Port Bannatyne

[tyce]

Planning on over wintering afloat this year. Port Bannatyne do a competitive price for 6 months. Not sure how sheltered it is though, I have sailed past but never visited.
Any experiences good or bad for winter afloat.
The other thing is I have heard it gets full in winter, is this still the case?

 

[JumbleDuck]

Planning on over wintering afloat this year. Port Bannatyne do a competitive price for 6 months. Not sure how sheltered it is though, I have sailed past but never visited.
Any experiences good or bad for winter afloat.
The other thing is I have heard it gets full in winter, is this still the case?

I'm based on a mooring just outside the marina, but I winter in the yard and one year tried wintering afloat. As far as waves go, it's very sheltered. Strong west winds come screaming past Ardlamont and straight across the low narrow strip between Ettrick and Kames Bays so although there is no issue at all with waves, you do need to have good ropes and fenders to deal with that.

The people are friendly, the yard work is excellent, there is very little crime on the island and the only downside for me is that ferries run 7am - 7pm only. I recommend it unreservedly. And yes, it does fill up. It's best to book a place afloat by mid August. I'm planning to do that myself this year, hoping to claw back some of the sailing I didn't do this spring and summer.

PM me if you want to chat about it.

 

[ctva]

Just passed it a couple of hours ago and it looks quite a nice spot. Never visited yet.

 

[tyce]

Thanks Jumble Duck. Ferry is interesting it might be an issue on a Friday if heading up for a weekend after work.
Currently getting a few prices for different places so will see what other deals around.

 

[dunedin]

Thanks Jumble Duck. Ferry is interesting it might be an issue on a Friday if heading up for a weekend after work.
Currently getting a few prices for different places so will see what other deals around.

If want to do winter sailing, would a slight extra cost for Largs/Kip/JWD be worth it for the access flexibility?

 

[tyce]

If want to do winter sailing, would a slight extra cost for Largs/Kip/JWD be worth it for the access flexibility?

Must admit i am coming to that way of thinking after considering costs for the ferry to Bute.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Bad new from the Port. Word on the street is that the Port Inn has closed permanently.

Edit: it has apparent been bought by the people who have the post office, who intend to do it up as a café. The bar will not reopen.

 

[GTom]

I'm based on a mooring just outside the marina, but I winter in the yard and one year tried wintering afloat. As far as waves go, it's very sheltered. Strong west winds come screaming past Ardlamont and straight across the low narrow strip between Ettrick and Kames Bays so although there is no issue at all with waves, you do need to have good ropes and fenders to deal with that.

The people are friendly, the yard work is excellent, there is very little crime on the island and the only downside for me is that ferries run 7am - 7pm only. I recommend it unreservedly. And yes, it does fill up. It's best to book a place afloat by mid August. I'm planning to do that myself this year, hoping to claw back some of the sailing I didn't do this spring and summer.

PM me if you want to chat about it.

I never wintered so far north, do you normally keep your mast on? I recall an 80+kts storm on the Clyde a few years ago...

 

[iain789]

Bad new from the Port. Word on the street is that the Port Inn has closed permanently.

Edit: it has apparent been bought by the people who have the post office, who intend to do it up as a café. The bar will not reopen.

JD, is your boat named Jumblie? A friend of mine had a Jeanneau called Blue Ark which was on a mooring very near to Jumblie. Storm Francis came a couple of weeks ago, sending a strong easterly swell into the bay. Sadly, his boat came off the mooring, and wrecked itself on the marina breakwater. The wreck is now in the boatyard. I wouldn't be very keen to leave a boat on a mooring there over the winter. A couple of weeks previously I went ashore there in the inflatable, again in a brisk easterly, and it really wasn't very pleasant.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I never wintered so far north, do you normally keep your mast on? I recall an 80+kts storm on the Clyde a few years ago...

Yes, most boats at PB winter with their masts up. The yard sits under a fairly high cliff to the west, so it's surprisingly well sheltered in westerlies.

JD, is your boat named Jumblie? A friend of mine had a Jeanneau called Blue Ark which was on a mooring very near to Jumblie. Storm Francis came a couple of weeks ago, sending a strong easterly swell into the bay. Sadly, his boat came off the mooring, and wrecked itself on the marina breakwater. The wreck is now in the boatyard. I wouldn't be very keen to leave a boat on a mooring there over the winter. A couple of weeks previously I went ashore there in the inflatable, again in a brisk easterly, and it really wasn't very pleasant.

Yes, Jumblie is mine and I'm sorry to hear about your friend's boat. You are quite right that PB can be a bit lively. It's normally north-easterlies which are worst, as that's the longest direct fetch into the bay, straight down Loch Striven, but I imagine that a belter from the east could be unpleasant too.

Nobody ever leaves a boat on a mooring there over the winter. We start going out in May and everybody is in again by the end of October. I normally lift out in September, after the Millport firework.