Lamlash

jimi

jimi

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Any tips for mooring or anchoring? Fancy revisiting an old haunt the PHT .. mind you the last time was 31 years ago!
 
I have not been for years and years but I used to try and get in off the pier in about 2.5 m charted depth (1.8 m draft) if space allowed. This depth was usually clear of other yachts and boats, the bottom is flat. Note though at the 5 m charted depth contour the seabed shelfs off and you then have to anchor in about 12 m charted depth. Don't go west of the pier as it shelfs off very close to the shore.

The reason was pure laziness, I couldn't be bothered with the row from the deer water. The usual caveats apply: dig in well if any W or especially N wind is forecast as strong to violent downward gusts can be generated by the mountains.
 
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There are plenty of moorings - just pay the guy on the Holy Isle ferry or at the pier head. I have anchored a couple of times just North of the moorings. The depth decreases quite quickly a long way out from the shore, but it's as charted, so shouldn't be a problem

If there's any East in the wind you'll be better off anchoring in the lee of Holy Isle. Had a very uncomfortable few hours on one of the Lamlash moorings before relocating across to Holy Isle. The wind was relativley light, but the swell was throwing us around.
 
BlowingOldBoots said:
. Don't go west of the pier as it shelfs off very close to the shore.

.
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You definitly don't want to do that or you'll be in the PHT :). Do you mean south of the pier?
It does dry out round the pier so unless you were only ashore for an hour or 2 around high tide I wouldn't risk it.
Any time I usually go I arrive late at night and leave in the morn so always manage to borrow one of the moorings close into the pier.
There are visitors mooring you pay for but they are a long way out.
I've never liked the PHT. The Drift Inn has a very nice beer garden and the Aldersyde has been taken over and done up it's now called the Lamlash Bay Hotel.
 
Spyro said:
You definitly don't want to do that or you'll be in the PHT :). Do you mean south of the pier?
It does dry out round the pier so unless you were only ashore for an hour or 2 around high tide I wouldn't risk it.
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Yes, thats correct, south. As long as you stay in 2 m to 3 m charted depth (adjusted for tide of course) you stay clear of the steep drop off to the deeper water and will have plenty of depth at LW.
 
Spyro said:
I've never liked the PHT. The Drift Inn has a very nice beer garden and the Aldersyde has been taken over and done up it's now called the Lamlash Bay Hotel.
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In my youth (mid to lat 70's) we haunted the Ormidale, PHT and WBH ;-)

happy days . memory of staggering out the WBH , asking a Geordie Hells Angel for a shot of his Bonneville, my mate told me he went white as my mate told him I'd never ridden a bike before as I roared off round the corner ;-)
 
I don't think it actually needs east in the weather, it's just a roly anchorage with strange tides that have you thumping against the mooring buoy (if you use one) all night long. Over beside the Holy Isle sanctuary is much more comfortable and some of their excess karma may rub off on you.
 
jimi said:
In my youth (mid to lat 70's) we haunted the Ormidale, PHT and WBH ;-)

happy days . memory of staggering out the WBH , asking a Geordie Hells Angel for a shot of his Bonneville, my mate told me he went white as my mate told him I'd never ridden a bike before as I roared off round the corner ;-)
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My introduction to Lamlash and Arran was at the Glasgow Fair and September Weekend, early 80s, Friday night at the Ayr Piv (Pavilion - an excellent rock night), then a short drive to the ferry for a weekend of drinking. I attended on my bikes, over the years: BSAC15, A7; Yamaha XS750 low rider; Bonneville T120 Chop (the best by far, poor ground clearance though), Honda CB900. Fantastic times.
 
AngusMcDoon said:
Good for shelter, but not the sort of place you'd choose for a holiday - post industrial dereliction around the harbour and an ugly town. But I agree it's a handy place to head for in an E.
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Wash your mouth out, as a Killie boy we went there for culture ;-) At one point the Towers Hotel (mid 70s) did the best pint of Guinness outside Dublin, and the wee chip shop on the road to the harbour the best chips in the western hemisphere!
 
jimi said:
In my youth (mid to lat 70's) we haunted the Ormidale, PHT and WBH ;-)

happy days . memory of staggering out the WBH , asking a Geordie Hells Angel for a shot of his Bonneville, my mate told me he went white as my mate told him I'd never ridden a bike before as I roared off round the corner ;-)
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The Ormidale is still a good pub. It's not changed a bit.
It's the only pub I've been in where you get midges inside.
 
Spyro said:
The Ormidale is still a good pub. It's not changed a bit.
It's the only pub I've been in where you get midges inside.
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Is that a typo? I am sure I remember mingers or was it minges, maybe both.
 
awol said:
I don't think it actually needs east in the weather, it's just a roly anchorage with strange tides that have you thumping against the mooring buoy (if you use one) all night long. Over beside the Holy Isle sanctuary is much more comfortable and some of their excess karma may rub off on you.
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Fair enough - the one night we did spend there, there was east in the breeze, this brought with it the pong from the sewage ship as she went out to dump her wares and then a night where every pot and pan rattled as we rolled around.
I read the pilot book in the morning which had references to rolling and easterly breezes. Dear Heart and I had just sailed non-stop from Fleetwood in our Hunter Delta and were too knackered to go elsewhere so we just spent the night wishing we had!!!
 
I think you will find it has to be north of East to cause the swell to run into the moorings, theres quite a bit of North this weekend so perhaps Holy Isle off the Monks House would be more peaceful.

If you go to the Lash there are 15 visitors moorings to be had at £10 a night, payable to Jim at the Holy Isle Ferry office on the pier.

Good holding is to be found South of the moorings at Cordon - roughly off the Northernmost of the two burns which flow into the bay, just be aware it shelfs very quickly off Cordon the further south you go towards the mussel farm (the blue line as we call it) and the tide goes out a long way.

I would not advise "borrowing" someones mooring to save a tenner - quite apart from the fact they are private property (!) many of them are for very light craft and some have not been serviced in years.

In addition to the recommends on the thread Glenisle Hotel is also very good for food but you may need to book

Alan
 
I visit regularly and anchor just to the NE of the jetty. Usually pretty clear water in this area and easy to eyeball a nice patch of clean sand ,free of junk to set the hook in. Just don't get too close or you'll touch at LW but you can certainly save yourself a tenner and a longish row in from the visitors bouys.
The bay can get pretty wild in most wind directions but in anything but a full hooly you can usually find a "better" spot nearby for those conditions. Further south beyond the fish farm works well as loads of shelter behind tall trees but a long walk to the pub!
 
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