Causing a power cut at our marina and the cat shark that got away

Ravendsale moored up at Maryport Marina in Cumbria, UK

Ravensdale had a new surprise in store for us – and the rest of our marina - when we returned from a fishing trip yesterday (Thursday).

We reconnected our power lead to the supply on the pontoon when we got back to Maryport Marina in Cumbria, UK, to discover that the electricity was off – or so we thought.

It turned out that plugging our lead back into the marina’s electricity bollard blew the main fuse for all the electricity on the pontoons.

We were left feeling guilty for having caused the problem and very grateful to the marina for dealing with it so quickly and being so understanding.

Sadly, I had another reason to feel guilty as I’m pretty sure it was my fault that Phil lost a big bull huss while we were out fishing on the Solway Firth yesterday ☹

Meanwhile, one of the other berth holders here was very lucky that someone just happened to be walking along the pontoons soon after he tripped and fell into the water in the middle of the night.

Marina power cut

The electricity bollard next to Ravensdale

We plugged back into the shore power yesterday evening after returning from our fishing trip.

We didn’t check the power was on at that stage and didn’t find out that we had no power until I plugged my laptop in to charge the battery to discover it wasn’t working.

Phil started investigating the problem, initially without success as the fuses on the boat were fine.

We managed to plug the generator in so used that while the marina staff were trying to sort the problem, which we assume was caused by the plug on the power lead that is connected to our boat. 

Phil thinks it may have been due to water getting into the socket during recent periods of heavy rain. 

Reg, the marina foreman, had gone home but he came back in to deal with the problem and lent us another power lead until we could get a replacement.

We’ve now ordered a new power lead that’s due to arrive on Monday.

The socket that caused the problems

The one that got away

The weather gods were kind to us this week, giving us a choice of two days that we could take Ravensdale out fishing.

Wednesday was sunny and calm but the forecast for yesterday (Thursday) was for even less wind so we chose that day for this week’s fishing trip and we definitely made the right decision.

It was beautifully calm as we left the marina at around 12.30pm and the sea was like glass for much of the four hours we were out on the water. 

Leaving Maryport on Ravensdale yesterday (Thursday)

The wind picked up a little around high tide, but not enough to stop Ravensdale turning around to face in the opposite direction when the tide turned, which has been the case on our recent fishing trips.

This was the first time we'd taken Ravensdale out to sea since Phil replaced the water and antifreeze mixture in her starboard engine.

He took the engines up to around 2,100 revs, which gave us 15.6 knots, and they sounded good at that speed.

Ravensdale's wake as we headed out on our fishing trip

We anchored around the same place we'd been on our last outing as it was close to a sandbank and Phil was planning to target flatfish.

He set up two rods on the bow. One was baited with a small whiting that we caught in our prawn pot (we would’ve released it, but the crabs in the pot had already started eating it). The other rod had a small piece of mackerel as bait.

Phil baiting a hook with the small whiting caught in our prawn pot

Phil casting a line from Ravensdale's foredeck

Phil also put a rod out from the aft deck using the new reel he'd been given for his birthday and he was very pleased with his new toy 😊

Phil fishing off Ravensdale's aft deck using his new reel

He caught one decent-sized thornback ray that we brought home to eat and literally dozens of dogfish. Sadly, the two shrimps we caught in our prawn pot were lost to dogfish.

Phil with the thornback ray he caught yesterday

But the best fish he hooked yesterday got away and I can’t help thinking it was all my fault ☹

I was sat up on the flybridge taking photos while Phi was fishing on the bow.

I saw that he had a fish on his line and assumed it was going to be yet another dogfish, but it soon became clear that it was something considerably bigger.

When the fish reached the surface, I could see that it was a really big bull huss - at least three feet in length - and it was fighting like crazy.

I clambered down off the flybridge and hurried around to the foredeck to help him land it, but stupidly decided to take a couple of photos of the giant fish in the water before grabbing the landing net.

