Quick Spin on Loch Lomond?

[diver 1]

Just planning our return journey from Easdale I was wondering about the possibility of dropping the rib into Loch Lomond and having a quick spin around on the Monday on our way south as one of our crew needs to be dropped off at Glasgow Airport early on Tuesday.

It this feasible for a quick jaunt? Where would be best to launch we have a 4x4 and a ribcraft 585. I'm quite confident launching / recovering in awkward places. I understand there is a boat license that is required for the day?

Is it an administrative pain that will take ages and entail lots of waiting? We only plan to use the boat for 2-3 hours realistically,

Cheers in advance

[pilotwillie]

http://www.lochlomond-trossachs.org/...e-loch-lomond/
It’s feasible, of course. If you have all the required paperwork and ID with you then it’s a straightforward process at the main Park Ranger station at Balloch. Very easy to use double slip with pontoon and car park (public) on site here. If there’s no queue at either the office or slipway then you could be on the water within an hour of arriving. With it being a long weekend holiday then you might find a queue. Sorry, but don’t have a crystal ball for that.

[Xk59D]

I went last weekend, if the sun is out the queue can be a bit long. Last week by far is busiest I've ever seen it, Was 12 boats waiting to launch with cars and trailers parked up on the grass, roundabouts etc as the car parks were rammed full, i just turned round and headed home. That is first time ever though I've experienced that in maybe 20 visits to the loch. But as it is a public holiday I suspect it will be rammed full if weather is decent but usually the queue moves quick enough.

It is still worth going though and taking the chance. Just be very careful of shallow places and the speed limits on the loch, the Duncan memorial slipway ranger station will give you a basic map and get you registered no problem. You can also buy a bigger map from them with all the info you will need. It is literally 10 mins to register, takes longer making the boards for your stickers.

I can assure you it is worth the visit and effort.

[diver 1]

Just looking at boatlaunch website would I be better off launching at Rhu or Helensburgh instead and going out in the firth? Would that be any quieter on a b/h monday?

Thanks

[beamishken]

Rhu marina has a slip and will likely be quieter.
Regarding loch lomond you may find it easier to register in advance maybe on the way up or even contact them and see if it can be done online and get the numbers posted.
The big delay will be the registration if you can avoid that you may find it easier to launch elsewhere. We have launched from the campsite at Ardlui in the past and there is another 2 slips in Balloch, one at the boat yard (chargeable)and another via the car park almost opposite the boatyard which used to be free
Not sure if there is a slip you can use at Cameron house.
If you can register in advance and find an alternative slip then you may be able to avoid the bottleneck at the ranger station which could be a bit of a wait if several people are trying to register

[diver 1]

Cheers all for the replies.

Looking at it further I could come back around the southern route and drop into Loch Fynne at Minard Beach and explore around there for the day on Monday on route to our accommodation Mon night. That might provide more interest and less busy?

It would appear that you can launch off the beach at Minard at all states of the tide with a 4x4 - can anyone advise further on this?

Cheers

[nicksharpe]

Think about Arrochar: there's a slip near the pub that leads to the pebbly beach and is accessible at all tides. Takes you into sea loch, and from there the world's your oyster. Free, no registration required.

Nick

[Last Tango]

Originally Posted by nicksharpe

Think about Arrochar: there's a slip near the pub that leads to the pebbly beach and is accessible at all tides. Takes you into sea loch, and from there the world's your oyster. Free, no registration required.

Nick

And there's a 12kn speed limit in the entire loch with a potential £1,000 fine for breaching it........just saying.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMY15t6ujx4

If you're early at Loch Lomond it might be ok., trailer and boat rinsed for the trip home

[diver 1]

Cheers Nick

I looked on online mapping but couldn't easily identify where you mean?

I saw this slipway:

https://gridreferencefinder.com/?gr=...ipway_q_|0&v=h

but it looks very tight at the top for reversing a wide rib and car down?

Is this where you meant?

[nicksharpe]

Originally Posted by diver 1

Cheers Nick

I looked on online mapping but couldn't easily identify where you mean?

I saw this slipway:

https://gridreferencefinder.com/?gr=...ipway_q_|0&v=h

but it looks very tight at the top for reversing a wide rib and car down?

Is this where you meant?

It's quite tight but I managed it and I'm crap at reversing.

The actual slip is about 500m NW from your mark, opp Seabank B&B.

