Perch and Light Kyles of Bute

AntarcticPilot said:
Thanks for the heads-up! It doesn't much matter where I sail - if I get close enough that I'm worried about 0.2 metres, it's too shallow for me anyway :) The bottom on the Clyde is usually hard as well - you really don't want to touch it. Around here, I get twitchy at single figures; the only place I expect to see them is in a marina, the Crinan Canal, or a few very rare places like those being discussed, where 5 metres is regarded as shallow :) If I saw it going much below 5 metres, I'd turn for deeper water.
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I only put the sounder on if I'm anchoring, perhaps I should use it more.

We only draw 3' though, I tack if I see the bottom.
 
aquaplane said:
I only put the sounder on if I'm anchoring, perhaps I should use it more.

We only draw 3' though, I tack if I see the bottom.
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It's fun to see mine give up in despair as we sail from Bute to Tarbert across the bottom of Loch Fyne! Don't know (off-hand) how deep it is there - but my depth sounder usually displays a flashing 120, which means "I can't get a return, but the last depth was 120 metres".
 
AntarcticPilot said:
It's fun to see mine give up in despair as we sail from Bute to Tarbert across the bottom of Loch Fyne! Don't know (off-hand) how deep it is there - but my depth sounder usually displays a flashing 120, which means "I can't get a return, but the last depth was 120 metres".
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My B&G repeater goes up to 200m, but actually seems to give up at 150 or so, at which point the needle swings round to sit on 5m until contact with the earth is reestablished. This was ... mildly surprising ... the fist time it happened.
 
JumbleDuck said:
My B&G repeater goes up to 200m, but actually seems to give up at 150 or so, at which point the needle swings round to sit on 5m until contact with the earth is reestablished. This was ... mildly surprising ... the fist time it happened.
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Know what you mean! Mine (Raymarine ST60) occasionally goes into a sulk (probably density variations in the water column) and indicates way too shallow. First time it happened was a bit worrying! Of course, in the Clyde, Skelmorlie Bank is a bit of a surprise when you first encounter it (5m below chart datum, in the middle of an area where mostly it's about 50m!)
 
JumbleDuck said:
But how often? I haven't read of anyone sinking there, but maybe I'm not reading the right things.

Anyway, if there are lots of people capable of hitting a clearly buoyed rock, how long will the perch last before someone hits that?
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That's always possible..

I usually take the west/south channel when coming up from Rothesay, ,mainly for the sake of interest. I suspect much of the problem is down to people in fairly deep draft yachts using a gps/plotter to go as close as they ought to be able to go near WFR. Rather than sensibly giving it a good berth regardless of the state of the tide. I tend towards Eilean Mor, and do slow down to give myself time to watch the shape of the bottom. Our draft is 1m80, so like Ant.Pilot, I pay good attention to anywhere <5m as a general principle..
 
AntarcticPilot said:
It's fun to see mine give up in despair as we sail from Bute to Tarbert across the bottom of Loch Fyne! Don't know (off-hand) how deep it is there - but my depth sounder usually displays a flashing 120, which means "I can't get a return, but the last depth was 120 metres".
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Only had one for a short while. It reads 200
then.

Deep

Then it gives up

I have a fish finder which goes down to 300.
 
Amazing how many experienced sailors worry at 5m....... Don't go down to the Medway, 5m is about all you get :D

I have been playing around the Clyde area all summer, it's the most relaxed sailing (or should that be cruising) I have done in years. This rock is clearly marked on the charts, I can't see a problem, that said we all make mistakes so if I do happen to hit it in the future?????

I did however get frightener when in Upper Loch Fyne, I nudged in to the bay at Inverarry to take a photo of the castle, 18m when I walked out on deck, 0.8m under the keel when I stood on the front to take the photo. Depth sounder was having a fit. :rolleyes:

Tom.
 
At the moment I only worry at 8' .... (I really should change display to meters but I can visualize feet) .... once entering Millport at LW ... but my Pal sails Morcambe Bay & is happy with 8' below the keel.
 
OGITD said:
At the moment I only worry at 8' .... (I really should change display to meters but I can visualize feet) .... once entering Millport at LW ... but my Pal sails Morcambe Bay & is happy with 8' below the keel.
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This summer I went through the passage north of Eilean Gabhar in Loch Craignish with 12" beneath the keel. Slowly.
 
not sure why i brought up west farm rock ;)

but I have hit the bottom three times this summer largs marina , rhu marina , holy loch !!!! luckily all soft and slow , silting up !!!
 
markhomer said:
but I have hit the bottom three times this summer largs marina , rhu marina , holy loch !!!! luckily all soft and slow , silting up !!!
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I haven't had depth issues at Largs, but it does seem to be getting a bit neglected these days. The pontoons are pretty manky, with a lot of soft/rotten bits and crudely patched repairs. If I was paying £3k+ per annum to stay there, I'd be a bit peeved.
 
my boat in berth at largs for cumbraes weekend was 1 foot out of the water on sat morning of cumbraes regatta , most impressive or not depending on how you look at it :) this after being assured night before we would be ok, luckily tide in in time for race
 
JumbleDuck said:
This summer I went through the passage north of Eilean Gabhar in Loch Craignish with 12" beneath the keel. Slowly.
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I didn't imply I worried about <5 metres.... I just pay a bit more attention. The last time I nudged bottom was at Rathlin, just too close to the shallow bit near the S side of the old pontoon. It was just sand, and not a big problem. That patch has probably vanished with the dredging done this summer :D

Loch na Mile (off Craighouse on Jura) is another pretty shallow area- particularly if you go for the NE exit north of Eilean nan Gabhar. Mostly sandy with weed... not much tidal range, but not much water either!
 
Wight Dawn said:
What's all this about places getting shallower? I thought that rising sea levels caused by global warming were taking care of that!
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You should know by now that global warming will mean it will be colder in Britain. (I think they make it up as they go along)
 
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