and sailing access.
 

JumbleDuck

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I'd choose either Largs or Port Bannatyne on Bute - great sheltered boat yard and friendly staff.
I've been based on a swinging mooring at Port Bannatyne (moving to Crinan this year) and I know the marina well. It's very nice and very friendly. The facilities are limited but they are about to built a new toilet / shower / laundry block. Goodness only knows what the food and drink situation in PB will be post-COVID - the Port Inn is gone, the Port Royal died ages ago, the Anchor Tavern is up for sale and the café by the pier rarely lasts more than six months before new optimists take over - but it's easy enough to get to Rothesay which has everything you'd need.

The ferries to Bute are quite restrictive - you effectively can't get on or off the island between 7pm and 7am, though the "wee" ferry (Colintraive - Rhubodach) sometimes runs later, and depending on the time going that way and then Arrochar - Loch Lomond - Balloch - Stirling - Dunfermline can be as fast as the longer ferry crossing to Wemyss Bay and then fighting through Glasgow traffic.

Of the mainland marinas I would choose Largs for the reasons given. Not that the others are bad, but for me Largs has the best combination of friendly people, good location and accessibility.
 

Mataji

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I’d say it depends on what sort of sailing you intend to do and how often you will be driving to and from the boat. Rhu is your easiest drive but it’s then about 3 hours by boat to get to Toward Point. Rhu also has the fewest facilities (no bar) although it is in a very nice setting.
Personally I’d accept the longer drive and go to Kip or Largs.
 

adwuk

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Largs for me, out of the choice presented. Nobody has mentioned Tarbert or Portavadie. Maybe you have ruled them out as a step too far?
 

Jodel

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The drive is virtually the same to any of them. Looking on Google maps just now:

Rhu 1:33 via Glasgow 1:37 via Stirling
Kip 1:31
Largs 1:32
Ardrossan 1:36
Troon 1:36

One stipulation I would make is no ferries. Mainland options only. I'd sort of discounted Rhu as it's a few of hours sail before you event to Cloch point and I suspect that most of our sailing will involve Bute, Arran and Loch Fyne but I did wonder if it had a USP that I'd overlooked. Troon I agree is too far south and too open to the SW.

BoB mentioned Ardrossan being an old dock and not very pleasant to look at. I agree with that but to me the chosen marina is just a 'parking space' for the boat. I'm not one of those who goes to the boat just to sit on it in the marina. If I go to the boat it's to go somewhere else that does have a pleasant view or a good pub/restaurant etc. I take the point regarding the fetch though. The missus has little experience of sailing other the odd cat' trip round the island while on holiday in Antigua so I doubt we would be setting off in anything more than a F3 so maybe not such an issue?
 

awol

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Your "Domestic Management" may well be an absolute block to a swinging mooring but anchorages like Ashton with membership of the RGYC with its boatman and launch offers a less cost heavy solution. Does mean 6 months ashore or in a marina for the winter months, though.
 

Gary Fox

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We did a delivery to Ardrossan and the marina is ok, and right by the station. The town however.. half the shops were boarded up, and there were drug addicts staggering around the High St.
There's a great pub, run by an ex-Para, probably the safest place in town...
 

dunedin

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I’d say it depends on what sort of sailing you intend to do and how often you will be driving to and from the boat. Rhu is your easiest drive but it’s then about 3 hours by boat to get to Toward Point. Rhu also has the fewest facilities (no bar) although it is in a very nice setting.
Personally I’d accept the longer drive and go to Kip or Largs.

I agree with this - particularly on the “depends what sort of sailing you intend to do”.
If you drive once and then sail for a week or more, then travel distance (in car and on water) is less of an issue. But if you like to do any day or weekend sails, then this is key. We are a similar time from Largs, which makes a day trip pleasant.

When we had a boat at Rhu, it was pretty but also pretty repetitive doing the legs from Rhu past Cloch to Toward. Each weekend tended to be Largs, Rothesay or Colintraive (we had kids on board, so 10 hour days were not a preference).

Largs is not cheap, but has massively more weekend trip options. And (in normal times) we day sail a lot through the winter, when it is pleasant to sail round one or two Cumbraes in a couple of hours - or anchor in one of 5-6 locations if got a couple more hours.
Kip is well sheltered and great facilities, but IMHO lacks the ambience and location of the Largs Channel.
 

scruff

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Largs for me, out of the choice presented. Nobody has mentioned Tarbert or Portavadie. Maybe you have ruled them out as a step too far?

Both lovely in their own right, and for different reasons. However for the drive there, you'd be just as quick going to Oban which IMO offers better sailing than the Fyne
 

scottie

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Don’t forget that it’s often very practical in the summer to drive through after work ready to get away early in morning both Kip and more so Largs have good eating choices which is also useful

I personally didn’t have very good pontoons and if your crew are nervous may dislike them or even find them a bit scary depending on where they put you
 

Jodel

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It's looking like it's Largs then! The only previous time that I have been to Kip was by road about 15 years ago and the burn that runs through the marina was an absolute raging torrent. All the boats at that end of the marina were either being blasted against their pontoons or were stretching at their ropes. Not a good thing to see.
 
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