Also, I've been using the Balloch slipway into Loch Lomond for over a year now and never queued once.

N

[Last Tango]

Unless someones built a new slip in Arrochar recently the ones that are there are not suitable for reversing a 6mtr boat with a car.
In addition to them being very tight (the trailer would have to be manhandled) the road at the top is a main road and really not where you want to be bu@@ering about reversing a trailer outfit.

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by Last Tango

And there's a 12kn speed limit in the entire loch with a potential £1,000 fine for breaching it........just saying.

If you're early at Loch Lomond it might be ok., trailer and boat rinsed for the trip home

To be 100% correct the 12kt speed limit extends all the way down to the cumbraes but no one takes much notice

[diver 1]

Ok cheers all. We'll re-assess on leaving Easdale but most probably launch at Balloch and see a bit of Loch Lomond. As said above it will be nice to flush the engines and trailer properly in some freshwater.

Anyone else going ribbing on Loch Lomond on the Monday?

[Xk59D]

Originally Posted by nicksharpe

It's quite tight but I managed it and I'm crap at reversing.

The actual slip is about 500m NW from your mark, opp Seabank B&B.

Also, I've been using the Balloch slipway into Loch Lomond for over a year now and never queued once.

N

Very rare there isn't a small queue at weekends and especially public holidays. As I said though, it usually moves quickly as only 2 or 3 usually in it, worth the effort if never been before.

're the speed limit on clyde, it is technically from Cumbrae up but in 25 years boating around here I've never been stopped unless near one of the sub bases.

[beamishken]

're the speed limit on clyde, it is technically from Cumbrae up but in 25 years boating around here I've never been stopped unless near one of the sub bases.[/QUOTE]



Exactly! no point in frightening people into not going, as long as your sensible around official boats and sub bases you'll never be bothered and there is plenty to do and see around there to make it a worthwhile trip

[Last Tango]

Originally Posted by beamishken

To be 100% correct the 12kt speed limit extends all the way down to the cumbraes but no one takes much notice

The "Queens Harbour" that definitely is restricted is defined as Loch Long, Loch Goil and the Gairloch.

The Clyde Dockyard Port of Gareloch and Loch Long Order 2011.

For the rest of the Clyde, according to Peel Ports harbour authority's guide to leisure boat users. The 12kn limit in the Clyde only applies upstream of the Clock light.

https://www.peelports.com/media/1370...th-edition.pdf

As you say, even that is largely ingnored but there's a major naval exercise going on in the Clyde just now and they just might be a bit more @rsie than usual.

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by Last Tango

The "Queens Harbour" that definitely is restricted is defined as Loch Long, Loch Goil and the Gairloch.

The Clyde Dockyard Port of Gareloch and Loch Long Order 2011.

For the rest of the Clyde, according to Peel Ports harbour authority's guide to leisure boat users. The 12kn limit in the Clyde only applies upstream of the Clock light.

https://www.peelports.com/media/1370...th-edition.pdf

As you say, even that is largely ingnored but there's a major naval exercise going on in the Clyde just now and they just might be a bit more @rsie than usual.

I've been "advised" of the speed limit coming round the north end of cumbrae at 25kts by one of the mod Ribs escorting a sub seaward.
I think the speed restriction southern limit varies with the time of year as the water category changes in spring and Autumn
But in reality if you slow down around the two sub bases and official boats then your fine.
I think they just get twitchy when there's a fast boat around any naval asset

[Xk59D]

That ammendment is 100% different to previous version (good for us though), it used to be written on the peel port leaflet as extending to cumbraes, I've posted a picure of it on this forum before years ago.

However, you will only get bother if the police are bored and you are too close to coulport or worse, speeding beyond Helensburgh heading into Gareloch. The only place I've ever been stopped is lochlong a handful of times and never before I had ribs interestingly, only once were they being arsey. Im a sucker for lochgoil so dealing with the blues and twos on some occasions is worth it.

It is amazing though that most days I've seen them a handful of police ribs are flat out in Gareloch, certainly don't show a good example for other boaters as they go flat out coulport to faselane quite often (I assume it is daily patrols for shift swaps), seen them many many times do it. The old do as I say not as I do ploy.

[Last Tango]

I've been pulled at Rosneath water skiing.
Advised of the speed limit and told to cease my activity.

[breezeblock]

just go for it tell them your speedo is bolloxed plead ignorance if your caught people worry too much