The big bull huss that got away

As I picked up the net and leant over the side to scoop the fish up with it, the line broke and it swam off.

I desperately tried to net it as it went but only managed to touch its tail as it swam off to our great dismay.

To say I felt guilty would be an understatement.

If I’d been on the foredeck instead of messing around on the flybridge and if I’d left my camera and gone straight in with the net, we may have managed to get it aboard.

We have no real idea of its weight, but Phil said he'd caught a 12lb huss before and this one was definitely bigger than that.

Another shot of the bull huss that got away

It certainly looked like a good one. I just wish we could’ve landed it on the boat.

Bull huss are the largest species of catshark in UK waters reaching up to more than five feet in length.

Another disappointment on yesterday’s outing was that Phil managed to lose the disgorger that he uses for removing fishing hooks when the fish have swallowed them. It fell overboard while he was using it on one of the many dogfish that were such a nuisance on this trip.

As usual, we started packing up to go home about an hour before the marina gate was due to shut to give us time to start the engines, pull up the anchor and motor back to Maryport.

Ravensdale on the homeward journey

The water was still very calm on the way back giving us a much smoother ride than we’ve had on recent fishing trips and we arrived back in the marina just after 4.30pm having done a total of 8.4 nautical miles.

Again, my trusty docking sticks enabled me to moor up without assistance. Have I mentioned how much I love my docking sticks? 😊

Berth holder rescued from the water

We were horrified to discover that one of the berth holders here at Maryport Marina fell in the water at around midnight last Sunday night.

This is where the berth holder fell in - the yellow escape ladder is to the right of the pontoon

The first we knew was when I bumped into him on the ramp on Monday morning and he jokingly asked where Phil and I had been when he needed us.

I had no idea what he was talking about.

He explained that he must’ve tripped on the pontoon as he ended up in the water and was unable to get out.

He said he tried to hang onto a boat as he fell, but without success.

He then managed to swim under the pontoons to get to the nearest escape ladder but was unable to haul himself up the ladder due to a shoulder injury.

He said he called out for help and was beginning to wonder what would happen if nobody came when a couple who were staying on a boat near his just happened to be walking back along the pontoon at that time and helped him out of the water.

He was very lucky as it was one of very few nights that anyone had stayed on that boat in months.

I felt awful for not being able to help but our boat is nowhere near where he went in the water so there was no way we were going to hear him calling for help.

We’ve been teasing him about swimming in the marina being banned, but it’s not really a laughing matter.

One of the "No swimming" in the marina signs

When we moved to our current mooring, I made sure I knew the location of the escape ladders nearest to our boat, but this incident really made me think about how difficult it would be to get out of the water if we happened to fall in.

Hopefully, we would be able to get to a ladder and climb out but it is a little worrying.

God forbid that it ever happens to either of us – or to anyone else here.

Creaky ropes

Phil washing Ravensdale's ropes

Ravensdale’s mooring ropes have been particularly creaky at night over the past week.

And the noise has been keeping us awake, which is not a good thing – I really need my beauty sleep 😊

We’ve previously tried washing-up liquid with limited success but didn’t believe that was going to work this time as the noise appeared to be coming from the ropes themselves rather than where they were rubbing against the boat.

One of the other berth holders at our marina suggested soaking them in fabric softener so we decided to give that a go.

Phil carried them up to the marina’s launderette and washed them in the large sink there while I was doing our laundry on Wednesday.

We then laid them out to dry on the pontoon in the sunshine before putting them back on the boat.

We’re hoping it may have worked as we haven’t heard anywhere as much noise from them since, but we haven’t had any really strong wind since so we will have to wait and see…

Shower light

This week, Phil has completed a job that he's been meaning to do for almost two years but had never got around to doing before.

The light in the en-suite shower in the aft cabin hasn’t worked ever since we moved onboard Ravensdale in November 2016.

We tend to use the showers in the marina’s facility block, but we also use our onboard shower from time to time.

It was fine if we were showering during daylight hours. However, if we used the shower after dark, we had to hang a torch on a hook in the cubicle to be able to see to wash.

