Scotland East Coast - Sailing? Moorings?

[LittleSister]

I'm contemplating a possible move to Dundee from way down south. I don't know this area at all, and the section in the Almanac sounds rather forbidding - very few non-drying harbours, virtually none accessible in a stiff Easterly. Is that the reality? What's it like as cruising ground? Am I likely to find a mooring? I can't afford marina prices and our 23ft long keel, 3ft draft boat isn't best suited to drying out except in a deep mud berth.

I'd be grateful for any opinions.

 

[KenMcCulloch]

The Royal Tay Yacht Club has some moorings but it's a fairly exposed spot. The Tay has a lot of sandbanks in it and some rather nasty ones that extend well offshore S and E of the mouth of the estuary. Rather an unfriendly bit of coast and not, it has to be said, a great area for cruising although if you go S theres all of the Firth of Forth and even Northumberland which has quite a lot to offer. Boats that can take the ground can rent a pontoon mooring remarkably cheaply at Anstruther (Ainster) but not suitable for a deep keeled vessel sadly. You might be better keeping your boat on the west coast if you moved to Dundee.

 

[EdWingfield]

Apart from the exposed moorings of the RTYC you may like to check out the pontoons of the club at Tayport. Also Wormit SC has moorings.

Tay is a fine river. It's commercial for only a very short section. Time it right and you can sail all the way up to Perth and remain afloat in the Harbour (for a price).

Resident dolphins delight the yotties. These are encountered from Tayport outwards.

 

[Clyde_Wanderer]

Why not head a little further west and settle for gods gift, the west coast and Clyde area?
Excelent sailing ground, excelent mooring areas, excelent marinas, pubs, food, people, and accessability, by train, road, or plane.

 

[maxi77]

I think some of the pontoons in Anstruther would be OK for 3ft draft, and a very nice spot, also on the north coast of the Forth there is Dalgety Bay which still has some space for new moorings. They are on a DIY basis so you simly buy the stuff for the mooring and pay the Crown Commisioners levy.

Without the Wesy coast has wonderful sailing but it is the drag of getting there, I am very glad that my boat is now on the Forth and I don't have the every weekend drive through, but many do see it as acceptable for the sailing which is the best in the UK

 

[gandy]

There are pontoons in the inner harbour at Arbroath, with lock gates.