Stern gland problems, lumpy seas and feathered friends

Our local swan family waiting for food by Ravensdale

This week Ravensdale presented us with a new problem that looked set to stop us taking her out to play on the water for the next six weeks.

When Phil went to refill the remote stern gland greaser on our Neptunus 133 cruiser, he discovered that the rubber washer on the end of the plunger was broken.

Phil checked online to see if he could order a replacement and found that it could take six weeks to arrive – not what we wanted during the summer when we were keen to get Ravensdale out onto the Solway Firth again asap.

Thankfully, he managed to make a new one that seems to have done the trick.

And we were able to take our Neptunus 133 out for a short fishing trip yesterday (Thursday).

Meanwhile, the pair of swans and their three cygnets that sometimes visit our marina at Maryport in Cumbria, UK, have spent more time here this week, especially on Tuesday when they failed to make good their escape before the sea gate closed.

We kept them supplied with food and fresh water until the gate opened again and they presumably returned to the nearby river.

Stern gland problems

The remote stern gland greaser (left of the walkway) in Ravensdale's engine room

While checking the stern glands, Phil discovered that the plunger in the remote greaser turned without putting up any real resistance, so he decided it needed refilling with white grease.

However, when he removed the plunger, he noticed that the rubber washer was perished and broken.

The broken washer from the remote stern gland greaser

He went up to MPM boatyard next to the marina to see if they had a suitable washer or knew where to get one more quickly than the six weeks quoted from the only supplier he could find online.

John, an engineer at MPM, suggested that Phil should make one and gave him a piece of rubber to cut a new washer to fit.

The next problem was that the largest hole saw cutter drill bit he had was just too small at 54mm, so I walked up to the hardware shop in Maryport and bought the next two larger sizes – 57mm and 60mm - as we weren’t sure which would be the correct size.

Phil used the largest of the two new cutters to cut the washer and, by nailing it onto a piece of wood he was able to cut a perfect circle. He also cut a slightly smaller washer and used the two together.

He then used a hole punch to make holes in the centre of them, fitted them to the plunger and it worked perfectly - or at least it seems that way.

Phil fitting the new washer on the plunger

It’s definitely pushing the grease into the stern glands rather than it coming up around the washer so that’s another job done 😊

Lumpy sea on Ravensdale’s latest outing

During a calm period in the long, dry spell in June and earlier this month, we took Ravensdale out onto the Solway Firth on alternate days and I kept all the stuff we could live without, such as ornaments, packed up for a quick getaway.

Earlier this week, the forecast was looking rather windy, so I brought them all out again to make the boat feel more homely while we were sat in the marina waiting for the weather to improve.

This meant that it all needed packing away again when the forecast changed and we decided to go out fishing yesterday (Thursday), but I’ve done it so many times that it really doesn’t take that long now.

Everything packed up ready for a trip out on Ravensdale

Our microwave and freezer strapped down in case it gets bumpy at sea

The forecast was for 4-5mph wind when the marina gate was due to open at around 9.15am yesterday morning, rising to 10mph by the time it was due to close at about 2.15pm.

The water was really calm when we left the marina and the journey out to the area we usually fish was really smooth.

Reflections in Maryport Marina as we left yesterday (Thursday) morning

Phil took the engines up to around 1,500 revs – 11.9 knots – to circulate the new water and antifreeze mixture he put in the port engine last week.

The sea was really calm when he started fishing and I was able to sit back and soak up the sun on Ravensdale’s foredeck.

Me enjoying the sunshine while we wait for the fish to bite

Sadly, our dry patch on the fishing front continued.

Phil waiting for fish

All Phil caught were two small tope and four dogfish, but at least we know it isn’t just us as the six people fishing on a local angling club boat, called Sunrise, didn’t do any better. In fact, they only caught dogfish.

One of the tiny tope Phil caught yesterday

Sunrise out fishing yesterday

We had intended to return to the marina shortly before the sea gate closed but decided to pack up earlier when the wind started to blow up causing lots of white horses on the water.

