Important COVID-19 update

Update 15th December

Seasons greetings to all

We continue to work hard at the marina to provide a relaxed and most importantly safe environment for you to unwind and enjoy, and we continue to adapt to the new regulations as best we can.

In response to the Government’s new rules to manage the spread of Covid and the Omicron variant, may we remind you that wearing face masks in communal areas and when visiting the marina reception remains in place.

All of our previous Covid precautions remain in place including:

• Provision of hand sanitising stations and Perspex screens in our offices.
• Continuing with our thorough toilet, shower, laundry and office cleaning regimes as well as interim wipe downs of frequently touched surfaces.
• You may notice additional specific measures in place to continue to help prevent the spread of the virus; if so, please do co-operate with staff.

The safety and well-being of our berth holders, visitors and the team at Largs Yacht Haven remain our utmost priority so please be considerate and aware of other berth holders and the team's requirement to stay safe.

We continue to ask that if you have tested positive you do not visit your boat or use the marina as a location to ‘self isolate’, we can carry out any required boat checks on your behalf.

We very much look forward to seeing everyone over the festive season and thank you all for working with us through 2021 to navigate our way through the ever changing regulations.

Update  6th August

From Monday 9th August, Scotland's rules around Covid will relax and we will return to the normal we have all been waiting for.

We have worked hard at the Yacht Haven to provide a relaxed and, most importantly, safe environment for you to unwind and enjoy, and we will continue to adapt to the new regulations as best we can.

The safety and well-being of our berth holders, visitors and the team at Largs Yacht Haven is our utmost priority and as restrictions relax we need to continue keeping you and our team safe. The new guidance is encouraging people to take back their liberties gradually and people will ease out of lockdown at different paces, so please be considerate and aware of other berth holders and the team's requirement to stay safe.

Face coverings will still be required in many places including shops and public transport. We strongly encourage you to use them around the Yacht Haven out of respect of other berth holders and our staff. We will continue to encourage communications by remote channels rather than visiting the office where possible, and we will keep screens at our reception.

Hand sanitiser stations will still be available at each bridgehead, and you'll still be required to provide your contact details when visiting eateries. We ask that if you have tested positive or someone you have been in close contact with has tested positive in the last 10 days you do not visit your boat or use the marina as a location to ‘self isolate’, we can carry out any required boat checks on your behalf.

Seeing everyone use their boats this summer is bringing us more enjoyment than ever, and we must thank you all for working with us to navigate our way through the constantly changing regulations.

The sun is out and the Firth of Clyde is looking stunning at the moment, we look forward to seeing you all out on the water.

Update 21st April

Further restrictions are due to be eased on Monday 26th April. They include: 

• All shops can reopen and indoor attractions and public buildings, such as galleries, museums and libraries.
• Hospitality venues, including Scotts and The Bosun's Table,  can open until 8pm indoors (without alcohol) and 10pm outdoors where alcohol can be consumed (subject to local licensing).
• Six people can meet indoors - but only from two households.
• Staying onboard your boat (as well as other forms of self-contained accommodation) is permitted but only with members of your own household.
• Travel restrictions will be lifted between Scotland, England and Wales and restrictions have also been removed on travel to and from Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

If you are visiting the Yacht Haven, please continue to observe social distancing and wear face coverings while using the facilities. 

Our Marina Office is open, albeit behind screens. However, if you can communicate by phone or e-mail please do so rather than visiting the reception in person. It’s not the way we want to operate, but it helps everyone stay safe, and conversations through masks aren’t easy

Further restrictions are due to be eased from 17th May at the earliest.

Update 14th April

The First Minister has updated the timeline for further relaxation of lockdown measures. Here are the details of the upcoming changes, along with the forecasted dates for when more rules will be relaxed.

From 17th May at the earliest

Update 19th March

Carolyn Elder
Marina Director

Update 4th January 2021

Scotland enters new national lockdown

From Tuesday 5th January, Scotland will enter a full lockdown due to the increasing spread of the Coronavirus.

