Saturday 3 August 2019

Ruby’s first dinghy ride and a successful fishing trip


Photo of Ruby in our dinghy with Phil at Maryport Marina in Cumbria, UK

Ruby in our dinghy with Phil at Maryport Marina in Cumbria, UK


Our nine-month-old staffie puppy Ruby is a proper boat dog now 😊

Phil took her for a ride around our marina at Maryport in Cumbria, UK, in our dinghy at the weekend and she took to it like a duck to water.

On Thursday, we were also able to take Ravensdale – our Neptunus 133 motor cruiser – out on the Solway Firth for the first time in more than a fortnight.

We went out on our boat again yesterday (Friday) and this time Phil caught our supper 😊


Ruby’s first ride in our dinghy

Photo of Ruby about to set off on her first dinghy ride

Ruby about to set off on her first dinghy ride


Phil got the dinghy out on Sunday and took Ruby for a paddle around the marina.

She was a bit unsure about getting in but allowed me to lift her in using the handle on the back of her lifejacket.

Phil then placed her between his feet on the floor of the dinghy and tied her lead around his waist to stop her escaping, but she made no attempt to get out of the dinghy.

I guess this wasn’t really surprising as Ruby doesn’t like water 😊

But she seemed to enjoy her little trip around the marina.

At one point, she tried to make her way forward to look over the bow of the dinghy at the water.

But, most of the time, she just sat up looking around as Phil rowed her up and down the rows of boats.

She was really calm and never made any attempt to get out, even when Phil stopped to chat to fellow liveaboards whose cat was sleeping on the pontoon by their boat 😊

Photo of Ruby in our dinghy with Phil

Ruby in our dinghy with Phil


We’d been meaning to see whether Ruby was happy in the dinghy since our trip to Kirkcudbright in May.

Before we went up the river to Kirkcudbright, we spent a day at anchor off Little Ross Island.

We were only a short distance from the shore and watched another couple, whose yacht was anchored nearby, put their dog in their dinghy and take it over to the beach for a walk.


Photo of the beach on Little Ross Island where we could've taken Ruby ashore

The beach on Little Ross Island where we could've taken Ruby ashore


We would've loved to have done the same with Ruby, but we had just discovered she had outgrown her lifejacket and the new, larger one I’d ordered for her hadn’t arrived when we left Maryport.

Also, she’d never been in our dinghy so we didn’t know how she would react.

For both reasons, we decided we just couldn’t risk trying to take her ashore.

Her new lifejacket arrived soon after we got home and we’re now trying to get her used to the dinghy in the marina before taking her in it on open water.

And, from what we’ve seen so far, it looks as though she’s going to be fine 😊

Photo of Phil making a fuss of Ruby after her first dinghy ride

Phil making a fuss of Ruby after her first dinghy ride


Thursday’s fishing trip

Photo of Ravensdale leaving Maryport on Thursday morning

Ravensdale leaving Maryport on Thursday  morning


We managed to get out fishing for the first time in over two week on Thursday.

At long last, single-figure wind speeds coincided with the times when the marina’s sea gate was open, which is about two and a half hours either side of high water.

We grabbed a quick breakfast before preparing for the off.

I then packed up everything inside the boat that could fly around if it gets bumpy when we’re out on the water while Phil popped around to the pier to check the sea state and visited the Aquarium on the harbourside to pick up some more bait.

Photo of Ravensdale heading towards the sea gate before I saw the message about the car window

Ravensdale heading towards the sea gate before I saw the message about the car window


We set off at about 10.20am but had only got as far as turning Ravensdale around to leave the marina and heading out towards the gate when I spotted a Facebook message on my phone saying he’d left one of the car windows wide open.

So, we turned around again at the other end of the marina and headed back to our mooring.

As the marina wasn’t expecting us back quite so soon, there was no one to catch our ropes so I had to moor Ravensdale up using our docking sticks, which was good practice as I haven’t needed to use them for a while.

