Loch Goil report

Writing this sat on a visitors buoy at Lochgoilhead. Lovely location, plenty of visitors buoys which are in use, seem to be around 10 available. Good 4g signal on 3 and Vodaphone. We even got escorted into Loch long by HMS Vengance. Nice spot and I’m sure we will be back. Off up the Kyles..
 
Dunx said:
Writing this sat on a visitors buoy at Lochgoilhead. Lovely location, plenty of visitors buoys which are in use, seem to be around 10 available. Good 4g signal on 3 and Vodaphone. We even got escorted into Loch long by HMS Vengance. Nice spot and I’m sure we will be back. Off up the Kyles..
Click to expand...
What did you pay - £10 per night (website), £10 for the first night and then £5 per night (notice at pontoon) or £15 per night (Welcome Anchorages)? And did you have any luck with the wifi?
 
Hi I paid £10 per night via PayPal. I went by the label on the pickup buoy as we didn’t go ashore. Matched the website Info. Didn’t try the WiFi to be honest..
 
Did stop down at Carrick Castle to chat with a pal on the way out. There are 3 blue visitor Buoys there at £10 a night. I love the pictures the owners put on their website of those who don’t pay...
 
capnsensible said:
What seems a zillion years ago, there was a rickety old jetty at Carrick Castle.
Click to expand...
I've just found this in my collection of postcards ... I suspect that the rickety old jetty you remember was the remains of this one ...

o4jgw27.png
 
Currently sitting on one of the approx 10 visitors moorings. £15 per night.

Boats 10m and under can moor overnight on the pontoon.
Screenshot_20230511-183358_Gallery.jpg
 
As an aside, do visitors respect this honesty box?
In fact, do most of us respect any honesty box?
I've only ever been involved in one, at my local club where I'm no longer a member, and I do owe a tenner for tying up one day, but haven't been able to see the harbour master (of this parish) due to him having covid.
My guilt isn't assuaged, but I do feel better now.
 
Meandered past on a visit two years ago, as it was just technophobe old farts on board we sailed past and went to Swine's Hole instead.
penfold said:
We voyaged to the exotic realm of Loch Goil and stopped at the Loch Goil Cruisers pontoon; ~3m at low tide alongside the outer finger so plenty depth for sailors. Unfortunately the Boatshed Cafe is closed mondays and tuesdays, so it was beer and cake à la cockpit instead, followed by a grand tour of the loch in a steady 10kts and terrible drizzle because Scotland's awful and you wouldn't like it, finished off with anchoring in the Pig's Orifice. The braver crew members challenged themselves and their digestive systems with an out-of-date Fray Bentos mystery meat pie. Moderately busy; there was one boat already in the anchorage when we got there around beer o'clock, then another two arrived about an hour before sunset.
Click to expand...
 
jamie N said:
As an aside, do visitors respect this honesty box?
In fact, do most of us respect any honesty box?
I've only ever been involved in one, at my local club where I'm no longer a member, and I do owe a tenner for tying up one day, but haven't been able to see the harbour master (of this parish) due to him having covid.
My guilt isn't assuaged, but I do feel better now.
Click to expand...
I don't know how well respected this honesty box is or others in general, but I've never knowingly dodged paying for a mooring ball or jetty use. I may be in the minority, but it strikes me that if you are using it, it is proof the facility is useful and you expect someone to maintain it etc.

In the grand scheme of boat ownership, the total cost of visitor fees at mooring balls and dinghy pontoons is really not that expensive. BUT I do often find that Honesty boxes etc are actually a PITA to use. No envelope despite the sign saying complete details and place in envelope! or no pen (not an issue if you have the boat on the pontoon but I don't have pens in the tender!) and even the expectation that you will pay with cash - in a post covid world it seems to be the only thing that would expect me to carry notes around with me. Setting up a BACS payment is enough hassle that many will not bother if they think nobody will know who they are. The Dutch seemed much more set up for this stuff when I was there last year. Everywhere either had a QR code on the pontoon/harbour wall or a machine line a car parking meter to take card payment (and produce a sticker line an old ski lift pass or airline luggage tag to attach to guard rails).

