Second anniversary of buying Ravensdale and the start of our third winter afloat

Ravensdale at Maryport Marina in Cumbria, UK

It seems impossible to believe that last Saturday marked two years since we sold our house in the Scottish Highlands and bought Ravensdale.

It’s difficult to describe how it felt to no longer have an address on dry land having owned our own homes for as long as either of us could remember.

To say it was scary would be an understatement, but I was also super excited about our lovely new-to-us floating home - a 43ft Neptunus motor cruiser at Maryport in Cumbria, UK.

However, she was out of the water on the hard standing at the marina having some work carried out for the first fortnight, so we stayed in holiday cottages nearby.

We moved on board when she went back in the water on November 4, 2016, and that’s the date we consider to be our liveaboard anniversary.

This week, we’ve been stuck in the marina due to high winds, so we’ve used the time to get a few jobs done on board.

And it looks as though we could get our first taste of winter any day now with snow forecast for parts of the UK this weekend.

Too windy for fishing

Our most recent fishing trip on Ravensdale

High winds have meant Ravensdale has been stuck in the marina this week, but I guess we can’t really complain when we managed to get out fishing five times in the previous fortnight.

I regularly check the forecast looking for a possible opportunity to take our boat out on the water given that we like to stick to our single figure rule.

This means we only leave the marina if the average wind speed is forecast to be 9mph or lower and it’s served us well so far.

It’s not a problem travelling at higher wind speeds, but it makes fishing at anchor pretty uncomfortable.

It initially looked as though the wind was going to drop a bit from Sunday onwards and Sunday, Monday or Tuesday may have been possibles if it had dropped a tiny bit more.

Sadly, as the week went on the forecast changed for the worse and the expected wind speeds increased instead of decreasing so there doesn’t look to be a suitable day for the foreseeable future ☹

Oh well, I guess it gives us more time to get on with all the stuff that needs doing on the boat...

Winter is coming

Snow is being forecast for parts of the UK this weekend as temperatures plummet.

Snow at Maryport Marina in February of this year

We’re not really likely to get any here as it's expected to fall on high ground, but it'-s still going to be very cold.

The clocks go back an hour at 2am on Sunday marking the end of British Summer Time.

Meteorological winter doesn’t start until December 1 and astrological winter begins on December 21, which is the winter solstice.

But it seems that no one has told the weather to hold off for at least another month as temperatures here are expected to fall to 0C (32F) - feels like -3C (26F) - in the early hours of Monday morning, which sounds pretty wintry to me 😊

Wally continues to cause problems

Wally the Whale Gulper pump in situ under the floor in our bedroom

Wally is my name for the Whale Gulper pump that empties the grey water tank from the wash basin in the ensuite heads and the shower (no good reason for the name except that I like a bit of alliteration 😊).

He has been a bit temperamental lately.

Most of the time, he works just fine but, from time to time, he fails to operate, which means the only place for the water to go is into the bilges.

I became quite good at noticing when I hadn’t heard him for a while, so we could lift the inspection cover in the floor at the foot of our bed and prod him into action.

Phil disconnecting the grey water tank

However, it became obvious that his reluctance to work was being caused by the float switch that operates the pump, so Phil took it apart on Wednesday to find out if it could be fixed.

Once he’d done this, we decided it would be best to put in a new float switch anyway as it wasn’t changed when we replaced the water pump, so we ordered a new one.

Phil also removed the grey water tank and gave it a good clean.

The new float switch arrived yesterday (Thursday) but couldn’t be fitted straight away as it required some minor adjustments to the grey water tank involving sealant that had to be left overnight to cure.

The new float switch fitted inside the grey water tank

Hopefully, Wally will be up and running again today (Friday).

Storage wars

Despite it being two years since we sold our house and bought a boat, I’m still struggling to part with some of the things I probably no longer need, and the changing seasons has made me take another look at our storage situation.