We started the engines, then brought the anchor in. As usual, Phil was on the bow operating the windlass and using hand signals to indicate which engine he wanted me to use to bring the boat in line with the anchor.

The ride home was pretty bumpy and we had to have the windscreen wipers on as water was being thrown up over the bow and superstructure.

Taken through the windscreen on the way home

Phil experimented with different speeds to see which handled the waves best in these conditions.

He discovered that 8 knots gave us the smoothest ride as the boat ploughed straight through the waves. Raising the speed, even if only by as much as 1 knot, made for a much bumpier ride.

It was still quite windy as we returned to the marina, but Phil had no problems holding Ravensdale steady in the basin while we waited for a yacht to enter the marina ahead of us or while bringing her in through the gate and returning her to the pontoon.

The yacht we followed into Maryport Marina yesterday

I thought I was going to have to use our docking sticks to moor her up and had them all set up ready to go.

However, as we approached the pontoon, I could see one of the other berth holders from our pontoon waiting to catch our ropes, so I put down my docking stick and threw him our mooring lines.

We may not have caught any worthwhile fish, but it was still good to be out on the water again.

Making Ravensdale shipshape

Ravensdale was well on the way to becoming the bearded lady again, which is not a good look for any woman 😊

The recent spell of warm weather seems to have made the weed around the waterline grow faster than usual, so Phil decided to tackle it this week.

He tied a broom head onto a telescopic paint roller handle to give him a longer reach to enable him to get to the parts that our other brushes couldn’t reach.

The brush head tied onto a telescopic paint roller handle

Phil cleaning Ravensdale's hull below the waterline

Initially, he tied the head on the pole facing downwards, then tied it on sideways to get further under Ravensdale’s hull.

He also washed the decks and superstructure again to get rid of the black dirt that blows down off the nearby road.

However, simply washing the gelcoat failed to remove orange marks that had appeared there.

Phil cleaning around Ravensdale's windscreen

We have no idea what caused them, but they had a metallic appearance liked rusty sprinkles.

Phil had to use oxalic acid to get rid of them before washing Ravensdale down again with boat wash.

The port side of her hull – the side alongside the pontoon – was looking much better.

We then had to wait for a calm day to turn her around, so he could give the starboard side of her hull the same treatment.

And the opportunity to do this arose on Tuesday morning.

It was lovely and calm first thing and it was tempting to take Ravensdale out fishing.

However, Phil wanted to finish cleaning her and the wind was forecast to blow up a bit during the time we would’ve been out on the water, so he drove her down to the end of the marina turned her around on her own length and brought her back to the pontoon facing in the opposite direction.

Ravensdale moored up the wrong way around while Phil cleans her starboard side

It was very strange being moored up back to front and every time I got back on board I headed in the wrong direction.

I wonder how long it would take me to learn that I needed to turn right instead of left to get to the door on the aft deck if we’d stayed that way around.

Thankfully I didn’t have to find that out as we turned the boat around again during the afternoon.

Phil cleaning the davits from the bathing platform

We’d done the first turn unaided and I used our docking sticks to moor up starboard side to, but we asked Reg, the marina foreman, to catch our ropes on the second turn due to the wind.

So, her two sides and the superstructure were looking lovely and white again.

That just left the transom to clean and Phil tackled that on Wednesday.

As it meant working from the bathing platform, I made sure I was nearby in case he went in.

I think I got the best end of the deal as I got to sit in the sun on the aft deck reading my book and waiting for a splash which thankfully never happened 😊

Window repairs hold up

The work Phil carried out to stop the windows leaking seems to have worked.

The problem developed when it rained for the first time after a long, hot dry spell that seemed to have affected the seals on three of Ravensdale’s windows.

It rained again last Friday and, thankfully, no water managed to find its way in.

Phil washing outside the dinette window

The windows in which he’d replaced the sealant also stood up to him pointing a hosepipe at them while cleaning the boat this week.

And the wood around the inside of the bow hatch now looks as though it has dried out properly after he removed the hatch and replaced the sealant.

I replaced the window trim around the outside of the dinette window on Saturday. 

