Engine and electrical problems, octopuses, sunrises and a rainbow

Phil working on the heat exchanger on Ravensdale's aft deck

Ravensdale is out of action until after Easter due to a discovery Phil made while replacing the heat exchanger on her port engine.

It’s also been a frustrating week on the electrical front after a problem at the 240V fuse box left us without hot water and with no power to two sockets, including the one used to heat the en suite head.

On a lighter note, we made our first delivery of crabs for the octopuses at The Aquarium on the harbourside in Maryport, Cumbria, UK, this week.

And we were rewarded with a free visit to the Aquarium 😊

Return of the heat exchanger

We decided the heat exchanger and intercooler on Ravensdale’s port engine should be cleaned after this work was carried out to her starboard engine to cure an overheating problem.

On that occasion, we asked a local man called Norman, who looks after his family’s fishing boats, to do the job.

This time, Phil felt able to tackle some of it himself. He removed the heat exchanger and intercooler from the 300hp Volvo Penta engine and we took them to Norman for cleaning.

Phil preparing to refit the intercooler

Meanwhile, we ordered new thermostats for the port engine as the ones he removed didn’t appear to be working.

Me cutting a gasket for the intercooler

We collected the heat exchanger and intercooler from Norman on Saturday and Phil refitted them the following day after I’d cut some new gaskets for the intercooler using the gasket paper we'd ordered as spares after the last engine was done. He also fitted the new thermostats.

He then tried starting the engine and was delighted to see a good flow of water coming out of the exhaust outlet.

However, he was less pleased to find that there was also water flowing into the engine room bilges because one of the seals on the heat exchanger was leaking, so he took it off again and I cut a new gasket for it.

He put it back on, started the engine again only to discover another leak.

This time water was leaking from a pipe joint on the heat exchanger.

Removing the pipe again revealed that the rubber seals at both ends of the pipe were perished.

Phil working on the heat exchanger in the engine room

We think removing the pipe caused the seals to break up as it looked as though it hadn’t been touched for a very long time, but the pipe had to be removed to take off the heat exchanger.

We ordered new seals, but the company didn’t have them in stock so there’s no way we’re going to get them until after Easter.

This means Ravensdale won’t be going anywhere anytime soon, but we both agree that it’s better to discover and sort all these problems before we take her out to sea again.

Thankfully it doesn’t look as though the weather’s going to be that good for the next few days, so we probably wouldn’t have wanted to go anywhere anyway.

Storage wars

The contents of the saloon cupboards waiting to be neatly stowed away

One of the jobs I tackled this week was sorting the contents of the cupboards along the port side of the saloon.

Our newly tidied cupboards

I pulled out all the stuff that had been randomly pushed into the shelving, sorting it into new plastic storage boxes, which I then labelled.

Hopefully, it will be so much easier to find things in them in future and pulling something out from the bottom won’t result in further items falling from the spaces into which they had been wedged 😊

I wish I’d thought to take a photo of the mess that was in the cupboards before I started, but I didn’t so you’ll just have to take my word for it that it really is so much better now 😊

Electrickery

While I was tidying the cupboards in the saloon, Phil decided to remove a double socket that was inside one of the lower cupboards and never used.

Removing the socket involved taking a cable out of the 240V fuse box.

Phil removing the unused double socket

He used the now redundant double socket to replace another one in the same room that hasn’t been working properly for some time.

Only one side of it was working and it’s in an important location so we really needed to be able to connect two plugs at the same time.

However, changing the socket somehow stopped it working altogether. It also knocked out the power to the water heater and the socket in the en suite head for our bedroom, which provides the power for the space heater.

He called our marine electrician, who was unable to get here until Friday.

In the meantime, we started the starboard engine or boiled a kettle to provide us with hot water.

The following day, Phil decided to have another go at getting to the root of the problem and started trying to trace wires from the fuse box and the sockets that were out of action, both of which proved impossible due to the crazy wiring system on Ravensdale.

Phil studying the 240V fuse box

It’s impossible to see where the wires go from the fuse box as they come down over the diesel tank in the engine room and immediately disappear into trunking that is out of reach.

Further investigations at the socket revealed that the positive and earth wires were obviously connected at the fuse box, but the negative side was not. He then returned to the fuse box to take another look and was over the moon when he discovered the cause of the problem.

The cable going into the fuse box had somehow got pushed too far in, presumably while removing the cable for the cupboard socket, so the screw was doing up on the plastic covering rather than bare wire.

