Storm Brian and throbbing water

Wild waves crashing onto the shore at Maryport during Storm Brian

Storm Brian caused us no problems at all, which is more than can be said for our domestic water system.

Soon after Phil installed a new domestic water pump on Ravensdale the water started pulsing as it came out of our taps.

He was concerned this would result in increased wear on the pump and set about finding out what was causing it.

He searched online and discovered that it could be due to problems with the expansion vessel that builds up pressure so the pump doesn’t have to switch on every time a tap is opened.

Phil removing the old expansion vessel

We had a choice of replacing the membrane or the entire unit and, having found what we were convinced was the date on the tank, it looked as though it was probably due for renewal.

Our 43ft cruiser was built in 1984 and the tank carried a date in 1995 so it would seem that the first one probably lasted 11 years and the existing one had been in place for 12 years.

Also, the cost of a new tank was only around twice the cost of a new membrane so we decided to do the job properly.

Phil ordered the 24 litre tank online on Monday evening.

As we’d been living with throbbing water for a while, we decided against paying extra for next day delivery and went for the three to five working day-option. However, it arrived around lunchtime the following day – less than 24 hours after the order was placed.

The new expansion vessel

He set about fitting it straight away, but the project suffered several delays, including me inviting friends in for coffee. Ooops! Probably not the best timing, but very enjoyable all the same J

This meant that he didn’t get started on removing the old tank and fitting the new one until mid afternoon.

As with just about everything in the engine room, he was working in very tight spots and now has the bruises and aches and pains to prove it.

Thankfully my task was to stand in the saloon handing the required tools down through the opening in the floor that provides access to the engine room from above.

Once the old tank was disconnected, he took it out onto the aft deck to remove the fitting on the end to which the pipes were connected as he needed to fit this on the new one.

Removing the fittings from the old tank

He then took the new tank down through the hole in the floor and connected it up to the water system.

Fitting the new expansion vessel

We switched the water back on to discover a fairly serious leak so it was quickly turned off again.

By this time it was early evening and the light was beginning to fade. It was starting to look as though we were going to have to leave the water off for the night.

Phil asked around other berth holders to see if anyone had any PTFE tape – white tape that’s wrapped around the thread that goes into the unit to fill any gaps between the threads – but no one had any with them.

In desperation, we took a quick trip to B&Q at Workington and returned with the tape, which thankfully seems to have done the trick.

The old tank and membrane

We now have a steady flow of water from our taps and the shower. I have to admit I hadn’t realised just how weird the throbbing water was in the shower until the first one after the new expansion tank had been fitted.

Phil decided to take the old tank apart before throwing it away and discovered that the membrane was perished and there was dirt and rust inside it so we were very glad we opted for a replacement.

Last Friday, Phil gave Ravensdale a good wash to get rid of the orange dust blown in by ex Hurricane Ophelia, but every time he got the gear out to do the job it started to rain.

After a couple of aborted attempts, he decided to go ahead and wash her in the rain – at least it meant she got an extra rinse.

Cleaning ex-hurricane Ophelia dust off Ravensdale

I couldn’t help wondering if it was worth doing given that we were expecting another storm, but Brian was a completely different type of weather event. In fact, it was a bit of a non event.

It was certainly nowhere near as powerful as Ophelia, but I guess the clue was in the name – ex hurricane, I mean, not Brian J

The storm was due to arrive around midday so we went for a walk along the shore at around that time to discover that, although the wind was nowhere near as strong as we'd expected, there were still some pretty impressive waves to photograph.

Maryport beach during Storm Brian

Spray from the massive waves is blown over the pier

The sun trying to break through the clouds over Flimby

A large wave rolling in over the groyne on Maryport beach

Spray is blown off the crest of a wave by the high winds

There was also an 8.6 metre spring tide that day, which took us almost level with the promenade along the side of the marina, leaving us more exposed to the weather.

The ramp down onto the pontoon is practically flat at high tide

Ravensdale sitting almost level with the caravan park at high tide

The boat rocked around a bit overnight on Saturday and again on Sunday, but nothing terribly dramatic. That said, Maryport was close to the edge of the area covered by the severe weather warning for wind that was issued by the Met Office. It seems that south of here experienced the highest wind speeds.

The following morning we found a number of large branches trapped between Ravensdale’s hull and the pontoon and her port side was covered in splashes of mud.

Phil pulled the branches out of the water and washed away the evidence of the latest storm.

A rainbow over Maryport Marina

We survived Ophelia – now waiting for Brian

Storm clouds gathering before the arrival of ex-hurricane Ophelia

Ex-hurricane Ophelia blasted her way across Cumbria without causing us any real problems earlier this week.

Wind gusting up to 64mph overnight on Monday and into Tuesday morning made for some pretty rocky conditions on our 43ft cruiser in Maryport Marina.

But the preparations we'd made to keep Ravensdale safe during the storm served us well.

