We survived Ophelia – now waiting for Brian

Storm clouds gathering before the arrival of ex-hurricane Ophelia

Ex-hurricane Ophelia blasted her way across Cumbria without causing us any real problems earlier this week.

Wind gusting up to 64mph overnight on Monday and into Tuesday morning made for some pretty rocky conditions on our 43ft cruiser in Maryport Marina.

But the preparations we'd made to keep Ravensdale safe during the storm served us well.

And, just when we thought it was all over, the forecasters are now warning us to brace ourselves for the arrival of Storm Brian – the second UK named storm of the season – which is due to arrive here tomorrow (Saturday).

We were originally told to expect ex-Ophelia to arrive at around midday on Monday, but the severe weather warning was revised to a 6pm start.

During the day on Monday, there was very little wind, temperatures were way up on the average for the time of year and there were some pretty weird skies.

The sky over the harbour took on a pink tinge at around 10.15am on Monday

At times, the sky was really dark, sometimes it had a yellowish tinge and at other times it had a pinkish hue, but the strangest phenomenon was the sun, which turned blood red and then orange.

The orange/red sun at around 12.40pm on Monday

We later heard on the TV weather forecast that this was due to Saharan sand and ash from north Iberian wildfires “giving a rosy glow to the sky”.

We adjusted our mooring ropes to move Ravensdale a bit further out from the side and put an additional rope on the starboard side to keep her away from the pontoon.

Extra mooring rope from end of finger pontoon to centre cleat on starboard side

Aware that there was a possibility of power cuts, we dug out our generator, checked it was working and filled it with petrol. We also went out to buy more petrol in case we lost power for a longer period. Thankfully this was not needed.

As Monday progressed the wind started to pick up a bit.

Soon after midday, we took a walk around the marina to the beach and out along the pier, where we saw a couple of local fishing boats returning to Maryport, presumably keen to be back in the safety of the harbour before the gale force winds arrived.

A fishing boat returning home to Maryport

Another fishing boat heading for home

At around 12.30pm, our new anemometer measured windspeeds of up to 19mph at the end of the pier and the temperature was an unseasonal 19.5C.

Phil checking the anemometer at the end of the pier

The wind really started to pick up and became a lot noisier at around 5pm and, by 5.30pm, Ravensdale was rocking well. We recorded gusts of up to 25mph.

By 6.30pm the wind was howling around the masts and the yachts’ halyards were clanging. Our mooring ropes were creaking loudly and our fenders started bashing against the hull.

The marina staff left the gate closed overnight to save us from the worst of the swell and by 8pm we could see waves coming over the gate with spray being blown back up the wall by the little building that houses the controls for the gate.

And, at around 8.20pm it started raining heavily, the boat was rocking more violently, tugging on its mooring ropes and slamming up against the fenders.

Soon afterwards we received a call from one of the marina staff to say he was coming down onto the pontoons to check the mooring ropes. He just wanted to make sure someone knew where he was, but Phil didn’t like the idea of him being out there on his own and went to join him.

I was very pleased when Phil climbed back on board. He had put his lifejacket on before he went out and I knew he wouldn’t do anything silly, but the conditions were horrendous.

We then watched as the emergency services went to deal with an ex-trawler that is now used as a liveaboard, which is moored alongside the harbour wall outside the marina gate.

The former trawler in better weather

There were lots of blue flashing lights as HM Coastguard, Maryport Inshore Rescue and the fire service battled to control the vessel after its stern line snapped and it was being tossed around by the massive waves. Unfortunately i couldn't get any photos as it was too dark.

We were some distance away, but could see its bow riding up over the quayside.

We later heard that the occupants were taken away to a local hotel for the night.

The storm continued throughout the night, with a top wind speed of 64mph recorded for Maryport. 

On Tuesday morning, it was still very windy and we decided to go out and see what was happening down on the beach before breakfast.

There were still huge waves crashing onto the shore and we didn’t think it was a good idea to walk out along the pier as the waves were covering it with spray.

We took some photos and videos of the wild sea. Annoyingly Phil's photos were much better than mine as my lens got covered in salt spray and I didn't notice until I got home.

Me taking photos on Maryport beach

One of Phil's photos of the wild sea

And, as we walked back around to the marina, we saw the efforts being made to secure the former trawler that had broken its stern line during the night.

Workington lifeboat stands by to assist with the ex-trawler

Securing the stern of the vessel

The lifeboat prepares to leave Maryport

Whitehaven’s new £2.1million Shannon class lifeboat, Dorothy May White, was providing assistance from the sea and, as it left to return to its home port, it was clear just how well suited it was for the purpose. It made light work of the huge waves, frequently disappearing from view as it dropped down into the troughs.