As we haven’t used it after dark for ages, we’d completely forgotten that it needed doing until Phil decided to shower on the boat one evening recently and discovered the light situation.

The main reason it hadn’t been done before was that, although there was a light fitting in the shower, there was no power to it. Phil discovered that the positive cable had been cut off in the bilges.

Phil fitting trunking to the cable diverted from the en-suite heads

He decided to divert a live cable we found above the mirror in the en-suite heads on Ravensdale’s starboard side, through a wardrobe and under the steps to the aft cabin to provide power for the shower room light on the port side of the boat.

And we now have light in the shower, which will make us far more likely to use our own shower.

Radar repairs

Ravensdale’s radar wasn’t working so Phil decided to try to see if he could find out what was wrong.

He stood on the flybridge and tried to take the cover off the radar to see if there was anything obvious stopping it turning.    

Phil attempting to remove the radar cover

However, he discovered it was impossible to just remove the top as the workings were inside it, so he put it back intending to get someone who knew what they were doing to take a look at it.

In so doing, he must have inadvertently put right whatever was wrong as it now seems to be working again, but we have no idea why  😊

Leaking windows

We’re still trying to cure a minor leak on the port side window along the back of the dinette.

Every time we think it’s fixed, the water manages to get in again the next time it rains, but there’s definitely much less coming now than when it first started leaking, but any water getting in is too much.

Phil sealed around the window frame where it meets the superstructure and between the glass and the frame.

Phil resealing the window on Ravensdale's port side

He’s also put sealant over the screws holding the window in place, replaced all the window trim covering them and sealed the joints at the corners of the trim.

So now we have to wait for the next heavy rain to find out whether it is actually cured this time.

We’ve also discovered another leak on the starboard side window over the galley in much the same place as the dinette window was leaking. It’s only a very slight leak but needs sorting.

If the remedial work to the port window works, we will do the same to the matching window on the starboard side of the boat.

 
Shrimping

The two shrimps caught in our prawn pot

We caught the largest shrimps we’ve had so far this year in our prawn pot this week but sadly there were only two of them.

We rescued them to make sure they didn’t get eaten by the crabs we trap.

After discovering there were some decent-sized shrimps around, we decided to go shrimping in the marina ready for our next fishing trip but were unable to find any that were worth keeping.

All the shrimps that Phil scooped up with the little fishing net we use for that purpose were tiny, so we only had two shrimps as bait.

Just as well we’d been to the Aquarium to top up the bait we already had in the freezer.

For sail 😊

I’m sure it’s been done many times before, but I love the sign that’s gone up on one of the yachts in the marina that has just gone on the market.

Yacht with "for sail" sign at Maryport Marina

It says “for sale” on one side and “for sail” on the other.

It just appealed to be my sense of humour and I really hope it helps them get a quick sale (or should that be sail 😊)

Breaking in my new camera

I sent my broken camera back under warranty on Thursday, August 23 and was amazed when a replacement arrived on Saturday morning.

Meanwhile, I borrowed Phil’s camera to go over to Maryport harbour just before sunset last Friday in the hope of getting some images of the town's new sculpture and benches in memory of those who died in World War II.

Sadly, the sunset wasn’t the best but there was a lovely golden light just before the sun went down.

The new orb sculpture on South Quay, Maryport

Another view of the orb as the sun goes down

New memorial benches on South Quay, Maryport

Golden evening light reflected in Maryport Harbour

Another view of Maryport Harbour in the evening sun

Sunset over Maryport Harbour

Maryport lighthouse just after sunset

Since my new camera arrived, I’ve taken it out on several photography walks to make sure it was working OK and it seems to be fine.

I took it with me on a walk along the shore at Maryport on Saturday afternoon, taking photos of the marina on the way back.

Yacht Manatee at Maryport Marina

Ravensdale (left) at Maryport Marina

The capstan for the old dock gates at Maryport

Sea Cadet boats and small fishing boats at Maryport Marina

I also got some shots of the lizards we found basking on top of the wooden fence posts beside the road leading to the lighthouse.

