Campbeltown Update

[Jonas]

A quick update for anyone planning a visit to the Wee Toon.
The pontoon has been removed, and work is underway installing a new layout incorporating finger berths, breakwater pontoons at the outer end, and shower/toilet facilities on the adjacent pier. The new layout can be viewed through the following link to Campbeltown Sailing Club website:
http://www.campbeltownsc.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Marina-Layout-as-modified-12-06-14.pdf
This work is all being funded by Argyll & Bute Council. Piling work is ongoing, and it is very unlikely that the new facility will be operational before 1st May at the earliest.
The sailing club has dedicated 3 of their mooring buoys for the use of visitors, which you are welcome to use in return for a donation to the club. The visitor buoys are the furthest SW, and will be provided with strops and blue pick-up buoys. Donations may be made by phoning the Royal Hotel if you don’t wish to go ashore, or at their Reception if you do – details are given on the notice attached to the pick-up buoys.
To the NW of the moorings there is a concrete slipway opposite the sailing club, which is suitable for landing tenders. Of course you can also anchor in the loch, best shelter is to the South but there is a bit of a walk into town.
If you use the club moorings, please do make a donation – it’s depressing how many don’t and I know first-hand just how much work and cost is involved in maintaining them. The moorings are inspected and serviced annually. The buoys were reinstated yesterday (in challenging conditions), but we haven’t got round to fitting the strops yet. I will update information as it becomes available.

 

[Sandgrounder]

It's a few years since I've been to Campbeltown so I may be out of date: - Looking at the plan it shows 6 outlines moored against the Old Quay; are those intended to be fishing boats and isn't that where the Lifeboat was?
Otherwise it looks pretty good

 

[Jonas]

Yes, I think they're meant to be fishing boats. Lifeboat remains in place (where it says RNLI on the plan).

 

[dgadee]

Will there be more berthing space or is this mainly to provide a breakwater?

 

[Jonas]

I believe so, but the point is not without controversy - at least one local claims that overall capacity will be reduced, however that (if true) with the old layout would have involved some deep rafting.
According to the details, the new arrangement gives "38 berths (un-rafted) and 54 berths (rafted)". The end breakwater pontoons will allow for larger visitors as well as providing some shelter from waves caused by Easterlies to which we're susceptible. Over-wintering afloat becomes a much more pleasant prospect.

 

[Spyro]

It looks really dodgy at the furthermost north pontoon. It's very shallow over there. (don't ask me how I know) Looks like it might be a tight squeeze. is there any dredging to be done?

 

[LittleShip]

It's very shallow over there. (don't ask me how I know)

Me to, I went mud plugging several years ago to the delight of my crew..... ?

Tom.

 

[Billjratt]

I have concerns over the depth to the North as well... and one assumes it will only get worse with time unless "managed".

 

[Jonas]

Dredging was carried out last year, the 2m line on the plan is correct and has been independently verified.
EDIT - Just checked, dredging was actually 2 years ago. There is no river or stream emptying into the loch in that area, so sedimentation should be reasonably slow; hopefully the situation will be monitored and remedial dredging undertaken when and if required.

 

[pagoda]

Dredging was carried out last year, the 2m line on the plan is correct and has been independently verified.
EDIT - Just checked, dredging was actually 2 years ago. There is no river or stream emptying into the loch in that area, so sedimentation should be reasonably slow; hopefully the situation will be monitored and remedial dredging undertaken when and if required.

The new layout looks interesting, but I would guess the fingers will end up permanently with local boats?? C'town is high on my memories of mega rafting. I doubt that will change. Why not lay 6 to 8 more moorings ? That would take some of the pressure and drama out of the rafting in confined spaces game! I echo doubts on the silting up problem.

 

[aquaplane]

If it's owt like Pt Ellen the Northern leg will end up full of local boats, but it's a bit smaller.

To me, the logical way of working would be to use the fingers for visitors and then raft up visitors to permanent berth holders opposite the fishing boats, as we were when we called in.

 

[Birdseye]

Are they doing anything to brighten the town up? It has to be the most dismal place I have ever sailed into.

 

[Vega1447]

Are they doing anything to brighten the town up? It has to be the most dismal place I have ever sailed into.

