Neil Smith sinks Arinagour moorings

[webcraft]

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There was some correspondence on BlueMoment a couple of years ago about the greatly inflated prices charged for the previously free HIE moorings in Arinagour when Neil Smith took them over. He was alleged to be charging up to £25 while providing no facilities. I attempted to contact him at the time, but with no success.

The BM Moorings page has not been updated since 2007 and reads:

£15 for mooring on the visitor moorings. No receipt, no leaving of rubbish ashore. Showers at hotel, £3. All bouys now have strops and pickup bouys - although one correspondent has reported buoys and pickups as being in 'dubious condition'. There is room to anchor.

Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd apparently contacted Neil Smith in January to express concern regarding the condition of the moorings in Arinagour and asked for records detailing insurance policies and maintenance. This company claims to have responsibility for the safety of the waters of Loch Eatharna. They allegedly warned Smith that failure to produce proof of maintenance and insurance would result in them 'taking over' the facility and installing their own moorings.

Smith apparently insists his moorings are safe, and that CMAL's interest is the result of a personal grudge. He ahs refused to hand over any records and has sunk all six moorings to prevent CMAL from removing them. He claims that CMAL have no authority over Loch Eatharna. CMAL has now applied to the Crown Estates for permission to take over the seabed leases covering the site of the moorings.

More on the CMAL site HERE

- W

 

[Ubergeekian]

... Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd ...

Maybe worth mentioning to new readers that CMAL is the organisation which owns Caledonian MacBraynes ferries and piers, leasing them to Calmac as operator in a bizarre charade required by European tendering and subsidy rules. They are therefore the harbour authority in quite a few places.

When the Arinagour moorings were adversely mentioned here last year (high cost, no receipts, aggressive collection) I manage to make contact with Mr Smith, who defended himself firmly but courteously. Bute Berthing Company were losing money on the Rothesay swinging moorings, so it's maybe not a great surprise that the Coll ones, which must have cost much more to service, haven't been a great money maker. These latest reported actions do sound rather sour grapes, though.

 

[bikedaft]

there certainly weren't any there last month.

if they are there but sunk, only a matter of time before folk start hooking them with their anchors.

 

[Ubergeekian]

if they are there but sunk, only a matter of time before folk start hooking them with their anchors.

Perhaps "rendering the place unusable for anchoring" is part of the aim?

 

[Dougie_the_Mate]

Bute Berthing Company were losing money on the Rothesay swinging moorings

I know this is slightly off topic, but I think the loss of the swinging moorings at Rothesay is to be regretted. On a nice evening it was very pleasant to moor rather than to sit in the harbour.

 

[Ubergeekian]

I know this is slightly off topic, but I think the loss of the swinging moorings at Rothesay is to be regretted. On a nice evening it was very pleasant to moor rather than to sit in the harbour.

True, but the removal of the moorings means more room to anchor for nothing!

 

[bikedaft]

prefer to anchor. call me old fashioned but not keen on proliferation of all these moorings (in a thread where they are disappearing!) in places where been anchoring for years.

hopefully arinagour ones are concrete blocks so if no chain on ground should not be too problematic for anchorers.

don't mind paying for a mooring it costs to maintain, but would prefer to anchor, at least i know the state of the chain/shackles/seizing.

 

[Steve_N]

Perhaps "rendering the place unusable for anchoring" is part of the aim?

Not really in the anchoring area though are/were they? Too far out and too close to the rocks from memory.

 

[bikedaft]

where were the moorings?

was impressed at the shelter there, was in a SE F8 (on a calmac ferry!) and the loch seemed not bad at all. surprising. the rocks at the entrance seemed to trash the waves almost completely.

 

[puddock]

Arinagour - Great and picturesque anchorage, he can keep his bl**dy moorings !

 

[ctva]

I received a NM from Clydecoastguard yesterday or today stating that CMAL are going to clear the foul ground of the old moorings.

 

[webcraft]

New moorings coming

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From the Coll Hotel website:

There are 6 new moorings in the shelter of Arinagour bay arriving soon, we hear the week commencing 13th June but will update if this changes. they will be owned by CalMac. The cost will be £10 per night payable in an honesty box on the middle pier or at the hotel.

Good news.

- W

 

[agurney]

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From the Coll Hotel website:


Good news.

- W

Bad news, I'd rather have the space available for anchoring.

 

[webcraft]

Bad news, I'd rather have the space available for anchoring.

CMAL have said they will ensure that there is still a useable anchorage.

Arinagour is not a particularly sheltered anchorage unless you get into the shallows behind the island, and not everyone is as intrepid as you or I. The visitors moorings there ensure more visitors come and spend a worry-free night ashore in the hotel enriching the local economy, so I say it is generally a good thing.

- W

 

[Kelpie]

I agree with Nick

When in holiday mode I'd be OK to spend a tenner to hang off a buoy, it's not a big spend in the scheme of things, worth it for some peace of mind. Did just that in Rona last year despite it being flat calm. Maybe it's just because I'm quite new to all this.

Sorry to be the wimp of the West-Scotland-Vega-Brigade guys...

 

[webcraft]

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Thre are some 'interesting' comments on this subject from a Mr. Toast over on BM . . .

- W

 

[iain789]

CMAL site http://www.cmassets.co.uk/en/news-a...danger-to-navigation-foul-ground-27-june.html now states that six mooring buoys have been reinstated.

 

[webcraft]

CMAL site http://www.cmassets.co.uk/en/news-a...danger-to-navigation-foul-ground-27-june.html now states that six mooring buoys have been reinstated.

Yep. Coll Hotel site states the same. £10 per night, payable at the honesty box on the middle pier or at the hotel.

- W

 

[Sgeir]

Perhaps we have been fortunate, but we have never experienced any difficulty in finding space to anchor at Arinagour. The original HIDB/HIE moorings were rather further out than the preferred anchorage, which was fine imho.

I doubt if I have been the only one, but I have been in correspondence with CMAL (CCed the Crown Commissioners) who seem to supportive of keeping the anchoring area. Also RYA Scotland and the West Highland Moorings Association were keeping an eye on things.

I have no reason to doubt CMAL's assurances. Unless someone knows otherwise..........

 

[paulrae]

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There was some correspondence on BlueMoment a couple of years ago about the greatly inflated prices charged for the previously free HIE moorings in Arinagour when Neil Smith took them over.

Smith apparently insists his moorings are safe....

- W

We picked up one of the moorings in Coll last year. Whilst returning from a particularly miserable stroll ashore we were offered a list by a very nice gent. Turns out he was the rent collector for the moorings (I assume the aforementioned Mr Smith). He regailed us with a story about a Halberg Rassy whose mooring had faled the night before. This worried us somewhat as the wind and chop had increased significantly since our arrival. Well, we stayed anyway and heaved a sigh of relief in the morning. Maybe CMAL taking over is no bad thing?