Workington lifeboat heading home through the waves

The trawler was safely tied up alongside the wall again, but there was visible damage to both the boat and the quayside.

The bow of the vessel was badly gouged and scraped and there were large chunks missing out of the granite capping stones along the top of the wall. A metal ladder also appeared to have been ripped off its mountings.

The former trawler safely tied up alongside

A close up showing damage to the bow and the capping stones

The marina gate was still closed, but the level of the water outside was higher than inside and it was pouring over the top of the gate like a mini waterfall, with foam being blown up into the air.

As we hadn’t eaten, we decided to go to the café at The Aquarium by the harbour for a cooked breakfast to discover that the floodgates, installed to protect the South Quay area from flooding, were closed. Fortunately for us, Environment Agency personnel arrived to open them as we got there.

The closed flood gate outside the Aquarium

The wind continued to drop as the day went on and Wednesday was one of the calmest days we’ve had here in a long time.

The calm after the storm

Now we’re being warned to expect high winds from about 4am until midnight tomorrow. The storm has been named Brian and the Met Office is telling us to expect gusts exceeding 50mph, with gusts of around 70mph along exposed coastal areas.

The old marina sign on Marine Road, Maryport

The new marina and caravan park signs

Meanwhile, the marina has erected new signs at the entrance as the old one did not show that there is also a caravan park on the site.

I can see the reason for changing them, but can’t help thinking the old one looked so much better.

A new fob entry system has also been installed in the marina toilet and shower block, which will ensure that only people who are eligible to use them can gain access.

Our six-month liveaboard anniversary

Ravensdale basking in the sunshine on the hard standing

We celebrated our six-month liveaboard anniversary last Thursday and on Friday it was six weeks since Ravensdale was lifted out of the marina.

I’m really looking forward to getting back in the water as living on a boat on dry land just feels wrong.

It’s rather like staying in a funny shaped caravan balanced on top of a load of tree trunks.

Having said that, it does have its advantages – the toilet and shower block is slightly closer and the walk to the facilities doesn’t include a steep ramp at low tide.

We have a great view of the whole marina from up here.

The view from our aft deck

And we can carry out dirty jobs, like stirring and pouring varnish and paint on the gravelled hard standing rather than having to do it on the boat.

But, I believe these are outweighed by the disadvantages, which include not being able to use the toilets on board because we can’t empty the holding tank until we’re back in the water and can visit the pump out.

I’m also missing the comforting sound/feel of water lapping around Ravensdale’s hull.

And, let’s face it, a boat belongs in the water J

Although Phil is jokingly saying that he’s not putting our nice clean boat back in the water because it will only get dirty again – at least I think it’s a joke.

Reflections on Ravensdale's shiny hull

Over the past couple of weeks, he has polished and waxed the hull and fitted our new depth sounder and log. This involved cutting four holes through the hull.

I have to admit that I found the whole idea pretty scary as I would rather any water stayed on the outside of the hull.

Drilling the first hole through the hull

Fixing the transducer under the boat

Hopefully he has done a good job of sealing around the transducer for the depth sounder and the paddle wheel for the log. I guess we’ll find out when we get back in the water.

Phil has also got the onboard compass working properly – apparently two of the wires had dropped out.

The instrument panel with the new depth sounder/ log top left and the compass top right

One sunny day (and we’ve had a lot of them lately J) we decided to get the anchor chain out so we could measure it and calibrate it with some little plastic markers we had bought for the purpose.

We pulled out all 55m and marked every five metres then pressed the button on the windlass to wind it back in to discover that it was no longer working so we were faced with the job of winching it all back in by hand using the handle on the windlass, which only ratchets in about two links at a time.

Winding in the anchor chain with the winch handle

Phil did the lion’s share, but I took a couple of turns to give him a rest.

The following day, he and our friend, Chris, took the windlass apart to see why it wouldn’t work.

Chris and Phil working on the windlass

I was beginning to think it was something else we were going to have to replace and, like everything else boat-related, they don’t come cheap, but the guys discovered it was just the switch so a £5 switch from Maplins has solved the problem, which thankfully saved us from having to raid the diesel fund.

Our newly varnished coffee table and stools

Meanwhile, I’ve been sanding and varnishing the coffee table and stools in the main saloon over and over again. The table top ended up with six coats of varnish so will hopefully be a lot more hardwearing now.

Chris also showed me how to whip ropes so that I can whip the ends of the new ropes we’ve ordered for our fenders when they arrive.

However, there are still a couple of jobs that need to be done before Ravensdale can be relaunched.