Replacing the trim on one of the windows that had been leaking

As it was old trim that had been exposed to the weather, it had gone stiff and took much longer to ease back in with a screwdriver than softer new trim would've done, but we didn't have enough to replace the trim around the whole window.

Let there be light...

There has only been one light in Ravensdale's engine room since we moved onboard in November 2016 and Phil has had to use a torch for much of the work he has done down there.

We've made several attempts at finding LED bulbs with bayonet fittings, but have been unable to source them so far.

Ravensdale's engine room lit up by the new bulbs

At long last, we've managed to get hold of some suitable bulbs and the engine room is now a much lighter and brighter place to work.

The new bulbs are not LED but they are never on for very long so it's not really going to matter.

Phil's paddling shoes

Phil used to wear wellies to save his feet getting wet while washing Ravensdale until we spotted some “aqua shoes” in our local Lidl supermarket.

They were just £6.99 and presumably meant to be worn for paddling or swimming in the sea, which is why I call them his “paddling shoes” 😊

Phil's aqua shoes from the local Lidl store

They’re much lighter and more comfortable than his wellies, especially during warm weather.

The only problem being that they have black soles, but they haven’t left any nasty marks on the deck yet.

The growing swan family

The swan family returned to the marina on Tuesday in search of food and became stuck in the marina when the gate closed at lunchtime.

They paid regular visits to Ravensdale in search of food and water throughout the afternoon and evening until the gate opened again and they were able to escape.

Two of the cygnets eating hungrily

Each time, they ate a good cup full of floating duck and swan food and we set up a hosepipe that was running very slowly to provide a source of fresh water.

The adult swans immediately came to drink from it and appeared to be taking a bit of a shower under it as well.

A thirsty swan drinking from the hosepipe

The three cygnets were less keen at first.

They seemed a bit confused by the hosepipe and spent some time watching their parents before trying it out for themselves.

The cygnets watch one of their parents drink from the hosepipe

The swans paid us another visit when the gate opened yesterday (Thursday), just as we were planning to go out on Ravensdale.

I didn’t want them too close to the boat when Phil started the engines in case it frightened them, so I enticed them further along the pontoon and gave them plenty of food to keep them busy while we left the marina. They'd gone before we returned.

But they were back again this morning (Friday) looking for food.

The swan family leaving after a feed

We’re pleased to see that the youngsters seem to be growing rapidly so it’s now looking very likely that they will reach maturity.

Last year’s brood were not so fortunate ☹

Weather watch

While parts of the UK have enjoyed the highest temperatures of this year over the past few days, it has been pleasantly warm, but definitely not boiling hot here in Maryport.

And sea breezes have ensured that we've stayed comfortable even when it was warm and sunny.

Saturday was dry but cloudy with sunny periods. The highest temperature recorded locally was 16.1C (61F), with a top average wind speed of 13mph.

Cloudy weather on a walk along the coastal path towards Flimby on Saturday afternoon

It was dry and cloudy, but still fairly bright on Sunday with a top temperature of 18.1C (65F). The highest average wind speed recorded was 14mph, but it seemed higher than that here.

Monday started overcast before it started to rain. This was followed by showers. However, it was still quite warm when the sun managed to break through taking the temperature up to 17.5C (64F). The top average daytime wind speed was 16mph.

A cloudy but calm start to the day on Tuesday was followed by slightly windier conditions. The wind got up to 10mph by lunchtime and the sun came out during the afternoon when we had a top average temperature of 17.8C (64F).

Sunshine on Tuesday evening at Maryport Marina

Wednesday started sunny with light cloud developing as the day went on. Once again, the day started calm with the wind getting up by late morning. The highest temperature recorded locally was 18.7C (66F) and the highest average wind speed was 16mph.

Yesterday (Thursday) also started bright, sunny and calm. It stayed sunny and warm, with the mercury rising to 21.8C (71F) but the wind blew up around lunchtime reaching a top average wind speed of 17mph. It dropped again later and there was a bit more cloud during the evening.

A sunny start to the day in Maryport Basin yesterday (Thursday) morning

So far today (Friday) the weather has been warm and sunny with a top temperature of 22C (72F), but it started to cloud over early afternoon and the wind got up a bit.

