WARNING - Millport Bay effectively closed from Monday 11th September

[sawduster]

Well millport already has at least 3 out of 4 of those - although perhaps not the style you were thinking of!

I think its a solid breakwater rather than a floating one. You may be right, or the people who have the wave data and modeled it to come up with the design might be. I've no idea who is liable if it proves to be shit at its job.

Even in calmer weather there's often an uncomfortable swell that comes round the corner and past the Leug and makes the current moorings a bit unenjoyable, let alone when it's a southwesterly directly. It's not clear from the PDF linked above but it doesn't look like there are plans to do anything with that opening as the breakwaters are flood prevention only and the marina doesn't have a floating breakwater in the plans. Even if it did that hasn't gone well for Rhu marina with northwesterlies for example,

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Even in calmer weather there's often an uncomfortable swell that comes round the corner and past the Leug and makes the current moorings a bit unenjoyable, let alone when it's a southwesterly directly. It's not clear from the PDF linked above but it doesn't look like there are plans to do anything with that opening as the breakwaters are flood prevention only and the marina doesn't have a floating breakwater in the plans. Even if it did that hasn't gone well for Rhu marina with northwesterlies for example,

The planning application with Ayrshire council shows the design and solid breakwaters, there is more details and links at BlueMoment forum. The plans include a stubby breakwater on the west side of the island land in addition to the main breakwaters. It looks like the roughness and angles of the breakwater are designed to absorb and kill the wave motion, not deflect, hence reflected waves may not be significant at the west entrance. I think the west side may be sufficiently sheltered once the breakwater is in. The situation is not similar to Rhu's in any way.

The concept for the marina has three options, one of which looks as if it has a long, floating breakwater from the pier southwards. However, the key point is that there is no formal planning in place for a marina. The Ayrshire tourist arm of the council does want to develop inside the breakwater as part of it's marine tourism drive. They are clear that it will not be council owned and operated, but could be owned by them and operated by others, or even entirely private i.e. no decision even on how such a development will be organised. The way finances are at the moment, I don't see any council involvement in the next decade, beyond planning. However, lets see what pans out, they still have to build the breakwater.

Further, there are no plans for the pier at all, renovate, demolish, extend, replace.

 

[penfold]

Isn't the pier owned by a trust? The wooden bit was condemned and if the barrage is built there's nothing to justify restoring it, as Waverley will not be able to enter. Maybe the developer who wants to build that solar farm can be strong-armed into paying for some pontoons.

 

[sawduster]

The planning application with Ayrshire council shows the design and solid breakwaters, there is more details and links at BlueMoment forum. The plans include a stubby breakwater on the west side of the island land in addition to the main breakwaters. It looks like the roughness and angles of the breakwater are designed to absorb and kill the wave motion, not deflect, hence reflected waves may not be significant at the west entrance. I think the west side may be sufficiently sheltered once the breakwater is in. The situation is not similar to Rhu's in any way.

The concept for the marina has three options, one of which looks as if it has a long, floating breakwater from the pier southwards. However, the key point is that there is no formal planning in place for a marina. The Ayrshire tourist arm of the council does want to develop inside the breakwater as part of it's marine tourism drive. They are clear that it will not be council owned and operated, but could be owned by them and operated by others, or even entirely private i.e. no decision even on how such a development will be organised. The way finances are at the moment, I don't see any council involvement in the next decade, beyond planning. However, lets see what pans out, they still have to build the breakwater.

Further, there are no plans for the pier at all, renovate, demolish, extend, replace.

It's a little excessive to say it's not similar in any way to Rhu. My point about Rhu is that it is an example of where a lack of a solid breakwater in an exposed direction has been solved by a floating breakwater (which is really just pontoons). That floating breakwater has proved insufficient at times given how exposed Rhu is to the North West. Oban Transit Marina is similar, the inner pontoons being objectively sheltered but often subjectively not particularly comfy.

If in this case the fixed breakwaters can disrupt waves from the south west corner through that gap then that is good news for whatever marina development ends up behind them. From the initial plans I have seen, from my non expert at marina design but expert at hating a bad nights sleep perspective, this gap looks rather open. This may be ok for floodwater prevention, but potentially not for a good night sleep in a marina.

A floating breakwater / outer pontoon in that orientation would go someway to solving that problem like has been used at Rhu and Oban. That doesn't look to be part of the potential design, but hopefully they will be able to assess properly once the breakwaters are in. And hopefully also the council moorings go back in until any marina happens.

 

[Bodach na mara]

Bugger. I was planning on taking the family to the fireworks on the 23rd.

Actually some of the points made in this thread are interesting. Firstly, if th wind is from the south, Millport bay can be an extremely uncomfortable place to anchor or moor overnight, or even for lunch. We were in there last Sunday and regretted going there instead of White bay at the north end of the island.