He quickly closed the car window, then we set off again at 10.35am so a little bit later than we’d hoped but we still had plenty of time to make it worthwhile going.

Photo of Ravensdale heading out of the marina for the second time

Ravensdale heading out of the marina for the second time


We headed up to Allonby Bay and, on the way, we passed a flock of seagulls that appeared to be drawn to a certain area of the water and wondered if it meant there were mackerel around.

Photo of some of the flock of seagulls that we went to investigate

Some of the flock of seagulls that we went to investigate


Phil went a bit closer to them to see if we could work out why they were there, but none appeared to be fishing so we went on to the mark where he’s had some good cod recently and dropped anchor there.

Photo of Phil fishing in Allonby Bay

Phil fishing in Allonby Bay


He pulled in one dogfish after another which was getting really annoying as we don’t keep them to eat because they are too much trouble to skin.

Photo of one of the many dogfish Phil caught on this trip

One of the many dogfish Phil caught on this trip


He eventually caught two small gurnard – the bigger of the two measured 25cm, which was technically big enough to keep but it wouldn’t have made a meal for us, so we threw it back.

Photo of the first gurnard Phil caught on this trip

The first gurnard Phil caught on this trip


Photo of the larger of the two gurnard Phil caught on this trip

The larger of the two gurnard Phil caught on this trip


They’re always fun to catch as they’re really weird-looking fish.

They almost look like some sort of scary creature out of a sci-fi movie 😊

Photo of the larger of the two gurnard Phil caught on this trip

The second gurnard smiling for the camera


We headed back in good time to return before the marina gate closed, getting back at around 2pm, about four hours after we initially set off for our fishing trip.

Photo of me enjoying the sunshine on Ravensdale's aft deck on the way home

Me enjoying the sunshine on Ravensdale's aft deck on the way home


Photo of Ravensdale heading home to Maryport

Ravensdale heading home to Maryport



Yesterday’s fishing trip

As we’d left all the stuff I stow away inside Ravensdale packed up after Thursday’s trip out on the water ready to go out for Maryport Trawler Race today (Saturday), we decided to have another go at fishing yesterday (Friday)

And we were very glad we did as this time we brought home our supper.

Photo of Ravensdale heading towards the sea gate at Maryport Marina

Ravensdale heading towards the sea gate at Maryport Marina


Photo of looking back across Maryort Marina from Ravensdale's fore deck

Looking back across Maryort Marina from Ravensdale's fore deck


We left the marina at about 11.20am. The plan was to look for a mark Phil had put on our chart plotter that looked to be a deep area between the rocks as he hoped it might fish well.

On the way out of Maryport, we saw a couple of trawlers heading our way and a friend’s yacht that I wanted to photograph so Phil took a bit of a detour to enable me to get some photos.

Photo of a trawler heading for Marport

A trawler heading for Marport


Photo of another trawler heading for Maryport

Bonnie Lass heading for Maryport


Photo of a trawler on its way into Maryport

Another view of Bonnie Lass on her way into Maryport


Photo of yacht Freya sailing on the Solway Firth

Yacht Freya sailing on the Solway Firth


We then headed up to Allonby Bay to look for his mark.

When we arrived at the right area, he began studying the fishfinder for fish before deciding where to drop anchor.

Photo of Phil checking the fishfinder to see if there were any fish around

Phil checking the fishfinder to see if there were any fish around


As there appeared to be fish around, we decided to stay put and we were delighted when he caught two cod that were big enough to keep.

Photo of Phil with the first cod he cuaght on this trip

Phil with the first cod he cuaght on this trip


We almost lost the second one to a hungry tope that chased the cod that Phil had hooked but, unlike our last fishing trip, he managed to land the cod before the tope had eaten half of it.

Photo of Phil the cod that the tope tried to take from us

Phil the cod that the tope tried to take from us


Photo of the cod's tail showing the damage caused by the tope

The cod's tail showing the damage caused by the tope


The wind started to pick up a bit while we were out, so we decided to pack up a bit earlier than planned as we’d had a good session and caught our supper.

