A WELCOME RETURN TO SPRING 2021 BOATING IN SCOTLAND FROM 26TH APRIL

 

North West Marine replacing the ground Chain on 'B' Trot this week

ALL being well customers will be permitted to stay on their boats from Monday 26th April following this week’s announcement on ‘the route out of lockdown’ from the Scottish Government. 

That is when the current travel restrictions within Scotland, are expected to be lifted, and single households will be permitted to stay away from home.   

The announcement also stated that ‘restrictions on journeys between Scotland and the other parts of the UK could also be lifted, if not on 26th April, then as soon as possible thereafter.’

At the same time Scottish Canals have confirmed that both the Crinan and Caledonian Canals are expected to open sometime between 26th April and 1st May at the latest, depending on completion of on-going works.

With retail outlets in Scotland also permitted to reopen from this date, we also aim to fully open the chandlery at this time. However, for the moment we will continue to offer our ‘click and collect’ service for essential items and from 5th April any item will be available for local collection. If you would like cleaning products, antifouling, anodes, engine spares or other chandlery items putting aside for collection now or for reserving for you from 26th April onwards, please contact the chandlery on 01852 500247 from Monday to Friday or email office@ardfernyacht.co.uk .

The ‘stay-at-home’ requirements will be lifted in Scotland on the 2nd April, allowing local customers to come and work on their boats as well as to continue to go boating as a form of exercise. At this point, while our showers must remain shut, we will reopen the customer toilets during working hours. 

As per the latest update from RYA Scotland, it has been confirmed by the Scottish Government that customers are allowed to travel outside their local authority area to their boats for essential maintenance purposes, in line with guidance for owners of second homes in Scotland. However, essential maintenance is defined as ‘only work, which if not undertaken would cause failure or become an imminent safety issue’. In addition boat owners are advised by the RYA, that they should not stay longer than the length of time required to check the boat and undertake the essential maintenance.

Rather than setting out an exhaustive list of every reasonable problem, the RYA added that ‘it must be left to individuals to make a judgement as to whether a purpose is essential or not’ and further stressed that ‘this is for essential maintenance only and not for cosmetic improvements or general spring preparatory work,’ which can be undertaken from 26th April onwards.

If you have any concerns about your vessel with us please do not hesitate to contact the workshop to get us to complete safety checks on board for you, including checking bilges, batteries, seacocks or anodes etc. The workshop team can be contacted by phoning Bob or James on 01852 500247 or by emailing workshop@ardfernyacht.co.uk 

We very much look forward to being able to welcome you all back to Ardfern as normality gradually resumes and you can once again enjoy all the late spring and summer sailing season has to offer in Argyll.  

Andrew and Joanna Ashton and all the team at Ardfern.

AYC EARLY SPRING 21 CUSTOMER UPDATE - 1st March 2021

Early morning mist surrounds a Discovery 55 on the slip this morning at Ardfern

SPRING IS IN THE AIR AT LAST - BUT PLEASE BE PATIENT FOR A LITTLE WHILE LONGER

WITH spring now notably and thankfully in the air this week at Ardfern we are pleased to report that the spring work on boats is now well underway.

In the boatyard the workshop team are busy antifouling, polishing and completing engine recommissioning jobs, along with launching vessels and continuing with our winter work schedule in the shed.

As a non-essential retail business the chandlery remains closed for the time being in line with Scottish Government regulations. However, for local Argyll-based customers we continue to offer a click and collect service for essential items from 8.30am to 5pm from Monday to Friday. 

Unfortunately, the facilities block must also remain closed to customers, while ‘shared facilities’ are not permitted under the current Covid-19 guidelines at this time.

While we are all desperate to get back out onto the water in our boats as soon as possible we kindly ask all of our customers to continue to be patient by continuing to adhere to the current Scottish lockdown restrictions, in order to help with minimising the spread of the virus and to help keep our staff, yourselves and our local community as safe as possible. The latest guidance regarding ‘boating during lockdown’ from RYA Scotland is available at RYA SCOTLAND while the Scottish Government Covid-19 guidelines can be found at GOV.SCOT-COVID-19

If you are concerned that you have not been to your vessel for some time, please do not hesitate to contact us if there is anything you would like checking on board such as bilges, batteries, etc and we will be happy to assist you. We can also forward internal or external photographs or videos of your boat if requested.

We sincerely hope that with the UK-wide vaccination programme and the NHS doing such amazing work, that it will not be too much longer before we see restrictions gradually being eased in Scotland and we can all once again return to boating.

For the moment we eagerly await the next announcement by the Scottish Government regarding further details on the ‘roadmap out of lockdown’ that is due in mid-March, and we will be updating you all once dates for lifting lockdown restrictions in Scotland are confirmed, and, when we can hopefully once again welcome you all back to Ardfern to enjoy your boats and the forthcoming sailing season.

Andrew and Joanna Ashton and all the team at Ardfern.