At this time of national emergency, we strongly urge you to follow the strict rules of the lockdown to protect our families and communities, as well as ensuring the NHS has the capacity to provide treatment to those who require it. We are following the advice of the Scottish government and we kindly ask our berth holders to do the same by staying at home and only travelling for essential purposes.

As always, our Haven Team are on-site 24 hours a day to watch over your boat and help in any way we can.  Please do not hesitate to contact us if there’s something specific you’d like us to check on your boat on your behalf. Our team are happy to check dehumidifiers, check batteries, place extra lines or fenders on your boat, re-furl any loose sails and tow your boat to the hoist dock for your winter haul out.

Please contact us by phone on 01475 675333 or email largs@yachthavens.com. For extra peace of mind, we can even send you a picture of your boat although you might like to look at our new marina webcams. We are here to support you and take care of your boat during these unprecedented times.

You can read the specific restrictions regarding the new lockdown at the gov.scot website. At the moment, this lockdown is expected to last until 1st February when Scotland will revert to the level 1-4 system which has been in place since late-2020.

We have no doubt that, in time, we will all be enjoying our boating again and we look forward to an enjoyable 2021 season on the water.

Carolyn Elder
Marina Director

Update 21st December

Entering Tier 4

From Boxing Day, the entire mainland Scotland will be placed into the country’s highest level of COVID-19 restrictions which will last for a minimum of three weeks.

As always, our Haven Team are on-site to watch over your boat and help in any way we can. We urge berth holders to read the Tier 4 restrictions thoroughly and, where possible, follow Government guidance to stay at home and avoid all non-essential travel.

Tier 4: Stay at Home
This is a short summary of the most important restrictions now in place in Scotland:

• Residents in Tier 4 should stay at home to protect their families and communities. You must only leave home for exceptional reasons such as work or education.
• Those living under other levels of restrictions in England should avoid travelling to Scotland unless for exceptional reasons.
• Scotts and the Bosun’s Table will be closed from Christmas Day until further notice.
• You should not stay onboard your boat overnight unless it is your primary residence.
• You can meet a maximum of 1 other person from outside your household or support bubble, but in a public outdoor space only.
• Although boating is currently permitted for individual exercise, boat maintenance is not a form of exercise and we strongly urge customers to follow the strict restrictions in place to protect the local community, our staff and your families.

You can read the full Tier 4 guidance on the gov.scot website.

Should there be any further updates, we will update our website and Facebook page.

Within the Yacht Haven, boat lifting will continue under a reduced capacity in order to let our staff undertake increased boat checks on the moorings and around the site. If there's anything specific you'd like us to check on your behalf, please do not hesitate to call us on 01475 675333. As always, we're happy to follow up any checks with a phone call, email and photos of your boat.

All of us at the Yacht Haven wish you and your families a very happy Christmas. And here's to a positive 2021.

Carolyn Elder & the Haven Team

Update 30th October

On 2nd November, Scotts Restaurant will be reopening. Scotts @ Largs and Scotts @ Troon will be open daily until 6pm with bookings available until 4:30pm and walk in's will of course be welcome! They are not permitted to sell alcohol &  can only allow a maximum of 6 guests over the age of 12 from no more than two households per table.

Read more

Update 9th October

The Scottish Government have issued new measures that effect eateries across the central belt of Scotland, including Largs.

Effective from 5pm on 9th October, Scotts Bar & Restaurant will be closed until Sunday 25th October at the earliest. The Bosun's Table cafe will continue operations providing indoor and outdoor table service, plus hot & cold takeaway food. The cafe is open from 9am-4pm, 7 days a week with additional tables around the marina courtyard.

Update 24th September

With autumn upon us, getting out on the water on those calm, cooler days feels even more special. If you are therefore visiting the Yacht Haven in the near future, there is new law that has come into effect that you need to be aware of.

Effective immediately, all visitors must now wear a face covering when using any indoor facility at the Yacht Haven including the washrooms, laundry and when visiting the Marina Office. For the protection of our staff and customers, this law also applies to all Yacht Haven staff.