And I was delighted that normal service was resumed after having to wash in tepid water on Wednesday morning.


Crabs, octopuses and other marine life

The prawn pot that we drop from Ravensdale’s bow hasn’t been catching much in recent months, but we've found more crabs in there over the past week and, on Tuesday, we discovered we'd caught a dogfish as well.

Phil with the dogfish that found its way into our prawn pot

Some of the crabs we took to The Aquarium

We released the dogfish but kept the crabs as we'd said we would save them for the octopuses at The Aquarium.

As we were having difficulty collecting a bucketful, we asked the staff at The Aquarium if they wanted what we had so far and were told to bring them over.

We took them a bucket containing 13 crabs and they let us in to have a look around.

I was like a kid in a sweetshop.

I totally loved the displays and suddenly realised I was standing on a step meant for small children to get a better look at the rays and dogfish in a pond that’s made to look like Maryport harbour.

The dogfish and ray pond in front of a photograph of Maryport

A notice nearby said it was OK to touch the rays, so I just had to try it and discovered their skin to be very rough.

One of the octopuses at The Aquarium

All the displays were fascinating, but I especially liked the seahorses, the jellyfish and the conger eels, which were hiding in holes in rocks with their enormous heads poking out watching us watching them 😊

I can’t believe we’ve been here for almost 17 months and had not been to see the displays in the Aquarium until now despite visiting the building several times a week for coffee, lunch or breakfast and to buy bait from the onsite fishing tackle shop.

We were told that we can have another look when we bring more crabs for the octopuses, so the pot is down and I’m hoping it will fill up very soon.

I will definitely take my camera with me next time as the images I took on my mobile phone really aren’t up to much, but that isn’t going to stop me sharing a few more of them here 😊

Jellyfish

Conger eel

Sea anemones

Thornback ray

Another tank of sea anemones

Seahorses at The Aquarium

Sunrises, sunsets and a rainbow

I’ve made a concerted effort to get out in time for the sunrise this week.

My first attempt was on Monday when sunrise was at 7.02am.

A fishing boat in Maryport harbour

Reflections on the still waters of Maryport harbour at sunrise

And I was up and out for the sunrise again yesterday (Thursday) when it was at 6.54am.

Maryport lighthouse at sunrise

Maryport pier at sunrise

Sunrise over the Solway Firth

Sadly, on neither occasion did I get the full-blown sunrise I was hoping for, but at least there was a bit of colour to the sky.

I decided this week was my best chance of catching a sunrise without having to get up too early thanks to the clocks going forward at the weekend for British Summer Time (BST).

I managed to capture a half decent sunset over the marina on Sunday evening as, by the time I saw the sky changing colour, it was too late to go any further afield, so I grabbed a few snaps from Ravensdale’s aft deck and our pontoon.

Sunset over Maryport Marina

Sunset from Ravensdale's aft deck

And on Wednesday I dived out to photograph a rainbow that I spotted from the boat. Again, I had no time to go to a better location so just had to grab what I could get.

Rainbow over Maryport Marina

Sunshine, showers and a chilly wind

This week has been another mixed bag where the weather is concerned.

On the good days, it has felt decidedly spring-like and, on Monday, I headed out for a walk in a short-sleeved T-shirt for the first time this year.

Colourful graffiti on the ruins of an old building next to Maryport lighthouse

We haven’t needed to put our heater on by day for most of the past week as the sun shining through Ravensdale’s large windows has kept the boat lovely and warm, even with the door wide open at times.

Saturday, Sunday and Monday were all lovely sunny days with very little wind. Just the sort of days that would normally have us thinking about heading out to sea, but this week it was not to be.

A calm, sunny day on the beach at Maryport with the Scottish hills in the distance

Maryport lighthouse in the sunshine

The highest temperature recorded locally on those three days was 7.5C (45F), but it felt much warmer and we enjoyed coffee breaks on Ravensdale’s aft deck in the sunshine.

It was still cold overnight on Sunday/Monday with the temperature dropping to 0.5C (32F) and it rained overnight on Monday/Tuesday.

Tuesday was a less pleasant day. It was overcast most of the day, with brief showers and average wind speeds of up to 22mph, gusting to 30mph.

A heavy sky over Maryport Marina

The temperature went up to a daytime high of 7.6C (46F), but the westerly and northwesterly winds made it feel cooler.

We had rain overnight and Wednesday morning was overcast with occasional spits and spots of rain. The sun came out towards lunchtime with the temperature rising to 6.3C (43F). It felt cool but not cold.