Sadly, I’ve had to accept that summer is well and truly over, and I won’t be needing my summer clothes again until next year.

Due to the lack of storage on board, we only keep the relevant season’s clothes on Ravensdale, along with a few items to cover the transition period.

So, I’ve been busy packing away my summer stuff until next spring and digging out warmer items.

Packing away my summer clothes

I dramatically reduced the amount of clothing I own when we sold our house and bought a boat and I know I should reduce it still further, so it could all stay on the boat.

However, I still find it difficult to part with some items I haven’t worn since we moved on board.

I know the chances of me wearing them ever again are remote, but I still tell myself that there may be a time when I want to do so.

Also, I’d rather dig out something I already own than have to buy something new when the clothes I’m wearing now wear out.

So, for now, I will carry on storing the stuff I’m not wearing at the moment.

Maybe I’ll get rid of some of it next year…😊

Aquarium postcards

Completely out of the blue, I received a Facebook message from the Aquarium on the harbourside here at Maryport complimenting my photos of the area and asking if they could use some of them on their postcards and greetings cards.

The Aquarium by the harbour in Maryport

I was told they would print my name on any cards bearing my photos and include a link to my blog, so you can’t say fairer than that 😊

I replied that I’d be delighted for them to do so and sent a selection of photos that I thought might be suitable.

The hardest part was choosing what to send.

Firstly, I didn’t really know what they wanted.

But by far the biggest headache was that I have literally tens of thousands of photos of this area now so looking through them to make my selection was pretty time-consuming.

And I can’t help thinking that the ones I’ve sent may not really be the best of them.

Some of the images I sent are below.

A fishing boat returning to Maryport

A cygnet hitching a ride on its Mum's back

Maryport lighthouse at sunset

I'm sure they must’ve asked lots of people to send photos for possible use, so I was delighted to hear that they wanted to use some of my images.

I’m going to be chuffed to bits to see postcards and greetings cards bearing my photos on sale when we go to the Aquarium for lunch, coffee or just to buy bait for our fishing trips.

I would’ve happily let them use them for nothing, so I was delighted when Phil and I were given a year’s membership as a thank you gesture.

I will definitely be heading over there once the busy school holiday period is over to take photos of some of the impressive sea creatures on display so watch this space… 😊

Slow cooking

I wasn’t really convinced that a slow cooker was a good idea when a friend offered us one that he no longer wanted.

My first concern was where we’d keep it, and, at the moment, it lives in the forecabin, which is more like a store cupboard than a bedroom.

I was also unsure as to how much it would get used but Phil, who’s head chef on Ravensdale, has already made us several delicious meals in it – a chicken tikka masala, a chilli con carne and a sausage casserole.

The latest addition to our galley - our new-to-us slow cooker

And he tells me the electricity it uses is roughly equivalent to a large light bulb, so it looks like it’s going to earn its place on our boat.

It’s too early for Christmas decorations!

Surely, I can’t be the only one who thinks mid-October is way too early to put up Christmas decorations.

I couldn’t believe it when we went to Dunmail Park Shopping Centre at Workington to do our weekly Asda shop last week to discover the roof of the mall covered in baubles and garlands.

Christmas decorations at Dunmail Park Shopping Centre

For goodness sake!

It’s not even Hallowe’en yet!

Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas and all the trimmings that go with it, but I can’t help feeling it waters down the special nature of the festive season when the decorations go up so far before the main event.

Swans reunited

The swans turned up looking for food as I was on my way up to the marina facilities for a shower on Monday morning. I was at the opposite end of the pontoon to our boat, so I told them I’d feed them when I got back if they were still around.

I couldn’t see them on my way back, but Phil later found a single cygnet hiding under the pontoon apparently left behind when the rest of the family left the marina.

The lone cygnet in the marina

I fed it then left it to its own devices in the hope it would head off out of the marina in search of the others before the marina gate closed.