The main one is getting the trim tabs fixed. Phil has been trying to sort out what was wrong with them and was about to try replacing the hydraulic fluid when we decided to get the system serviced.

Forth Engineering of Maryport sent someone around to the boat to look at them less than an hour after we dropped in to ask them to do the work and it seems there's a problem with the motor.

We’re told the solenoid has gone and they are having difficulty sourcing a replacement part. We’re hoping they will be able to come up with a solution soon as it has to be done while we're on the hard standing.

And Phil is going to convert the toilet in the forward cabin to sea water as it is currently connected to the fresh water supply.

However, we would not be able to go back in the water yet anyway as the marina has a problem with its boat hoist, which means it can only lift small boats at the moment. They’re hoping to get it fixed soon so hopefully it will be done by the time we're ready for the relaunch.

In the meantime, I've been making the most of the good weather to get out and take some more photos of Maryport.

A sunny evening at Maryport Harbour

Another image of the harbour in the sunshine

 

A view across the shore at Maryport with the Scottish hills in the distance

Spring lift out delayed until the wind drops

Maryport Marina with the pump out facility and diesel pump in the foreground.

Ravensdale’s spring beauty treatment has been delayed by a few days.

We had booked a lift out for tomorrow so we can antifoul her hull and give her a good clean up ready for our first trip out.

But we have decided to put it off until Friday due to a combination of windy weather and the chance of a better spot on the hard standing if we wait until another boat goes back in on Friday.

In fact, we have had high winds for the past week, ever since we discovered we needed a trip over to the pump out at the far end of the marina.

Soon after we returned from our trip down south to visit the family, we realised that our “black water” (toilet) holding tank was almost full.

We decided to empty it asap, rather than wait until we would be passing the pump out on the way to the slipway for the lift out as a full holding tank means the heads are out of commission and we have to use the marina facilities.

The marina's toilet and shower block

However, asap turned out to be not very soon at all.

And we have now decided that, as we've survived like this for a week, we might just as well carry on until Friday, especially as the wind isn’t forecast to drop much before then and manoeuvring the boat in the marina in high winds is not something we would do from choice.

So fingers crossed that the weather forecast is correct and all goes to plan for Friday.

We're expecting to be out of the water for about a fortnight while we carry out the antifouling and general clean up ourselves. We considered booking holiday accommodation nearby for this period, but decided we didn’t want to waste our money on paying for somewhere to stay when we could still stay on the boat.

It is going to be strange staying on board while the boat is on chocks on the hardstanding and will mean placing a large bucket under the “grey water” (sink) outlet to enable us to wash-up, clean our teeth, etc. and we will definitely be using the marina facilities for showers.

Hopefully staying onboard will encourage us to get the work done faster, partly because we're on site so will not need to travel to and from the marina to holiday accommodation and partly because I’m sure we'll be more comfortable when Ravensdale is back in the water.

Phil scrubbing some of the more stubborn marks

Meanwhile, we've started cleaning the topside to speed things up when we're out of the water.

While searching online for cleaning products, Phil found Chine Shine, which was recommended by Practical Boat Owner magazine as one of their “best buys” so we ordered 5 litres to see if it was any good.

And it works like magic.

Rinsing off the Chine Shine

It has to be painted on and left for 15 minutes before washing it off and it transforms the surface to which it has been applied from a dirty-looking off-white, yellow colour to bright white, with a little bit of elbow grease to get rid of the more stubborn marks.

The grass seed is growing in all the wrong places

Meanwhile, the marina’s new caravan site is nearing completion, but the grass seed that was supposed to grow in the cross-shaped holes in the concrete to create an area of grass that is tough enough to be driven over seems to be growing everywhere but in the holes.

When the contractors brushed the seed into the soil-filled holes it blew all over the place, with large quantities of the seed floating down onto the boats (ours included) and the pontoons below.

We washed it off our boat and the marina staff pressure washed the pontoons, but it was also blown into the gravel surrounding the “grass-crete” area and that is where it seems to be growing best.

The inshore rescue boat moored in the marina

And the Maryport Inshore Rescue boat is currently moored in the marina after the tractor used for launching it from the slipway by its nearby boathouse got stuck in the mud in the outer harbour.

A cold wind sweeps across Maryport Beach

Other than the high winds, the weather has been fairly bright over the last few days, but has become very chilly.

Roll on the spring...

The past week has been mainly about the three 'F's – fishing, photography and a fuel filter :-)

Fishing off Maryport Pier

At long last we have got around to doing something other than studying and working on the boat.

A few beautiful sunny days have tempted us to put aside the various jobs we had planned to do onboard in the past week and to do some of the other things we enjoy, such as fishing and photography.

