Scottish West Coast Marinas

dhobyb

dhobyb

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Some assistance appreciated, I am considering moving boat from Solent to West coast of Scotland for a season or two, any recommendations for a suitable Marina, needs to be pontoon berth, and good facilities, Boat draws 2.1 metre, and 13 metre long.
but not Oban.

thanks
Bill
 
You're a bit limited on the west coast of Scotland proper.
There's Dunstaffnage, just north and east of Oban but I've not been in so can't comment.
Craobh Haven, south of Oban, is reasonable with terrific views and great access to the islands etc.
there is The Lord of the Isles bar/restaurant which is ok and good showers etc but nothing else.
You need a car to get to and from.

Ardfern is a little further south but is 5 miles up Loch Craignish so an hour to get out to the Sound of Jura.
Only two showers so I've often had to queue but I find the people generally friendlier than Craobh.
There is a good pub in the village and a small store.
The chandlery is reputed to be the best in the area.
They were always full but maybe not these days.
There are swinging moorings there with a bring alongside service and I know there are some of those available.
And that's it as far as I know, unless you go up as far as Mallaig.

Edit: if you're including the Firth of Clyde then there are of course many more, Portavadie is reported to be excellent. Best you say whether outer West coast or F. Of Clyde.
 
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Best facilities, and good local area to explore on weather days, would say Largs yacht haven. Sheltered waters you could lose yourself in for a season or two, and no tide to speak of in the Clyde area.

If accessibility is important, Troon yacht haven is handy for prestwick airport, as is Ardrossan marina, but both are uncomfortable to leave and arrive at in a SW.

For a more remote experience, the best would be Ardfern, followed by Croabh, both excellent marinas, on the doorstep of the best sailing in the world.
 
dhobyb said:
Some assistance appreciated, I am considering moving boat from Solent to West coast of Scotland for a season or two, any recommendations for a suitable Marina, needs to be pontoon berth, and good facilities, Boat draws 2.1 metre, and 13 metre long.
but not Oban.

thanks
Bill
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You must be mad to want to leave the civilised cradle of British yachting in the balmy south for the barbarian, dreich, storm-tossed, midge-ridden, arctic conditions of the Scottish west coast. Then there is, of course, a danger that English registered yachts may be confiscated as reparations after Sept 2014.
 
All marinas and other mooring points are listed here: http://www.welcome-anchorages.co.uk

I would be wary of thinking of the Clyde as tide free and sheltered. In the Clyde I sail in one can experience 3 to 4 meter tidal ranges and big lumpy seas. Yes, it is deep water but there are enough rocks and headlands around to run aground on.

If you are coming up to Scotland I would recommend Craobh Marina on the West Coast becuase they have a deal with Kip Marina on the Clyde. If you base at Kip or Craobh, you can move the yacht between marinas. Now, I am sure that the terms are no charge, subject to availability, so I would be inclined to berth her at Craobh full time (smaller number of berths compared to Kip, so not guaranteed a swap if coming from Kip). If you are then interested in the Clyde, sail round the MOK from the West Coast, base the yacht at Kip, then see the Clyde and return via the Crinan canal at your convenience without the extra expense of mooring fees. The main advantage of Kip is that Glasgow Airport is 40 minutes away as well as regular train services from Kip to Paisley (for the airport).
 
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awol said:
You must be mad to want to leave the civilised cradle of British yachting in the balmy south for the barbarian, dreich, storm-tossed, midge-ridden, arctic conditions of the Scottish west coast. Then there is, of course, a danger that English registered yachts may be confiscated as reparations after Sept 2014.
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As a fellow east coast scot I share the same opinion of the west coast as you, but I have given in to requests from the guys in the pub to take them sailing, and as my boat is registered in Dundee I have no fear of Mad eck and his lot....
 
awol said:
You must be mad to want to leave the civilised cradle of British yachting in the balmy south for the barbarian, dreich, storm-tossed, midge-ridden, arctic conditions of the Scottish west coast. Then there is, of course, a danger that English registered yachts may be confiscated as reparations after Sept 2014.
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Too much encouragement, you are losing your touch; you did not mention the racing tides with the big rocks just below the surface, the ticks burrowing into his veins and drinking all his blood and then there is the language problem? Is it too soon to start a waiting list for the more select of the planned confiscations.
But it is OK he will be persuaded to stay in the Clyde which is just like the south coast with some extra islands.
 