On the way back, we followed a friend’s boat into the marina. He had come over the Solway Firth from Scotland ready for tomorrow’s trawler race.

We were back in the marina at around 3.10pm after almost four hours out on the water.



Lobster supper 😊

Photo of our lobster on the bench in the galley waiting to be cooked

Our lobster on the bench in the galley waiting to be cooked


Soon after we returned from our fishing trip yesterday (Thursday), a friend offered us a lobster, for which we were very grateful.

We’d never cooked a lobster before, so Phil looked it up online to find out how long it needed to boil it for and followed the instructions.

I knew they changed colour when cooked, but I was still amazed at just how different they look raw and cooked.


Photo of the cooked lobster

The cooked lobster


And he must have cooked it right because it was delicious 😊


Pros and cons – then and now

Photo of Ravensdale out on the Solway Firth

Ravensdale out on the Solway Firth


This week I looked back at the list of pros and cons I wrote about 18 months ago and compared it with the list I wrote last week to see how my view of the good and bad aspects on life afloat has changed.

And it seems that they haven’t changed very much at all.

Totally coincidentally, there were the same number of pros as my first list and, although worded differently, they were very similar to the things I liked most about boat life in December 2017 – just over a year after we moved on board.

I came up with more cons this time, the main ones being missing having a garden and a garage/garden shed to work in.

And, apparently, I no longer consider using the marina toilet facilities most of the time, not very comfortable seating and the maintenance costs associated with a boat to be a problem – or at least not enough of a problem to include them in my list of cons.

Dealing with high humidity and the challenges of finding sufficient storage space on a boat appeared on both lists.



Ruby of Ravensdale

Photo of Ruby relaxing in her lifejacket during yesterday's fishing trip

Ruby relaxing in her lifejacket during yesterday's fishing trip


Poor Ruby has another ear infection.

Photo of Ruby hiding when I tried to take a selfie with her

Ruby hiding when I tried to take a selfie with her

Last time, it was in her left ear and this time it’s her right ear.

But, thankfully, it isn’t as bad as last time, so the vet is trying to treat it with drops twice a day rather than the injection she gave her last time.

The big problem here is that Ruby totally hates having drops put in her ears and runs away if she sees either of us even reach for the drops container, so we have to be really sneaky.

There’s no way to get the container anywhere near here so one of us puts the dose on our finger and rubs it inside her ear.

However, even this is getting more difficult as she’s worked out when we’re likely to do it and gets out of our way and I think she probably smells it on our fingers.

We’re now varying the time or rather the point in our daily routine that we apply the drops and are still managing to get them in there at the moment, but I’m not sure that we’re going to be able to get away with it for the required 10-day period.

Thankfully, she doesn’t seem too worried by the infection and she hasn’t been scratching it enough to warrant putting her inflatable collar on her.

Meanwhile, she’s still enjoying life on Ravensdale and is equally happy whether we're in the marina or out on the water.

Photo of Ruby out on deck while we were out on the Solway Firth

Ruby out on deck while we were out on the Solway Firth


Photo of Ruby sunbathing on the aft deck

Ruby sunbathing on the aft deck


When we're out, she likes to come up on deck to lick Phil's fishing box and the deck clean of any fish juice. She also likes to sunbathe for a while, then goes back indoors to relax in the saloon.

Photo of Ruby sunbathing on the aft deck

Ruby chilling out in Ravensdale's saloon


When we're in the marina, she likes to sit out on deck watching the world go by and particularly likes to sit out and watch the sun go down after her evening meal.

Photo of Ruby playing with her ball on the aft deck

Ruby playing with her ball on the aft deck


She also likes playing ball on deck, which is pretty risky but she hasn't lost a ball yet ðŸ˜Š

Photo of Phil playing ball with Ruby on Ravensdale's aft deck

Phil playing ball with Ruby on Ravensdale's aft deck


And she likes going for walks in the meadow by the shore and around the harbour, where she gets to meet lots of people and dogs.


