Loch Lomond in a Sib???

[kaman]

Hi just wondering if anyone has experience of Sibbing around Loch Lomond.
What are the costs?
Is insurance required or included in your launch fees?
Is it a worth while jolly??
Never used my Sib on fresh water just fancied something different.

[mick]

Originally Posted by kaman

Hi just wondering if anyone has experience of Sibbing around Loch Lomond.
What are the costs?
Is insurance required or included in your launch fees?
Is it a worth while jolly??
Never used my Sib on fresh water just fancied something different.

You need to register at Balloch or do it online it's not much and you get a set of numbers
You will have to pay to use the slips or if you can manage from a beach it's free. There is loads to go at have a look at tonyt and our trip at Easter this year.

[bartiny]

Originally Posted by kaman

Hi just wondering if anyone has experience of Sibbing around Loch Lomond.
What are the costs?
Is insurance required or included in your launch fees?
Is it a worth while jolly??
Never used my Sib on fresh water just fancied something different.

Last time I went It was £5.00 to register and get your number, only takes 5 min they check your insurance at the same time.

Definately worth the trip, plenty of exploring to do, loads of islands to visit, would advise you get a chart was £12.00 when I got mine, dangerous rocks, shallow water, restricted areas, speed restrictions etc.

If staying at the 2 campsites on the East side Cashel and Millarochy bay (spelling) they have their own slips, the site at Luss called Luss you have to handball over rocks.

[Chris Caton]

Originally Posted by bartiny

Last time I went It was £5.00 to register and get your number, only takes 5 min they check your insurance at the same time.

Definately worth the trip, plenty of exploring to do, loads of islands to visit, would advise you get a chart was £12.00 when I got mine, dangerous rocks, shallow water, restricted areas, speed restrictions etc.

If staying at the 2 campsites on the East side Cashel and Millarochy bay (spelling) they have their own slips, the site at Luss called Luss you have to handball over rocks.

+1 for Millarochy Bay site, it's a camping and caravan club site and is spot on for camping and launching a sib, and is a great place to explore the loch from, we went right up to Ardliu and beyond along the river in our sib (and with the rib since) and down to Balloch as well, great place to explore in a sib

[kaman]

Cheers guys.
I will have a look on Internet at the sites mentioned.
Probably looking at launching doing a tour up the loch and pitching tent for a night at one of the camp sites then make my way back to the car and the launch site the following day.
Don't think the Mrs would allow me away two nights.
She queried my recent motorcycle run up to the North of Scotland and overnight camp which allowed me to walk up Ben Nevis.
She just doesn't get the outdoors thing at all.
I'm sure she thinks the nights I spend away on my own outdoors that I'm shacked up with a buxom blonde in a roadside motel LOL!
Give me a blow up boat any day!

[Poly]

Originally Posted by kaman

Hi just wondering if anyone has experience of Sibbing around Loch Lomond.

Here is what you need to know:

What are the costs?

Main slipway at Balloch is £15 per launch, or £55/yr.

Is insurance required or included in your launch fees?

there is no insurance included, and none is required - but it is always a good idea.

Is it a worth while jolly??

yes. beware even though it is inland it can still kick up quite a chop in the right wind conditions. They will probably "invite" you to pay £30 extra for the privilege, this is a voluntary donation and you can decline it. If you do then you will be expected to pay £6 for the actual registration numbers (its worth that to save sorting out your own!)

You will get asked about lifejackets - you must have (L/Jackets or B/Aids for everyone) they aren't strictly mandatory to be worn but the water can be a lot colder than the sea and only last weekend an angler drowned.

Read the byelaws - especially where the speed limits apply: http://www.lochlomond-trossachs.org/...elaws_2013.pdf

[kaman]

Poly thank you very much for that very informative response.
It's answered all the things I needed to know / persuade me that it's a worthwhile venture.
Think my Honwave will soon be getting it's first taste of fresh water instead of the usual brine that it's accustomed to.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by kaman

Poly thank you very much for that very informative response.
It's answered all the things I needed to know / persuade me that it's a worthwhile venture.
Think my Honwave will soon be getting it's first taste of fresh water instead of the usual brine that it's accustomed to.

there are various threads on here over the years if you search. It can make a very good weekend or even a week, but if you are up this way there is some amazing salty stuff crying out for attention too - and in many ways it is better because its a bit less touristy!

