Monday, 21 March 2011

The Jetty - 3

By the early 1980s the slipway below The Ferry Stores was in a sorry state, broken into several sections which, as the tide came in, resembled a line of islands.

During the winter of 1983/84 it was repaired by a local, co-operative effort, the volunteers working at weekends. Roddy MacLeod provided cement to mortar the existing stonework, and Highland Council tarmacked the access road. These repairs encouraged a small group to restart the annual Kilchoan Regatta, a traditional event which goes back many years but had lapsed in 1962. The first 'new' regatta took place in the summer of 1984.

However, the sea continued to erode the structure until, in 1996/97, a substantial grant was obtained by the West Ardnamurchan Jetty Association to restore the jetty. The work resulted in the much more substantial structure we see today, with a well-formed concrete wall running down the seaward side. At the same time, the two stone buildings which had been part of the salmon fishery were refurbished, the one between the shop store room and the Ferry House was converted into a shower block and the other, Shore Cottage, above, made into a premise available for local use, such as boat storage, and the office for the Regatta.

Since then WAJA, now a company limited by guarantee, has struggled to raise funds to maintain the facilities, its only sources of income being the four moorings it provides for passing yachts, a '100 Club' which it runs, the takings from the shower block, and an annual payment from the Regatta Committee. Thus, when storms recently damaged the jetty, it was repaired by volunteers. A recent inspection showed that parts of the concrete surface of the jetty are, once again, showing signs of wear.

Despite this, the jetty continues to provide a centre for the village's many maritime activities. The two local creel-fishing boats use it for repairs. Numerous craft, from kayaks to keel yachts, rowing boats to RIBs, launch from it, and visiting yachtsmen land at it. And, as summer approaches, a crew of crabs assembles in eager anticipation of the annual bacon feast - provided on the ends of orange crab lines by groups of laughing youngsters.

5 comments:

  1. I think we need to do a few running repairs again this summer. You can see from the photo of Titch's boat that there is a 3 inch layer of concrete that is starting to lift. The cold winter did it no favours and I'm amazed another big lump hasn't come off (unless it did so in the last 3 weeks!)
    We used a special fast setting cement that is suited to marine environments and I see that they do it as a grout (Weber Five Star, if you're interested!) I think we'll need to mix it with some poly-fibres for added strength and get it into the long cracks below the top surface. Any of the Jetty Boys reading this? Got any ideas?
    Chris

    ReplyDelete
  2. I stayed on one of your moorings on 24/07/16 and not having the £13 cash to put in Honesty Box I tried to pay by bank transfer using the bank details given on the mooring bouoy. Unfortunatey my bank refused since it didn't recognise your sort code 82-68-19. can you verify whether this is correct or give me an address I can send the cheque to.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you, Anonymous. I have asked how you can pay and will get back to you. Jon

    ReplyDelete
  4. Please make a cheque out to the West Ardnamurchan Jetty Association, and send it to Mr Alastair MacColl, Eileann Feoir, Portuairk, Kilchoan, Acharacle, Argyll PH36 4LN. Thank you. Jon

    ReplyDelete