Loch Eil, Loch Leven, anyone been, any good anchorages?

[steve yates]

Talking about further up loch leven towards kinloch, (we are taking my mates twister from glencoe, it's home mooring to loch creran next week, and looking to make a week of it.) Thought these might make a good start, exploring up to the top of both.
What about loch eil, is it navigable from fort william? anyone been? any good anchorages there?

Will probably try and round it off with a visit up to head of loch etive, but thats much better covered in the pilot books.

Thanks.

 

[Motor_Sailor]

Getting into Loch Eil is not difficult if you allow for the tides through the narrows.

It's not the most inspiring place with a road along both sides and a railway along the busier northern shore.

With south or SW'lies, the normal anchorage is just east of the 'delta' at Duisky.

 

[Sandy]

I spent my childhood in Fort William and canoed "The Narrows" lots of times. Looking at the chart there would be an anchorage at the head of the loch at Kinlocheil.

It might be worth giving the Outward Bound school at Loch Eil a ring and see if they know of any anchorages.

Make sure you go with the tide as it runs through "The Narrows" at about 5 knots.

Let me know how you get on. I am planning to take the boat up there one day.

 

[Sgeir]

We are moored in Loch Leven but never ventured into Caolas nan Con (Antares chart helpful) or beyond towards Kinlochleven. Certainly, boats do sail up towards the head of the loch which has private moorings for local boats. There will be places to anchor but likely in relatively deep water, perhaps 10m or more.

Loch Eil; I really wouldn't bother. Many years ago when we were there, but, given the wind conditions at the time, the best anchorage we found faced the council cowp. Not a great view. Someone who used to post on this forum moved there a few years ago and has (had?) a mooring for his motorsailer.

Loch Etive is really worth a visit. The major consideration is the 14m HAT clearance at Connel Bridge. The electricity cable at Bonawe is coped with by passing through about 20m from the NW bank - this gives plenty of clearance, see http://www.bluemoment.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4939

 

[Sgeir]

Nice video of sailing in Loch Etive - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuQZgOktJlo

 

[dunedin]

Yes Loch Eil is perfectly navigable, though worth getting tides right through the narrows.

With south or SW'lies, the normal anchorage is just east of the 'delta' at Duisky.

But as Sgeir says the primary anchorage is directly NE of the local land fill site, and with a SW wind bits and smell blow straight over the anchorage.
Hence we bailed out of there (and it was a long trip to the moorings North of Corran Narrows, which was rewarded by a night listening to the noisiest fish farm w have yet encountered, with the noise coming through the water and the hull)

 

[Quandary]

Inverscaddle bay is a nice anchorage tucked in round the corner above Corran narrows overlooked by the SW corner of Ben Nevis but it is a bit of a hike to get on any decent hills which I presume you guys may want to do. Further south is Loch a Choire (Loch Corry) also on Morvern where the estate has laid moorings (free) and converted the boathouse into a restaurant but while the estate produce, venison, lamb and salmon is good it only opens in the evening at weekends and probably only in summer. I have never fancied Loch Eil for the reasons given above.