Tiree moorings

[JumbleDuck]

Arisaig is quite popular now, and getting a mooring for a week or so is getting difficult, especially in school holiday time.

As it turned out we didn't get that far north - bloody weather - and I ended up leaving the boat on a pontoon at Kerrera for the couple of weeks I had to spend away. A lot more than a mooring at Arisaig. but nice people and getting to and from civilisation was nice and easy.

 

[Kelpie]

Gott bay is a wide sandy bay. If the conditions are suitable for the bay, why not just anchor? I can see an argument in favour of moorings where it is difficult to anchor, like Tobermory for instance, but in some places moorings are just cluttering up the seabed with unnecessary junk. Some local communities are seeing moorings as a convenient way of separating yacht owners from their money.

I'd be surprised if moorings give a return on investment. Ground tackle is expensive stuff, and lifting/sefvicing is not cheap either. At a tenner a night (or does it cost more than that elsewhere?) you'd need a decent occupancy rate to cove your costs, IMHO.
Of course if the gear is paid for by a grant, then that changes things!

In favour of moorings is the argument that you can fit more boats into a given space, and that is can turn somewhere with shelter but poor holding into a useful place to stop.

 

[ShinyShoe]

Do moorings not also suggest that ashore you may be welcomed.

I usually think anchorages are often isolated remote spots with limited resources ashore, while if there are moorings its much more likely to be a sign there will be a pub / shop / something worth going ashore for other than scenery...?

 

[NormanS]

I'd be surprised if moorings give a return on investment. Ground tackle is expensive stuff, and lifting/sefvicing is not cheap either. At a tenner a night (or does it cost more than that elsewhere?) you'd need a decent occupancy rate to cove your costs, IMHO.
Of course if the gear is paid for by a grant, then that changes things!

In favour of moorings is the argument that you can fit more boats into a given space, and that is can turn somewhere with shelter but poor holding into a useful place to stop.

That certainly doesn't apply to Gott Bay. All the room in the world, and a clean sandy bottom.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Do moorings not also suggest that ashore you may be welcomed.

I usually think anchorages are often isolated remote spots with limited resources ashore, while if there are moorings its much more likely to be a sign there will be a pub / shop / something worth going ashore for other than scenery...?

In Scotland your sense of their worth might well be tested especially if compared to the great anchorage at Puilladobhrain, which has both room and a great pub within easy reach.

Lots more great anchorages here http://www.scottishanchorages.co.uk/puilladobhrain/4533231043

I actually think moorings are ruining some good spots but it is a sign of the times I supposes.

 

[Kelpie]

Do moorings not also suggest that ashore you may be welcomed.

I usually think anchorages are often isolated remote spots with limited resources ashore, while if there are moorings its much more likely to be a sign there will be a pub / shop / something worth going ashore for other than scenery...?

Well yes, because somebody must have paid to put the moorings there.
However lack of moorings does not imply lack of things to do ashore.

 

[wully1]

Has anyone come up with an update to the moorings in Gott Bay...... busy making plans for next season.

We did get there in July. Sailed down on a breezy day from Coll (Which was rammed, never seen it so busy with all mooring full and not much space left to anchor)on a broad reach, could have done with a reef in but it was a fun sail. Went in to look at the moorings before trying to pick one of the farthest out as It was a bit shallow at the onshore ones, we only draw 1.7.... The pick up line was wrapped around the riser and we couldn’t free it so took the next one along towards the pier.
The wind was blowing from the north west at about 20 knots and it was uncomfortably choppy so we didn’t stay.

I felt that the moorings were to far inshore and in very shallow water so next time I go back I’ll anchor off in comfortable depth. Oh, and only go in very light wind.

 

[mainsail1]

The ones by the pier seem to be in 4 meters? Are they MacBraynes? it cost us £10 paid at the garage.

 

[Sgeir]

I actually think moorings are ruining some good spots but it is a sign of the times I supposes.

Indeed.

 

[wully1]

The ones by the pier seem to be in 4 meters? Are they MacBraynes? it cost us £10 paid at the garage.

maybe at HWS...

I think the moorings are community run?

Cant remember what we had under the keel but it was little enough in the small swell so I wasn’t sticking around to Test my keel bolts.

I feel they’ve tucked the moorings in too close to try and get some shelter. It is shallow until you are well out from the old pier..

 

[lpdsn]

maybe at HWS...

I think the moorings are community run?

Cant remember what we had under the keel but it was little enough in the small swell so I wasn’t sticking around to Test my keel bolts.

I feel they’ve tucked the moorings in too close to try and get some shelter. It is shallow until you are well out from the old pier..

Bit of a thread revival but... Do you remember if it was springs or neaps when you were there? I'm keen to visit Gott Bay this summer but at 2.1m draught I suspect it's anchoring for me.

