Tighnabruaich’s new dinghy and tender pontoon is now installed and welcoming visitors.
At almost 100m long, the new pontoon was installed over several weekends this summer by T-Dock UK, based in Cove.
Situated next to the RNLI building, the new pontoon allows access at all states of the tide to the centre of the village with all its amenities and shops.
Boats which used to pass by Tighnabruaich on the way to somewhere else are now stopping and mooring up, using their tenders to access the new pontoon, and taking full advantage of the amenities in this beautiful part of Argyll’s secret coast.
The pontoon is intended for short stays only by dinghy or tender. Bigger boats are encouraged to anchor or moor offshore and access the pontoon in their tenders.
“This is a wonderful example of members of a community pulling together for the benefit of the whole: the pontoon was wholly funded by local donations, there were no grants or outside agencies involved,” said Lesley Carruthers of T-Dock UK.
“Local people are hoping that visiting sailors will take full advantage of the new pier and the easy access to village amenities.”
Because the pontoon is constructed of linked-together polyethylene cubes, it can be dis-assembled and towed away in sections to avoid the worst of the winter weather.
It also had the advantage of allowing the community to run a very successful ‘sponsor a cube’ campaign, and the plan is to have a board in the RNLI building listing the names of those donors who wish to be included.
Leave a Reply