BLUEMOMENT

As a purely intellectual exercise and not 'cos I have or ever intend to, but I would like to know .....

Does the Crown Estate/Marine Scotland permission to lay visitor moorings give any precedence to a prospective mooring user over any boats anchored nearby when the mooring was empty? I am thinking of, for example, Cardingmill Bay where the yellow visitor's moorings encroach on an area marked on my (old) charts with an anchor. If one was to anchor there when the adjacent VMs were empty and then come into conflict with a subsequent user of a mooring could one claim, as with anchored boats, the first one there has the rights?
If it was a private mooring, I wouldn't even consider it, but the "towel on the sunlounger" feeling associated with visitor's moorings irks a little.

Cardingmill Bay is only cited as an example - I really appreciate the pontoon and (occasionally) the moorings and am totally supportive of their marina plans.

That's an interesting point. Have to say that I was rather put off visiting Glenuig this year because of the the way the local hotel has bagged much of the anchoring room with ten, yes, TEN, mooring buoys, not one of which was occupied when we called in a couple of weeks ago. I quite fancied a pint but wasn't going to anchor and go ashore to pay money to people who have effectively privatised most the anchorage.

The Glenuig moorings are a disgrace IMHO. Three or four mooring in deeper water might have been justifiable, but ten at hand-anchoring depth is a bit of a bloody cheek. Don't know what the Crown Estate was thinking of.

Have you been in touch with WHAM to see what they have to say about it?

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- Nick

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Nick, you mentiuon WHAM, although I'm unsure as to the extent to which WHAM would champion anchoring rights for visiting boats. Perhaps RYA, CCC and CA would be more effective. However, looks like it's too late - there was a YBW report in October 2010. In a Wikipedia article, the owner of the Glenuig Inn is quoted as saying 'it was a "wake-up call" to everyone enjoying free moorings in Scotland because "the seabed is owned by the Crown Estate"'.

Perhaps it's just me, but it strikes me that there is something quite unpleasant about the hotel's attitude. If the ten moorings are not being used regularly, should the Crown Estate not consider having some removed and the seabed cleaned up?

Despite having enjoyed a previous visit, Glenuig is now off the list.

I suspect that time will sort it out. Maintaining 10 moorings costs money and maintenance is a condition of their existence. If, however, the moorings are supplied for hotel patrons then I am quite happy to invest the cost of a pint on a secure mooring.

The Glenuig ones are tenner, refundable if you eat a meal with them, which is fair enough, if you feel that the privatisation, for profit, of so much anchoring space is justifiable.

I'm with you - I feel that anchorages should not be 'taken over' wholesale. Half that number of moorings with anchoring space left clear would have been better. However, the Inn are quite within their rights and only the Crown Estate can gainsay them. If you don't go ashore though does anyone come out to collect your mooring fee?

I still think we should have a wee muster in the anchorage inside Craobh Haven sometime.

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- Nick

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I've just had a look at the Wikipedia article. It is possible that the guy is just a wee bit autistic and wasn't aware of the apparent tone of his comments, but that really is quite 'in your face'.

A boycott of Glenuig would seem to be a reasonable response.

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- Nick

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There does seem to be a view in some West Highland communities that all yachtspeople - well, all visitors really - are wealthy and can be ripped off without limit. Why they don'y just stretch out grubby hands and scream "baksheesh" I don't know.

I was very pleased, by the way, to see that Largs Chandlers still sells strops to use with "HIDB" buoys.

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Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity - Hanlon's Razor
But don't rule out malice - First Corollary to Hanlon's Razor

[quote .......There does seem to be a view in some West Highland communities that all yachtspeople - well, all visitors really - are wealthy and can be ripped off without limit. Why they don'y just stretch out grubby hands and scream "baksheesh" I don't know............. [/quote]


calle mille failte - bring a hundred thousand and you`ll be welcome

Especially to people who will sell you a holiday house and then complain about the number of holiday houses. We've got them in Galloway too.

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Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity - Hanlon's Razor
But don't rule out malice - First Corollary to Hanlon's Razor

To get back to the original question, and with no prejudice on my part whatsoever, I'm inclined to think that these kind of moorings probably would be given priority over boats anchoring closeby.
Harbour Association visitor moorings might be a slightly different case, but if I was a hotel or other business owner, granted the right to lay moorings for my (potential) customers in good faith by the CE or MS, I would judge it pretty unfair if they could be rendered un-useable at any given time by an anchoring boat. As such it would be impossible for me to take reservations for arriving guests, or to let a visiting boat use the mooring for a few days because I couldn't say for sure if they'd get back on it after their day's sailing. In fact most people, if they thought such priority wouldn't be given, would probably consider it not worth laying moorings in the first place.
The question is worth asking though and I'll be watching with interest if anyone decides to test the principle in future.....
R

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Yacht Brokerage for Argyll & the West of Scotland
WestCoastYachting.co.uk

I suppose if when laying moorings you were to scatter chains all over the surrounding seabed and then put the word out that anchoring here is a really bad idea because you'll get stuck and need a diver, it might discourage people from anchoring?

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Regards

http://www.yotblog.com/claymore/

I have nothing at all against hotels etc laying moorings to gain passing customers especially when the anchorage would be in deeper water with poor holding ground. However I am very aware over the years of these moorings laid by hotels and other commercial/private moorings encroaching on traditional anchoring ground with monies being required one way or another for the use off. The culture of anchoring has been lost by many sailors and shiny polished anchors can be seen onboard too many craft. Perhaps we should instigate a return to anchoring campaign. On two occassions I have raised the matter of moorings encroaching on an anchorage and WHAM have certainly reacted and the mooring has been removed. The cost of marinas and moorings have become onerous to the regular sailor unless perhaps on a weeks charter or holiday eg people enjoying themselves.

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Keep Her Afloat M'Boy

It was a matter of extreme pleasure and pride that I berthed on a pontoon at Tobermory after the Oban-T'mory leg of WHYW. I know the rest of the fleet had given our lowly Class 8 boat a start but 4th boat in out of over 100 and a pontoon berth without going through the whacky races performance was worth more than any silver cup. We also used a visitor's mooring the next night - but then we were rafted to another boat and together were hosting the Class 8 party of over 50 people - the only occasion I close my cockpit seacocks. A pontoon berth with adjacent ablutions for a crew of 6 seems fair value but, when I am by myself, it or a visitor's mooring seems an overpriced indulgence.

One of the problems I encounter with single-handed anchoring is getting the boat to end up exactly where I intended and that's when I can imagine my necessarily longer scope encroaching into the mooring circle of adjacent visitor's moorings. I was hoping for an excuse to save me the effort of reanchoring if/when it happens.