Spring 2026 News Update

 ARDFERN SPRING 2026 NEWS UPDATE

AYC OPEN DAY

Marine electronics suppliers, Raymarine will be on site at Ardfern as part of their Spring 2026 Roadshow on Thursday 16th April from 10am to 3pm to provide customers with an opportunity to find out more about their latest products.

Other leading marine supplier, Barrus will also be here with their new Mercury electric outboards

NEW ROLEC ELECTRIC BOLLARDS

As part of an on going investment programme improving the infrastructure and services at Ardfern, new Rolec electric bollards have now been installed on all of the pontoon network.

This allows customers to monitor and control their electric use remotely using an app from Metpow that can be downloaded onto smart phones.

Once an account is set up on the app, credit for electric usage can be added by the customer as and when required. Additionally, when boats are disconnected from the sockets, customers will be notified in their app and connection will pause, until the customer turns the power back on via their app. One great aspect of this is that if someone else unplugs a customers boat and tries to plug their boat in, they will not be able to use your electric!

REPLACEMENT PONTOONS & BIGGER MOORING BLOCKS

Six pontoons that had either come to the end of their natural working life or were damaged following last year’s storm’s, have now been replaced with new Walcon sections. This is also part of a rolling replacement programme for the pontoon network going forward at AYC.

In addition, following the stormy 2025 season the mooring blocks under the pontoons have now also been upgraded from 2 to 4-tonne blocks to provide extra secure anchoring for the entire pontoon network.

ARDFERN VILLAGE STORE & CAFÉ

Easter weekend saw the relocation of the popular village shop in Ardfern to the building that used to be ‘Lucy’s’ café. Owner, Rebecca Dalton, plans to run the shop alongside a new café in their new home. The café will be open all year round during the same hours as the shop with breakfast rolls available from 8am to 11am, lunches served from 11am to 2.30pm and fresh coffee and home baking available all day. Just the job for hungry sailors!

Raymarine Roadshow 2026

Raymarine have just published their Roadshow schedule for 2026 and we are delighted that Ardfern Yacht Centre will once again be hosting the event. We are one of only three locations in Scotland where you will be able to meet the Raymarine experts and get advice on all aspects of marine electronics. Whether you are thinking of upgrading equipment or simply looking for advice on how to get the best use out of your current set-up, come along to Ardfern Yacht Centre on Thursday 16th April and chat to the Raymarine specialists directly. More event details to follow.

Scheduled maintenance

 

Our scheduled program of maintenance on the pontoons is underway. 

Preparatory work is being carried out for the arrival of Rolec in early March to undertake the complete replacement of the electric bollards and supply. The new system will provide our customers with full control over their electric usage, along with remote monitoring and access at all times. 

KMass Marine will also be on site in the next week to replace a further three sections of pontoon as well as carry out a full spring program of maintenance on the pontoons and moorings. 

Disruptions will be kept to a minimum but please be aware that access to some areas of the pontoons will be restricted at times. Please check with us for details.

Happy New Year 2026

2026 is already shaping up to be another busy summer, and preparations are well underway to ensure that everything is ready to welcome our customers back to Ardfern Yacht Centre. 

We are continuing with our rolling program of maintenance on the pontoons and moorings. Three sections of pontoon damaged during Storm Eowyn were replaced in the autumn, and further sections are scheduled to be changed this spring. Rolec will be on site in March to undertake a complete replacement of the electric bollards and supply on the pontoons. The new system will provide our customers with full control over their electric usage, along with remote monitoring and access at all times.

In the chandlery, we continue to source new and innovative products, at competitive prices. Keep an eye on our social media for more details over the coming weeks. 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.

ARDFERN YACHT CENTRE - OPEN DAY 2024

 OPEN DAY 19TH APRIL 2024

RAYMARINE will be at the Yacht Centre on Monday 29th April as part of their 2024 Roadshow.  They will have all of their latest products onboard, including their recently launched Alpha performance displays.   Raymarine experts will be on hand to answer any queries you may have about repairing or replacing your marine electronics and to share their expert advice on configuring your existing systems.

The current spring trade-in promotion on offer from Raymarine will still be available to take advantage of on the day.

The RNLI Water Safety Officer will be hosting a lifejacket clinic, showing you how to check your lifejackets to ensure they are fit for purpose as well as advising on all water safety matters.
RNLI merchandise and fundraising volunteers will be here to help promote this invaluable service.

Barrus are one of our trade suppliers and will be here at our open day to demonstrate and showcase the Whisper Power range of marine electrical technology, including the latest generators and battery charging systems. They will also be available to give advice on the other products they supply.

Polly's Coffee Stop will be offering refreshments throughout the day.

ARDFERN ROADS

 Travel Update

Following on from major disruptions to our local road network over winter, we can confirm that access to Ardfern Yacht Centre is again possible from both Oban and Lochgilphead directions. Approaching on the A816 from Lochgilphead, there is a convoy system in operation on a new temporary road, bypassing the short section of road that remains closed whilst they continue work on clearing and stabilising the hillside affected by the landslip. The convoy system operates 24/7 and does not add any significant delay to your journey. The A816 between Ardfern and Oban to the north is fully open.

ARDFERN ROADS AND SUNDAY CHANDLERY OPENING UPDATE

 TRAVEL TO AND FROM ARDFERN

AS many of you will already be aware, Argyll like many other areas of Scotland has been hit by some torrential rainfall in recent weeks.

The result of this has unfortunately caused some major road closures in the Ardfern area and as such is causing a great deal of disruption to the business and local community.

The diversion route via Loch Avich and Taynuilt.

At this current time the A816 is closed south of Ardfern due to a large landslide and north of Ardfern at Kilmelford, due to the failure of the main road bridge in the village, which has now had to be demolished.

Argyll and Bute Council state that ‘work on the bridge in Kilmelford is progressing well and a temporary structure should be in place within a matter of days.’

In the meantime, the recommended diversion route is via the C29 Loch Avich road and B845 Taynuilt road, however it should be noted that this route is very narrow in places, unsuitable for heavy goods vehicles and can easily get congested.

Once the Kilmelford Bridge is passable, the recommended diversion route to and from Ardfern will be via the A816 from Oban.

Surveying work has begun on the Bealach landslip on the A816 between Ardfern and Lochgilphead, with the Council planning to make a temporary alternative road via an existing forestry track, in order to effectively bypass the section of road affected by the landslip, which they estimate will take approximately 4 weeks to put in place. However, works can only start, once land agreements and various other technical matters have been completed. Ideally the council are then looking to start this work in parallel with stabilising the hillside and removing the material that has been washed down the Bealach, with the aim being to repair and reopen the original road once this is completed.  

Landslide at the Bealach.

We would suggest that any customers visiting their boats in the coming weeks are aware of the road conditions at the time of travelling and plan and re-route journeys accordingly by checking for updates with Traffic Scotland at www.traffic.gov.scot and on the Argyll and Bute Council website at www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/service-status

 

CHANDLERY AND OFFICE OPENING

During this period of disruption, due to the difficulties for staff travelling in and out of Ardfern, we may have to close the chandlery on some Sundays, the first one being this Sunday 22^nd October. However, rest assured that boats and the yard will be checked during the day.

In between the challenging weather conditions, James and the workshop team are progressing well in getting boats ashore for the winter, along with getting winter maintenance jobs well under way.

As always we thank you for your patience with these trying matters and hope you have had an enjoyable 2023 boating season with us at Ardfern.

 

Andrew and Joanna Ashton and all the team at Ardfern.