When is a liveaboard not a liveaboard?...and our latest fishing trip

Ravensdale setting off from Maryport Marina on Sunday morning. Photo by Frederick Bell

We were pleased to be able to take Ravensdale out for a run on the Solway Firth here in Cumbria, UK, again this week even if the fishing wasn’t good.

I love being out on the water on our Neptunus 133 floating home – the novelty of bouncing around on the waves in our “house” still hasn’t worn off and I doubt it ever will 😊

But I’m beginning to wonder how spending so much of my time on the shore now I’m working part-time affects my liveaboard status.

I’m just pleased it doesn’t seem to have affected my sea legs and Sunday’s trip out was a good test of this as it was a very bumpy ride 😊


Sunday’s fishing trip

Calm conditions as Ravensdale headed towards the marina gate on Sunday

We were aware that the weather was supposed to be calm on Sunday, but the marina gate was due to open shortly before 8am.

On Saturday evening, we both decided that we didn’t want to get up early the following day, so we wrote off the idea of going fishing.

However, we woke up quite early on Sunday morning, looked out the window and saw that the sun was shining and the water in the marina was really calm.

We decided it was too good an opportunity to miss so we got up, dressed and made rapid preparations to leave as soon as possible.

We left Maryport Marina at 9.10am and headed up to Phil’s favourite fishing spot in Allonby Bay.

Ravensdale heading out onto the Solway Firth at Maryport in Cumbria, UK

The ride was bumpier than expected and Ravensdale was rolling well but we decided to drop anchor and give it a go as we could always pack up and go home if it was too rough to fish.

Ravensdale on the way to our fishing spot in Allonby Bay

Phil set up two fishing rods while I did my make-up, which was no easy task with the boat rolling so much.

Phil setting up one of his fishing rods

I have now perfected the art of bracing my elbow against the wall while applying mascara and managed to complete the task without poking my eye out 😊

I then made our breakfast and took it out on deck to eat while Phil waited for the fish to bite.

And he had a long wait ☹

The fishing was really quiet for a long time he didn’t even catch any dogfish.

He eventually reeled in one cod that was big enough to keep and a single dogfish just before we packed up to go home.

Phil with the only cod he caught on this trip

Ruby stayed indoors again. She seemed happy to stay in her cage and we thought she was safer in there than staggering around on the deck.

Ravensdale on the way back to Maryport

We got back to the marina at about 12.15pm after just over three hours out on the water.

Before we left, we’d arranged to go straight to the fuel berth on our return so we could top up Ravensdale’s 1200 litre diesel tank.

Filling Ravensdale's fuel tank

We put in 400 litres which filled it up so we will have plenty of diesel for heating and any further trips out in the coming weeks.

The plan is to keep the tank topped up during the winter to prevent the formation of condensation.

We later discovered that a couple of people had taken photos of Ravensdale out on the water and another had taken some lovely shots of us heading out of the marina.

Ravensdale heading out of Maryport Marina

Ravensdale at anchor on the Solway Firth. Photo by Keith Short

Ravensdale out on the Solway Firth. Photo by Markus Bewley

Me putting out the fenders on our return to Maryport Basin. Photo by Markus Bewley

When is a liveaboard not a liveaboard? 😊

I’m still enjoying my temporary job at a local factory.

It’s very strange trying to plan my life around going out to work three days a week after not working for three years.

This week, it struck me that I’m now spending a good proportion of time on solid ground.

And it set me wondering whether I can still consider myself “a liveaboard” when I spend my days on dry land.

On the days I work at Chimney Sheep on the Solway Industrial Estate, I’m there from 9am to 5pm each day.

I walk to and from work when the weather’s dry and we don’t need to go and get any shopping so that adds another 20 minutes to each end of the working day.

Last week, I worked four days and I’ve been offered the chance to do a five-day week next week, so I’ll be spending even more time ashore.

But I guess the fact I live on a boat, rather than in a house, means I still get to call myself a liveaboard 😊


Preparing for winter

The first time I'd worn my woolly hat this winter

The weather has been getting progressively cooler over the past couple of weeks, so we swapped our summer weight duvet for a 13.5 tog continental quilt.

It has been lovely and warm even on the coldest nights we’ve had lately when the temperature has fallen to 0.6C (33F).

I also packed away my summer clothes and replaced them with my winter gear, so I have my thermal underwear – merino wool mountain base layer – hats, scarves and big woolly jumpers ready when I need them.

So far, I’ve only worn the top half of the mountain base layer when we went out fishing at the weekend.