The forecast for the next few days is less good with high winds, rain and possibly thunder and lightning.

Never a dull moment as Ravensdale puts us to the test

The window that sprang a leak when the heavens opened after a long dry spell

The past week has proved the accuracy of a well-known boater’s saying - while you’re enjoying a glass of wine and relaxing on your boat something somewhere is breaking.

I laughed when I first read it, but it’s definitely been true on Ravensdale this week.

No sooner had we sorted one problem on our 43ft seagoing cruiser than another one developed.

The first real rainfall after weeks of hot, sunny weather here at Maryport in Cumbria, UK, gave us a nasty surprise with three windows developing leaks last Friday and over the weekend.

The cooker packed up just before lunch on Monday.

And, on Tuesday evening, it was a bit cooler than of late, so we switched on Ravensdale’s diesel heating system to discover it had stopped working.

It quite literally never rains, but it pours 😊

Phil’s theory is that if we stopped drinking wine then things would stop breaking but I don’t somehow think it would work - or that we would even consider such drastic action 😊

Ravensdale springs a leak – or three ☹

Heavy rain after a long dry spell created a new problem for us.

One of the great things about our Neptunus 133 cruiser was that, unlike so many other boats we’ve come across, she’s never had any leaks, so we stayed warm and dry inside whatever the weather.

But that all changed when the skies opened and delivered a deluge of rain last Friday morning.

The worst leak was along the top of the window onto the aft deck

It started to fall around the time we got up and I needed a waterproof jacket to go up to the marina facilities for my shower, but the real downpour arrived while we were having breakfast.

And I discovered the problem after we’d finished eating when I went down into our bedroom to dry my hair.

The wooden steps leading down from the saloon into the aft cabin were very wet and there were regular drips falling from the top of the aft deck windows, one of which is a sliding door.

A bowl and towel on the steps to the aft cabin

I couldn’t believe it when I discovered water pouring in.

We put a towel over the steps with a washing-up bowl catching the worst of the drips on the top step.

The previous day, we’d arranged to spend Friday in the Lake District with a photographer friend who was visiting the area.

When we discovered the leak, Phil said he had to stay and deal with it as soon as it stopped raining, but he was happy for me to go and leave him to it, so that’s what I did.

While I was out, he stripped out the old sealant across the top and down the side of the window frame where it joins the superstructure.

He dried it as well as he could then resealed it using sealant that can be used in wet conditions.

I didn’t manage to get any photos of him doing this as I was out photographing lakes and mountains 😊

We’re hoping its done the trick, but we haven’t had any more really heavy rain yet.

I asked if we could point a hosepipe at it to see if it had worked, but Phil thought it was better to let nature test it when the time comes.

The only reason that we can think of as to why it suddenly started leaking is that the long spell of hot sunny weather had dried out the sealant causing it to pull away from the window frame and/or the gelcoat.

It rained again on Sunday evening and overnight into Monday. We discovered smaller leaks on two of the windows in the dinette, but no water came in through the one on which Phil had replaced the sealant.

On Tuesday, he removed the bow hatch to discover the sealant in the corner that had been leaking was badly discoloured.

Discoloured sealant around the bow hatch

He scrapped the old sealant off and replaced it with new.

Phil scraping off the old sealant

Phil sealing around the leaking port side window

And yesterday (Thursday) he was planning to do the same thing to the long window on Ravensdale’s port side that stretches across the back of the dinette and into the forward cabin.

He removed the window trim to expose the screws but could not get any of them to turn.

At this point, we had a bit of a rethink and decided that it looked as though the water was getting in between the frame and the glass. This window doesn’t open so he was able to seal all the way around with translucent sealant.

All that remains now is to see what happens the next time we get heavy rain. Fingers crossed that it all stays outside this time 😊

Cooker problems

Our propane gas cooker decided that it didn’t want to cook any more on Monday of this week.

When I went to light it to make lunch, it refused to play so I had to microwave our food.

