Helmsdale and Cromarty

webcraft

webcraft

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 Jul 2001
Messages
40,435
Location
Cyberspace
www.bluemoment.com
Heading for Inverness from Kirkwall over the next week. Wick is obvious, but what awaits us at Helmsdale and Cromarty? Helmsdale looks very shallow.

Are their visitor moorings or a goid anchorage at Cromarty?

— W
 
Lybster is very nice. The light was not on when we arrived. We went into the inner harbour with 1.8m draft.
 
Wick's an annoyance. It's a fine marina, and the town's got a terrific cafe, 'Wickers World' right by the marina, but the minimum chargable boat length is 10m. I'm a GK24, and that's (to me) a rip off; 7.32m having to pay a surcharge up to 10m? Not a good feeling.
As by dgadee in #02, Lybster's got a great wee harbour, but isn't Las Vegas and the locals greet each other with a 'high 6'.
Helmsdale's a lovely place, but the harbour pretty much dries out now I believe. About 5 years ago it was well under a metre on the pontoon at the deep point!
Cromarty does have a visitor buoy, and is a decent anchorage on the South side where Navionics has "Small craft moorings" with good holding. It's not so good in a direct & strong Westerly as it can get pretty bumpy, but looking at the forecast until the end of the month, it seems to be OK.
On the East side of Chanonry Point is Rosemarkie, that's on the weather side at the moment, but is a fine anchorage with good 'row ashore' food and drink.
Just around the corner though is Fortrose, which does have a visitor buoy and a good drying harbour wall, as well as far better local stuff with good food, and the best beer in a pub that I've ever seen.
 
Last edited:
Cromarty actually has 3 visitor moorings just outside the harbour. A fierce tide runs through the moorings so don't expect to row ashore, you will need a reliable OB on your tender. The Cromarty boat club facilities are available to visitors and are excellent and the Marine hotel serves decent beer.

I am not sure I would trust the Fortrose moorings in anything but benign weather, but that's another story. A visit to the Anderson pub is a must.

I have not been in Helmsdale by boat but was there recently and can confirm there is not a lot of water at low tide. It would not trouble my bilge keel boat.

Lybster looks a well sheltered harbour but it is a long walk up the hill to find anything resembling food or drink outlets.

Whichever way the wind is blowing you will find an anchorage that is sheltered in the firth but there isn't one that is sheltered from all directions, so not good if expecting a wind change.
 
I've always given the Cromarty firth a miss due to the amount of oil rig traffic, instead anchoring off Rosemarkie or Fortrose (where I can second Jamie N's recommendation of good pubs). But it obviously depends on the direction of the wind.

I like Wick and found the harbour master extremely helpful and pleasant, but we're 12.8m LOA so felt we had a good deal.
 
Whitehills is nice if you can be bothered crossing over. Also nice harbour master. But busy due to its popularity. I am just about to go to Inverness myself and will probably call in there.

I know Wick well. It is a bit of a dump now - was there last year and couldn't believe state of town. Good pub in old post office and museum good. But not worth going in. Lybster is only 10 miles further. And free.
 
jamie N said:
but the minimum chargable boat length is 10m. I'm a GK24, and that's (to me) a rip off; 7.32m having to pay a surcharge up to 10m? Not a good feeling.
Click to expand...
To be fair I've never understood why boats were charged per m anyway - you are occupying the whole berth whatever your size. Imagine if car parks charged for the size of the car! Slightly different on the hard if they are jamming as many into the area as possible.
 
dgadee said:
You lot are obsessed with pubs.
Click to expand...
Not really. In a small boat I prefer not to cook in the boat when I don't have to. So an eating establishment nearby a harbour or mooring is desirable. And of course if a choice of more than one, the one serving the best beer to accompany the meal gets my custom.

The Anderson is not a place for non drinkers, and torture if for some reason YOU are the person driving there.
 
I might give a Fortrose a visit with my anchor. Never stopped off there. Guinness 0% will do me.
 
dgadee said:
I might give a Fortrose a visit with my anchor. Never stopped off there. Guinness 0% will do me.
Click to expand...
They generally have 10-11 'real ales' from around the World, and a number of 0% (whatever that is???) 'beers'. Food's pretty good, not your std. pub grub.🧑‍🍳
 
I anchored in Cromarty overnight a few weeks back. I'd come from Wick (and Orkney before), bound for Inverness and the Caledonian Canal.
There was zero oil traffic about.
I anchored between the moorings and the small dock that contains a tiny harbour. There was another boat anchored there too, so enough space for perhaps 3-4. There was 3m under my keel at low water. Tidal flow not a problem, but did swing boats about with the tide ebb and flood.
The main issue for me was the noise from across the water. Very large diesel engines on rigs, ships or whatever across the other side. Fortunately noise don't worry me much, so I found the night quite OK. Very sheltered tucked in behind the jetty in the bay.
 
Motoring overnight, eta off the entrance to the Cromarty Firth is 2.30 so will carry on to Rosemarkie and anchor there at dawn or thereabouts to wait for the tide through the Chanonry Narrows. Light Southerlies so Rosemarkie should be OK, tho it may still be dark.

(What IS 'nautical twilight'??)

— W
 
webcraft said:
Motoring overnight, eta off the entrance to the Cromarty Firth is 2.30 so will carry on to Rosemarkie and anchor there at dawn or thereabouts to wait for the tide through the Chanonry Narrows. Light Southerlies so Rosemarkie should be OK, tho it may still be dark.

(What IS 'nautical twilight'??)

— W
Click to expand...
For the predicted southerly wind I would go past Fort George and anchor off Ardersier. You don't need to wait for slack water to get round Chanonry point.

What time are you heading through tomorrow, give is a wave if you pass a Hunter Horizon 23 we should be out about 11Am for a day sail.
 
RunAgroundHard said:
It’s when the sun is below the horizon but the horizon is still visible. I think it’s about 5 to 10 degrees below. It allows celestial navigation with the sextant, bright stars, or planets.
Click to expand...
Close. Nautical twilight is when the centre of the sun is between 6 and 12 degrees below the horizon. Civil twilight is 0 to 6 degrees and astronomical twilight is 12 to 18 degrees
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top