Where have all the sailors gone?

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In the campervan at the ferry car park on Gigha. One trad looking sailing boat about 35 ft, and one modern motor boat about same length on the moorings. When I used to sail these waters up till ten years ago, there would have been no vacant moorings on a bank holiday weekend with beautifull weather like this!
 
They're all buying campervans and cluttering up the roads doing the NW500. Much better if they were going by sea ?
 
islecastle1 said:
In the campervan at the ferry car park on Gigha. One trad looking sailing boat about 35 ft, and one modern motor boat about same length on the moorings. When I used to sail these waters up till ten years ago, there would have been no vacant moorings on a bank holiday weekend with beautifull weather like this!
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I'm not far away. I sailed today from Greencastle on Lough Foyle to Lough Swilly. I was the only sailing boat moving in Greencastle, & didn't see anyone else all day. I seem to have Lough Swilly to myself tonight, a perfect evening on a warm sunny bank holiday weekend.
 
aquaplane said:
Probably because it's blowing a hoolie from the east, I wouldn't want to be there in an easterly.
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No hoolie, more South than East, and the sun has been shining all weekend, but from the sounds of it a number of The Scottish Series sailors want to go home by country road.
 
I reckon a couple of reasons

1: Blowing a hoolie in the Clyde for the past 2 days, gusts of up to 40knts and consistent 30 odd knts has meant a lot of boats that set out late last week were all hunkered down Sat and Sun. Spyro has mentioned it on here before but easterlies and the Clyde always seem to produce greater windspeeds than the models forecast.

2: The late cold weather has meant a lot of boats are behind on launching. Gareloch is still very quiet for this time of year and a significant number of boats are still sitting in the yards. I only managed back in last Monday and infuriatingly the winds over the weekend meant I couldn't even get out to her on her mooring despite the glorious weather.
 
adwuk said:
No hoolie, more South than East, and the sun has been shining all weekend, but from the sounds of it a number of The Scottish Series sailors want to go home by country road.
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Just going by the forecast and what was happening in Tayvallich. I had difficulty getting extra fenders in when I was pinned to the hammerhead to unload on Sunday. Saturday was just as windy for me, and it's usually quiet in my corner.

Nothing like being there for an accurate forecast though, I prefer looking out of the window over the Met office.
 
aquaplane said:
Just going by the forecast and what was happening in Tayvallich. I had difficulty getting extra fenders in when I was pinned to the hammerhead to unload on Sunday. Saturday was just as windy for me, and it's usually quiet in my corner.

Nothing like being there for an accurate forecast though, I prefer looking out of the window over the Met office.
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Roberto - I never realised that Chiron Towers look out over the Met Office......
 
islecastle1 said:
Maybe 3/4 easterly. The 2 boats on the moorings are hardly moving.
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Ardminish is absolutely, definitely not a place you want to be in a significant easterly. Been there, done that.

That said, thirty years ago Gigha was almost always deserted. Its huge popularity nowadays seems to come from (a) Clyde yachts avoiding the Crinan Canal on their way west (b) Norn Ayrish yachts on their way north and (c) Norn Ayrish motorboats out for a weekend jolly. I suppose that at this time of year there aren't many Scots or NA heading off on extended cruises.
 
Funny thing is that it has been blowing quite hard from the NE since lunchtime. The seven boats on the moorings are having a really bouncy time, and the one on the pontoon looks very uncomfortable. There is a totally sheltered bay round the top of the island on the west side maybe 3miles away, but that would mean anchoring!
 
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