Battered Boats at Connel

[BlowingOldBoots]

Sitting watching 3 moored boats west of the bridge. One has its stay sail unravelling. Earlier I could hardly stand in the wind, big waves at conn.

The boats are being thrashed, yawing rapidly, pitching in the waves. Hope the moorings are strong. Will post a picture later.

Tree down blocking the road south of Inveraray at the caravan park.

[Nick]

This country is uninhabitable in January.

[BlowingOldBoots]

This country is uninhabitable in January.

It could be a lot worse. I quite like the variability of our seasons and find January invigorating.

Today was supposed to be a bending on sails day, but that won’t happen.

[Gardenshed]

going to visit the boat tomorrow morning when, hopefully, the wind has died down
jan this year has been so mild that it's lulled us into the false impression that spring has almost sprung. The grass has actually started to grow and there is some blossom on a few of the local cherry trees...but no longer

[BlowingOldBoots]

going to visit the boat tomorrow morning when, hopefully, the wind has died down …

Yours is the Soleil, iirc? I had a walk by and she was hanging on her lines, clear of the pontoon, boom end still in her plastic thingy on the deck.

Be aware the pontoons are very slippy. It appears as if you have grip, then a wee bit extra force and over you go.

[Nick]

[Gardenshed]

Good to hear my boat is ok. Thanks.
I want to check the lines for chafe and make sure there isn’t too much water in the bilge
Still not sure whether it’s better to winter in the water or in shore

[BlowingOldBoots]

All thumbs when trying to use quote when not logged in, then all over the stupid place wondering why quote feature and log in were not doing what I thought!

There was no report, it is an accident. I have no idea about the illegal or pirate software statement.

[SteveN]

I'm immune to the weather this winter - boat under cover in heated indoor storage.
Not from choice, it just happens to be where the boat was when I bought it a couple of months ago.

It's a very different experience to the Argyll boatyard winters of the past 30 years of boat ownership.
Thursday was a work day and I was down to a T-shirt and still much too warm at times - they maintain it at 18 degrees.

I was thinking that once I leave in March/April I wouldn't return next winter but I'm not so sure now..

[BlowingOldBoots]

[DaveS]

Hi Nick,

I'm trying to clear the report, but the available options are "close report" and "delete report". Am I correct in thinking the latter is correct?

Dave S.

[stevepick]

Is that a knocked down boat in the middle of the last picture?

A few boats knocked down on the hard at Kip in pictures in the Sunday herald.

[BlowingOldBoots]

No, it’s a floating structure of some sort.

[BlowingOldBoots]

Good to hear my boat is ok. Thanks.
I want to check the lines for chafe and make sure there isn’t too much water in the bilge
Still not sure whether it’s better to winter in the water or in shore

I think if you are keeping the boat in the water, you need to inspect regularly to check on lines etc. My own view is that they are safer afloat, assuming the marina is sheltered and the structure integrity is good, as the safest job is the one you don't do i.e. lift out, lift in, shore up etc. B pontoon was fairly bending in the middle of the run with a decent offset between the middle and the ends. Over at C or D, there was a large vessel on the hammer head and an additional anchor line from the corner of the hammer head towards the breakwater the was very tight.

Unlike Kip or Largs, which are piled fixed pontoons, Craobh is an anchored system. I have been at Kip, in 100kt winds and the pontoons were twisted at 45 degrees from the horizontal in some places, but they stayed in line with the piles. How would an anchored pontoon survive in such winds, maybe better? I don't know. With Global Warming likely to result in stronger winter winds, is shore side safer than water side?

Something to think about.

[aquaplane]

Unlike Kip or Largs, which are piled fixed pontoons, Craobh is an anchored system. I have been at Kip, in 100kt winds and the pontoons were twisted at 45 degrees from the horizontal in some places, but they stayed in line with the piles. How would an anchored pontoon survive in such winds, maybe better? I don't know. With Global Warming likely to result in stronger winter winds, is shore side safer than water side?

Something to think about.

Tarbert has pontoons secured by Teleflex (I presume chains) and the new ones are secured to piles.

The Harbourmaster moved resident boats from the older pontoons to the newer piled pontoons for winter berths. He obviously thought that piles were more secure for winter weather. It's several years since Seminole was there but I assume its the same now.

Seminole stays afloat on a serviced mooring with a chain strop and I'm not worried, its very sheltered where she is.