Our galley with the cooker and fridge pulled out

After we’d eaten, Phil started to investigate the problem. He pulled out the cooker and the fridge to get to the wiring behind them.

It looked as though neither had been moved for a very long time as the outside of the appliances and the cooker housing needed a good clean.

That was the easy bit.

Identifying the problem was considerably more difficult.

The two cables going to the cooker were dead. Phil tried to trace the wires back to the fuse box, but without success.

After much searching, he decided the best solution was to put in new cables from the cooker to what we thought to be the 12V fuse box.

Thankfully, he tested the fuses before connecting them up to the cooker as, although they are clearly labelled “12V”, they’re actually 24V.

Phil connecting up the new cables for the cooker

As we haven’t added anything to these fuses so far, we’re assuming that everything connected to them is actually 24V and they've just been mislabelled, but it definitely needs further investigation.

Meanwhile, the cooker is back doing what it is supposed to do – cooking 😊

Our diesel heating system refuses to work

Phil was already beginning to think he’d spent most of this week working on Ravensdale when she decided to throw another problem into the mix.

Ravensdale's Webasto 5 heater

We really couldn’t believe it when the Webasto 5 diesel heater we had installed 18 months ago apparently broke down this week.

It had been so warm here that we hadn’t used it for weeks, but we were feeling a bit chilly on Tuesday evening, so we decided to run it up for a while to warm the boat up.

We switched it on and waited, but nothing happened. I turned it up a bit, but still nothing happened. I then noticed the green light on the console controls was flashing.

The Webasto heater controls

Last time that happened it was because the power had been accidentally switched off, so Phil checked that and found it was still on.

It was getting late, so we decided to leave it for the evening and take a look at it in the morning.

After attempting to start it by turning it on and off at the switch three times, it refused to even light up.

Phil assumed it needed resetting, so he found the fuse to the system and removed it for a couple of seconds.

He replaced the fuse and found it had restarted, which gave him three more attempts.

He had to repeat this process three times before he got it working.

Phil checking the pipes on our Webasto 5 diesel heater

Phil checked the hot air pipes had not been crushed and were securely attached to the heater.

He then took off the fuel filter, noticed that there was no fuel coming from the feed pipe and decided this was probably because it hadn't been used for so long that the fuel had drained back into the tank.

He then changed the filter for a new one, left the pipe undone for a minute and turned the fuel supply off and on at the tank several times.

Shortly afterwards, some muck came out of the pipe into the filter and the heater started working again.

We then had to leave it to run for a while to clear the system of any coke, which meant we were sweltering and had to open all the windows. Thankfully it wasn’t raining.

Phil was pretty pleased with himself when he’d finished and commented that 12 months ago, he probably wouldn’t have been able to tackle the job himself.

Before long, we will hopefully know everything there is to know about the various systems on Ravensdale.

Cleaning the aft deck

Another job that Phil undertook while I was out this week was using teak cleaner and brightener on Ravensdale’s aft deck – hence the lack of action shots again ☹

He tackled this task while I went along to soak up the atmosphere and take photos of Maryport Carnival on Saturday afternoon.

Phil removed the tables and chairs and other items from the deck and used Teak Wonder cleaner to remove the dirt, algae and fish stains that were spoiling the look of the teak. He then applied the corresponding brightener.

Ravensdale's aft deck looking spotless after cleaning and brightening

Knowing he was planning to do this, I made sure all the windows in the aft cabin, which is our bedroom, were closed as last time we deep cleaned the aft deck we forgot to close them.

The windows open inwards, so all the dirty water poured in and soaked a pile of clean washing that I’d just brought back from the marina launderette.

It was neatly stacked ready to put away when we’d finished what we were doing outside. Instead, it was dirtier than before I’d washed it and had to go back in the machine for another wash.

Sadly, I didn’t get any before photos of the deck, but this photo of Phil baiting a hook on a recent fishing trip shows that it needed something more than its usual hose down.

Ravensdale's dirty aft deck during a recent fishing trip

The deck now looks great, so we’ll have to try to keep it that way.

