Anyone Know If There Are Public Slipways Around Inveraray?

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Hi,

I have rented a cottage near Inveraray and I will be taking my Wayfarer with me. Does anyone know where the public slipways are around this area (also further out around Crinan and Tayvallich, Tarbert Loch Fyne). Any good sailing spots for dinghy stuff.

Thanks,

BlowingOldBoots
 
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I'm interested to see what folks tell you. The only slip I know of is a couple of miles south at the caravan park for a fee. There are decent public slips in Crinan (in the bay not by the canal) and at Tayvalich by the post office - the mooring association will appreciate a small donation especially if you use the adjacent pontoon.
 
hamishcurran said:
I'm interested to see what folks tell you. The only slip I know of is a couple of miles south at the caravan park for a fee. There are decent public slips in Crinan (in the bay not by the canal) and at Tayvalich by the post office - the mooring association will appreciate a small donation especially if you use the adjacent pontoon.
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There's a slip on the north bank of the Add at Crinan ferry as well.

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Ardfern have a slipway available for small boats at £2.20/m (http://www.ardfernyacht.co.uk/boatyard_tariff.asp). According to www.boatlaunch.co.uk there is also one at Craobh, but I can't find it on their website.
 
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you can drive onto the beach at inverary opposite the hotel that is now a nursing home (or is back to a hotel again?) just before you leave the village heading S

further down the same road at Minard, again onto the beach

loch gair? think so, sorry cannot remember

crinan harbour? pretty sure there is one there. crinan ferry as posted above, tidal/river. nice spot tho

tayvallich as above, free concrete slipway tho donations are glady accepted

arrochar, slipway

loch long onto beach just S of military jetty at bottom of military road from glen douglas

gareloch just south of blairvadich outdoor centre, steep and cars come to grief here so suggest leave car at top and rope dinghy down. or ask nicely at outdoor centre they will probably let you use their slip
 
The slip at Craobh will be the one the travel lift uses. I used it a few times when we had a Topper up there and had Rhumlady berthed there. There is also a slip on the north breakwater which goes into the loch not the marina but I expect there are charges for both. The second one is at a holiday place and there are a range of dinghies there. There are a few places in Loch Melford as well. All are an hour or so from Inveraray. There may be somewhere around Minard as well. That is 15 minutes drive along the lochshore. Come to think of it there is a slip in the town by the pier but I am not sure what state it is in.
 
hamishcurran said:
.... The slip in the town is owned by Argyll Estates - bad news for access!
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Such a selfish position by the landowner and they wonder why folks develop an attitude towards them. The fact that it was supported by the council just shows what side they are on.
 
have you tried asking them? (i asked Luss estates and got a good response, a lot of folk do not seem to bother about sailing dinghies with no motor)

the slip just S of Inverary is pretty rough but not impossible if you have a 4wd jeep, slight step at bottom of slip onto beach could easily sort with a couple of stones

the beach access further south that i mentioned above is no good - fairly big stones on the beach

Minard is fine though, and other folk have been clearly using it, space at top of beach access for trailers/turning etc

port ann has a slip but a sign saying private road.

slip at Carsaig onto hard sand. tayvallich as above. crinan harbour want £10 but slip seems fine. opposite crinan ferry there's a slip with non locked chains across - according to the canal guy i met he said no bother launching a dinghy there, but nowhere to leave trailer etc.

(we got a gp14 been meaning to check these launching spots out for a while. there's plenty...)
 
If you mean 'slipways' as artificial constructions and 'public' as freely accessible to anyone, I know of only one into Loch Gilp at Ardrishaig where the all tide slipway from the public car park opposite the Argyll Arms in the centre of the village was constructed as a ' community' slipway, (I drew the plans and laid some of the concrete) but I am fairly sure there is one further up on the other side at Strachur. The next one on the west side is Tarbert. However It would not be hard to get permission to use the Ardrishaig Boat Club Slip or the Boatyard slip in the village though the latter has steps at the end. Lots of options for beach launching as listed above. Crinan ferry is a good spot when the tide is in but the locals in that isolated spot have very recently suffered from irresponsible visitor behaviour and are less tolerant of visitors than they were. A trip from Ardrishaig across the loch and around the Oiter Spit to the Oystercatcher at Otter Ferry for lunch is a popular local activity. There is a public pontoon there which you can moor alongside and the beach is untypically sandy.
 
It occurs to me, rather belatedly, that there are some very nice and well maintained slipways at Tarbert and Tayinloan. It would probably be sensible not to use them when the owners are around, but when they are away, or in the evening, why not?
 
Going down the other side of Loch Fyne, I think there is something at St Catherines, Strachur and by the Oystercatcher at Otter Spit.
 
Don't forget Portavadie opposite Tarbert.
Its not a public slip, though there looks to be a beach just south of the marina entrance.

However they do have friendly staff, plus a travel hoist and excellent facilities including, bar, restaurant, beauty salon for swmbo (sexist or what?), swimming pool, good showers and laundry as well of course.
 
In terms of sailing, the Islands off Minard (usually resident seals), Loch Gair and around Otter Spit are interesting in Loch Fyne - if you can find somewhere to park, there is public beach access at Loch Gair. Further a field, you might enjoy a trip over the hill (Inland) to Tighnabruaich. The Kyles of Bute, Caladh Harbour and the Burnt Islands (again resident seals) all worth a poke around. There used to be a huge slip about 1m South of Kames on the Ardlamont peninsula with masses of parking space.
 
adwuk said:
Further a field, you might enjoy a trip over the hill (Inland) to Tighnabruaich.

That's the only road I know which has its C-number (C8000?) on road signs.
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There used to be a huge slip about 1m South of Kames on the Ardlamont peninsula with masses of parking space.[/QUOTE]

I remember that one. A wee bit further south, the Tighnabruiach sailing school must have a slipway of some sort.
 
Thanks again for all listings of slipways. I never took the Wayfarer as the boy headed off on a sail training yacht from OYT this week. He was on the waiting list and a space came up. As LadyOldBoots and daughter can take it or leave it when it comes to dinghy sailing they chose the leave it option.

Both slips at Inveraray are not suitable for heavy dinghies like the Wayfarer, but Lasers, yes. The beach launch at Minard would have been easy for rubber wheeled launching trollies to bump over. That was all I checked out when in the area.

A while back both the vessels below had been discussed on here, so I thought I would post a picture of them tied up at Inveraray pier. The Arctic Penguin is for sale at a fixed price of £87k, price dropped by 50%. I believe she was a lightship at one time so may not be the best sailing vessel in the world should she ever be renovated. I suspect her fate is to be scrapped.

Better days for both posted here http://www.visit-inveraray.co.uk/visits.html

The Vital Spark is more interesting. Now, for some reason I read that she was Vic 32 (72?), I cant remember. However, the Vic I remember on the Clyde in the 1980s was a steam vessel and had both a large funnel in front of the wheelhouse and a series of small set of steam whistles, also in front of the wheelhouse, which were used to whistle tunes. I may be mixing up my puffers though.

Sadly the pier is in ruin at Inveraray and access blocked as it is unsafe. I am sure his Grace, The Duke of Argyle could afford to have it repaired or even replaced. Such a facility could be developed to allow yachts to lie alongside and even for the likes of the Waverley and other tourist vessels to berth, no doubt increasing business in Inveraray. A worthy cause for tourism and maybe even commerce. The volume of logs being moved along the roads is quite staggering and they could be moved by sea if the volumes were economical. Years ago timber was moved from Campbelltown to Irvine by sea.

Ex Vic 32 (Vital Spark) and Arctic Penguin

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