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.