Last year, when we gave it the full cleaning treatment, we then used a product to dress and seal it, but it was only supposed to last 12 weeks so we’re undecided as to whether to bother this time.

Replacing the antifreeze in the port engine

Phil drained the fresh water cooling system below the heat exchanger on the port engine on Sunday.

One of Ravensdale's two 300hp Volvo Penta engines

This was long overdue as it probably should have been done when he replaced the heat exchanger and intercooler after they’d been cleaned earlier this year.

When he changed the water in the heat exchanger at that time, he was hoping the water in the system was good enough to top up, so he just replaced the water and antifreeze he’d drained out.

He’s since checked the water that was sitting in the engine below the heat exchanger and discovered it needed replacing.

So, this time, he drained all the water out of the system and flushed it through with a hosepipe several times before replacing it with a new 50/50 mixture of water and antifreeze.

Phil pouring the new antifreeze/water mixture into Ravensdale's port engine

He used a 50/50 mix to provide a higher level of anti-corrosion protection.

The heat exchanger and intercooler on Ravensdale's starboard 300hp Volvo Penta engine were removed, cleaned and replaced by a local man, who keeps his family's fishing fleet running, to cure an overheating problem. He showed Phil how to do the port engine himself.

The starboard engine was just topped up so Phil's considering draining it and hosing it through before refilling that one as well, although he's checked the mixture and it doesn't seem to be too bad.

Maryport Carnival

Up until last Saturday, I would’ve said I wasn’t into carnivals – not at all.

However, I decided to go up to Fleming Square in Maryport, where the carnival was congregating before it set off through the town, to get a few photos.

I left the boat at about midday telling Phil I really wouldn’t be long - probably about an hour at most – and, at that time, I meant it.

However, I was so impressed by the floats and costumes and the acts that the various groups and organisations put on that I just couldn’t tear myself away.

A mermaids and pirates float at Maryport Carnival

It was a beautiful sunny day, which helped a lot, and the atmosphere was brilliant.

I already knew that Maryport people were some of the friendliest I’d encountered anywhere I’d lived, but they surpassed themselves on Saturday.

Everyone was in party mood and the kids were having a ball.

Local children on a Votes for Women float at Maryport Carnival

A pensive moment for a young girl on one of floats

The streets were packed with people of all ages trying to get a good view of the procession as it passed and many of them were happy to have a chat as we waited for the next group to arrive and perform for us.

The emergency services led the parade.

And there was a big cheer for Cumbrian hero Simon Lawson, a Paralympian who won the bronze medal in the T54 event at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games and won the men’s wheelchair race at the 2017 Great North Run.

All in all, it was a great day and my “hour at most” turned into almost four hours 😊

I then faced the prospect of looking through more than 800 photos and processing the best of them to put on a local Facebook group.

I will definitely be going to the carnival next year, if we’re still in Maryport…

Lake District photography trip

A photographer friend, who was visiting the area, offered Phil and I the opportunity to join him on a photography trip in the Lake District last Friday.

We both accepted but Phil had to pull out at the last minute when water started coming in around the window and door from Ravensdale’s aft deck.

He told me to go without him as he knew I was really looking forward to the trip and I had a great day out.

I was very glad we hadn’t been put off by the heavy rain first thing as it quickly dried up and, although it remained fairly cloudy, we only had a little light drizzle during the morning then it was dry for the rest of our outing.

In fact, the moody, grey, cloudy skies were much better for photography than clear blue skies and bright sunlight would’ve been.

Cloudy skies over Lake Buttermere in the Lake District

Tree roots and reflections in Lake Buttermere

A dead lone tree on the shores of Lake Buttermere

We went to Buttermere and Crummock Water, stopping at several different locations to take photographs.

A tiny white building on the shores of Lake Buttermere

Conifers reflected in Lake Buttermere

A small island in Crummock Water in the Lake District

A closer view of the island with two swimmers in the water

A gate in a stone wall at Crummock Water

Mountains on the far side of Crummock Water

It really is a lovely area that we need to get out there and explore.

Splash party

We were invited to an impromptu splash party on Tuesday when a friend’s 26ft Robert Clark sloop went back in the water after seven years on the hard standing at Maryport Marina.