While we were there a Westerly Fulmar sailed in from the south west and passed north of us and through the area north of the Eilans. It was high water and I have been through there myself in the past but I prefer the passage between the Eilans, which I have used even at low water. Mind you my boat drew just over 1 metre.

I'm glad that I saw this thread.

 

[penfold]

If in this case the fixed breakwaters can disrupt waves from the south west corner through that gap then that is good news for whatever marina development ends up behind them. From the initial plans I have seen, from my non expert at marina design but expert at hating a bad nights sleep perspective, this gap looks rather open. This may be ok for floodwater prevention, but potentially not for a good night sleep in a marina.

I'd agree; marinas with manmade breakwaters tend to have entrances 1-200' wide, the gap left in the plans is over 600'. It will never be cheaper to close that gap than when the barges etc are on site.

 

[dunedin]

Using the traditional transit transit for the entrance today, for the last time .....

 

[Martin&Rene]

Work is actually progressing at Millport. They were lucky that when Storm Babet went through, the winds in that area were mainly slightly north of east and so
no big waves came into the bay.

 

[xyachtdave]

We were visiting friends at the weekend and went to Millport for Sunday Lunch.

This thread answers the ‘what are they up to out there?’ question!

 

[RunAgroundHard]

I wonder how it works to stop flooding from surges, because the ends are open. I guess it is just waves that it stops and not an actual surge from pressure drops. Anyone know?

 

[penfold]

It can't do anything about surges, it will solely affect waves; the shape of the bay and the shallowness presumably make Millport high street a bit damp in south easterlies.

 

[scottie]

Work is actually progressing at Millport. They were lucky that when Storm Babet went through, the winds in that area were mainly slightly north of east and so
no big waves came into the bay.

View attachment 167017

View attachment 167015

At first sight I wondered why you were using a photo from July!

 

[Romeo]

Is there provision for seagoing paddle steamers in the arrangement?

 

[ylop]

Is there provision for seagoing paddle steamers in the arrangement?

The Waverley doesn’t dock at Millport itself but uses a pier “around the corner” at Keppel. Perhaps you know this and your question was really trolling about if it should go direct to Millport.

 

[penfold]

The pier's been closed to traffic since 2014, so that's moot; the Waverley calls at the pier by the marine research station.

 

[dunedin]

The Waverley doesn’t dock at Millport itself but uses a pier “around the corner” at Keppel. Perhaps you know this and your question was really trolling about if it should go direct to Millport.

The Waverley certainly used to go into the pier at Millport until relatively recently. I often saw it come in, and was an impressive sight sweeping through the entrance narrows at speed, just a few yards away when on a visitor mooring. Often exited through the West channel.
But as noted the pier closed and it had to relocate.

 

[Aja]

... I often saw it come in, and was an impressive sight sweeping through the entrance narrows at speed, just a few yards away when on a visitor mooring. Often exited through the West channel....

Waverley does all her manoeuvres at an impressive speed. She's long and thin and the rudder is the size of a postage stamp - very little margin for error, especially as paddles work in unison and are locked.

She comes alongside piers at an offing of some 10-15 metres, lines ashore and then winches herself alongside.

 

[jlavery]

Went for a walk round Great Cumbrae today (Arpeggio having last minute work done at Fairlie).

Breakwater finished, land defences still in progress. Looks like all visitors moorings (18-20?) are now behind breakwater, none in old spot to W of pier. That's assuming they're still blue.

looks like old entry transit is still relevant, but I haven't checked any official sources!





View from pier - Blue visitors moorings (I assume) in there.


From hill N of Millport.

 

[dunedin]

Yes visitor moorings have been installed, as well as two new red cardinal marks showing the new entrance from the SW side. We were there 3 weeks ago and already much in use.
certainly makes the moorings more sheltered from the South - although does reduce the pretty views over to the other islands, especially at low tide.
Didn't go ashore when we were there, but I am informed that the small beach jyust W of the pier that used to be so convenient may have been blocked off

 

[Mistroma]

The Waverley certainly used to go into the pier at Millport until relatively recently. I often saw it come in, and was an impressive sight sweeping through the entrance narrows at speed, just a few yards away when on a visitor mooring. Often exited through the West channel.
But as noted the pier closed and it had to relocate.

I remember Waverley stopping there many years ago before we left for the med. in 2012. It was always a bit unnerving if she arrived when I'd grabbed a mooring just to one side of the pier. She'd come in at a fair clip, slew hard to port and do about a 150 degree turn before going full astern and sliding alongside.

I'd always have to explain to any visiting friends that she couldn't put one paddle in reverse as they were on the same shaft. Adding the combination of a tiny rudder and relatively shallow draft meant you got the scary charge straight at shore, followed by the swift turn and slide to the side.

Of course I did sometimes try to look worried and say OMG something is wrong if I wanted to worry someone.