BLUEMOMENT

Perhaps someone can help. What is the form with putting down a mooring? Can I drop a suitable pile of heavy stuff to the bottom of a sea loch and use it to park my boat? Do I need permission from someone?
I think Crown Agency may have something to do with it. When we move up there I intend being as close to the wet & salty as SWMBO will go for. I do not fancy paying marina prices - seem to cost almost double what I pay at Royal Quays. Alternatively can one "rent" a mooring. I looked on net at Arisaig they seem to have moorings on a long(ish) term basis - could that be a solution? The benefit of your experience would be very welcome.

And a welcome from me too. A starting point for your answers is WHAM. Not the androgynous singing duo but the West Highland Anchoring and Mooring Association. Their website gives the hows and wherefores.

Hi there Trev.

Where will your house be? That sort of decides what you do about moorings, assuming you would like one at the bottom of the garden.

If it's a popular sheltered place there may already be a Mooring Association administering local moorings on behalf of the Crown Comissioner, and a waiting list.

In principle, the Crown Estate (CE) controls where a mooring can be laid and what it will cost. While there are a few "wild" places where CE doesn't seem to go and anything goes, they do police most of the sensible mooring areas.

Usually (in my experience) the way to go is to get a mooring through a Moorings Association (MA). The fee to CE is half (£40 p.a.) and there's often an arrangement for mooring maintenance and, if you're lucky, some facilities ashore like dinghy storage.

My costs vary yearly. There's an annual inspection by diver (about £60), the rent to CE (£40), MA membership (£5) and maintenance which can vary from 0 to £500 depending what the diver tells me. It seems to average about £100 p.a. for me and I'm told there's more wear here (Connel) than some other places. Definitely cheaper than a marina but some insurers don't like it.

The WHAM website http://www.whamassoc.org.uk/ has more information. The WHAM secretary can put you in touch with a local MA if you know where you're looking.

There are several places where moorings are operated commercially too. Creran Marine and MRC both at Barcaldine for instance. Costs more than DIY but cheaper than pontoons I think.
Derek

Many thanks for this. I'll follow it up when SWMBO decides where I want to live

Cheers