And, just when we thought it was all over, the forecasters are now warning us to brace ourselves for the arrival of Storm Brian – the second UK named storm of the season – which is due to arrive here tomorrow (Saturday).

We were originally told to expect ex-Ophelia to arrive at around midday on Monday, but the severe weather warning was revised to a 6pm start.

During the day on Monday, there was very little wind, temperatures were way up on the average for the time of year and there were some pretty weird skies.

The sky over the harbour took on a pink tinge at around 10.15am on Monday

At times, the sky was really dark, sometimes it had a yellowish tinge and at other times it had a pinkish hue, but the strangest phenomenon was the sun, which turned blood red and then orange.

The orange/red sun at around 12.40pm on Monday

We later heard on the TV weather forecast that this was due to Saharan sand and ash from north Iberian wildfires “giving a rosy glow to the sky”.

We adjusted our mooring ropes to move Ravensdale a bit further out from the side and put an additional rope on the starboard side to keep her away from the pontoon.

Extra mooring rope from end of finger pontoon to centre cleat on starboard side

Aware that there was a possibility of power cuts, we dug out our generator, checked it was working and filled it with petrol. We also went out to buy more petrol in case we lost power for a longer period. Thankfully this was not needed.

As Monday progressed the wind started to pick up a bit.

Soon after midday, we took a walk around the marina to the beach and out along the pier, where we saw a couple of local fishing boats returning to Maryport, presumably keen to be back in the safety of the harbour before the gale force winds arrived.

A fishing boat returning home to Maryport

Another fishing boat heading for home

At around 12.30pm, our new anemometer measured windspeeds of up to 19mph at the end of the pier and the temperature was an unseasonal 19.5C.

Phil checking the anemometer at the end of the pier

The wind really started to pick up and became a lot noisier at around 5pm and, by 5.30pm, Ravensdale was rocking well. We recorded gusts of up to 25mph.

By 6.30pm the wind was howling around the masts and the yachts’ halyards were clanging. Our mooring ropes were creaking loudly and our fenders started bashing against the hull.

The marina staff left the gate closed overnight to save us from the worst of the swell and by 8pm we could see waves coming over the gate with spray being blown back up the wall by the little building that houses the controls for the gate.

And, at around 8.20pm it started raining heavily, the boat was rocking more violently, tugging on its mooring ropes and slamming up against the fenders.

Soon afterwards we received a call from one of the marina staff to say he was coming down onto the pontoons to check the mooring ropes. He just wanted to make sure someone knew where he was, but Phil didn’t like the idea of him being out there on his own and went to join him.

I was very pleased when Phil climbed back on board. He had put his lifejacket on before he went out and I knew he wouldn’t do anything silly, but the conditions were horrendous.

We then watched as the emergency services went to deal with an ex-trawler that is now used as a liveaboard, which is moored alongside the harbour wall outside the marina gate.

The former trawler in better weather

There were lots of blue flashing lights as HM Coastguard, Maryport Inshore Rescue and the fire service battled to control the vessel after its stern line snapped and it was being tossed around by the massive waves. Unfortunately i couldn't get any photos as it was too dark.

We were some distance away, but could see its bow riding up over the quayside.

We later heard that the occupants were taken away to a local hotel for the night.

The storm continued throughout the night, with a top wind speed of 64mph recorded for Maryport. 

On Tuesday morning, it was still very windy and we decided to go out and see what was happening down on the beach before breakfast.

There were still huge waves crashing onto the shore and we didn’t think it was a good idea to walk out along the pier as the waves were covering it with spray.

We took some photos and videos of the wild sea. Annoyingly Phil's photos were much better than mine as my lens got covered in salt spray and I didn't notice until I got home.

Me taking photos on Maryport beach

One of Phil's photos of the wild sea

And, as we walked back around to the marina, we saw the efforts being made to secure the former trawler that had broken its stern line during the night.

Workington lifeboat stands by to assist with the ex-trawler

Securing the stern of the vessel

The lifeboat prepares to leave Maryport

Whitehaven’s new £2.1million Shannon class lifeboat, Dorothy May White, was providing assistance from the sea and, as it left to return to its home port, it was clear just how well suited it was for the purpose. It made light work of the huge waves, frequently disappearing from view as it dropped down into the troughs.

Workington lifeboat heading home through the waves

The trawler was safely tied up alongside the wall again, but there was visible damage to both the boat and the quayside.

The bow of the vessel was badly gouged and scraped and there were large chunks missing out of the granite capping stones along the top of the wall. A metal ladder also appeared to have been ripped off its mountings.

The former trawler safely tied up alongside

A close up showing damage to the bow and the capping stones

The marina gate was still closed, but the level of the water outside was higher than inside and it was pouring over the top of the gate like a mini waterfall, with foam being blown up into the air.

As we hadn’t eaten, we decided to go to the café at The Aquarium by the harbour for a cooked breakfast to discover that the floodgates, installed to protect the South Quay area from flooding, were closed. Fortunately for us, Environment Agency personnel arrived to open them as we got there.

