overwintering near Glasgow

[grobigben]

Hello,

I am a french sailor (from Britanny) and I would like to winter my boat near Glasgow next winter (out of water).

In fact, I hesitate beetween 2 boatyards: River Clyde boatyard on the Clyde River. And Bannatyne Marine on the isle of Bute.

Anybody knows one of those ( or both)?

Benoit

 

[john_morris_uk]

Hello,

I am a french sailor (from Britanny) and I would like to winter my boat near Glasgow next winter (out of water).

In fact, I hesitate beetween 2 boatyards: River Clyde boatyard on the Clyde River. And Bannatyne Marine on the isle of Bute.

Anybody knows one of those ( or both)?

Benoit

We've used 'Silvers' of Rosneath. Its a train and a bus ride from Glasgow but easy to get to.

 

[Mistroma]

You didn't say if you were living on the boat over winter, I'm assuming not. We used to leave our boat ashore in Clyde marina at Ardrossan every winter for quite a few years.

Prices were good and they did a deal for 6 months (included a few days on pontoon, lift, wash, metal cradles, lift back in and a week on pontoon). Security was good and we were happy to keep using them each winter. Ardrossan isn't exactly scenic but there are a few places to eat, a large supermarket next to marina, adjacent railway station, and a small chandlery on site. I'm assuming that nothing much has changed.

A friend kept their boat in the yard on Bute and it should be cheaper but not much there in way of shops, chandlery etc. and more difficult to get there via ferry. We'd have used them if not visiting the boat during the winter. However, Ardrossan made more sense as it was easy for us to drive there and stay on the boat in the yard if we wanted to work on her.

 

[lpdsn]

Worth also thinking about how you'd get there if you plan to visit regularly. Both Glasgow airports are SW of Glasgow. Prestwick is right on the rail line which means you can catch the train to local marinas like Troon, Ardrossan or Largs (or Glasgow).

 

[JumbleDuck]

In fact, I hesitate beetween 2 boatyards: River Clyde boatyard on the Clyde River. And Bannatyne Marine on the isle of Bute.

My boat spends the winters in the yard at Port Bannatyne marina and the summers on a swinging mooring in the bay. I like it very much. There is, as Mistroma says, a little more complication to getting there, but the public transport links are actually very good: train or bus to Wemyss Bay, hourly ferry service to Rothesay, ten minutes by bus to the gate of the boatyard. The yard community is friendly and there seems to be no objection to nights aboard - many of us do it regularly. The only real downside is that there is no chandlery on the island. The boatyard keep a small selection of stuff, but most things need a trip to Kip chandlery (ten minutes north of Wemyss Bay) or Largs chandlers (fifteen minutes south), both of which are excellent.

Best thing of all: Bute doesn't really have crime, except for a few boy racers.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Worth also thinking about how you'd get there if you plan to visit regularly. Both Glasgow airports are SW of Glasgow. Prestwick is right on the rail line which means you can catch the train to local marinas like Troon, Ardrossan or Largs (or Glasgow).

Prestwick is almost dead now, and likely to die more. Very few flights left, of which none to France. Their departures board lists six flights for the whole of tomorrow: four to the south of Spain and one each to Majorca and Malta.

Glasgow airport is pretty good for the marinas. There is a bus link to Paisley Gilmour Street (or it's a short taxi trip) from which there are trains to Inverkip (for Kip), Wemyss Bay (for Port Bannatyne), Largs (for Largs, though it's a walk, bus or taxi trip of a mile from the station to the marina), Troon and Ardrossan.

 

[lpdsn]

Prestwick is almost dead now, and likely to die more. Very few flights left, of which none to France. Their departures board lists six flights for the whole of tomorrow: four to the south of Spain and one each to Majorca and Malta.

Ok. It's where I used to fly into from Dublin, but it seems the flights have switched to Glasgow Airport. I hadn't realised that.

What did they do wrong? It's not run by a bunch of local authority jobsworths like Teesside Airport is it?

 

[jimmcgee]

Ok. It's where I used to fly into from Dublin, but it seems the flights have switched to Glasgow Airport. I hadn't realised that.

What did they do wrong? It's not run by a bunch of local authority jobsworths like Teesside Airport is it?

the SNP bought it

 

[JumbleDuck]

Ok. It's where I used to fly into from Dublin, but it seems the flights have switched to Glasgow Airport. I hadn't realised that.

What did they do wrong? It's not run by a bunch of local authority jobsworths like Teesside Airport is it?

It was really only used by Ryanair, and they have moved most of their flights to Edinburgh and Glasgow. Partly, I think, because they have had to move upmarket a bit to compete with EasyJet and partly because both Edinburgh and Glasgow have expanded facilities and gone after new business.

The Scottish Government bought the airport for a pound and are trying to work out what to do with it. I think it still has freight traffic, though the business in bound and gagged prisoners being transferred between CIA torture sites has dropped off a bit.

 

[TimBennet]

The Scottish Government bought the airport for a pound and are trying to work out what to do with it.

They have insisted that the newly privatised Air-Sea Rescue helicopter is based there (as it was when HMS Gannet provided it), despite everyone else wanting it based at Glasgow airport which is closer to the main hospitals.

Political interference has prevented one of the few tangible benefits of privatisation as they've insisted that the new helicopter still wastes fuel and time transferring up and down to Prestwick.

 

[JumbleDuck]

They have insisted that the newly privatised Air-Sea Rescue helicopter is based there (as it was when HMS Gannet provided it), despite everyone else wanting it based at Glasgow airport which is closer to the main hospitals.

Doesn't seem too silly to have an air-sea rescue helicopter near the sea, and it will be far less constrained by commercial flights at Prestwick than it would be at Glasgow. Presumably it has to land patients on top of the death star anyway.

 

[damsis44]

Another vote for Clyde Marina, Ardrossan, we kept our boat (and chartered it from) there for several years. A decision based on cost and on the transport links - rail link to Glasgow, Paisley (Glasgow Airport shuttle), Prestwick, supermarket, and of course, the excellent service we received as berth-holders in and out of the water.

 

[grobigben]

Thanks for your answers.

I will also see with Ardrossan

 

[ctva]

You could also consider Sandpoint in Dunbarton as a no frills but good boat yard. Easy transport to Glasgow and lots of decent shops nearby. Small but good chandlery in Rhu snd not forgetting Duncan Chandlers in Glasgow.

We'll be over wintering there this year as it is a good price because of the 'no yachts frills'. Only question is your draft. We draw 1.8m and have about a metre to spare.

 

[grobigben]

Hello Chris,

I had allrady contacted Sandpoint. But, I need to winter the boat for 8 monthes (end of august to end of april). And for 8 monthes, Sandpoint is quite expensive.
The cheapest is Ballatyne: a french friend wintered here last last and strongly recommanded to me. Nice and friendly place but a little bit remote..
Clyde boatyard is a litle bit more expensive (but price is not the only thing to consider). But close to Glasgow: what is more convenient for me.