Photography

Most of my photos this week were taken while out on the Solway Firth on Thursday and yesterday (Friday).

Photo of Maryport from the Solway Firth

Maryport from the Solway Firth


Photo of Market Steps at Maryport from the Solway Firth

Market Steps at Maryport from the Solway Firth


Photo of trees on the skyline from the Solway Firth

Trees on the skyline from the Solway Firth


Photo of Maryport pier with the Iggesund paperboard factory in the background

Maryport pier with the Iggesund paperboard factory in the background

Photo of the entrance to Maryport Basin from the Solway Firth

The entrance to Maryport Basin from the Solway Firth


Photo of another view of Maryport from the Solway Firth

Another view of Maryport from the Solway Firth


I also took photos of the marina last Friday evening and while trying my hand at low light photography late on Wednesday evening.

Photo of reflections at Maryport Marina

Reflections at Maryport Marina


Photo of more reflections at Maryport Marina

More reflections at Maryport Marina


Photo of Maryport Marina

Maryport Marina


Photo of evening lights at Maryport Marina

Evening lights at Maryport Marina


Another low light photo at Maryport Marina

Another low light photo at Maryport Marina


And I took a few photos of the meadows while out walking Ruby on Monday.

Photo of view across the Solway Firth from the meadows at Maryport

View across the Solway Firth from the meadows at Maryport


Photo of Grasslot shore at Maryport

Grasslot shore at Maryport



Weather watch

Although we’ve had some dry, sunny weather here in Maryport, there’s been an awful lot of rain for the time of year.

It was wet overnight Friday into Saturday then it dried up for a while during Saturday morning, then the heavy rain arrived and kept it up for the rest of the day.


Photo of rain pouring down Ravensdale's windows on Saturday afternoon

Rain pouring down Ravensdale's windows on Saturday afternoon


The top temperature was 16C (61F) and the top average wind speed was 10mph. It was fairly calm while the marina gate was open so we might have considered going out on the water if it hadn’t been so wet.

Sunday was dry and bright with a top temperature of 19C (66F) and a top average wind speed of 14mph.


Photo of sun breaking through the clouds at Maryport Marina on Sunday

Sun breaking through the clouds at Maryport Marina on Sunday


We had rain overnight which continued until about mid-morning on Monday. It then dried up and the sun came out during the afternoon.

The top temperature was 17C (63F) and the top average wind speed was 11mph.

Annoyingly, the weather was horrible while the gate was open and really nice after it closed

Photo of blue sky and fluffy white clouds at Maryport Marina on Monday afternoon

Blue sky and fluffy white clouds at Maryport Marina on Monday afternoon


Tuesday started wet then dried up and the sun came out for a while. However, it clouded over again late afternoon and we had heavy rain and thunder and lightning. There were only three flashes of lightning, but the rain continued into the evening.


Photo of heavy rain viewed through Ravensdale's windscreen on Tuesday afternoon

Heavy rain viewed through Ravensdale's windscreen on Tuesday afternoon


The top temperature was 20C (68F) and the top average wind speed was 16mph.

Wednesday was cloudy with showers on and off during the morning and heavy rain and a thunderstorm during the afternoon.

The top temperature was 21C (70F) and the top average wind speed was 15mph.

Thursday was dry, bright and calm feeling warm in the sunshine when the clouds cleared.


Photo of blue sky with a few clouds over Maryport Marina sea gate on Thursday morning

Blue sky with a few clouds over Maryport Marina sea gate onThursday morning


The temperature reached 20C (68F) and the average wind speed peaked at 13mph late afternoon, but it was only 6-8mph while we were out on the Solway Firth.

Photo of bright sunshine at Maryport Marina yesterday (Friday)

Bright sunshine at Maryport Marina yesterday (Friday)


And yesterday (Friday) the weather was dry, warm, sunny and fairly calm. The top temperature was 20C (68F and the top wind speed was 8mph.