The closed flood gate outside the Aquarium

The wind continued to drop as the day went on and Wednesday was one of the calmest days we’ve had here in a long time.

The calm after the storm

Now we’re being warned to expect high winds from about 4am until midnight tomorrow. The storm has been named Brian and the Met Office is telling us to expect gusts exceeding 50mph, with gusts of around 70mph along exposed coastal areas.

The old marina sign on Marine Road, Maryport

The new marina and caravan park signs

Meanwhile, the marina has erected new signs at the entrance as the old one did not show that there is also a caravan park on the site.

I can see the reason for changing them, but can’t help thinking the old one looked so much better.

A new fob entry system has also been installed in the marina toilet and shower block, which will ensure that only people who are eligible to use them can gain access.

Lumpy sea, sandpipers and a starfish

Our new red ensign on its first outing on Ravensdale

Ravensdale was proudly flying the red ensign when we took her out to play in Solway Firth at the weekend.

My operation and windy weather have prevented us going out on our 43ft motor cruiser for the past few weeks.

I was told not to lift anything heavy for two weeks after undergoing surgery to remove my gall bladder last month and I didn’t think throwing ropes would be a good idea either so we decided to stay put until the fortnight was up.

We then had to wait for a calm day as we have no desire to take Ravensdale out in bad weather when there's no need to do so.

The weather forecast was good for last Sunday – sunny intervals, very little chance of rain and, most important of all, the wind was due to be in single figures.

And, for once, the forecasters actually got it right J

It was good to get out to sea again and it enabled us to fly our new red ensign on our new flagpole for the first time.

Leaving Maryport basin and heading out into the Solway Firth

I love living on our boat, even when we don’t leave the marina, but there’s nothing quite like travelling through the waves.

And there was no shortage of waves on Sunday. Considering the lack of wind, we were rather surprised to discover there was such a big swell.

Me taking a turn at Ravensdale's helm

Phil at the helm

Making a cup of tea at sea was much more difficult than on previous occasions and I discovered that a round teapot isn’t ideal in this situation. It has a flat bottom, but that didn’t stop it rolling around the bench in the galley, thankfully before I’d filled it with tea.

I even had to hold the kettle onto the top of the gas stove to stop it falling off while we were rocking around on the waves.

And I dug out some non-slip matting to stand the teapot and mugs on to stop them sliding around while I waited for the tea to brew.

Making tea while at sea  (the cactus garden was in the sink for safekeeping)

This was also the first outing on which we’ve had company.

Friends, who have a smaller motor cruiser in Maryport Marina, took their boat out into the Solway Firth at the same time. Theirs is faster than ours and they took great pleasure in coming up behind us, slowing down alongside and then shooting off ahead of us.

Meanwhile, I took lots of photos of their boat while they were taking photos of ours.

Friends following us in their motor cruiser

I had hoped to have the photos of Ravensdale to use in my blog this week, but don’t have them yet so will include them in the first blog post after they arrive.

The GPS showing 16 knots 

Phil did a bit of an experiment with our speed and the tide while at sea and discovered that, with the throttles set in the same position, Ravensdale was doing about 12.5 knots against the tide and 16 knots with the tide.

When we returned to the marina it was good to see that the weed that was beginning to grow just below the waterline around Ravensdale’s bow had been washed away as I really didn’t want her to become a bearded lady J

Ravensdale heading back into Maryport Marina

We’ve also purchased a new toy this week.

The strong winds over the past couple of weeks left us wishing we could measure the wind speed so we bought ourselves an anemometer.

The highest speed we’ve recorded with it so far is 20mph, but I think we will soon be getting much higher readings when the tail end of Hurricane Ophelia reaches us on Monday.

Phil measuring the wind speed on our aft deck

Phil had his first attempt at beach fishing on the shore at Maryport in the past week while I went for a walk with my camera.

Phil waiting for a fish to take his bait on Maryport beach

I spent ages watching the sandpipers along the waterline near the pier and took dozens of photos and a couple of videos of them, but none came out as well as I’d hoped.

Sandpipers on the shore at Maryport

A closer view of some of the sandpipers

And we had a new marine visitor to the marina this week. We found a starfish clinging to the harbour wall. It's the first one we've seen since we've been here.

I couldn’t get a photo of it in situ so used a kid’s fishing net we bought to catch shrimps in the marina and scooped it up so I could get a closer look. It was returned to the water asap as I didn’t want to harm it in any way.

The starfish in our fishing net

The starfish and a small crab that got caught with it

The underside of the starfish

I've also been wandering around Maryport taking photos as usual, sometimes with my camera and sometimes with my phone. 

Maryport lighthouse sunset

Maryport lighthouse from the pier

The coastal walk along the seafront at Maryport

Maryport Marina

Ellenfoot Bridge at Maryport

A fishing party on the beach at Maryport

  

A pair of pigeons at Maryport Marina