Loch Lomond Sailing

[ianmair]

Hi all, does anyone have experience sailing a Swallow on Loch Lomond? Thinking of taking our BRe for a week and looking for mooring/hardstanding and camping recommendations.
I see previous posts from Gareth and Paul in the search, but interested in other views or recent local knowledge!
Thanks!
Ian

[garethrow]

Ian
Yes - I have commented before on Loch Lomind because I think it is a superb place to sail providing it is out of midge season! Twenty miles long, islands, bays, shallow anchorags, superb mountain scenery and plenty of small 'ports' to explore, no tides to worry about - what's not to like.

Most boats launch at the public slipway at the south end of the Loch where facilites are good. We didn't do this, partly through lack of nearby camping, and partly, being at 1 end,  there is only one way you can go from there - so miss out on the variety of the Loch.

We based ourselves at the Caravan & Camping site about a third away up on the east side of the Loch. This was OK but a little challenging as their slip is overhung a little with trees that needed careful negotiation each day as we launched / retreived. I think a mooring could have been available but we did not have a tender to make this an option. There is another campsite a little further up the shore where boats appeared to be launching from but I don't know if that was via a slip or via the beach.

Further up still at the end of the road (narrow but passable) is the Rowardennan Hotel complex which we sailed past and I wonder if it would make a good base for a rally. Beach, pontoon, morings, self catering lodges and nearby YHA hostel. We did not stop there but I would invistigate this if I were going again - and I would quite like to do this one day.

Practicalities: You have to register with the Loch Lomond Authorities and get a unique reg number to display on your boat. This is a large sticker which I unwisely put on our hull - it is very difficult to fully remove! I wish I had made up a temporary board of some sort. Thre is an excellent 'atlas' of charts available fom the same Authority - well worth the money. The road   pthe east side past campsites and 1 sailing club is narrow but passable with care. The sailng slub was closed whilst we were there. The Drascombe Assosc. do an annual rally there so have lots of experience; their rally though is a live aboard rally so no good for us who prefer a campaervan bed at night!

Good luck!

Gareth Rowlands
BR20 Halen Y Mor grp

[ianmair]

Gareth, thank you so much for such a comprehensive post. It sounds great and made much easier with your input!
Ian

[dermot]

One good location we have returned to several times with our BR20 is Inchcailloch island, just opposite Balmaha village. There is a permitted “wild” campsite there in Port Bawn, run by the National Park authority. It needs to be booked in advance (it’s very small - https://www.lochlomond-trossachs.org/things-to-do/camping/find-a-campsite/inchcailloch/). The facilities are basic but include a composting toilet and some picnic benches and some fire pits (bring your own wood, you’re not allowed to harvest any even if it’s lying on the ground).
You could anchor off the beach and sleep on board without needing to book, tied to a tree so you can wade ashore. (This is what the drascombe rally did when we bumped into them last year.)
We would normally sail up from Balloch (pretty much the only public slipway at the south end of the loch, it’s excellent and well managed but very busy with speed boats and jet skis), as a mini expedition with our young daughter. There are other islands and anchorages more or less on the way.
It’s worth nothing they sometimes close the slipway for swimming events, or on one occasion the water level was too high. So worth calling in advance. On these occasions we have used a private slipway in Balloch (Loch Lomond marina/Floetree), but it’s less convenient as it’s the wrong side of a bridge which needs to be passed before raising the mast.