[Chris Caton]

Originally Posted by Poly

there are various threads on here over the years if you search. It can make a very good weekend or even a week, but if you are up this way there is some amazing salty stuff crying out for attention too - and in many ways it is better because its a bit less touristy!

yeh, I would agree, but one benefit of the loch being so touristy is there are plenty of opertunities to find somewhere to stop for a brew etc which does help to keep the better half happy, which makes for a happy holiday

[mick]

Originally Posted by Chris Caton

yeh, I would agree, but one benefit of the loch being so touristy is there are plenty of opertunities to find somewhere to stop for a brew etc which does help to keep the better half happy, which makes for a happy holiday

That's as long as you don't get a jobs worth like Tony & I did.

[Chris Caton]

Originally Posted by mick

That's as long as you don't get a jobs worth like Tony & I did.

I can't imagine a jobs worth lasting too long with yourself and Tony Mick, he must have been either very brave or very stupid to take you two on

when we had our last sib, I think in 2001, we were pulled over by the loch ranger for speeding between the islands, which to be honest we were but I hadn't realised at the time , but I swear it was a submersible rib they had, it just appeared from no where, bit like Kerny in Das Boot, anyway they were very pleasant about it and just pointed out the speed limits and sent us on our way

last time we were up there we had a blast with the rangers alongside their Redbay cabin rib, nice piece of kit that it is

[mick]

'Twas a woman and we used her jetty to get the dogs off , I let TT sort her out.

[Chris Caton]

Originally Posted by mick

'Twas a woman and we used her jetty to get the dogs off , I let TT sort her out.

good thinking Mick, those many years of training in the diplomatic core came in useful after all

[mick]

Originally Posted by Chris Caton

good thinking Mick, those many years of training in the diplomatic core came in useful after all

Sure did

[kaman]

Originally Posted by Poly

there are various threads on here over the years if you search. It can make a very good weekend or even a week, but if you are up this way there is some amazing salty stuff crying out for attention too - and in many ways it is better because its a bit less touristy!

I hear what you are saying Poly. I have done the West Coast Scottish salty stuff a lot as I live in Ayrshire and work in Glasgow.
You could say I am almost a local to Loch Lomond.
Just one of those things never gone there as I have always looked at it as a tourist mecca
Driving past it on a regular basis has made me want to get out on the water and see it from another perspective.
Now that I know what is required I will try and secure a window of opportunity to get out and do it!

[Barrowboy]

Originally Posted by mick

'twas a woman and we used her jetty to get the dogs off , i let tt sort her out.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by kaman

I hear what you are saying Poly. I have done the West Coast Scottish salty stuff a lot as I live in Ayrshire and work in Glasgow.
You could say I am almost a local to Loch Lomond.
Just one of those things never gone there as I have always looked at it as a tourist mecca
Driving past it on a regular basis has made me want to get out on the water and see it from another perspective.
Now that I know what is required I will try and secure a window of opportunity to get out and do it!

Ah sorry, hadn't realised you were local. In that case its definitely worth a trip. My personal preference is the middle of winter in the middle of a high pressure - you know those crisp clear days. There is nobody around, and the rangers* have a bit more time to be helpful.

A long day-trip from Balloch to Inversnaid, or all the way up to the Drovers Inn for lunch and back, or a more leisurely weekend trip. You'd get fed up doing it a lot but nice for a change (and no tide to worry about). On a reasonable sized RIB that trip is trivial, but for us SIB, and small RIB owners its a fair journey.


*The rangers are generally OK, but I can see how they might annoy if you see them as traffic wardens rather than trying to make everyone's enjoyment of the park better. They can get a bit brusque on busy days - in that regard don't turn up to launch at 1pm on a sunny Bank Holiday.

[Big Al C]

We registered last year, cost a £5 for the paper work and numbers and then £3 for the two plastic boards to stick the numbers on to. Paper work/booklet shows speed limits,,,,, mainly in the middle around the islands.
Stopped at Milarochy Bay and having no trailer no fees for launching.
Well worth it,,,, 23miles of fresh water loch to go round,,,, but never saw the wallabies on the big island.

[beerbelly]

any recommendations for campsites with good access to the water not bothered about clubhouse or karaoke lol just good clean facility's. we have a caravan at loch ken (lot more expensive than mentioned above to get on the water) but would be nice to try somewhere bigger , different for the odd weekend

[Chris Caton]

Originally Posted by beerbelly

any recommendations for campsites with good access to the water not bothered about clubhouse or karaoke lol just good clean facility's. we have a caravan at loch ken (lot more expensive than mentioned above to get on the water) but would be nice to try somewhere bigger , different for the odd weekend

Milarrochy Bay Camping & Caravan Club site, direct access to the water and a really nice site