Badachro and Gairloch
Originally heading for Gairloch Harbour (photos 4 & 5) we found no one at home (the HM was on holiday), but neighbouring Badachro more than made up for it. The weather was not good - blowing a gale and raining, so Badarchro with its sheltered bay and warm pub held a strong hand! It was in the Badachro Inn that the friendly locals told us there was one man we had to meet - Rob Adam.
Rob is the Mooring Officer for the sheltered and rather "Scandi feel" Badachro Bay, is employed by The Badachro Harbour Trust and is an agent for The Crown Estate who owns all the seabed in the bay (and half of the UK) below the High Water mark and 12 miles out to sea, and from whom the Trust lease the moorings.
[Did you know, The Crown Estate, is owned by the monarch for the duration of their reign? It is not the private property of the monarch - it cannot be sold by the monarch, nor do revenues from it belong to the monarch, although about 20% of profit is given to the Royal Family as the Sovereign Grant (Civil List) - their main income.]
Back to the moorings - they are the life saver of many a yachtie in bad weather. Usually tested to hold up to a number of tons (Good Dog is 10 tons), a mooring buoy is simple to hitch up to and is usually connected to a reassuringly massive lump of concrete or iron on the seabed. You have to pay to tie up to one, but unlike dropping your anchor, which is free, it does give a skipper huge and instant relief in a storm!
Rob is a very experienced mariner. He used to deliver yachts around the world and run a yacht charter company before settling in Badachro with his yacht racing wife, where he now runs his own marine company as well as collecting mooring fees. He was full of sailing stories and it was good to know he believed Badachro is the most sheltered mainland harbour in the whole of the west coast of Scotland. If the storm had continued I think we would still be in the pub listening to his tales!
Rob is the Mooring Officer for the sheltered and rather "Scandi feel" Badachro Bay, is employed by The Badachro Harbour Trust and is an agent for The Crown Estate who owns all the seabed in the bay (and half of the UK) below the High Water mark and 12 miles out to sea, and from whom the Trust lease the moorings.
[Did you know, The Crown Estate, is owned by the monarch for the duration of their reign? It is not the private property of the monarch - it cannot be sold by the monarch, nor do revenues from it belong to the monarch, although about 20% of profit is given to the Royal Family as the Sovereign Grant (Civil List) - their main income.]
Back to the moorings - they are the life saver of many a yachtie in bad weather. Usually tested to hold up to a number of tons (Good Dog is 10 tons), a mooring buoy is simple to hitch up to and is usually connected to a reassuringly massive lump of concrete or iron on the seabed. You have to pay to tie up to one, but unlike dropping your anchor, which is free, it does give a skipper huge and instant relief in a storm!
Rob is a very experienced mariner. He used to deliver yachts around the world and run a yacht charter company before settling in Badachro with his yacht racing wife, where he now runs his own marine company as well as collecting mooring fees. He was full of sailing stories and it was good to know he believed Badachro is the most sheltered mainland harbour in the whole of the west coast of Scotland. If the storm had continued I think we would still be in the pub listening to his tales!