And I’ve been grateful for a woolly hat on our trip out on the water and on my walk to work on the coldest mornings this week.

My summer stuff has been taken away to our storage container until next year – hope it won’t be too long before I can have it all back again 😊


Ruby of Ravensdale

Ruby peering out between the slats in the blinds in Ravensdale's saloon

Ruby always enjoys watching Phil wash Ravensdale, but I think she finds the venetian blinds on the starboard side a bit annoying.

She can’t watch what Phil is doing outside properly on that side. All she can do is to peer between the slats.

I am totally amazed that she never does them any damage. When we got them, I really expected them to become collateral damage, but she’s very careful not to touch them.

Ruby checking out the windows on the other side of the boat

Ruby is so funny when she runs along the pontoon towards the boat.

There’s a very small gap – less than 2 inches – between the pontoon sections but she jumps over every one of them.

I haven't managed to get a photo of her doing it yet but I will keep trying 😊


Photography

Maryport from the Solway Firth with the northern fells in the distance

Most of this week’s photos were taken while we were out on the Solway Firth at the weekend.

A local fishing boat on the Solway Firth

South Pier at Maryport

The afternoon sun over the Solway Firth

Iggesund Paperboard mill at Workington

The northern fells from the Solway Firth

Heavy clouds over the Solway Firth

I also took my camera along when Phil and I took Ruby for a walk along the shore on Tuesday evening.

We were too late for sunset but there were some lovely colours in the sky just after the sun had gone down.

A colourful sky over the Solway Firth reflected in wet sand on Maryport beach

Maryport shore at dusk

Looking in the other direction along the shore at Maryport

A bait digger on the beach at Maryport

Art class

Me painting in Roy's conservatory

I’ve been trying something a bit different this week 😊

A talented artist friend offered to give me a lesson in painting with ink and watercolour wash in exchange for photos of Maryport that he plans to use as source material for his paintings.

I’d told Roy that he could have the photos anyway, but he insisted on the swap as he believes in the barter system and knew I was keen to have a go at creating paintings from some of my photographs.

I went to his home in Maryport for the class and he took me through the basics of drawing with pen and ink, including the different methods of shading.

He then produced a photo of a local fishing boat in Maryport Harbour and we used it as the basis for our paintings, although he stressed that the photo was for inspiration rather than something I was supposed to copy.

The photo was taken on a grey day with very little definition in the sky, so we decided to replace it with a more dramatic sky.

Roy showed me some basic watercolour techniques and how to rework the areas I didn’t like so much.

I know I’m no artist, but I was quite pleased with the picture I had painted and delighted when Roy framed it for me to take home.

All I need to do now is to find a space for it on the wall 😊

My finished work of art 😊

And I really do want to carry on with my new hobby in the hope that practice will help me achieve better results.


Weather watch

Winter is beginning to make its presence felt.

It doesn’t officially start until December 22 but it’s definitely getting cooler with temperatures plummeting to 0.6C (33F) this week.

There was frost on the pavements on my walk to work yesterday (Thursday) and this morning (Friday) and I’ve had to dig out a woolly hat to keep my ears warm.

Overnight Friday into Saturday was pretty cold with temperatures falling to 1.4C (34F).

This was followed by a cold, grey and overcast day, with light rain at times.

The top temperature was 4.8C (41F) and the top average wind speed at St Bees Head – our nearest weather station – was 28mph, gusting 40mph, but it was much calmer than that here.

Sunday started feeling chilly with the temperature falling to 0.6C (33F) at 8am.

The Solway Firth on Sunday morning

The weather was then dry, calm and sunny with the cloud cover increasing during the day and heavy rain in the evening.

The top temperature was 6.7C (44F) and it was just 2.7C (37F) when we set off on our fishing trip. The top average wind speed was 14mph and 7-11mph while we were out on the Solway Firth.

Monday was a very wet and windy day with a top temperature of 7.1C (45F) and a top average wind speed of 39mph, gusting 57mph.

The wet view of Ravensdale's aft deck from the saloon on Monday

Overnight Monday into Tuesday was very wet and windy with wind speeds up to 45mph, gusting 61mph.

This was followed by a dry and breezy day, feeling cold in the northeasterly winds with average wind speeds of up to 29mph, gusting 44mph. The top temperature was 8.6C (47F).

Maryport Marina on Tuesday afternoon

Wednesday was dry, cold and fairly calm with some sunshine. The top temperature was 6.3C (43F) and the top average wind speed was 17mph.