Meanwhile, a local person posted a photo of the adult swans and other two cygnets in the harbour on a local Facebook group commenting that one appeared to be missing.

I said the other one was in the marina and posted a photo of it.

And, shortly afterwards, someone else posted a photo of the family reunited in the harbour.

Sadly, we haven’t seen them in the marina since so I'm hoping the experience hasn’t put them off visiting us ☹

Passers-by

Andy, who works at the marina, got his yacht Skipsea Witch back in the water on Monday after three years on the hard standing.

Andy passing Ravensdale on Skipsea Witch

We watched him launch it and motor past Ravensdale on his way to his mooring, just a bit further along the pontoon on which our boat is currently moored.

Phil went to catch his ropes when he arrived at the pontoon while I took photos for him.

Phil helping Andy to moor up Skipsea Witch

And here are a few passers-by that I didn’t get around to posting last week.

I had to finish off my blog in a bit of a rush last Friday after spending a full day out fishing on Thursday.

In so doing, I didn’t get around to including some of the boats that passed Ravensdale in Maryport Marina, Cumbria, UK, last week so here’s a bit of a catch-up.

Five small fishing boats headed out of the marina before us on Sunday, October 14 and, to do so, they have to pass Ravensdale on their way towards the gate.

As usual, I was standing on our aft deck to snap them as they passed. Some seemed happy to have their photographs taken while others seemed intent on hiding their faces 😊

A larger boat that passed Ravensdale last week was the Whitehaven-registered fishing boat Stjernen.

Stjernen on the MPM boat hoist

It arrived on Tuesday October 16 to go up on the MPM boat yard hoist for work and left yesterday (Thursday).

Stjernen passing Ravensdale yesterday (Thursday)

Photography

The lack of fishing trips on Ravensdale this week and very few visits from the swan family mean I haven’t taken quite as many photos as usual.

But it has also meant I’ve had more time to get out and about with my camera.

I took it for walks around the harbour and beach on Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday.

Maryport beach on Saturday

Looking the other way along Maryport beach on Saturday

Golden light on Maryport Harbour on Sunday evening

Low tide at Maryport Harbour

The swan family heading under the bridge at Maryport Harbour

Fishing boats at Maryport Harbour on Wednesday

A seagull in Maryport Harbour

High tide at Maryport Harbour

A fishing boat manoeuvering in Maryport Harbour

And I went around to the beach to catch the sunset on Sunday evening to discover there was a fishing competition going on.

Sunset on the shore at Maryport

Another view of the sunset on Maryport beach

Fishermen taking part in a competition at Maryport

A wider view of the fishing competition on Maryport beach

Weather watch

The weather has been predominantly windy and overcast this week with drizzle at times and a few sunny intervals.

Saturday was grey, damp and fairly windy with drizzle from time to time during the day. The top average wind speed recorded locally was 18mph and the temperature reached 13.2C (56F).

A grey day at Maryport Marina on Saturday

Saturday night into Sunday was relatively warm with temperatures of 12.4-12.8C (54-55F).

Sunday continued the grey and damp theme with periods of heavy drizzle. The rain cleared up during the afternoon giving way to clouds and occasional sunny intervals which brought the temperature up to 12.9C (55F).

A sunny interval at Maryport Marina on Sunday

The highest average wind speed recorded during the day was 23mph, gusting 32mph, but the wind dropped considerably later in the day.

Monday was dry and bright first thing followed by cloud and sunny intervals with a little light drizzle mid-morning. The temperature only reached 10.9C (52F) and the top average wind speed was 21mph.

Heavy skies and sunshine at Maryport Marina on Monday

Monday night into Tuesday was a very windy night with a lot of rocking and creaking ropes. The top overnight wind speed was 26mph, gusting 38mph.

We had a grey start to the day on Tuesday but at least it was dry and fairly bright. The high winds continued throughout the day with a top average wind speed of 31mph, gusting 43mph. The highest temperature recorded locally was 11.4C (52.5F).

