Visitor Moorings on Coll

[Ubergeekian]

Readers may recall a report here of some rather off-putting behaviour at Arinagour on Coll: £15 demanded for use of visitor moorings and a flat refusal to provide receipts.

As I hope to visit Coll myself later this year and dislike the idea of paying dodgy characters for dodgy moorings - many of us remember the shenanigans which followed when the HIDB pulled out of providing moorings - I have done some investigation.

I have now heard back from the people who run the moorings on Coll - a local yachtsman and a relative. They assure me that they always carry a receipt book and are happy to give one. It appears that the reported refusal happened at a time when they were both away, so it sounds as if an enterprising third party may have, erm, stepped unofficially into the breach.

The people I have heard from sound friendly, helpful and efficient. I will have no hesitation in using one of their moorings when I visit and look forward to meeting them. I may ask about receipts, though, just to make sure I am talking to the right people...

 

[Danny Jo]

As I was the poster of the complaint in question, let me clear up an apparent misunderstanding. The men collecting the fee were welcoming, friendly and engaged all the crew with cheerful repartee. They did not offer a receipt, but then I did not ask for one. My complaint was partly about the cost, but mainly about the doubt created in the mind of a visitor by the failure to offer a receipt as part of the routine, that he or she might be the victim of a scam.

I was reassured by others on this forum that £15 is the standard charge for Arinagour visitors' moorings, and apologised for suggesting that I had been ripped off.

 

[awol]

If "rip-off" is an uncomfortable perception of the difference between cost to the provider and cost to the user then I too feel Coll is at it. The ex-HIE moorings do require maintenance and, despite the abundant kelp growth on them when I was there, I accept that is done - but there seems to be no other costs involved. Craighouse, for example, at £10 a night, have removed the rocks, built a pontoon, improved the old pier and laid extra moorings, but then they did get £140k towards that from HIE.
I find my CQR rip-off copy works quite well in the sand of Arinagour.

 

[Lady Campanula]

I have now heard back from the people who run the moorings on Coll - a local yachtsman and a relative. They assure me that they always carry a receipt book and are happy to give one.

I may ask about receipts, though, just to make sure I am talking to the right people...

As it appears they are running a business, one might also inquire about their Public Liability arrangements, and their status with HMRC.

 

[Ubergeekian]

If "rip-off" is an uncomfortable perception of the difference between cost to the provider and cost to the user then I too feel Coll is at it. The ex-HIE moorings do require maintenance and, despite the abundant kelp growth on them when I was there, I accept that is done - but there seems to be no other costs involved. Craighouse, for example, at £10 a night, have removed the rocks, built a pontoon, improved the old pier and laid extra moorings, but then they did get £140k towards that from HIE.
I find my CQR rip-off copy works quite well in the sand of Arinagour.

The Arinagour people tell me that annual servicing costs them over a thousand. Seems high, but if they need to get a diver and possibly a suitable a boat as well across from civilisation I suppose it's possible. Also, there are only two mooring there, are there not, compared with loads at Craighouse.

 

[awol]

The Arinagour people tell me that annual servicing costs them over a thousand. Seems high, but if they need to get a diver and possibly a suitable a boat as well across from civilisation I suppose it's possible. Also, there are only two mooring there, are there not, compared with loads at Craighouse.

It is an order of magnitude higher than my mooring in much deeper water costs to maintain, but only for a 6ton boat. I suppose the questions are - do the perceptions of sailors expressed on fora like this negatively impact on the visitor numbers and income generated on Coll? - and would free moorings (or cheaper) generate sufficient extra income to justify?

 

[Danny Jo]

The Arinagour people tell me that annual servicing costs them over a thousand. Seems high, but if they need to get a diver and possibly a suitable a boat as well across from civilisation I suppose it's possible. Also, there are only two mooring there, are there not, compared with loads at Craighouse.

I think there were five or six. At £200 per mooring per annum their maintenance costs a lot less than my previous one (in 9m in Bangor pool, Menai).

If they were able to collect fees from every boat that used them overnight, I guess they would be able to charge less. We were visited at around 0900, by which time some of the other visitors had left.