Overnight the temperature dropped to 1.1C (34F) and yesterday (Thursday) was dry, breezy and cold with a top temperature of 4.9C (41F) and a top average wind speed of 30mph, gusting 43mph.

And today (Friday

Our third liveaboard anniversary and a successful fishing trip

Phil steering Ravensdale back into Maryport Marina after Saturday's fishing trip

We moved on board Ravensdale – our 43ft Neptunus 133 motor cruiser – three years ago this week.

And we’re still enjoying our liveaboard lifestyle 😊

Phil refitted the exhaust elbow to her starboard engine after it had been repaired.

And we were pleased to be able to get out fishing again at the weekend after our boat had been stuck in the marina for more than a month – due to exhaust problems, bad weather and me recently starting a part-time job.

Meanwhile, we were pleased to discover that Ruby wasn’t too bothered by fireworks.


Happy boativersary to us! 😊

Ravensdale when we first moved on board in November 2016

We celebrated the third anniversary of moving on board Ravensdale on Monday.

We sold our house and bought our boat on October 20, 2016 but didn’t move on board until two weeks later, on November 4.

This was because the boat was out on the hardstanding here at Maryport Marina in Cumbria, UK, while work was carried out that could only be done when she was out of the water.

At that time, we didn’t think it would be possible to live on board while she was chocked up, so we booked holiday accommodation nearby until she was back in the water.

And we moved on board on the day she was back afloat.

It was an exciting and slightly scary day. It felt weird to be calling a boat home 😊

But we’ve both enjoyed the past three years in our cosy, floating home.

The dinette on Ravensdale

Ravensdale's helm

Ravensdale's saloon

Refitting the exhaust elbow

The repaired exhaust elbow

The exhaust elbow Phil removed from Ravensdale’s starboard engine last week was welded and he refitted it last Friday afternoon.

The repaired exhaust elbow fitted to the outlet

He says it was fairly simple to fit but he ended up with a bit of a stiff back from working bent over in the engine room as there isn’t room to stand up straight.

Phil refitting the exhaust elbow

Phil then started the engine to check it was running OK and it was fine.



Saturday’s fishing trip

Ravensdale heading towards the gate as we left Maryport Marina on Saturday

We had said we weren’t going to take Ravensdale out on the water again until Phil had changed the oil in both engines.

He hadn’t had a chance to change the oil in her port engine as he’d been busy repairing the exhaust system problem he discovered while changing the oil in her starboard engine.

However, the weather was so nice on Saturday that we decided it was too good an opportunity to miss.

Phil also wanted to take her out for a run to check the work he’d done on her exhaust was all working properly.

We left the marina at around 12.20pm in sunny and fairly calm conditions and we headed up to Phil’s favourite fishing spot in Allonby Bay.

Ravensdale leaving Maryport

There was very little wind but there was a good swell.

The boat was rolling around a bit, but we decided to drop anchor and see if she settled down.

She continued to rock, but it wasn’t so bad that it stopped Phil fishing or me taking photos.

Phil started setting up his rods, but his line became tangled on his first cast.

Phil setting up one of his fishing rods

He’d put the line out then noticed he had a bird’s nest in his reel.

He tried to untangle it, but it didn’t work so he decided the only way to deal with it was to cut the line.

So that’s what he did, and he gave me the cut-off end that was attached to the hook, which was still out in the water, and asked me to hold on to it.

I wrapped it around my hand and held it until he had removed the tangled line.

He then tied the end I’d been holding back onto the line on the reel and reeled in the line to discover a good-sized cod had taken his bait.

Phil with the first and largest cod he caught on this trip

It measured 45cm and was the biggest cod he’s caught so far on the Solway Firth although technically I think I caught it as I’m pretty sure it was hooked while I was holding the line 😊

Phil was delighted with the catch, rebaited the hook and put the same rod out again before setting up a second rod and almost immediately he had a similar-sized cod on the first rod.

Phil with his second cod

The fishing then when quiet for a while before he caught a couple of dogfish, followed by another one that got away – not that he minded at all as they’re a total pain.

A phone selfie taken in Allonby Bay with Phil fishing from Ravensdale's aft deck

An added bonus was watching four porpoises swimming around the boat for about 15 minutes.

They were just too far away to get any decent photos of them, but I got a few shots to prove they were there, and it was lovely to be able to watch them, although they could’ve been the reason Phil stopped catching fish 😊

Porpoises in the Solway Firth

Porpoises in the Solway Firth with Maryport in the background

As I’ve explained before, Ruby knows that she has to be in her cage when Ravensdale is underway and, as soon as we start the engines, she goes in her cage if the door is open or sits by the door and waits for us to open it if it’s closed.