Another grey day at Maryport Marina on Tuesday

Overnight Tuesday into Wednesday was another pretty windy night with a top average wind speed of 25mph and gusts of up to 36mph causing a lot of noise from our mooring ropes again.

Wednesday morning was overcast but dry and it was still fairly windy first thing. The cloud thinned a bit during the morning allowing a bit of blue sky to show through. This was followed by varying degrees of cloud throughout the day. The top temperature was 11C (52F) but it felt cooler in the wind and the top average wind speed was 24mph, gusting 34mph.

Sun breaking through the clouds at Maryport harbour on Wednesday

Despite Phil washing our ropes and soaking them in fabric softener they still made a good bit of noise on Wednesday night. We think it must be down to the wind direction, which was mainly west-north-westerly overnight.

Yesterday (Thursday) started dry, bright and still fairly breezy. This was followed by a generally overcast day with a top temperature of 10.9C (52F) and an average wind speed of up to 19mph.

And today (Friday) the weather has so far been dry, bright and windy. The highest average wind speed recorded locally was 24mph, gusting 36mph, and the temperature has only reached 8.9C (45F).

Towels being blown around in the wind on Ravensdale's aft deck today (Friday)

The calm after the storm – three fishing trips in five days following Storm Callum

Ravensdale returning from yesterday's (Thursday) successful fishing trip

We’ve taken our floating home out fishing three times this week – a full day and two shorter outings.

In fact, Ravensdale has been out of the marina more often over the past fortnight, since she went back in the water following antifouling, than she did during most two-week periods at the height of the summer.

We were delighted to get three calm days this week after the horrendous wind and rain during Storm Callum - the third named storm of the UK season which battered this area last weekend.

So, we took our Neptunus 133 motor cruiser out onto the Solway Firth in Cumbria, UK, on single-tide fishing trips on Sunday and Monday and stayed out over two tides yesterday (Thursday).

We also took her fishing on Saturday October 6 and Wednesday October 10.

This week, we brought home the biggest cod Phil has caught from the boat yet and a good-sized thornback ray (AKA skate).

Phil with one of the spurdog he caught yesterday (Thursday)

His other best catches this week were the first two spurdog he’d ever caught but they were released back into the sea.

So, it’s been a really good week for fishing, but I never really mind how many fish we catch as I still love the idea of bobbing around on the water in our “house” 😊

That said, it’s always very welcome when we get to eat our catches 😊

Sunday’s fishing trip

After the horrendous weather we had last Friday and Saturday thanks to Storm Callum, it was so good to get some calm, dry weather again.

And it quickly became evident that Sunday was going to be a good chance to take Ravensdale out fishing on the Solway Firth.

As it was the weekend, we expected to have quite a bit of company out there, but we were surprised by the number of boats that left the marina that day – possibly the most we've seen go out at any one time.

Ravensdale leaving Maryport Marina on Sunday

We left the marina at 1.20pm and dropped anchor in the same spot as on our last trip - just a couple of hundred yards off Maryport Pier.

Phil waiting for the fish to bite

This was the location at which Phil caught his first cod of the season, so we thought it was as good a place as any to try again and we were not disappointed.

He caught his biggest cod yet, a small dab and loads of dogfish.

Phil with the largest cod he's caught from Ravensdale 

The dab Phil caught on Sunday

The cod measured 18ins and weighed in at 2lb 6.7oz so we were very pleased with that.

The weather was sunny and much warmer than I’d expected.

I was wearing a big woolly jumper when we left the marina but had to take it off because I was too hot.

Me enjoying the sunshine on the Solway Firth

The sea was very bumpy again, so we were rocking around well but Ravensdale turned easily with the tide and the rocking subsided a bit after that.

While out fishing, we saw the swan family out on the Solway Firth with another lone swan nearby.

