Happy New Year!

 

After a busy 2025 afloat and ashore at Ardfern we would like to take this opportunity to pass on our thanks to all of our customers for your continued support and goodwill. The weather last year ranged from the very challenging Storm Eowyn in January, to the glorious spell of settled warm and dry weather throughout May that allowed many of our resident customers and visitor boats to spend extended spells afloat, visiting the many spectacular anchorages and destinations around the west coast. This summer is already shaping up to be an extremely busy season once again and preparations are well underway to ensure that everything is ready to welcome you back to Ardfern Yacht Centre in 2026.

Our team of staff have seen the welcome additions of Carol Sheath in the workshop office and Dennis Wardrop in the chandlery. Meanwhile, the workshop team, under the management of James, have completed a wide range of expert and specialist repair and maintenance jobs. This has included painting topsides, deck replacements, electronics and heating installations, along with re-rigs, keel repairs and engine replacements. Our workshop schedule is very busy through the 2026 spring launch season, but please get in touch with the workshop office to discuss any upcoming work you may require on your vessel. Last autumn we were delighted to take part in a Jobs Fair, hosted by the local High School, with the aim of providing a pathway for young people to gain some experience in the marine industry. We now have one young person who works with us one day a week alongside his college and school requirements and we are hoping that we can provide more opportunities throughout 2026 for Argyll & Bute’s young workforce in the marine industry. In the chandlery, Lyn and the staff continue to provide a comprehensive service. Over the next few months we will showcase new products that you might want for the season ahead, such as the electric winch handle now on display in the chandlery, which has already sparked interest from some customers. As always, please get in touch with us to discuss your chandlery requirements – with an increasingly competitive online market, it is always worth checking with us if we can source products for you at better prices. We have access to and contact with a huge range of marine suppliers, both in the UK and abroad and will always try our best to get the right product at the right price for all our customers.

On the water, we are continuing with our rolling program of maintenance on the pontoons and moorings. Three sections of pontoon damaged during Storm Eowyn have now been replaced, and further sections are scheduled to be refurbished or replaced over the coming year. We have also finalised an agreement with Rolec to undertake a complete replacement of the electric bollards and supply on the pontoons. Installation is scheduled to start in March 2026 with the new system providing our customers with full control over their electric usage, along with remote monitoring and access at all times. Our website and social media channels will continue to provide up to date information and news on what is happening.