obanbaymarine
...promoting a short stay transit marina for the heart of Oban Bay, on the West Coast of Scotland...
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Also known as 'the Gateway to the Isles' Oban is an exceptional marine
location which grew up around its waterfront.
It grew to be the natural port of call for all kind of boats visiting the West
Coast of Scotland, to change crews and take on fuel and provisions, all of which
contributed to the Oban economy.
Esplanade, Oban
With the development of Calmac's second linkspan at the Railway Pier in 2006, access
there for berthing, landing, taking on fuel, water and supplies became much
more restricted, and the increasingly congested Council owned North Pier has
very limited facilities for visiting leisure vessels.
Railway Pier, Oban
Charter boat owners report a serious lack of safe access for their crews and
guests and a total lack of access facilities for elderly and disabled people. In
recent years, some of the established larger skipper charter boats have
abandoned Oban as their operational base and others are considering moving away.
Oban and its surrounding waters has attracted significant interest from the
expanding market for canoeing and is promoted as a top-ranking kayaking area on
a world scale, on a par with the Arctic, Greenland and Chilean Tierra del Fuego.
Providing facilities to attract more canoeists will continue to make a
significant contribution to the local economy.
Local and visiting boat owners have long complained about the lack of decent facilities in the heart of Oban and many visiting yachts continue to bypass Oban altogether. Tobermory has become a beacon for many cruising the West Coast in the way Oban used to be - and should be again.
Local and national press regularly report increasing demand for yachting
facilities, reflecting the findings of marine service providers and maritime
authorities.
browse marine leisure reports - here
Several existing marinas on the West Coast are currently undergoing major
expansion, and multi-million pound redevelopment plans are being put forward for
a number of harbour towns.
marine leisure developments in the news - here
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how Oban Bay Marine began - 2007
Aware of increasing concerns, during 2007 members from local interest and
user groups around Oban Bay and the Sound of Kerrera formed a steering group.
Opportunities available to community-based initiatives were subsequently
explored and Oban Bay Marine was formed. To begin with, making improvements to
small previously existing facilities were attempted, but in December 2007 promotion of a much larger scale project was
embraced.
Following a meeting involving a number of Oban's most successful business
people and representatives of the local fishing fleet, when plans to establish a
significant number of pontoon berths with floating concrete breakwater between
the North and Railway Piers and provide local pontoon access were brought
forward, three representatives from that group were invited to attend the
December OBM board meeting.
These inner Bay proposals were on a much larger scale than Directors of OBM had
previously been given to understand was possible. This business group was at the
point of considering setting up a community company, limited by guarantee, and
organising a public meeting to progress these plans.
Oban Bay Marine is a not for profit community company, limited by guarantee
and was already formed for the purpose of improving facilities for smaller vessels in
the Oban Bay and Sound of Kerrera area, designed in such a way to make its
proposals attractive to external funding agencies.
Further, a public Community Consultation Meeting was in the process of being organised. Three of these business people - following lengthy discussions! - joined OBM and agreed to proceed with this development through OBM, to ensure that all interested parties were working towards the same goals in unison. The Board then co-opted them as Directors.
Community Consultation 18th January 2008
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| area to be dredged for the proposed transit marina location | overlooking the proposed transit marina location |