I used a mooring last year for a few days, and meant to pay by BACS but simply forgot to set it up when I was on the pontoon and emailed them when I got home asking for the details so I could pay and the reply seemed surprised I had bothered which does suggest to me that a significant number of people aren't contributing. Presumably, they are happy for the rest of us to subsidise their trips. Realistically it is impossible for a local jetty / mooring association to enforce payment - the privacy and time delay of an honesty box makes it very easy to ignore.

VegaOnTheClyde said:
Jeepers. I've never seen the word "Donation" used before is such a demanding manner before! Now where did I leave my cheque book? Welcome to Lochgoilhead 2023.
Click to expand...

I've seen similar at many a pontoon run by local volunteers. I'm not sure why they use the word donation, perhaps someone has suggested if they say "charge" it will create a greater liability for them if there is damage to your vessel. I suspect in reality a "mandatory donation" would be seen by the courts as exactly what it is. Of course it may also be about trying to position their organisation as a community service rather than a commercial operation and I have no issue with that. None of these places are making a profit, and are probably still reliant on grant subsidies even if everyone pays.
 
ylop said:
I don't know how well respected this honesty box is or others in general, but I've never knowingly dodged paying for a mooring ball or jetty use. I may be in the minority, but it strikes me that if you are using it, it is proof the facility is useful and you expect someone to maintain it etc.

In the grand scheme of boat ownership, the total cost of visitor fees at mooring balls and dinghy pontoons is really not that expensive. BUT I do often find that Honesty boxes etc are actually a PITA to use. No envelope despite the sign saying complete details and place in envelope! or no pen (not an issue if you have the boat on the pontoon but I don't have pens in the tender!) and even the expectation that you will pay with cash - in a post covid world it seems to be the only thing that would expect me to carry notes around with me. Setting up a BACS payment is enough hassle that many will not bother if they think nobody will know who they are. The Dutch seemed much more set up for this stuff when I was there last year. Everywhere either had a QR code on the pontoon/harbour wall or a machine line a car parking meter to take card payment (and produce a sticker line an old ski lift pass or airline luggage tag to attach to guard rails).

I used a mooring last year for a few days, and meant to pay by BACS but simply forgot to set it up when I was on the pontoon and emailed them when I got home asking for the details so I could pay and the reply seemed surprised I had bothered which does suggest to me that a significant number of people aren't contributing. Presumably, they are happy for the rest of us to subsidise their trips. Realistically it is impossible for a local jetty / mooring association to enforce payment - the privacy and time delay of an honesty box makes it very easy to ignore.



I've seen similar at many a pontoon run by local volunteers. I'm not sure why they use the word donation, perhaps someone has suggested if they say "charge" it will create a greater liability for them if there is damage to your vessel. I suspect in reality a "mandatory donation" would be seen by the courts as exactly what it is. Of course it may also be about trying to position their organisation as a community service rather than a commercial operation and I have no issue with that. None of these places are making a profit, and are probably still reliant on grant subsidies even if everyone pays.
Click to expand...
Even churches - hardly the most technologically savvy organizations - often have card machines for donations, or a donate by text scheme.
 
awol said:
I assume "donations" do not attract VAT. If the organisation is a charity then Gift Aid could be of benefit?
Click to expand...
I doubt the lochgoilhead jetty trust are exceeding the amount required to register for vat - but perhaps others do and these things tend to all copy each other in how they work.
AntarcticPilot said:
Even churches - hardly the most technologically savvy organizations - often have card machines for donations, or a donate by text scheme.
Click to expand...
churches have always been canny at getting money from people! Donate by text would be my least favourite option - I carry a work phone who pay the bill. Whilst I’d love them to pay my moorings I expect I might have some explaining to do!
 
jamie N said:
As an aside, do visitors respect this honesty box?
In fact, do most of us respect any honesty box?
I've only ever been involved in one, at my local club where I'm no longer a member, and I do owe a tenner for tying up one day, but haven't been able to see the harbour master (of this parish) due to him having covid.
My guilt isn't assuaged, but I do feel better now.
Click to expand...
Now you are a marked man, the invoice for the harbour will be in the post.....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top