BLUEMOMENT

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It's the start of the season and many of you will be in the water already or launching in the next couple of weeks. Please remember to keep me posted regarding any changes in or new additions to visitor mooring provision so I can keep the Moorings page up to date. Updates any time in the season are very welcome, but the earlier the better really.

CAUTION - WESTERN ISLES VISITORS MOORINGS

The Western Isles council Visitor Yacht Moorings page has a notice up saying
2009 visitor moorings maintenance incomplete, all moorings to be used with caution!

A 24 ft motor sailor was wrecked in the pool at Rodel at the end of last month while sheltering from a gale. The skipper apparently tied up to a mooring which hasd previously been reported as unsafe, but the council had done nothing about it. ( HEBRIDEAN NEWS STORY HERE)

As the council show a scale of charges for the use of visitor moorings on their website I assume they are insured??

Until we hear that inspection is complete we certainly won't be using any of the visitor moorings if we are out West this year. This info has been added to the Moorings page.

I picked up a copy of "Welcome Anchorages 2009" last weekend which, despite the title, is all about moorings and marinas and covers the the whole of the west coast. I've some doubts about just how up-to-date it is since the Tobermory entry describes the new facilities which will open in 2008 but it seems quite a useful publication anyway.

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I've some doubts about just how up-to-date it is

I think you will find that BlueMoment is considerably more current - and our moorings guide is compiled without the use of public money.

I don't doubt it for one moment.

The Oban Bay moorings now have a very respectable landing pontoon, though it's a bit of a step up from the dinghy for my ageing crew. It has water too so it seems that going alongside is acceptable, presumably only for loading/watering. There's an honesty box on the pontoon, saves remembering to post a cheque. The grass between the pontoon ramp and the road is extremely muddy, worse than the path from Polldoran to the Tigh an Truish.
Derek