falkirkdan
Well-Known Member
Having looked through the postings have seen very few mentions about Portavadie Marina so thought you may be interested in my comments.
Portavadie is a brand new marina on east shore of Loch Fyne opposite Tarbet. The marina was opened in August and has 230 berths. We visited at end of September for an overnight stay.
The entrance is quite narrow and at low tide watch out for emerging power craft which may not be visible behind the breakwater. When we arrived we had to make the unusual choice of which of the 10 or so other boats should we not berth next to. The pontoons are well spaced and the width between fingers is wide. So thinks this will be easy not manuvering into tight berth, Wrong! Not being used to such luxury used all the space and you guessed took 3 goes before berthing successfully. I could blame the weather but flat calm and no wind, just as well hardly anyone about to see my red face.
The pontoons are superb with wide walkways and good sized finger, each berth has an electric point (by meter card) and a water hose per 4 or less berths.
The marina is owned and run by a family of 3 generation and we were greeted warmly, the marina and its facilities and future developments explained. We were invited to join afternoon tea with cakes and buns. We were offered a run to Kames Hotel if we wanted to go there for a meal about 4 miles away (I think).
The shoreside facilities are 2 brand new portacabins, one serving as office and reception the other as toilets, showers, laundry and store. The toilets/showers were spotless and the gents even had a hair dryer. The only down side of these lovely facilities was the size of the shower cubicle having dropped the soap there was no way I could get down to recover it. Next time will take soap on a rope!
The shoreside works were getting underway and the programme is to have a restaurant, bar and marina toliets , office etc in place by end 2008 and the full services you woud expect in a marina of this size.
The whole area is destined to be developed with apartments and housing but for now is a wonderful haven of peace and I am sure will continue to be.
There are lots of lovely walks in the area and the ferry to the bright lights of Tarbet is round the corner. It is planned to run a rib ferry to Tarbet in the future.
The marina is formed out of a former oil rig yard and is cut out of the solid rock and the low water depth I saw was about 10mts. The pontoons unusually are secured by hemp ropes and snubbers to hugh concrete anchors as it is not feasible to pile into the rock. The current breakwater is to be raised which should give more protection in a south westerly although the floating inside breakwater should do most of the work. I personally think that this was originally built as a submarine base as looking at the accomodation buildings they look like those at Faslane and Coulport. For this and next year special rates are offered.
Portavadie is a brand new marina on east shore of Loch Fyne opposite Tarbet. The marina was opened in August and has 230 berths. We visited at end of September for an overnight stay.
The entrance is quite narrow and at low tide watch out for emerging power craft which may not be visible behind the breakwater. When we arrived we had to make the unusual choice of which of the 10 or so other boats should we not berth next to. The pontoons are well spaced and the width between fingers is wide. So thinks this will be easy not manuvering into tight berth, Wrong! Not being used to such luxury used all the space and you guessed took 3 goes before berthing successfully. I could blame the weather but flat calm and no wind, just as well hardly anyone about to see my red face.
The pontoons are superb with wide walkways and good sized finger, each berth has an electric point (by meter card) and a water hose per 4 or less berths.
The marina is owned and run by a family of 3 generation and we were greeted warmly, the marina and its facilities and future developments explained. We were invited to join afternoon tea with cakes and buns. We were offered a run to Kames Hotel if we wanted to go there for a meal about 4 miles away (I think).
The shoreside facilities are 2 brand new portacabins, one serving as office and reception the other as toilets, showers, laundry and store. The toilets/showers were spotless and the gents even had a hair dryer. The only down side of these lovely facilities was the size of the shower cubicle having dropped the soap there was no way I could get down to recover it. Next time will take soap on a rope!
The shoreside works were getting underway and the programme is to have a restaurant, bar and marina toliets , office etc in place by end 2008 and the full services you woud expect in a marina of this size.
The whole area is destined to be developed with apartments and housing but for now is a wonderful haven of peace and I am sure will continue to be.
There are lots of lovely walks in the area and the ferry to the bright lights of Tarbet is round the corner. It is planned to run a rib ferry to Tarbet in the future.
The marina is formed out of a former oil rig yard and is cut out of the solid rock and the low water depth I saw was about 10mts. The pontoons unusually are secured by hemp ropes and snubbers to hugh concrete anchors as it is not feasible to pile into the rock. The current breakwater is to be raised which should give more protection in a south westerly although the floating inside breakwater should do most of the work. I personally think that this was originally built as a submarine base as looking at the accomodation buildings they look like those at Faslane and Coulport. For this and next year special rates are offered.
