Drying Harbours - Harbour Walls

[westhinder]

Plenty around Oban. Going north on the mainland...

Lochaline
Tobermorey
Salen, Loch Sunart
Mallaig
Kyle of Lochalsh (don't bother with Kyleakin)
Loch Gairloch (not much, but visitor moorings too)
Lochinver
Kinlochbervie

On the Outer Hebrides...

Lochboisdale
Lochmaddy
Leverburgh
East Loch Tarbert
Stornoway

There are quite a few visitor moorings around as well, usually run by an island community or a hotel.

One thing to be aware of with Scottish west coast pontoons is that they are usually just a few pontoons put into an already existing harbour rather than being a purpose built marina (although Lochboisdale is an exception). Consequently, many are not as completely protected from all directions as big purpose built marinas further south, and you may have to choose your destination according to the weather if it's forecast to get a bit grumpy. One of the worst offenders is Kyle of Lochalsh. You really don't want to be there if there's more than F5 with any south in the forecast.

Avoid Mallaig in a northerly gale

 

[Kelpie]

Loch maddy can be very uncomfortable in a southerly.

Are there pontoons in Barra now as well?

 

[zoidberg]

There are better places to moor, on the West Coast, especially if there's a 'hooligan' forecast. Here's one...

You'll need better than Solent Pilotage skills to get in there.... but arguably the best spot is just NE of Castle Tioram, between Riska and the mainland of Moidart. Don't put a line ashore around the old castle - you'll probably pull it down!

 

[Deleted member 36384]

There are better places to moor, on the West Coast, especially if there's a 'hooligan' forecast. Here's one...

You'll need better than Solent Pilotage skills to get in there.... but arguably the best spot is just NE of Castle Tioram, between Riska and the mainland of Moidart. Don't put a line ashore around the old castle - you'll probably pull it down!

You don't want to go there, random summer raves and full volume, frequently pop up. A bad place, with a bad reputation for genteel middle class because the raves are held by black flag, socialist, animal rights sorts who will see your boat as legitimate target for redistribution of wealth.

 

[NormanS]

You don't want to go there, random summer raves and full volume, frequently pop up. A bad place, with a bad reputation for genteel middle class because the raves are held by black flag, socialist, animal rights sorts who will see your boat as legitimate target for redistribution of wealth.

It also has tide running through it, and old cables on the bottom. Personally, I wouldn't count it among the better anchorages. But to the OP, save yourself a fortune, by using your own ground tackle.
Also, it has to be asked, which half of the UK are you proposing to circumnavigate, if you're going through the Calley Canal? The north half, or the south half?

 

[dgadee]

Also, it has to be asked, which half of the UK are you proposing to circumnavigate, if you're going through the Calley Canal? The north half, or the south half?

Too true. Southerners! Nothing like passing Cape Wrath and tucking into Kinlochbervie. Why would you want to miss it?

 

[zoidberg]

You don't want to go there, random summer raves and full volume, frequently pop up. A bad place, with a bad reputation for genteel middle class because the raves are held by black flag, socialist, animal rights sorts who will see your boat as legitimate target for redistribution of wealth.

I hear you! You'd rather keep the hoi polloi in Tobes, then?

For my money, anyone who can find their way in there 'on sight' is worth a passing flip of the flipper. And they'll need outstanding anchoring skills to cope with the tearing triple HW rip tides, the pesky Atlantic seals who play at resetting your CQR, and the Coastal Defence clegs.... to say nothing of the 3-day walkout to the nearest pub!

 

[NPMR]

We had an underwater problem needing a dry out on our shoal draft SO33i. Imilar configuration to the OPs. I was reminded that the early versions had the standard rudder, making it too long to take the ground without sitting on the rudder.

Our boat has the correct length rudder, it was changed, and we also have simple 'L' shaped scaffold pole that sits on the transom to take the strain, should the rudder want to touch down. Worked very well.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Are there pontoons in Barra now as well?

Yes...

http://www.sailscotland.co.uk/sail/castlebay-marina/

The Outer Hebrides must now be the most pontooned bit of the Scottish coast outside the Clyde.

 

[EdWingfield]

Drying walls are good. You can get underneath the boat to check up on things.

Top tip. Have your lines ready to throw. Point to a useful looking spectator to grab the line and take it to a bollard. That puts the attention on the spectator. Tell im not to worry about knots, just four turns around the bollard and it will all be fixed shortly.

 

[NormanS]

Drying walls are good. You can get underneath the boat to check up on things.

Top tip. Have your lines ready to throw. Point to a useful looking spectator to grab the line and take it to a bollard. That puts the attention on the spectator. Tell im not to worry about knots, just four turns around the bollard and it will all be fixed shortly.

It's even better if your lines have eye splices in them.

 

[NormanS]

Drying walls are good. You can get underneath the boat to check up on things.

Top tip. Have your lines ready to throw. Point to a useful looking spectator to grab the line and take it to a bollard. That puts the attention on the spectator. Tell im not to worry about knots, just four turns around the bollard and it will all be fixed shortly.

It's even better, and simpler, if your lines have eye splices.