Waiting for a bite

Maryport pier, which is only about half a mile from the marina, is a popular fishing spot so you have to get their early to get a good location.

Phil proudly presents his first catch

We haven’t managed to get there early enough for the end of the pier yet, so have been fishing off the side, without much success. The only consolation has been that none of the other fishermen seem to have caught much while we were there either.

On his first attempt last week, Phil caught a small flat fish and an even smaller whiting and today he caught two small whiting.

While he was fishing, I took my camera for a walk along the shore and thankfully got back in time to get a quick snap of him with the little flat fish just before he returned it to the sea.

Next time, I may set up a rod too as two rods have to give us a better chance of catching something.

Despite the lack of a decent catch, both fishing trips were very enjoyable. There’s nothing like being outside doing something I want to do at a time when I would previously have been chained to my desk slaving over a hot keyboard.

Hope this fishing boat had more luck than we did

We have also taken our cameras for a walk around the harbour and, when I don’t have my camera with me, I take copious photos on my phone, some of which have come out much better than I had expected.

Dusk over Maryport Harbour

Another image of the harbour taken between heavy showers

But it has not been all play.

Phil disappears down into the engine room to change the oil filter on the heater

The new fuel filter is fitted in place

When the new heater was fitted, Gary, of Autolec in Carlisle, discovered the fuel filter was very dirty, but did not have a new one with him so his company sent out a new one that Phil fitted yesterday.

The heating system is now working really well. We are lovely and warm and it is so much quieter and cleaner than the old one was before it broke down.

We also did a couple of small jobs outside while the sun was shining and it was great to be able to sit outside for a coffee break.

Time for a well-earned break in the winter sunshine

And Dex loves being outside with us while we’re working.

Dex keeps a lookout for seagulls and passers-by

He spends his time watching sea gulls, running around the decks and greeting everyone that passes by on the pontoon or the promenade above the harbour when we are outside at high tide.

The last couple of days of fabulous weather have given us a taste of just how wonderful our new life will be in the spring and summer when it will hopefully be considerably warmer out there.

Another chore that was considerably less fun, but will save us money was the latest battle in our own personal storage war.

We initially rented a 75sqft unit at Box Clever, near Cockermouth.  After much effort, we managed to downsize to a 50sqft unit and we have now moved into the smallest size unit available, which is just 25sqft.

The aim is to get rid of it altogether in the next few months and we will achieve it. Just wish we had been more ruthless before we moved as it was considerably easier sorting through our stuff and deciding what to keep, sell, rehome or throw away when we had a house to do it in.

The best advice I could give to anyone considering moving from a house to a boat is that you need much, much less than you think you will.

At long last we have heat!!!

Gary from Caldew Autolec in Carlisle installs our new heater.

After more than a month without a proper heating system on Ravensdale, our new heater was installed today and it’s working J

Gary from Caldew Autolec in Carlisle turned up with our Webasto 5 before 9am this morning and once again our main saloon was turned into a building site.

The heater fits into a small space between one of the engines and the hull

We lifted the carpet and the section of flooring covering one of the engines and the area where the old heater used to be before it broke down, never to go again.

We had high hopes that installation would go smoothly, as we had sent the company photos of the space where the old heater had been to show the position, access, mountings, fittings and exhaust.

However, we did not know if they had provided all the information required to make all the parts needed to make the new heater work in this location.

But Gary did a great job and by the time he left the new heating system was working well and it is really, really quiet in comparison with the old one.

The new controls are fitted in the instrument panel at the helm

We are making the most of it tonight and have turned it up warmer than we would usually have our heating as a special treat after weeks of wrapping up in thermal underwear and blankets to keep warm.

And, for once, we were pleased to see a forecast of low temperatures overnight and for the next few days as we will really feel the benefit of our lovely new heater.

Dex waits patiently while I take photos on the beach

Poor old Dex had to spend a few hours in the car while the work was being carried out as we didn’t want him to fall down the hole into the engine room, but I took him for a good walk on Maryport Beach before putting him in the car and wrapped him up in a warm blanket in the boot, even though it wasn’t very cold today. He was not impressed!

However, when we took him back to the boat after the work was finished, he was delighted to discover warm air coming out of the heat outlets and stood at the foot of the steps down from the saloon into the galley for sometime soaking up the heat from the outlet at the foot of the stairs.

He is now curled up fast asleep on the seating in the dining area in a temperature of 24.5C – a vast improvement on the 7C we recorded in the same area earlier this week.

All in all, it has been a very good day and we popped out this afternoon to buy some bait for the planned fishing trip tomorrow morning.

A groyne on Maryport Beach