Pladda anchorage?

[Spyro]

Anyone ever anchored between Pladda and Kildonnan at the south tip of Arran. I know there is a shallow spit between the 2 but wonderd what the tides and holding were like either side of it.

 

[pagoda]

Anyone ever anchored between Pladda and Kildonnan at the south tip of Arran. I know there is a shallow spit between the 2 but wonderd what the tides and holding were like either side of it.

I'd be wary of this area. There are countless dykes (intrusive igneous rock..) on this bit of coast which extend offshore. I used to dive in this part of Arran. Check the sandy open area to SE of Kildonan hotel - boat on sat picture. It's shallow at the west end but you could probably have 4m off a clean bottom near HW away from there.
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=55.439228,-5.1142&spn=0.004254,0.009602&t=h&z=17
For an afternoon stop this might be doable, but it is an exposed bit of coast to say the least, and not nice at all with any Southerly in it. Wouldn't stay overnight unless it was really settled.
Graeme

And part of my diving was on the remains of several wrecks impaled on the dykes extending offshore...;-)

 

[thedoc]

pladda

I ducked out of an exploration of this area when the depths we were getting bore no relationship to the GPS info.....we had checked the tide.

 

[Homer Simpson's Lovechild]

I'd concurr with the comments above. The anchorage off the jetty on Pladda itself is ok if you find a patch of sand amongst the weedy seabed. I spent a sheltered night here last year but made a run for Lamlash in the wee small hours when a rising breeze curled the chop round the very limited shelter of the island. Explored all round island with dinghy and as stated, lots of stone dykes and pinacles- felt like rowing in a river! Bottom was mainly rocky sand and cobbles with lots of weed. A poke around in the dinghy would doubtless reveal a few sheltered lunch spots to drop the hook inshore but I'd be very wary between the islands if you draw any water.

 

[Aja]

I would concur. In a previous life on one of the over-night races round Arran, we had to push ourselves off after getting a wee bit too close.

Donald

 

[Spyro]

Thanks for all replies. Plans have now changed I will be heading out west early Thurs morn I had thought about leaving Wed evening and stopping overnight off Pladda but my crew is doing a nightshift Wed.
Didn't fancy it much after the replies. I spent a few hours fishing last year off Pladda in very calm conditions and it looked like it would be ok inshore.

 

[asteven221]

I would concur. Many, many years ago we stupidly went the inner route between Pladda and Arran. Fortunately I noticed just in time that we about to run aground and went astern very very quickly. Many years on and having past around (the correct way) many times- it's still a place to be very wary of. In fact in my experience it seems to be one of the roughest bits of water in the Clyde area - if not the roughest.