CFarr said:
And that's it as far as I know, unless you go up as far as Mallaig.
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The pontoons at Mallaig are good, but emphatically short term only: there are only daily rates and no discounts. Even to someone from the Hamble, £876 (inc VAT) per metre per annum may be a little steep. OP, why a pontoon? There are a LOT more options if you could bear a swinging mooring.

Quandary said:
But it is OK he will be persuaded to stay in the Clyde which is just like the south coast with some extra islands.
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Indeed. I find it almost impossible to tell Ardrishaig and Lymington apart.
 
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We used to be based in dunstaffnage, based on our 2012 experience I wont be back. I really wouldn't recommend dunstaffnage now. We are currently based in Oban, which aside from the inconvenience of the ferry has been good this year - good folk, helpful and the marina itself is good quality pontoons. If I had the time to work around the tidal gates , I would like to be based at ardfern, but (as far as I know) its not easy to get a berth, its popular, has a great chandlery and yard and is in a stunning location.
 
Why anyone frae Kirri would keep a boat on the south coast is beyond me..

I'd go for Craobh as you will get a pontoon berth there but remember it's at least a 2.5 hour drive from Glasgow and more like 3.5 in tourist season- folk from darn sarf do not know how to drive on roads with bends....
 
There's also the possibility of berthing in the Crinan Canal. I get the impression that pontoons at Bellanoch come up regularly. Upside: quite cheap. Downsides: (a) needs a Boat Safety Certificate and (b) Bellanoch has the worst midges I have every encountered, anywhere, so don't plan to be on or near the boat around sunset.
 
JumbleDuck said:
There's also the possibility of berthing in the Crinan Canal. I get the impression that pontoons at Bellanoch come up regularly. Upside: quite cheap. Downsides: (a) needs a Boat Safety Certificate and (b) Bellanoch has the worst midges I have every encountered, anywhere, so don't plan to be on or near the boat around sunset.
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With the added bonus of a boat free of fouling as the fresh water kills off all the sea creatures.
 
JumbleDuck said:
Indeed. I kept my last boat in the canal for winters for years and never had to antifoul.
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As did I, however a few years of half-tide locking, with the resultant restricted leaving/arriving times, meant a move to Craobh was inevitable.

I do like the canal, but I don't miss the Bellanoch midges.
 
I don't miss the temptation to nip into the coffee shop to load up on delicious buns while the boats in the sea lock....
 
uxb said:
I don't miss the temptation to nip into the coffee shop to load up on delicious buns while the boats in the sea lock....
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Not to mention the pleasure of having the owner sneer at you. I have taken to smiling at him and saying a cheerful "Good day" just to see him writhe at being thus addressed by a prole.
 
JumbleDuck said:
Not to mention the pleasure of having the owner sneer at you. I have taken to smiling at him and saying a cheerful "Good day" just to see him writhe at being thus addressed by a prole.
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Hmmm, not my experience of the man at all, and you don't get much closer to the bottom of the 'class' heap than me. Did you maybe upset him by asking for tommy-K to go with your sea food platter?
 
uxb said:
With the added bonus of a boat free of fouling as the fresh water kills off all the sea creatures.
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There is a downside to that, if like me you have a boat with a folding prop and a saildrive and spend around ten weeks cruising in salt water. Zinc anodes gain a passivated coating after about two weeks and tend not to work in the sea, not too much of a problem for the majority at Bellanoch who only go out for couple of weeks but if you are out for longer periods the corrosion risk is much higher. A shaft drive and fixed prop. for which you can get aluminium anodes, is the solution but that usually means an older boat.

Though they did talk about half tide locking this year it did not really happen and has not been needed for at least five summers now, they do have plenty of water which they empty out over the locks all night once they have compensated for all the leaks. Did you know that SEPA charges the canal, owned by the Scottish Government. for every litre of the water from their own 200 year old catchment reservoirs that they use.
However the managements continued refusal to understand the effect of tidal streams on locking times for the Crinan sealock (they are already on 17-00 closing every night) means that to get back you can finish up struggling against some very strong tides very early in the morning. The curtailment of extended opening at Crinan a couple of seasons back forced the charter company to move to Ardfern and that freed up a few berths that year.
I spent one winter afloat at Bellanoch, it can be a miserable dank green mossy place which the sun hardly reaches.
 
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