I've been there twice, beautiful scenery but as you say the town is grim.
The hotel served great sea food starters but terrible main courses. I'll never forget the deep fried battered factory produced "fish".

 

[JumbleDuck]

The new layout looks interesting, but I would guess the fingers will end up permanently with local boats?? C'town is high on my memories of mega rafting;.

When I started sailing round that area, 30 years ago, both Campbeltown (pontoon just installed) and Gigha (HIDB buoys just installed) were quiet places - you were lucky to see two other boats in either. Now they both seem to be hoaching with visitors - a reflection on the decreased attractiveness of the Crinan Canal, perhaps, as the locks get leakier, the prices get higher and boats get bigger?

 

[JumbleDuck]

Are they doing anything to brighten the town up? It has to be the most dismal place I have ever sailed into.

Almost ...

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/...ous-old-cinema-is-almost-all-raised.120417663

An odd wee place, Campbeltown. It was created from scratch to house workers for the Duke's coal mines, and the population was imported en masse from the mining areas of Ayrshire. Which is why in architecture and accent it is much more like a depressed Ayrshire town than a depressed Argyll town.

 

[pagoda]

Almost ...

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/...ous-old-cinema-is-almost-all-raised.120417663

An odd wee place, Campbeltown. It was created from scratch to house workers for the Duke's coal mines, and the population was imported en masse from the mining areas of Ayrshire. Which is why in architecture and accent it is much more like a depressed Ayrshire town than a depressed Argyll town.

It's a little downbeat, but it has improved since I first went in there in 2007. And i think it will respond to more MOK visitors. And even the Ardrossan/Arran link in the summer timetable?
If you think C'town is depressing and somewhere like East Loch Tarbert is not, then you have not yet taken a service bus North from Tarbert!!

They go round a tired estate up the back of Tarbert before taking you away to Ardrishaig and North. We've done it a few times getting up to to Kilmelford and Oban from Arran.

 

[JumbleDuck]

It's a little downbeat, but it has improved since I first went in there in 2007. And i think it will respond to more MOK visitors. And even the Ardrossan/Arran link in the summer timetable?

Yes, I was just looking at the timetable. It should do better than last year, as it's not an afterthought, but I don;t think the service is quite as good as it was. To Campbeltown on Thursday evening, back on Friday morning, west again on Friday evening, back via Brodick on Saturday morning, then a day return on Sunday with 25 minutes in Campbeltown. No day trips possible.

If you think C'town is depressing and somewhere like East Loch Tarbert is not ...

Not at all. I just think Campbeltown is Ayrshire depressing (think Darvel, Cumnock) rather than Argyll depressing (Tarbert, Ardrishaig) because of its Ayrshire heritage.

 

[pagoda]

Yes, I was just looking at the timetable. It should do better than last year, as it's not an afterthought, but I don;t think the service is quite as good as it was. To Campbeltown on Thursday evening, back on Friday morning, west again on Friday evening, back via Brodick on Saturday morning, then a day return on Sunday with 25 minutes in Campbeltown. No day trips possible.



Not at all. I just think Campbeltown is Ayrshire depressing (think Darvel, Cumnock) rather than Argyll depressing (Tarbert, Ardrishaig) because of its Ayrshire heritage.

OK, with the mining legacy of Ayrshire combined with the defunct Argyll distilleries, you are about right in your assessment!!

 

[dgadee]

Are they doing anything to brighten the town up? It has to be the most dismal place I have ever sailed into.

I find it all depends upon whether the sun is shining or not. A huge difference in the feel of the place between sunny or not.

 

[Sandgrounder]

Yes, I was just looking at the timetable. It should do better than last year, as it's not an afterthought, but I don;t think the service is quite as good as it was. To Campbeltown on Thursday evening, back on Friday morning, west again on Friday evening, back via Brodick on Saturday morning, then a day return on Sunday with 25 minutes in Campbeltown. No day trips possible.



Not at all. I just think Campbeltown is Ayrshire depressing (think Darvel, Cumnock) rather than Argyll depressing (Tarbert, Ardrishaig) because of its Ayrshire heritage.

That's probably true but compared to when I first sailed into Campbeltown (1975?) it is a marvel of liveliness. I always thought that the architecture improved as you went uo the main street (rightangles to the front). The front with baths and supermarket etc are depressing. Again it may no longer be that way I've not been there since 2004