I had no idea they left the basin and headed out to sea, but they still seemed to be staying fairly close to shore.

And we've never seen the other swan before, so I have no idea where that one came from.

We returned to the marina soon after 5pm after three hours and 45 minutes out on the water and Phil gutted and filleted the cod ready for freezing.

The cod we brought home for dinner

The forecast was good for the following day, so I left all the stuff I pack away inside the boat when we’re taking her fishing packed up ready for our next outing.

Monday’s fishing trip

We were really looking forward to another fishing trip after catching a good-sized cod on Sunday but sadly this trip was less successful as far as big fish were concerned.

However, Phil still caught a few fish, albeit smaller ones, so we decided to look on it as a “species hunt” instead as he caught four different types of fish – a thornback ray, a dab, a tiny whiting and loads of the inevitable dogfish.

Phil with the small thornback ray he caught on Monday

It felt windier than it had been on Sunday but was considerably less bumpy – possibly because we had an easterly wind instead of the NNW wind the previous day.

However, Ravensdale didn’t settle well facing into the tide on the rising tide and kept turning back and fore causing the fishing lines to end up alongside or under the boat.

She turned right around a good half an hour before high water then sat quite happily facing that way when the tide started flowing in the opposite direction.

It was also a lot cooler than I’d expected as it was fairly sunny. I had to go and put on a warm jumper and a woolly hat after the boat turned around because we were sat in the shade.

And I discovered a problem with our new non-spill insulated travel mugs that I was raving about when we first got them – they’re so well insulated that they don’t generate any heat so I couldn’t warm my hands on my mug, but my tea stayed lovely and hot so I’m not complaining 😊

Me with one of our non-spill insulated mugs

One of the highlights of the trip for me was that, while waiting for the fish to bite, we saw what looked like a fairly light-coloured porpoise leap twice within about 20 metres of the boat. Sadly, it didn’t come up again, so I didn’t get a chance to take a photo of it but it’s still nice to see things like that.

We’d left the marina soon after 2pm and returned at 5.45pm so were out for around three hours and 40 minutes and this time the swans were waiting for us on our return.

The silly birds swam in under the bow of our boat as we were mooring up but thankfully Phil kept Ravensdale really slow and they were unharmed.

And, as soon as I’d secured the ropes, I gave them a feed as I hadn’t seen them in the marina for a few days.

Full day at sea

A forecast of flat calm conditions coupled with favourable marina gate opening times tempted us into spending a full day out on the Solway Firth yesterday (Thursday) and we were very glad we went.

We got up to a beautiful sunny, calm morning and set off soon after 8.30am, well before the gate was due to close for the morning tide.

Ravensdale leaving the marina yesterday (Thursday)

It was pretty chilly – just 5.2C (41F) – when we set off, so we were well wrapped up. I was wearing thermal trousers, a long-sleeved thermal vest, a woolly jumper, fur-lined boots and a woolly hat.

We initially went to the spot close to home where Phil had caught cod on recent outings.

He was catching most of the time, but all small fish and dogfish.

I suggested that we should look on the trip as another species hunt rather than looking for the “big one” as he seemed to be catching a range of different fish again.

In this location, he caught five small whiting, two dabs, a tiny cod and seven dogfish.

Two small whiting

One of the dabs Phil caught

At one point, he had four rods set up and was spinning with a fifth.

The generator running on Ravensdale's aft deck

When we’re out of the marina all day, we put the generator on from time to time to keep the freezer cold and to top up the batteries. I also use it as an excuse to use the coffee maker.

The wind got up a little around lunchtime, but nothing significant. Scotland became shrouded in cloud for a while, but it stayed bright and sunny where we were, and the wind soon dropped off again.

Me at the helm of Ravensdale on the way to Three Fathom Bank

After lunch, around low water, we moved to Three Fathom Bank, which is about six nautical miles off the coast – the furthest from land that we've dropped anchor to fish. The plan was to try for thornback rays.

