Oban Bay Consultation - Need to Teview New Harbour Authority Proposal

[Sgeir]

There is no doubt in my mind that the new arrangements have led to groundings by small craft.

FWIW, here are my four suggestions for the north entrance;

1. Restore the single brief ferry announcements on Ch16 ie dump the unnecessary Ch12 stuff;

2. Remove the new green buoy at the north entrance - this has caused confusion in my view and may have been a factor in recent groundings . Perhaps it already has been removed as the harbour publishes two contradictory chartlets, one with, and one without, the green buoy;

3. Scrap the "large vessel designated narrow channel" and "small vessel route" designations;


4. Yachts and other small vessels have generally kept well out of the way of the larger ferries, so the harbour should consider building upon that co-operative approach by using a traffic light system to allow unimpeded movement of the larger ferries ie not including the smaller Lismore ferry. These systems work well in Ardrossan and Mallaig, although, admittedly with less traffic than Oban.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Like it.

You know what I mean, I hope. The shallow bits are very shallow indeed and the rest is deep, so there are very few areas from which the Isle of Mull is excluded by virtue of draught but from which I am not.

2. Remove the new green buoy at the north entrance - this has caused confusion in my view and may have been a factor in recent groundings . Perhaps it already has been removed as the harbour publishes two contradictory chartlets, one with, and one without, the green buoy;

It was in place at 7pm! I just ignored it.

4. Yachts and other small vessels have generally kept well out of the way of the larger ferries, so the harbour should consider building upon that co-operative approach by using a traffic light system to allow unimpeded movement of the larger ferries ie not including the smaller Lismore ferry. These systems work well in Ardrossan and Mallaig, although, admittedly with less traffic than Oban.

Traffic lights at Rothesay too, but that's for a very, very small area - just the inner harbour entrance. I can't see any need in Oban because there is plenty of room for sensible cooperation.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

It was in place at 7pm! I just ignored it.

Still there at 7am this morning too

 

[dunedin]

All these points about who can define the entrance is a “narrow channel”,is the small boat channel too close to rocks, why announce an announce,ent in VHF16 rather than just make the announcement etc are exactly the reasons why it is important that the harbour management approach recognises wider users other than just large ferries and cruise liners.

Hence why RYA was encouraging people to respond to the consultantion per the OP initial thread. If you have views or an interest in using this area please participate in the consultation as well as posting here.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Of course, we are at liberty to just ignore the regulations as they have no authority. Say, it is windy, I want to get into Oban and have lined up for a centre line sail down the North, an announcement is made, I don’t hear it, and continue down the centre, moving to the right as the ferry approaches, but not into the small craft channel. I propose that if anyone cared to raise the issue, you could happily ignore them, even if the ferry had to slow down or use it’s thrusters to keep off the edge of the narrow bit.

I have witnessed a yacht blown ashore on the north shore, in a gale, leeshore, as they tried to enter Oban. While it is not a narrow channel, it is narrow enough to leave little room for timely contingency manoeuvres. As allways, these things need to be considered in any pilotage attempt.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Still there at 7am this morning too

Still there now. What's it supposed to mark? It's not on the wee leaflet I was given at Ardrishaig and it's so close to the Corran Ledge cardinal that I can't see what extra information is intended. Unless they want small craft to go outside it, in which case they are out of their tiny freaking minds.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Still there now. What's it supposed to mark? It's not on the wee leaflet I was given at Ardrishaig and it's so close to the Corran Ledge cardinal that I can't see what extra information is intended. Unless they want small craft to go outside it, in which case they are out of their tiny freaking minds.

No idea. I ignore it & do the same I've always done - stay reasonably close to the edges, & if anything big is moving wait until it's passed.

 

[JumbleDuck]

No idea. I ignore it & do the same I've always done - stay reasonably close to the edges, & if anything big is moving wait until it's passed.

You radical, you. Just like the rest of us ...

 

[Amulet]

Seems out of fashion to be positive. I think Oban is great. I think the new pontoons are great. Even erstwhile naysayers are now telling me the town looks good with all the boats that come in. I hope we can make Oban enough of yachting mecca to keep all three marinas in business. (This, in my opinion can be achieved by them developing a cooperative strategy, and I have heard talk of that.) Yachties and cruise ship passengers do come into town and do spend money - which is good. They also tell others how lovely the place and the people are - I've heard them.

