Fife Harbours

Halo

Halo

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Hi There
May head up the coast for the long weekend
I have been in Eyemouth/ Port Edgar etc in recent years but not on the Fife Coast
What does the committee think about good places for a 33 foot bilge keeler drawing 1.4m ?
Martin
 
Anstruther is good, with one of the best fish and chip shops and a good supply of refreshment houses to suit most tastes. With your twin keels you may be able to get a berth on the pontoons but often you have to dry out alongside one of the piers. Nearby Pittenweem also takes yachts but call the HM first and has deeper water.
 
Have a look at my website for info/pictures on Fife harbours (see signature) ...as we've been sailing up and down the Fife coast for a couple of years.

Dysart is really pretty, but wasn't to our liking. Elie is nice, but they may not be too keen on 33ft (we got away with 32ft last year with a bit of arm twisting). Anstruther okay and you have the use of pontoons. Crail too small for you. Limekilns good - maybe a bit too far up river. Our favourite is Aberdour - it's got shorepower, is very sheltered and picturesque too. Dick Drummond is the helpful/friendly harbour master. Yes it's a bit further than Elie and Anstruther, but you have the chance to do the bridges at the same time.

Hope this helps.
 
Last edited:
Many thanks for the very useful insights.
I ended up in the middle of Newcastle - great boozy weekend and averaged 7KN + over 35 miles on way down - really great sailing
Have a week planned for start of June so expect to go round your suggestions and into the Tay then
cheers
Martin
 
If you're heading up and round towards the Tay then St Andrews is a possibility - haven't sailed into there, but did a reccie to the harbour which is a disappointment. However the town is an easy walk and worth a visit if you've never been. The marina at Tayport is better, but I don't think there's an awful lot to do/see in the town.

Also if you make it to Aberdour, you're just across from Inchcolm which can make a nice stop for a picnic on a sunny day.

So my top three recommendations on the Fife coast in terms of nice places to visit would be:
1) Aberdour/Incholm (2 x beaches and a castle)
2) Limekilns (small & quiet town with promenade & apple pie at the Ship Inn)
3) Ahh... that's a tough one. Culross is a lovely town but there's no harbour and so you'd need a calm night and a dinghy (it's not a recognised crusing destination). Dysart is pretty too, but I'd be wary of the natives (based on one single visit, so we might have been unlucky). Elie probably gets the nod ahead of Anstruther for me, despite Anstruther being the only one mentioned here with pontoon access. There are plenty of other venues, but many will be too tight for you.
 
For St Andrews you need to have a boat that can take the ground (as is the case with most Fife harbours), but the inner harbour is nice with a very convenient toilet block at the quay. Kirkcaldy harbour is now much less industrial, other than the grain quay, and gives afloat berthing with the Harbour Bar (real ale) well within MSD.
 
+1 for Kirkcaldy and ++1 for the Harbour Bar (just across the road from the one good ladder, superb collection of beers)

IMG_0955.jpg
 
St Andrews inner harbour lost the lock gates last year so is now fully tidal. I understand they will be replaced sometime but do not know when. The Forth Yacht Clubs Association do a pilot book covering Berwick to Fraserborough. I understand it's getting a 4th edition soon, but the old Y2k third edition is pretty good. I picked up one from the Limekilns club a few years ago. They might have a copy left for sale.
 
Topcat47 said:
St Andrews inner harbour lost the lock gates last year so is now fully tidal. I understand they will be replaced sometime but do not know when. The Forth Yacht Clubs Association do a pilot book covering Berwick to Fraserborough. I understand it's getting a 4th edition soon, but the old Y2k third edition is pretty good. I picked up one from the Limekilns club a few years ago. They might have a copy left for sale.
Click to expand...

Sorry Topcat47, I hate to contradict you, but just to be clear for any interested parties reading this ...the most recent Pilot book was published in 2011 by the Forth Yacht Clubs Association (not convinced that another is in progress). It's much improved: £25 and I think your best chance of tracking one down is through:

01333 330 115
info@kingdompromotions.co.uk
www.kingdompromotions.co.uk
 
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