Initially, it was very quiet except for a few dogfish. We decided we must be in a bad position and started to put away the fishing gear ready to move on.

As Phil was bringing in the last line, he discovered he'd hooked a good-sized thornback. I dived back to the aft deck to get the landing net that I’d just stowed away and scooped the big fish out of the water.

Phil with his thornback ray

We then decided to stay put for a bit longer and over the course of about an hour he caught two spurdog – the biggest being three feet long – a small dab and a tiny whiting.

Phil was delighted with the spurdog as it was a new species for him.

The smaller of the two spurdog

One of the spurdog's venomous spines

They are a slender shark species and one of the few venomous fish in UK waters. They have small spines behind their two dorsal fins. These secrete venom, which can cause swelling and discomfort in humans.

Thankfully, Phil didn’t touch the spines while trying to control the larger of the two to pose for a photo.

He said it was very strong and really didn’t want to have its photograph taken. I loved this one of Phil struggling to hold it still 😊

Phil with the three-foot long spurdog

During the afternoon, the sun became much warmer and I was much too hot in my winter clothes, but that wasn’t a problem.

One of the joys of having our home with us is that I just had to pop down below to change into cooler clothing.

Me soaking up the afternoon sun on Ravensdale's aft deck

A barrel jellyfish passing Ravensdale

We saw quite a few barrel jellyfish passing the boat while fishing but, sadly, most of them were too deep for me to photograph.

We also saw porpoises, but I never seem to have my camera pointing in the right direction at the right time.

We reluctantly left our fishing spot at around 6pm to head back to the marina as we were already going to be back after sunset.

It wasn’t the most colourful sunset ever, but there were some lovely reflections on the still water.

And the journey back to Maryport was the first time we'd used our navigation lights.

Ravensdale's starboard navigation light on the way back to Maryport

We arrived back home soon after 6.30pm after more than 10 hours out on the water having had a totally brilliant day.

Cleaning Ravensdale

Ravensdale always ends up looking more than a little grubby after a fishing trip.

Her foredeck gets badly marked by “fish juice” – my name for the blood and other delightful things that end up on the deck while fishing.

So, Phil makes sure she gets a good wash when we get back or, if it's late in the day, first thing the following morning.

And I have to say he does a great job.

Phil cleaning Ravensdale after Monday's fishing trip

I almost mean it when I tell him I need to put my sunglasses on to look at her after he’s finished 😊

Bimini or no bimini

We’re trying to work out whether to remove Ravensdale’s bimini as we don’t use it except to support a washing line.

Ravensdale with her bimini dropped down

The problem is that it makes fishing off the aft deck very difficult if not virtually impossible.

It also gets in the way when dealing with ropes while mooring up.

We’re both agreed that we wouldn’t want to get rid of it altogether, partly in case we ever decide we do want to use it and partly because it's part of the boat.

Ravensdale's aft deck with the bimini down

But getting it out of the way would help a lot so we tried dropping it down to see if that would help at all and it looks as though it would be a big improvement so we’re planning to try it next time we go out fishing.

Leak-free windows

Capt. Tolley's penetrating sealant

We’ve done it! At long last Ravensdale’s windows appear to be watertight again – at least for now 😊

Storm Callum – on Friday of last week and Saturday - provided the perfect opportunity to find out whether the leak or leaks in the window on the port side had actually been cured.

And it seems that Capt. Tolley’s penetrating sealant does exactly what it says on the packet.

The leaks that we’d previously been unable to stop are definitely fixed as no water came in during two days of almost continual torrential rain.

Swan family

The swan family continues to turn up at the boat demanding regular feeds.

They were waiting for us when we got back to the marina after our fishing trip on Monday.

