A Community in Argyll
SAILING
Loch Gair is a gem of the West Coast. It provides beautiful and convenient boat anchoring and mooring for local residents and visitors alike. Its sheltered waters are a safe playground for young and old to enjoy swimming, paddle boarding, kayaking and dinghy sailing.
Moorings in Loch Gair are administered by the Lochgair and Minard Moorings Association which collects mooring dues from members and remits these to Crown Estates. Details are available from the Secretary who can also provide copies of the very useful Clyde Leisure navigation Guide published by the Clyde Port Authority.
Loch Fyne has many features which make it ideal for sailing and power boating. Its sheltered waters are home to the convenient towns of Tarbert, Ardrishaig at the entrance to the Crinan Canal, Inveraray and the Marina and Leisure centre at Portavadie.
Points of interest include the gardens at Crarae, inhabited castles at Dunderave, Inveraray, Minard, Lochgair and ruined castles at Strathlachlan, Tarbert and Skipness all well worth a visit and accessible from the water.
Close to Loch Gair are the beautiful beaches at Otter Ferry and Kilfinan Bay and, of course nearby are the hotel at Lochgair, the restaurant at Inver and the Oystercatcher bar and restaurant at Otter Ferry.
The Oystercatcher has a pontoon with a least depth of 0.8m at low water and also moorings for public use. It has one of the best locations on the West Coast enjoying magnificent views and summer sunsets to the North and West.
Tidal range in Loch Fyne is generally 3.0 to 3.5m with tide times the same as Greenock. Tidal streams in Loch Fyne flow between 1.0 and 1.5 knots, somewhat more at Otter Spit narrows.
The principal dangers to navigation at Otter Spit and Minard Narrows are well marked. Unmarked dangers include Clach Garbh, a drying rock about 100m off the West shore half a mile North of West Otter Ferry. Also a drying reef extending South East from Ardcastle point (Rubha na Drociad) and within Loch Gair the point extending from the South shore should be guarded against as it dries out for a long way at low tide.