I believe that CalMac have been told that they were breaching good practice and setting a bad example by conveying routine info on CH16. I'm sure that, they'd be more than happy to return to common sense and spit out all they have to say on CH16 if they were not being watched pedantically.

Even on my piddling little boat I receive AIS. I don't switch to CH12 when I hear the announcement, but it does cause me to look at the screen to see what is going on. I have observed some variability in the length of the warning, and heard one recently that was far to short to be of use to slow moving craft (I had it sussed on AIS as we were semi-becalmed in the North Channel.)

I'm in favour of an over-arching harbour authority and being told to keep out of the way in the north channel. I am NOT in favour of the harbour authority being run by one of its customers - least of all the most powerful one. The conflict of interest will come back to bite us at some point.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I responded to the consultation and have now been invited to take part in a followup telephone interview, which I hope to do soon.

Amulet, I agree that it's nice to see a significant change for the better in Oban's long policy of "sod off" to leisure boaters. The transit marina is definitely a change of tune, and I do hope Kererra can survive the competition - or, as you suggest, turn it into a co-operation. What a shame that Nancy Black's went out of business this last winter.

 

[pmagowan]

Someone mentioned that Kerrera marina do not offer fuel to customers of the transit marina so we went to Tobermory for a fill instead.

 

[Humblebee]

Thanks Blowing Old Boots for bringing this to our attention.
Survey duly completed.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Someone mentioned that Kerrera marina do not offer fuel to customers of the transit marina so we went to Tobermory for a fill instead.

That would be silly, restricting money like that. Unless of course there is a limited supply and when low they prioritise in favour of their berthholders.

 

[NormanS]

Someone mentioned that Kerrera marina do not offer fuel to customers of the transit marina so we went to Tobermory for a fill instead.

Maybe their hose is not long enough to reach right across the bay?

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Someone mentioned that Kerrera marina do not offer fuel to customers of the transit marina so we went to Tobermory for a fill instead.

I've not bought diesel there as I'm petrol powered but I looked at the prices & it appears to be different rates for all comers, visitors & residents which seems fair enough, i.e. this is the price but x pence per litre reduction for marina customers.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

.......... The marina, by the way, is a ghost town. I suspect it is being eaten alive by the transit marina. .......

Perhaps it’s berth holders are mostly out sailing. I certainly always favoured the west side of the North pier or anchor in the bay rather than use Kerrera for an overnight or day stop. Even before the transit marina I found this was quite common by the number of yachts doing the same and lack of persons in the ferry. However, that is just an assumption, based on anecdotal information.

I certainly hope they are not struggling.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Perhaps it’s berth holders are mostly out sailing. I certainly always favoured the west side of the North pier or anchor in the bay rather than use Kerrera for an overnight or day stop. Even before the transit marina I found this was quite common by the number of yachts doing the same and lack of persons in the ferry. However, that is just an assumption, based on anecdotal information.

I certainly hope they are not struggling.

I'm comparing it with what it was like at the same time last year. Although the weather wasn't as good I was there in the Scottish school holidays but not the English, so I'd expect roughly the same utilisation. I don't think even 1/3 of the berths were occupied. Although the welcome can be a little terse (not actively hostile, just not on the effusiveness scale) it's a lovely place and I hope they'll do OK.

 

[Amulet]

Someone mentioned that Kerrera marina do not offer fuel to customers of the transit marina so we went to Tobermory for a fill instead.

Baloney. See: https://www.obanmarina.com/facilities

 

[cpedw]

There will be a Public Meeting arranged by Oban Bay Management Group to "discuss plans to amend the statutory harbour authority" on Wednesday 18 July at 6.00pm in Corran Halls, Oban Esplanade.

All comers are welcome I'm told; originally this meeting was to be for local business people but a semblance of democracy has been called for.

Derek

 

[pmagowan]

Baloney. See: https://www.obanmarina.com/facilities

What part is baloney? Did someone not say that to me? Your link says they have fuel (which I knew), it does not say if they are snotty towards customers of the transit marina which is what I was advised by someone local. I have no idea if it is true or not but your post does not add anything to enlighten me.