The swans enjoying their food on Monday afternoon

They visited just before we went to bed on Tuesday evening while I was chatting to one of my son’s on Facebook. Without thinking it was anything unusual, I told him I was “just popping out to feed the swans”. He replied: “Ha, ha, ha, As you do!”. And I realised that he probably thinks his Mum has totally lost the plot now 😊

I obviously didn’t give them enough as I could hear the cygnets crying for food when we were in bed, but there was no way I was getting dressed to go and feed them again.

I saw them in the harbour on Wednesday and they were back at our boat looking for food on numerous occasions during Wednesday afternoon and evening.

The swan family in Maryport Harbour on Wednesday afternoon

And they turned up again early yesterday (Thursday) morning.

I fed them quickly before we went out and I was later told they were pretty cross when they turned up during the day to discover Ravensdale was missing. I don’t really believe that (I’m not as stupid as I look – although Phil would disagree 😊) but it’s a nice story 😊

Photography

Unsurprisingly, given the amount of time we’ve spent out on the Solway Firth on Ravensdale this week, most of my photos were taken while out on the water.

Maryport Pier from the Solway Firth

A wider view of Maryport from the Solway Firth

Yacht Manatee on the Solway Firth

Maryport Lighthouse taken on the way out of the basin

The Isle of Man from the Solway Firth at sunset

Iggesund paperboard factory at Workington from the Solway Firth

However, I also took my camera for a walk around the harbour on Wednesday afternoon.

Colourful fishing boats in Maryport Harbour

More boats in Maryport Harbour at low tide

Another view of Maryport Harbour

And I popped over to the beach to catch the sunset on Wednesday evening.

Sunset on the shore at Maryport

Maryport's old lighthouse at sunset

Maryport shore at sunset

Ravensdale at Maryport Marina at sunset

Weather watch

Storm Callum made its presence known here in Maryport, Cumbria, last Friday and Saturday.

The worst of the wind was on Friday with average wind speeds of up to 40mph and gusts of up to 61mph.

It started raining the previous day and kept it up throughout Friday and Saturday. The water in the marina was very brown and muddy-looking on Sunday after the storm.

Muddy water in Maryport Marina on Sunday

There was thick cloud cover all day on Saturday and it didn’t stop raining all day. The average wind speed was in single figures in the morning, increasing during the afternoon to a high of 36mph, gusting 48mph. The highest temperature recorded locally was 15.2C (59F).

Sunday started grey but bright and very calm with average wind speeds of just 2-7mph throughout the day. The top temperature was 11.8C (53F).

Reflections in the calm water at Maryport Marina on Sunday

Overnight Sunday into Monday the temperature dipped to 4.5C (40F) and Monday was dry and bright from the start. It remained calm throughout the day with a top wind speed of 9mph and a top temperature of 11.5C (53F).

Tuesday started cloudy but bright. The sun managed to break through occasionally, but we also had a little light drizzle from time to time.  It started raining properly from about 3pm. The temperature peaked at 13.4C (56F) and the top average wind speed was 23mph, gusting 34mph.

A sunny interval at Maryport Marina on Tuesday morning

Tuesday night into Wednesday was a relatively warm night with a temperature of 12.7C (55F) at 10pm gradually decreasing to 10.6C (51F) at 8am.

Wednesday was bright but cloudy with a bit of sunshine from time to time. It was much less windy than the previous day and there was a lovely sunset. The daytime temperature reached 12.1C (54F) and the average wind speed reached 15mph.

Clouds over Maryport Harbour on Wednesday

Yesterday (Thursday) was sunny and calm throughout. We had a very cool start to the day with a temperature of just 5.2C (41F) at 8am. The temperature reached 12.4C (54F) and the average wind speed was just 2-6mph.

Early morning sunshine over Maryport Basin yesterday (Thursday)

Today (Friday) started fairly bright with sunshine, light cloud and a bit more wind than yesterday. It began spitting with rain around lunchtime and has kept it up ever since. The top temperature so far has been 12.1C (54F) with a top average wind speed 16mph.