Overnight Wednesday/yesterday (Thursday) was less cold than of late with temperatures falling to just 1.9C (35F) in the early hours of the morning.

Early morning light on Maryport pier

During the morning, we had sunny intervals with the odd light shower and the afternoon was cloudy with further showers.

The top temperature was 8.5C (47F), with a 16mph south-easterly wind. Today (Friday) is a lot cooler with the temperature so far peaking at 5.3C (41F) in a cool easterly wind.

Ravensdale early yesterday morning

First attempt at DIY marine engineering, missed opportunities and stunning sunsets

Phil removing the intercooler on Ravensdale's port engine

Windy weather this week delayed maintenance work on Ravensdale’s port engine.

Phil removed the intercooler and had intended to tackle the heat exchanger the following day, but high winds meant the boat was rocking quite violently at times, so he decided to wait for the weather to calm down a bit.

However, we hadn’t expected the wind to drop so much that we might have considered taking the boat out to sea.

Maryport lighthouse reflected in the flat, calm water on Tuesday

Removing the port engine heat exchanger

An overheating problem meant our starboard engine needed urgent attention earlier this year.

At that time, Phil felt he needed help to solve the problem and a local man, called Norman, who’s kept his family’s fishing boats running for years, came to our rescue.

Norman removed the intercooler and heat exchanger, took them away and cleaned them up before refitting them and the overheating problem was cured.

However, this revealed that the port engine, which had previously appeared to be fine, was also getting hotter than it should have done.

When Norman dealt with the starboard engine, he kindly showed Phil how to do it himself so, this time, he felt able to take it on.

The weather forecast didn’t look up to much for a few days, so we decided it was a good time to get the job done as we were unlikely to want to take Ravensdale out to sea.

Ravensdale's port engine

Ravensdale's dirty intercooler before cleaning

So, this time, Phil removed the intercooler and heat exchanger himself, with a little help from his friend (or rather me handing him the tools he needed 😊)

Phil undoing pipes ready to remove the heat exchanger

I also looked out the photos I’d taken of Norman doing the job as a reminder.

Phil removing bolts from the heat exchanger

Both parts have now been dropped off at Norman’s for him to clean them up in his workshop.

Phil has been doing the routine checks and maintenance on Ravensdale’s two 300hp Volvo Penta engines since we both took the RYA Diesel Engine Course, but this was by far the biggest job he’d taken on so far.

The really interesting bit will be when the heat exchanger and intercooler are ready for collection and he has the job of refitting them.

The weather was very cold at the weekend, with snow showers and high winds, so we definitely wouldn’t have wanted to leave the marina.

However, on Tuesday, the sun came out and the wind dropped to single figures – the very weather that usually has us untying our mooring ropes and heading for open water.

We might have considered taking the boat out for a spin if both engines had been in working order.

There was no way we could go, but we weren’t too disappointed. A few boats went out fishing that day, but it seems they didn’t catch anything worthwhile.

To be honest, even though it’s always fun taking Ravensdale out to play, we’d rather get the engines sorted and save our diesel for when the fishing improves or we want to travel somewhere.

Storage wars

Storage has been one of the biggest challenges we’ve faced since moving on board Ravensdale in November 2016.

And this week, I’ve been trying to improve on the way we store our food.

I’ve been recycling plastic orange juice bottles as storage containers for dry food, such as flour, sugar and rice.

Our new storage bottles

The brand we usually buy is sold in a wider necked bottle than most of the plastic bottles used for other products. This makes them much easier to use, both for filling and for pouring the dry foodstuff when we want to use it.

As we empty another bottle of orange juice, I wash it out and make sure it’s totally dry before filling and labelling it.

So far, I have three bottles that I’ve filled with wholegrain basmati rice, plain flour and self raising flour and I’m looking forward to adding to my collection as they fit really well in the little cupboards in Ravensdale’s galley.

Where have the swans gone?

The pair of swans that usually pay regular visits to Maryport Marina in Cumbria, UK, have not returned since I agreed to feed them.

I took on the task after the death of Phil Lee, the berth holder who'd been feeding them for years and had become known as “The Swan Man”.

I'd promised to feed them while he was unwell and staying with a friend in the town and I did so for a while, but I haven’t seen them since he died.

The swans hanging around by Ravensdale looking for food before they disappeared

I attended his funeral on Monday and was pleased to see two of my photos of him feeding the swans in the marina on his coffin.

