BLUEMOMENT

There used to be a fantastic anchorage quite close to there, beautiful remote spot with shelter, good depths and fantastic scenery, so they had a bright idea and stuck a marina there and it was lost for ever.

Craobh Haven - should they have built it?

I know what I think, how about you?

First time we went there it was under guidance of my original blue CCC book, so I was most confused to find my intended anchorage all bricked up! This of course means that I was too late to experience the unspoilt beauty. (but I am quite young after all)

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I have been told that retaining part of the anchorage was a condition of planning permission and that the area S. of the pontoons is in fact that anchorage:



I have not tested this. If anyone does then I am sure we will all be interested to hear the response of the marina owners.

Nick, are you in Australia?

Nick wrote:I have been told that retaining part of the anchorage was a condition of planning permission and that the area S. of the pontoons is in fact that anchorage:

Plausible. Plenty of room there in 5-10m.

Nick wrote:I have not tested this. If anyone does then I am sure we will all be interested to hear the response of the marina owners.

Hard to imagine they'd object and hard to imagine they'd be able to enforce it if they did. I'm half tempted to phone and ask.

If you're going to suffer all the Marina drawbacks you might as well be able to get off the boat for a dump so I doubt anyone ever would anchor there.

Shard wrote:Nick, are you in Australia?

It's called 'course up' Donald . . . very fashionable with the plotterati.

Hmm. So, do you have turn it the other way round if you want to go back out again?

Shard wrote:Hmm. So, do you have turn it the other way round if you want to go back out again?

Reverse out.

Mark wrote:

Shard wrote:Hmm. So, do you have turn it the other way round if you want to go back out again?

Reverse out.

Not in a Vega you won't.

http://www.scottishboating.blogspot.com/ wrote:Several comments decried the loss of wonderful natural harbours such as Craobh. A fellow called Quandary used to anchor there in the 1970s and as it happens so did I. I entirely agree with these comments, which only underline the need for proper regulation of the use of the seabed. A quite magical, remote cluster of little islands has been ruined by a garish pastiche of a village.

Now this is the kind of emphatic comment that I was looking for.

How many jobs should have been sacrificed to retain a pretty anchorage though?

I've been keeping out of this so far since, as a Craobh berth holder of around 15 years, I've obviously got a vested interest. I entirely agree about the pastiche comment - East Neuk style craw stepped gables look extremely odd on the West Coast ! And yet, as a marina, Craobh works well. For me Dunstaffnage would be a more convenient base, both from it's less tidally constrained location and reduced driving time / distance, but Craobh is better sheltered and generally more pleasant IMHO so I've never been seriously tempted to move.

I did not experience the pre-marina anchorage, so can only imagine what was lost. The current marina is, however, providing a popular service judging from the number of visitors, and it provides employment in an area not overly provided with opportunities. While we certainly don't want the West Coast to approach anything like the Solent, I think having a modest number of moderate sized and well located marinas is, on balance, a Good Thing.