Ardnish Party

[Doug McL]

We’re back from a great 2 weeks up on the West Coast of Scotland, which was our first big trip on our new Rib.
The first week we brought in about 60 people into the remote Ardnish Peninsula on Wst Coast of Scotland for my Dad’s 70th Birthday Party. It was a brilliant do with the oldest person there being 85 and the youngest just three. Had a minor problem with the sounder not working, but got a new chip delivered from Garmin direct to a kind lady in Glenuig who received it and delivered it to the jetty the next day. After bit of advice on the phone from Ged, all was operational.

Landing on the peninsula was all very challenging with quite a rocky beach and a new boat and stainless steel prop. But, solved by jumping in to the water (with drysuit) at 1.5m and manhandling it it in to the beach, with the engine off and up, on the painter.

Set up a mooring buoy off the beach with 2 anchors, each with 10m chain and 50m warp. Torro was connected to the bottom of the buoy with a galvanised shackle-pulley with 100m of warp off the bow, through the pulley and back to an anchor on the beach and another 100m from the beach anchor to the towing eye at the transom. Worked a treat at low tide and we could pull the boat right back to the beach. Unfortunately at high tide the beach anchor was 2m under water and it was a swim to the boat.

Even still, I had a sleepless night in the tent on the Wednesday night as the wind rose, but everything held firm and at 0445, as dawn broke, I confirmed everything ok and I got some sleep. Thereafter I slept like a baby, helped by the occasional rum.


Recovered it without problem on Monday afternoon at high tide. My big Galaxy worked a treat, but the slip was just 6” wider than the trailer and 30 metres long so it was a real test of my reversing skills. Hugely pleased that I managed it and I know I’ll not have a harder reverse.

Second week in Oban. Again the boat was brilliant, but weather was a bit windy. It was an Easterly and cold even with the sun shining so kept the trips small so as not tp diminish the enthusiasm of my kids.

[Doug McL]

The seal picture is a cheat, taken at the local Sea Rescue Centre

[MarkM]

Fantastic.

[jwalker]

I know that bothy. Excellent and your celebrations look super.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Doug McL

We’re back from a great 2 weeks up on the West Coast of Scotland, which was our first big trip on our new Rib.
The first week we brought in about 60 people into the remote Ardnish Peninsula on Wst Coast of Scotland for my Dad’s 70th Birthday Party. It was a brilliant do with the oldest person there being 85 and the youngest just three.

what a fantastic first trip

Had a minor problem with the sounder not working, but got a new chip delivered from Garmin direct to a kind lady in Glenuig who received it and delivered it to the jetty the next day. After bit of advice on the phone from Ged, all was operational.

excellent service!

Landing on the peninsula was all very challenging with quite a rocky beach and a new boat and stainless steel prop. But, solved by jumping in to the water (with drysuit) at 1.5m and manhandling it it in to the beach, with the engine off and up, on the painter.

I did this once but the water was clearer than I expected so I underestimated the depth and as I went under the water lost my grip on the painter then watched the sailing dinghy I had been in drift away with Mrs Polwart (who doesn't sail) looking quite concerned. Fortunately a motorboat retrieved her about 1/2 a mile away! The upside to this adventure was it justified why we needed a boat with an engine!

Set up a mooring buoy off the beach with 2 anchors, each with 10m chain and 50m warp. Torro was connected to the bottom of the buoy with a galvanised shackle-pulley with 100m of warp off the bow, through the pulley and back to an anchor on the beach and another 100m from the beach anchor to the towing eye at the transom.

I am sure that was easier to do than write! Why two anchors? are the two anchors linked at the sea bed or both to the buoy at the top? you have seen the other thread proposing doing this with a tyre/concrete - do you think your approach was more secure? did your insurance agree to leaving at anchor over night?

[Doug McL]

I have to say that everybody I met at Glenuig couldn't have been more helpful. Stayed at the Glenuig Inn for one night and the food was good and the family rooms were excellent. The scallop diver / fishermen didn't mind me obstructing their slip for what seemed like an hour to launch but was probably only 20 mins, the lady at the shop who took in my chip from Garmin and finnally a local ribber who delivered two of the party out to the beach late in the day. Fantastic one and all.

As for the mooring system. Maybe I wasn't all together clear in the first post. Initially I used on anchor, chain and warp back to a mooring buoy and another anchor back to the beach. This worked fine but after a blow on the first night I added a second anchor, chain and warp back to the mooring buoy in a V formation, just to allow me to sleep. The two pulley ropes were tied off at the beach anchor. This worked really well at low tide and allowed us to pull the boat back and forth to the mooring buoy. At high tide it wasn't so good and it was a swim to and from the boat as the beach anchor was 2m under. The situation eased when my mate Eddie arrived with his 4m rib, which he beached and we used this to get to my boat at high tide. At this point we left the pulley system in place marked with a fender buoy and when we returned it was a simple matter of unconnecting two carabiners and tying them to the transom and front samson post of my Rib. This all worked a treat and I would recommend it, but I'm no expert, there may be better ways of doing it but this worked for me. All I would say is that you need to set this up at low tide and you have to be absolutely confident of your beach anchor, as this anchors the boat. The other two anchor the mooring buoy.