22/07/2020
Welcome back 💙⛵⚓ https://www.facebook.com/148646151957002/posts/1707660289388906/
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT for ALL BOATERS
RELAYING OF VISITOR MOORINGS ARRAN & CUMBRAE in JULY 2020
Council Visitor Moorings Support Marine Tourism
North Ayrshire Council is pleased to announce they can re-lay visitor moorings around the Isles of Arran and Cumbrae to provide a welcome boast to the boating community and marine tourism.
The 67 visitor moorings are extremely popular and well used from Easter to the end of October, however due to Covid19 the Council could not lay the moorings as usual.
Working with our local tourism and island groups and the marinas at Largs and Ardrossan the Council can now go ahead to provide moorings for the remainder of the sailing-season.
Councillor Joe Cullinane, Leader of North Ayrshire Council, said: “We are delighted to welcome back visitors and boaters to North Ayrshire. The Council is fully committed to supporting marine tourism on the Clyde by safely encouraging visitors and boats back to North Ayrshire.
“Providing moorings for the rest of the sailing season will benefit our businesses and communities who rely on tourism to welcome back visiting boats and encourage spending in the local economy.
He added: “I would encourage visitors to check ahead, prepare for what to do on arrival and to think about how best they can support local businesses and produce.”
The Council is backing the campaign launched by our partners Sail Scotland, RYA Scotland, British Marine Tourism and Wild Scotland.
The campaign reminds leisure and commercial boaters to plan ahead and consider the changes to marine tourism, levels of service and local access controls that may be in place at popular sailing and boating destinations.
The visitor moorings are installed by North West Marine a specialist company who is working with the Council to install the moorings safely, quickly and efficiently at short notice. With good weather and sailing conditions North West Marine estimate the moorings will be open for use by Thursday 16th July 2020.
NORTH AYRSHIRE VISITOR MOORINGS: INFORMATION
The Council in partnership with the community, VisitArran and the Cumbrae Community Development Company provide visitor moorings around the Isle of Arran and Millport on Greater Cumbrae.
There are 16 moorings at Millport, 2 at Pirnmill, 3 at Blackwaterfoot, 6 at Whiting Bay, 12 at Lochranza and 15 at Brodick. (Commercial moorings are available at Lamlash and Catacol).
These moorings are for visitor use only. They are not for resident boats or long term berthing.
The moorings are free to use.
Boats must weigh no more than 15 tonnes to berth on a mooring. Any larger vessel will damage the mooring, and could be dangerous to the boat or users.
The moorings are blue hippo type buoys; they are used on a first come, first served basis.
The moorings are lifted after the October school holidays, serviced and maintained over winter and re-laid before the Easter school holidays annually. This is weather dependent.
The decision as to whether a particular mooring is suitable for a vessel of a certain size and weight, in different weather conditions, is for the owner/skipper of the vessel to judge.
All users of the visitors’ moorings do so entirely at their own risk.
By securing a boat to a mooring the owner / skipper warrants to the Council that their vessel carried 3rd party liability insurance cover for any claims arising out of their use.
Respect the Destination – Covid19
https://www.sailscotland.co.uk/news/posts/2020/respect-the- destination/
Safety
Please ensure you understand how to pick up a mooring safely before you set off. We would encourage you to visit www.rya.org.uk/cruising/handling-sail/Pages/boathandling.aspx
Environment
We encourage all sailors visiting North Ayrshire to do what they can to protect the environment. For information on how to operate your boat in an environmentally friendly manner, please visit https://thegreenblue.org.uk/
Moorings Contractor
North West Marine- https://northwestmarine.co.uk/