A lizard sitting on a wooden fence post

Another of the Maryport lizards

The weather wasn’t great on Monday, so I didn’t bother taking my camera when we went for a walk along the shore and, as usually happens when I leave it at home, I really wished I had it with me as we saw porpoises close to the piers.

My pathetic attempt at photographing the porpoises

My phone takes really poor quality photos so Phil lent me his but the porpoises were too far away to get a decent shot.

I took my camera for a walk up Mote Hill in Maryport on Tuesday.

The River Ellen from Mote Hill, Maryport

Looking out to the Solway Firth from Mote Hill

Mote Hill across the River Ellen

I took more photos of the harbour on both Tuesday and Wednesday.

Fishing boats in Maryport Harbour

More fishing boats in Maryport Harbour

A sunny day at Maryport Harbour

Another view of Maryport Harbour

And I took loads of photos of the swans and cygnets on their many visits to our boat for food.

The swans heading across the marina towards Ravensdale

Two of the three cygnets

One of the adult swans and a cygnet feeding next to Ravensdale

The swan family waiting for food opposite Ravensdale

Weather watch

Most of the past week, it has been looking as though summer was drawing to a close, but we’ve had a couple of nice days to remind us that it’s not quite over yet - even if today (Friday) is officially the end of summer.

Phone photo of the waves being whipped up by the wind at Maryport last Friday

Last Friday was very windy with heavy showers, including a hail storm during the morning. It brightened up later in the afternoon to give a lovely sunny evening. The top temperature was 14.1C (57F) and the top wind speed was 26mph, gusting 37mph.

It was dry, bright and calm first thing on Saturday morning followed by a lovely sunny day.

The forecast was for the wind to increase while the gate was open, so Phil went around to the pier to check the sea state and, although it was calm in the marina, it was choppier out at sea, so we decided not to go fishing.

Calm water in Maryport Marina on Saturday

The temperature reached 16.2C (61F) and the highest daytime average wind speed recorded locally was 16mph, increasing overnight.

Sunday started wet. It then continued to rain for most of the morning and into the afternoon. The top average wind speed recorded at St Bees Head was 32mph, gusting 45mph, but I don’t think it was that strong here. The top temperature overnight was 12.5C (54.5F) and the highest daytime temperature was 14.9C (59F).

Sunday into Monday was a very windy night with average wind speeds of up to 25mph, gusting 36mph.

Monday started wet and windy. The rain stopped at lunchtime, but it remained windy with a top average wind speed of 25mph, gusting 34mph. The daytime temperature reached 15.7C (60F).

Cloudy skies over Maryport Harbour on Tuesday

Overnight Monday/Tuesday was a quieter night and Tuesday started dry and cloudy with sunny intervals during the morning. Light rain around lunchtime was followed by more cloud during the afternoon. It was less windy than Monday but still fairly blustery.

We had a dry, bright and calm start to the day on Wednesday. We considered taking the boat out on the water but the forecast for Thursday was quieter still, so we decided to wait.

Blue sky and white fluffy clouds at Maryport Harbour on Wednesday

The top temperature recorded at St Bees Head was 15.6C (60F) but it felt much warmer here. The wind increased during the late afternoon to a top average wind speed of 19mph.

Yesterday (Thursday) the weather was exactly as forecast - sunny and calm – so perfect for a fishing trip on Ravensdale. 

The top temperature at St Bees Head was 15.2C (59F) but, again, it felt much warmer here when the sun was out. It clouded over a bit during the afternoon and the highest average wind speed recorded was 10mph at 5pm. While we were out on the water it was between 5mph and 7mph.

The Solway Firth looking like a mill pond yesterday (Thursday)

And today (Friday) the weather was beautiful. Dry, warm and sunny with very little wind first thing, increasing a bit during the course of the day. The temperature reached 17.2C (63F) and the top average wind speed was 19mph.