I can’t really believe the swans know The Swan Man has gone.

My husband thinks they haven't been back to the marina because they’re away up the River Ellen finding a nesting site and I’m sure he’s right as I’ve seen them on the river on a couple of occasions recently.

Meanwhile, I've been photographing some other birds - the pigeons that are building a nest in the drainage hole in the harbour wall near Ravensdale and some redshanks that I found huddled together on Maryport's middle pier. 

The marina pigeons getting their feathers ruffled by the wind

Redshanks watching the tide come into Maryport basin

Passers-by

The marina slipway has been closed for a few days this week while work was carried out on the Whitehaven-registered commercial vessel Callan.

Callan arriving at Maryport Marina on Monday

The large orange catamaran dwarfed Ravensdale as it passed us on its way to the slipway on Monday, then again on its way out of the marina yesterday (Thursday).

We were most impressed by the way it handled. The skipper was obviously using bow and stern thrusters as the boat moved forwards and sideways as if manoeuvring its way around a chess board.

Callan leaving the marina yesterday (Thursday)

I wish I’d been on the boat when seven canoeists passed Ravensdale on Tuesday as I missed the opportunity to get a photograph of them in the marina.

However, I got a few shots of the same colourful canoes in the Solway Firth while out for a walk with my camera a short while afterwards.

Colourful canoes in the Solway Firth

A closer view of the canoeists

Photographic opportunities

Dramatic skies and stunning sunsets have provided some great photo opportunities here in Maryport this week - sadly I managed to miss some of the best sunsets.

Rays of light breaking through the clouds over the Solway Firth

A wider view of the dramatic sky over the firth

Sunset from the shore at Maryport

Another shot of the sunset from the shore at Maryport

The unexpected arrival of a Coastguard helicopter for a training exercise also encouraged me to get out with my camera to capture the action.

We were still in bed on Sunday morning when we heard a helicopter very close by. Usually, the sound goes away again, but this time it continued making it obvious that something was happening on our doorstep.

I quickly got up, dressed and looked out to discover that the Prestwick-based search and rescue helicopter G-MCGR had landed on a grassy area by the marina.

I dived over there with my camera and start taking photos. I couldn’t resist asking what was going on and was told it had come to provide the local lifeboat and Coastguard rescue teams with “helicopter familiarisation training”.

Lifeboat and Coastguard rescue teams with the Coastguard helicopter

The Coastguard search and rescue helicopter taking off

The helicopter flying over Maryport Marina

It then took off and flew across the marina to the Solway Firth where it dropped its winch line for training with Maryport Inshore Rescue boat.

The Coastguard helicopter training with Maryport Inshore Rescue boat

The Coastguard helicopter lowering the winch line

Maryport Inshore Rescue boat with Robin Rigg offshore wind farm in the distance

Maryport Inshore Rescue boat on the Solway Firth

Cold and windy start to spring

Tuesday may have been the official first day of spring in the UK, but nobody seems to have told the weather.

The freezing conditions we experienced in recent weeks have gone, but it’s been pretty nippy for most of the past week.

Sunset over Maryport Marina last Friday evening

It was very cold overnight Friday/Saturday. We awoke to find snow falling on Saturday morning and a temperature of 0.1C (32F). The temperature only went up to 1.3C (34F) during the day, which was also very windy with speeds of up to 29mph and gusts up to 48mph recorded at nearby St Bee’s Head.

Snow falling at Maryport Marina on Saturday morning

This was followed by another cold windy night with temperatures down to -2C (28F) and average wind speeds of up to 25mph, gusting to 40mph.

Sunday was cold with occasional attempts at snow and the day ended with a beautiful sunset.

Another shot of Sunday night's sunset

It remained cold and windy overnight with temperatures down to -0.1C. We awoke to bright sunshine and relative calm first thing on Monday, but the wind got up again late morning.

Tuesday was the best day of the week. It was calm and sunny. There was very little wind, but it was still quite cool.

The mercury actually rose a little on Wednesday. It started dull and overcast, then, as so often happens when the weather starts to warm up, the rain arrived. The temperature went up to 6.2C (43F), but it felt a lot colder in the wind.

Yesterday (Thursday) started bright and sunny, but the sky soon clouded over. Temperatures of up to 6.5C (44F) were recorded locally, but average wind speeds of up to 23mph, gusting to 32mph, meant it felt a lot cooler. It started raining heavily soon after it got dark and was very windy throughout the night.