Ruby in her cage while we were at sea

And she lays down in her bed all the time we're travelling but usually sits up and wants to be let out soon after we drop anchor and turn the engines off.

However, on this trip she showed no sign of wanting to come out. She stayed laying down even when I walked past her to get our lunch or cups of tea.

We decided to leave her where she was unless she looked as though she wanted to come out, but she never did so she stayed in the cage until we were back in the marina at about 3.10pm after almost three hours out on the water.

Ravensdale returning to Maryport

Ruby of Ravensdale

Ruby relaxing on Ravensdale

It appears that Ruby isn’t too bothered about fireworks, which is good, as they were let off every night over five to six evenings at the end of last month and the beginning of this month.

There were organised displays on Saturday evening and on November 5, but there were also random folk letting them off on the beach and in the area around the marina on other evenings.

The first couple of nights she ran to the door and barked when they went off, but she soon got over that to the point that she totally ignored them, even if we were outside when she heard the loud bangs.

And we’re hoping that Ruby’s allergies are settling down a bit now.

She still chews her feet a bit in the mornings, when the previous day’s tablet has worn off, but she isn’t doing any damage.

And I’m sure she’s chewing them less now than when we first reduced her allergy medication from half a tablet twice a day to once a day.

I haven’t been able to take photos of Ruby on her walks as Phil has been walking her while I’ve been at work this week.

Ruby waiting for me to take photos across Maryport Basin

But I did take a couple of shots of her when I tied her up while taking photos when I took her for a walk after our trip out on the Solway Firth on Saturday afternoon.


Photography

A yacht leaving Maryport

Most of the photos from the past week were taken while we were out on the Solway Firth on Saturday.

The northern fells from the Solway Firth

A yacht on the Solway Firth with Iggesund Paperboard Mill in the background

Maryport from the Solway Firth

Another view of Maryport from the Solway Firth

South Pier at Maryport with the paperboard mill in the background

There were some very dramatic skies while we were out on the water.

Heavy clouds over the Solway Firth

Sun breaking through the clouds over the Solway Firth

Maryport from the Solway Firth

A hole in the clouds

And I was particularly pleased with the photos I took of fishermen on the pier as we were returning to Maryport.

Fishermen on Maryport Pier

Fishermen on the end of the pier

I took some photos around the harbour while walking Ruby after our trip out on Ravensdale on Saturday afternoon. The water was really still and there was a lovely light as the sun was going down.

Reflections on the still water at Maryport Harbour

Boats and buildings reflected in Maryport harbour

A wider view of the harbour

Maryport Harbour

Harbour reflections

Colourful fishing boats in the evening sunshine

Maryport from across the harbour

We then walked along the River Ellen where I took a few shots of the river at sunset.

The Maryport swan family on the River Ellen at dusk

The River Ellen

The blue footbridge over the River Ellen at sunset

Sunset over the River Ellen

Weather watch

Calm, sunny weather as we left Maryport Marina on Saturday

The best day of the past week was definitely Saturday when the sun put in a very welcome appearance and it was still warm enough to be out on the Solway Firth in a T-shirt.

There’s been a good bit of rain during the rest of the week.

And it’s definitely getting cooler with temperatures failing to reach double figures on most days.

Saturday was dry, bright and fairly calm. The top temperature was 8.7C (48F) and the top average wind speed was 10mph. The wind speed while we were out on the water was 2-7mph.

Sunday was cloudy with light rain showers and a rainbow appeared just before the rain stopped early afternoon. The top temperature was 9.9C (50F) and the top average wind speed was 14mph.

A rainbow over Maryport Marina on Sunday afternoon

Monday was cloudy and breezy with rain showers and heavier rain in the evening. The top temperature was 10.1C (50F) and the top average wind speed was 17mph.

Tuesday was cloudy and windy with frequent rain. The top temperature was 9.1C (48F) and the top average wind speed was 21mph, gusting 31mph.

It was dry first thing on Wednesday then cloudy with frequent rain. The top temperature was 5.9C (43F) and the top average wind speed was 17mph.

Yesterday (Thursday) was mainly wet with fine rain for much of the day. The top temperature was 7C (45F) and the top average wind speed was 22mph, gusting 30mph.

Clear blue sky at Maryport Marina today (Friday)

And today (Friday) the weather has been dry, sunny and pretty chilly. The temperature was just 2.6C (37F) at 8am and only reached 5.2C (41F). The top average wind speed was 18mph, gusting 29mph, at St Bees Head but it was definitely less windy in Maryport.