Portpatrick in the news...

[JimC]

Definitely pigeons, one exploded out of a hole as I went up the ladder on my first visit and I nearly ended up in the water in fright!

There are black guillemots too. One flew out of its hole in the wall and straight into one of my shrouds. It stunned itself and perched on the deck till it recovered. It was soon OK.

http://dg.wildseasons.co.uk/wild-summer/key-species-4/black-guillemot/

 

[Spyro]

No expert on birds but the ones I've seen several times swim under water extremely well for pigeons. I've also had the hitting the shrouds experience. Certainly wakes you up.

 

[Gwylan]

I think you are talking about the Red-Legged Guillemots that nest in the harbour walls. Quite rare birds and wonderful to watch - they have cousins over in Bangor Marina where they accommodated them by slinging drainage pipes horizontally along the Marina wall

Nah! They are bloody pigeons and they crap allover the place.

 

[Spyro]

Must have them as well but Portpatrick is definitely famous for black guillemots

 

[lpdsn]

But those ladders at low water springs!

Sister-in-law wasn't too happy with the ladders. I offered to haul her up on the spinnaker halyard.

 

[Davy_S]

Yes, it is very difficult to spot them apart

 

[claymore]

Ha! My opportunity to show a postcard of Portpatrick bought by a club member. The four yachts rafted on the far side are some of the North West Venturers YC summer cruise of either 1989 or 1990. We are the outer one, Airy Fairy, our first cruising yacht.

That is my back that can be seen, chatting to Jimmy on Aquayla, the boat next to us. Edit for clarification: It's not my back that is chatting, it is my front.

Airy Fairy.
Ex B&F boat owned by Phil McNeal?

 

[vyv_cox]

Airy Fairy.
Ex B&F boat owned by Phil McNeal?

Yes, that's the one. He sold her in Dickie's of Bangor, where we bought her.

 

[claymore]

Amazing - he then bought Claymore, which I bought from him 20 years ago. Does this mean we are related Vyv?
Did you find the boat crammed with Hotpoint, Bendix and Servis bits? He was a washing machine fixer and used quite a few bits to plumb and pipe Claymore - took me 10 years to remove them all!

 

[vyv_cox]

I don't remember many washing machine bits but he was an accomplished bodger! Amongst many:
Length of broom handle banged into a redundant transducer fitting
A large hole that presumably was filled with a sail drive filled using a trayfull of gelcoat, no glass whatsoever.
Kubota engine 'converted' to raw water cooling. No anodes.

Despite all that he took her to the Med and back and so did the owners after me, although she was in far better condition by then.

 

[claymore]

That's Phil!
Think he's packed in now but just as grumpy!

 

[steve yates]

Yes, it is very difficult to spot them apart

And I definitely know the difference, it was a pigeon. I was there a few days on my next trip and saw some more. Obviously there are black guillemots too, as other posters have seen them.

 

[dgadee]

Yes, the ones in the holes are pigeons. The ones swimming under the water are not.

 

[JumbleDuck]

But those ladders at low water springs!

I won't let my crew go up them, and avoid them as much as I can myself. We row to the beach when we want to go ashore. I doubt that pontoons would ever work there, but floating mooring points which run up and down the wall with the tide should be perfectly doable.

 

[vyv_cox]

I won't let my crew go up them, and avoid them as much as I can myself. We row to the beach when we want to go ashore. I doubt that pontoons would ever work there, but floating mooring points which run up and down the wall with the tide should be perfectly doable.

If I remember correctly there was a plan to do something similar a few years ago but it failed because the harbour is listed and cannot be altered.

I have great memories of friends of ours, sadly no longer with us, hauling their Airedale dog up the wall in a harness at low water. There is quite a tidal range and they just could not persuade the dog to climb the ladder.

 

[Quandary]

We were there for the Jubilee celebrations about 40 years ago, hoisted our daughter up the wall in her red puddle suit and secured her harness to the railings while we supervised her brothers assisted ascent, we had not noticed that they had painted the railings with silver paint that morning, it was still soft when they lit the bonfire at the harbour entrance. Most spectators had silver decoration on clothes and hands. Those were the days when you gave your expired flares to the RNLI who let them off as part of the celebrations.
It was a cold wet evening so they had the pipe band parade inside the village hall, several days before I could hear again.

 

[Spyro]

I won't let my crew go up them, and avoid them as much as I can myself. We row to the beach when we want to go ashore. I doubt that pontoons would ever work there, but floating mooring points which run up and down the wall with the tide should be perfectly doable.

I suspect it's only a matter of time before they are removed. It might take a nasty accident before that happens though. They wouldn't be allowed in industry without some form of fall arrest system so I'm surprised they are for the public.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I suspect it's only a matter of time before they are removed. It might take a nasty accident before that happens though. They wouldn't be allowed in industry without some form of fall arrest system so I'm surprised they are for the public.

With complete respect for the "traditional harbours are nice" point of view, that's how I feel about it too. On the other hand, I am not aware of any accidents/fatalities there, but perhaps that's because the ladders look so bloody terrifying from deck level. Maximum range there is 14', which is quite enough to do no good at all to someone unfortunate.

Before anyone jumps (or falls from 14') on me: I don't want them banned; I'm just surprised that they survive as the only way of mooring. Perhaps it's listed status, as suggested.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

I suspect it's only a matter of time before they are removed. It might take a nasty accident before that happens though. They wouldn't be allowed in industry without some form of fall arrest system so I'm surprised they are for the public.

Docks have their own regulations http://www.hse.gov.uk/pUbns/priced/l148.pdf

Ladders on quay walls
217 Each ladder should be suitably protected against accidental damage, and should enable someone who reaches it to climb from the water to the quay. It should extend to 1 m below the water line at any foreseeable state of the tide (or to the sea/river bed where there is less than 1 m of water at the foot of the quay at low water). Suitable hand-grips will need to be provided on the quayside, designed so that they are not readily obstructed by ice or dirt. They should also be recessed or positioned to prevent tripping hazards. All ladders should be properly maintained.

 

[chrishscorp]

Bikedaft, your OP as a leader to entice people to read further, what is a very interesting story, could have been a bit more dramatic.

A great story about a community buy out, changes to the law, uncompromising land owners, zero imagination dick head councils and a community galvanised by one man.

Great effort Portpatrick citizens. A harbour saved, new facilities, all through a community share issue.

+1 Yes nearly passed this thread by, an excellent read.

Well done Portpatrick and its civic minded friends