Please remember, if you would like us to check anything on your boat then do not hesitate to ask us, we can follow up all checks with a phone call and photos, if requested.

We remain hopeful of a long Indian Summer and plenty more days on the water, and we wish you and your loved ones good health in the weeks to come.

Carolyn Elder,
Marina Director

Update 14th September

In light of the Scottish Parliaments’ announcement on 9^th September, there are new rules regarding social interactions that impact boating and berth holders visiting their boats.

Social gatherings of more than six people, from a maximum of two houses, are not allowed in law. The new rule applies to indoor and outdoor settings. One exception to this ‘rule of 6’ is if your household contains more than 6 people. Children under 12 do not count in the tally of 6.

Organised team sports are exempt from this ‘rule of 6’. The RYA’s guidance, published on 10^th September, states that club on-water activities constitute as an organized team sport and, thus, the ‘rule of 6’ does not apply.

We are seeking guidance on how this ‘rule of 6’ applies to general leisure boating.

If you have a new cough, feel unwell or have lost your sense of taste or smell, please do not visit the Yacht Haven. Follow government advice to quarantine and seek a Covid-19 test.

We must all take responsibility to help stop the spread of Covid-19 by following these rules. Please wash your hands thoroughly, use our hand santizer stations on-site, uphold social distancing with others and maintain high levels of hygiene at all times.

Boating still remains firmly on the agenda and, following the shortened season, we share your desire to make the most of boating while the weather is mild, while hoping for a long Indian Summer.

Updated 24th June 2020

Today, the Scottish Government announced further plans to ease many of the current lockdown measures.

From Friday 3rd July, travel restrictions will be removed allowing all berth holders to come to the marina and go boating, regardless of where they live. Furthermore, from Friday 3rd July you will be able to stay in self-contained accommodation which, as far as we understand, includes staying overnight on your boat in the Yacht Haven.

You can read more about the new easing measures and plans for Phase 3 on the Scottish Government website. The present restrictions remain in place until next week.

The prospect of getting out on the water and spending a night afloat with our friends and family is of huge relief following months of patience.

We must all continue to play within the rules, remembering that Scotland's social distancing guidelines will remain at 2m. Nonetheless, we hope boating will bring you plenty of joy and relief as we enter the summer.

Carolyn Elder,
Marina Director

Updated 18th June 2020

With the Scottish Government today announcing that we are moving to Phase 2 of lockdown restrictions, we want to pass on information about what this means for leisure boating.

Many previous restrictions still remain in place and, unfortunately, boating remains limited to those who live close to the marina. These are the main points, relative to the marine industry, as we enter Phase 2:

• Meeting others: From Friday 19th June, Scottish residents will be able to meet a larger group of family/friends outside. This must be undertaken while maintaining social distancing and rigorous hygiene standards.
• Leisure Activities e.g. boating: Residents are still advised to stay local to your primary residence to undertake leisure activities.
• Staying overnight: You cannot stay overnight at any location other than your primary residence. For now, this means boating is limited to day trips and please do not go ashore at any island or anchorage.
• Shops, Businesses & Factories: Retail shops and businesses will remain closed until Friday 29th June but factories are now permitted to reopen. At Largs Yacht Haven, Saturn Sails will resume operations on Monday 22nd June and Largs Chandlers continue to sell hardware and chandlery.
• Eating Out: From Friday 19th June, eateries will be permitted to open their outdoor space. At Largs Yacht Haven, the Bosun's Table cafe will continue their popular takeaway service, or diners can sit at tables in the courtyard. Scotts Bar & Restaurant will remain closed for now.
• Social distancing: Social distancing remains in place with a 2m guidance, where possible. This also remains in place around all areas of the Yacht Haven.
• Next review: The Scottish Government undertake reviews every three weeks meaning the next major update is scheduled to take place on Thursday 9th July. Once again, we will communicate what these updates mean for boating as soon as possible.

You can read the full Scottish government guidelines here.

For those fortunate enough to be able to go boating, please ensure you read our Safe Boating guidelines which you can read by clicking on the photo.