Port Ellen, islay, can you leave a boat there?

What about the moorings ar Gigha or Craighouse moorings? Used for some longer stays.
 
All the locations are transit moorings or pontoons intended to facilitate marine tourism and contribute to the local economy, some are funded through 'Sail West' (EU money) for that purpose, so strictly speaking they are intended for people cruising, some are also pretty busy now, but you can only ask. The nearest available guaranteed location that I can think of is Crinan, the boatyard there will hire you a mooring or the canal will find you a berth. I have an alongside berth there which I am not using this month but the Canal have asked me to lend it to someone else for the month of June. Despite the fact that I have paid for it he will still be charged though.
 
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It's a little antisocial to use visitor moorings for long unattended stays. In any case if you try it at Gigha they will politely but firmly relieve you of the full charge (£15?) per night. I'd be inclined to look for somewhere with a club or harbourmaster and try to negotiate the loan of a private mooring for a week.
 
Yeah that was what I wanted to avoid, turn up at a pontoon meant for short term stops only. Don't think there is a number for port Ellen pontoons, aren't they self service?
Had never considered islay for that reason, but it may be as far as I can get, my work when I have to go can't be done a day later :) Crinan could be my best bet, or leave in Ireland.
 
Last time I was there Port Ellen had fairly limited number of visitor pontoon spaces for larger boats.
But if I recall correctly your boat is quite compact - and if the keel can be raised shallow also? They may be able to squeeze you into a space on the locals small boat pontoon if you ask nicely. They might even forget to charge you if you are not on a formal visitor berth.
Caveat - been a while since I was last there
 
steve yates said:
Yeah that was what I wanted to avoid, turn up at a pontoon meant for short term stops only. Don't think there is a number for port Ellen pontoons, aren't they self service?
Had never considered islay for that reason, but it may be as far as I can get, my work when I have to go can't be done a day later :) Crinan could be my best bet, or leave in Ireland.
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The phone number at the Port Ellen link I posted is 07464 151200. The website says the pontoons are first come first served, which suggests they don't take reservations for the visitors berths.
There's bound to be somebody with a vacant mooring available somewhere that can accommodate an 18ft boat. Some calls to local hotels might be your best bet. Ask a man in a pub!

Edit: The disadvantage is that they are another ferry ride away from Ballycastle, but there are pontoons on Rathlin Island.
http://www.rathlincommunity.org/facilities#pontoons
 
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There's plenty of room in Port Ellen at the moment. They doubled in size last year. There are 2 visitors moorings at Lagavulin & 3 at Ardbeg. I don't know who runs the Lagavulin ones. There's a small boatyard in the same bay, it may be them. They may be able to help though as they have a boat lift & I expect a mooring or two.
 
steve yates said:
My keel issues will have cost me 4 or 5 days, so I may have to leave my boat in ballycastle, unless it's possible to leave her in port Ellen, anyone know? Be for 1 week, 9th to 15th June.
Thx
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Hi Steve- I guess you have factored in transport if you are leaving the boat?
Ballycastle to George Best and a flight home looks easier and cheaper than island hopping.
Hi
 
AngusMcDoon said:
There's plenty of room in Port Ellen at the moment. They doubled in size last year. There are 2 visitors moorings at Lagavulin & 3 at Ardbeg. I don't know who runs the Lagavulin ones. There's a small boatyard in the same bay, it may be them. They may be able to help though as they have a boat lift & I expect a mooring or two.
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You are missing the obvious, Islay distilleries have laid and maintained moorings since long before pontoons were even thought off. They have always been free and there is no obligation to take a tour or buy a bottle but I think that is what they hope you might do.
 
I think that if I was the OP I would stay in Norn Iron. It's much easier to get back to civilisation than it is from anywhere down Kintyre, let alone an island. There are National Express buses from Belfast to London and Birmingham which stop in Carlisle, for example. Portrush? Glenarm?
 
Quandary said:
You are missing the obvious, Islay distilleries laid and maintained moorings since long before pontoons were even thought off. They have always been free and there is no obligation to take a tour or buy a bottle but I think that is what they hope you might do.
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Not missing anything, thanks. The Ardbeg ones are obviously owned by the distillery as they have their logo on them. In Lagavulin bay Islay Marine Centre also have moorings & they are all unmarked, so it's not obvious which, if any, are distillery ones.

http://islay-marine-centre.com/
 
Okay, time for a bit of pedantry. Lagavulin distillery claims to still have two moorings, they have been there since the days of the CCC blue book, I can only remember them from the seventies when we first started coming this way . Islay marine centre established 2011 in Lagavulin bay also has moorings and is promising to have pontoons shortly, a business like that might accommodate the OP if they have space to spare but it is unlikely to be free and a long way from where he wants to get to.
I suspect that the distillery might decide to leave them to it, shame, the free distillery mooring tradition goes back a long time, perhaps I am behind the times and as you suggest they have already gone, it is a while since I was there.
 
Quandary said:
Okay, time for a bit of pedantry. Lagavulin distillery claims to still have two moorings, they have been there since the days of the CCC blue book, I can only remember them from the seventies when we first started coming this way . Islay marine centre established 2011 in Lagavulin bay also has moorings and is promising to have pontoons shortly, a business like that might accommodate the OP if they have space to spare but it is unlikely to be free and a long way from where he wants to get to.
I suspect that the distillery might decide to leave them to it, shame, the free distillery mooring tradition goes back a long time, perhaps I am behind the times and as you suggest they have already gone, it is a while since I was there.
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Lagavulin isn't a long way from Port Ellen, which is the location the OP is asking about and why I suggested it. I only suggested it as an option if Port Ellen wasn't able to accommodate him.
 
Thx guys, really helpful. Spoke to the harbour assogciation, more than happy to accomodate a wee boat like mine for a while on the inner pontoons. So ballycastle or rathlin tomorrow then islay, very happy to eventually have her in the western isles! Lot later than expected, but still plenty play time left to explore.
 
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