 

[agurney]

My gripe with them was that the moorings still had Argyll and Bute council markings on them when I was woken up at 8:00 on a Sunday with a demand for payment.

Alisdair

 

[NormanS]

The answer is in your own hands. There is absolutely no need to pay for a mooring if you have an adequate anchor, and the knowledge of how to use it. The sandy bottom at Arinagour provides excellent holding, and I can anchor much closer in to the shore than the moorings.

 

[agurney]

The answer is in your own hands. There is absolutely no need to pay for a mooring if you have an adequate anchor, and the knowledge of how to use it. The sandy bottom at Arinagour provides excellent holding, and I can anchor much closer in to the shore than the moorings.

I agree completely. I use moorings rarely, and then only when it's a 'free' one such as off a restaurant when it's a convenient part of the service. This one time in Arinagour it was late and a foul night, and the free council (previously HIDB) mooring was intended to be a short breather before anchoring closer in when the conditions improved - there was no indication that the moorings had changed ownership.

Alisdair

 

[moluag]

I agree completely. I use moorings rarely, and then only when it's a 'free' one such as off a restaurant when it's a convenient part of the service. This one time in Arinagour it was late and a foul night, and the free council (previously HIDB) mooring was intended to be a short breather before anchoring closer in when the conditions improved - there was no indication that the moorings had changed ownership.

Alisdair

for gods sake, when cruising these areas in the north of Scotland why on earth would you be looking for moorings, get your bl**dy anchor out

 

[awol]

for gods sake, when cruising these areas in the north of Scotland why on earth would you be looking for moorings, get your bl**dy anchor out

I suspect others were like me - not looking for moorings but happy enough to use one if it's available. A contribution would not have been grudged, especially if there had been some facilities; an indication on the buoy of how much would have probably changed my mind. Like others, I know now, my anchor seems to like the sand there and it's a shorter distance to row.

I haven't noticed the sanguineous state of my tackle either before or after using it in Arinagour - is it necessary to improve the set?

 

[MM5AHO]

I wonder when some enterprising sort will put visitor morings at Tiree, say in Gott Bay.
I've anchored there, but always felt uneasy about it (and used two anchors even). A few secure moorings would bring in visitors to this under visited (by Yachts) island that is really interesting and otherwise welcoming place. For that situation moorings would be better than that rather poor anchorage in a somewhat exposed bay.

 

[NormanS]

I wonder when some enterprising sort will put visitor morings at Tiree, say in Gott Bay.
I've anchored there, but always felt uneasy about it (and used two anchors even). A few secure moorings would bring in visitors to this under visited (by Yachts) island that is really interesting and otherwise welcoming place. For that situation moorings would be better than that rather poor anchorage in a somewhat exposed bay.

I too have anchored in Gott Bay, choosing suitable weather to do so. Surely that is the whole point. As you say, it's a "rather poor anchorage in a somewhat exposed bay". I would have thought that was a very good reason for NOT putting moorings there.
It's only a poor anchorage because it's open, and with an onshore wind, not a safe place to be. In what way would moorings improve the situation?

 

[MM5AHO]

I think of a maintained heavy mooring as more secure than an anchor.

 

[NormanS]

I think of a maintained heavy mooring as more secure than an anchor.

Maybe you need a better anchor and / or anchoring technique.

When I see some of these visitors moorings, with weed on them several feet long, I wonder when they were last checked. I can visually check my anchor and chain every time I use it.

 

[mcframe]

Readers may recall a report here of some rather off-putting behaviour at Arinagour on Coll: £15 demanded for use of visitor moorings and a flat refusal to provide receipts.

As I hope to visit Coll myself later this year and dislike the idea of paying dodgy characters for dodgy moorings - many of us remember the shenanigans which followed when the HIDB pulled out of providing moorings - I have done some investigation.

What if you're racing?

Do the Coll-regs still apply? ;->

 

[Ubergeekian]

What if you're racing?

Do the Coll-regs still apply? ;->

I'd have to mull that over, though I think rule tiree is pretty clear on the matter, particularly if you're rona boat. Otherwise protest committees would have people cuan outside, though you canna tell and if it's fair isle be surprised if many folk gigha ... muck.