Tony invited everyone who was on their boats, the marina staff and some of the folk staying in their caravans and campervans on the marina’s caravan site.

Considering how few people were here on Tuesday, there was a good turnout for drinks and the buffet he laid on in the marina’s customer lounge.

Some of us then carried on with the party at his boat, Janina of Dorset.

Tony (left) with some of his party guests

Phil (third from left) chats to Tony at his splash party

Janina of Dorset back in the water at Maryport Marina

Tony was very glad to see her floating again and is now looking forward to being able to take her out to play on the water.

And his party turned into a double celebration.

On the same day, Marcus from the US bought a catamaran that is currently berthed in the marina.

Marcus, his friend Oscar and Marcus’s dog Ruby also came along to the party, so we drank a toast to his new acquisition.

Marcus (right) and Oscar at Tony's party

He’s planning to keep Kuri Moana in Maryport for a while before sailing her down to London, where he intends to live on her on the Thames.

Marcus’s maiden voyage on Kuri Moana

Marcus and Ruby

Marcus and Oscar took Kuri Moana out for a sea trial when the marina gate opened on Wednesday afternoon.

He’d hoped the previous owner would join him for her first outing after he’d bought her, but this was not possible.

He asked us if we’d like to go along for the ride, but we had things we needed to do here so politely declined his invitation.

But I offered to pop along and get some photos of his boat leaving the marina and heading out into the Solway Firth for the first time.

The wind speed was higher than we would’ve wanted to take Ravensdale out in and he seemed to be having a few issues with the wind, but he took her out and brought her back safely.

I took some shots of her leaving her mooring, going out through the marina gate into the basin and then heading out between Maryport’s twin piers.

Kuri Moana in Maryport Basin

Kuri Moana heading out into the Solway Firth

Meanwhile, Phil helped catch the ropes of another catamaran that had been stuck on the mud at the entrance to Maryport Basin since the previous tide.

The catamaran stuck on the mud at the entrance to Maryport Basin

It refloated as the tide came in and returned to the marina just before Kuri Moana headed out to sea.

Phil (right) helps to moor up the cat when it returns to Maryport Marina

A change in the weather

The long spell of warm, dry weather in Maryport ended with the torrential downpour last Friday morning.

But we’ve still had plenty of good weather over the past week and it hasn’t been cold enough to stop me wearing shorts and vest tops.

However, we’ve also had more clouds and some rain, but more is desperately needed as falling water levels in the reservoirs that serve this area mean a hosepipe ban is due to come into force in Cumbria on August 5.

Last Friday started wet but it stopped raining during the morning. It stayed fairly cloudy throughout the day but was still quite warm.

Saturday was sunny, dry and warm with a top temperature of 18.7C (66F) and a top average wind speed of 15mph.

Young lads having fun in the sun in Maryport on Saturday

We had similar conditions for most of the day on Sunday when the mercury reached 19.1C (66F) and the average wind speed peaked at 16mph.

Rain on Sunday afternoon 

It rained later on Sunday and into Monday morning. It was then overcast for much of the day, but it remained fairly warm.

The top temperature was 17.5C (63.5F) and the top average wind speed recorded at St Bees Head was 7mph, but it was definitely higher than that in Maryport.

There was more rain overnight and Tuesday was a day of cloud and sunny intervals with the temperature peaking at 16.9C (62F) and the average wind speed reaching 14mph.

Cloud and sunny intervals on Wednesday

Wednesday started dry, overcast and fairly windy. It brightened up during the morning giving way to broken cloud and sunny intervals. The temperature rose to 18.6C (65F) and the top average wind speed was 14mph.

Yesterday (Thursday) was dry, bright and sunny from the get-go, but there was still a good wind. The highest temperature recorded locally was 18.6C (65F) and the top average wind speed was 10mph.

Blue skies at Maryport Marina on Thursday afternoon

So far, today (Friday) the weather has been horrible. It started raining around the time we got up and has been doing it on and off ever since, but it's only supposed to last for one day and the forecast is much better for tomorrow.