The buoys look nicely positioned for shortening the row ashore, but the keel and rudder are maybe a high price to pay for that.

 

[NormanS]

Bit of a thread revival but... Do you remember if it was springs or neaps when you were there? I'm keen to visit Gott Bay this summer but at 2.1m draught I suspect it's anchoring for me.

The buoys look nicely positioned for shortening the row ashore, but the keel and rudder are maybe a high price to pay for that.

It's a clean sandy bottom - no problem anchoring, in fact apart from being a money generating exercise, I can't see the point in moorings there.

 

[wully1]

Bit of a thread revival but... Do you remember if it was springs or neaps when you were there? I'm keen to visit Gott Bay this summer but at 2.1m draught I suspect it's anchoring for me.

The buoys look nicely positioned for shortening the row ashore, but the keel and rudder are maybe a high price to pay for that.

I can’t remember what the tide was doing when we were there but as Norman says it’s good clean sand to anchor in so I wouldn’t worry about the moorings and doubt I’d use them when I go back there.
Tiree is really only suitable for yachts in very settled conditions as any swell wraps nicely round the island which is good for windsurfing or k*tesurfing if you really must, but not anchoring.

 

[lpdsn]

Tiree is really only suitable for yachts in very settled conditions...

I can but hope.

 

[JumbleDuck]

It's a clean sandy bottom - no problem anchoring, in fact apart from being a money generating exercise, I can't see the point in moorings there.

Some people are really, really scared of anchoring. This seems to be particularly the case with motorboats, for which it may be an understandable caution about woefully undersized ground tackle. Mind you, I don't think I have ever seen a touring motorboat anywhere interesting on the West Coast. A few Norn Ayrish gin palaces make it to Gigha, but that's about it.

 

[wully1]

Some people are really, really scared of anchoring. This seems to be particularly the case with motorboats, for which it may be an understandable caution about woefully undersized ground tackle. Mind you, I don't think I have ever seen a touring motorboat anywhere interesting on the West Coast. A few Norn Ayrish gin palaces make it to Gigha, but that's about it.

A few years back we were anchored alone in Village Bay in lovely calm weather when an old converted lifeboat chugged into anchor. He dropped the anchor and made the requisite sound signal when backing up to set the hook..

He spent the afternoon trying to buy fuel off the army, with no success.

Heard him him later on the VHF trying to arrange for fuel somewhere on the west coast of the Utter Hebroids.

That’s the only mobo I’ve seen out west, hopefully they’ll stick to the Sarf Coast where fuel and pontoons are available..

 

[MM5AHO]

Another "few years back" story. I was returning to the Clyde, from something (forget what) and stopped at Gigha for overnight and wait for tide to round the Mull. It was about F7-8, and that too had encouraged me to wait for the forecast better weather next day. But that afternoon, on one of the previous old moorings,, dinghy training astern since having been ashore, I was in the saloon, looking out the window at the rough seas. The ferry had stopped, it being too rough perhaps.
All of a sudden I was in a press-up position, looking through the window into the sea! Turning towards the cockpit I saw the dinghy aloft like a kite, having just whipped the tiny outboard off it's pushpit bracket to tumble into the cockpit. The dinghy came back to land on the sea, the boat righted and I scrambled to look for what had hit us.
Something strange had happened, and I still don't know what, but with bare poles on a mooring in strong winds, but from the shore, I should not had had a knockdown, but I did. Some sort of freak wind gust, disturbed by the land perhaps had knocked the boat over for a few seconds, (which seemed much longer). It can sometimes be very quiet at Gigha, but that day was one not to forget.

 

[JumbleDuck]

That’s the only mobo I’ve seen out west, hopefully they’ll stick to the Sarf Coast where fuel and pontoons are available..

I went into Craobh last summer to buy some gas (thanks, Crinan Boats, for selling the 907 you had agreed to keep for me) and topped up with diesel when I was there. I had to wait for my 15 litres, because a nice chap in a big motorboat was using the pump. Two thousand litres, which he said he was quite pleased with for the week.

It can sometimes be very quiet at Gigha, but that day was one not to forget.

Blimey. I've had fun there when the wind went easterly, but it shouldn't have done that to you from the west.

 

[lpdsn]

Bit of a thread revival but... Do you remember if it was springs or neaps when you were there? I'm keen to visit Gott Bay this summer but at 2.1m draught I suspect it's anchoring for me.

The buoys look nicely positioned for shortening the row ashore, but the keel and rudder are maybe a high price to pay for that.

Bit of an update. I made it out to Gott Bay. I picked up a mooring in the outer row just in case it was shallow but there was enough depth. I'd made up a chart of tidal heights by the hour just to be sure. I reckon there would be 2m at CD for the mooring I picked up. They look pretty substantial.