Our first trip out on the water this year after almost two months stuck in the marina

Ravensdale leaving Maryport early yesterday (Friday) morning

A brief weather window provided an opportunity to take Ravensdale out on the water yesterday (Friday) for the first time this year.

High winds have plagued this part of the UK for much of the past eight weeks and we had very high winds here in Maryport, Cumbria, again today (Saturday).

But yesterday was much calmer so I took the day off work and we headed out onto the Solway Firth for a fishing trip.

Meanwhile, I checked our records to discover that we took Ravensdale out on the water 37 times during 2019 – an average of once every 9.8 days – not quite the once a week we aim for but not too far off either 😊


First fishing trip of the year

Calm conditions at Maryport Marina when we got up yesterday (Friday) morning

The weather has been either wet or windy – usually both - most of the time for weeks, which has stopped us getting out on the water on our 43ft Neptunus 133 motor cruiser since November 18.

Over the past week, I could see that the only chance of weather calm enough for a trip out looked likely to be on Friday, but I’m currently working five days a week.

By Thursday, it became obvious that it was probably our only opportunity for at least another week, so I asked my boss for the day off.

When I first started my seasonal job at the factory she said she didn’t mind if I wanted to go out on the boat instead of going to work so I said we’d check the weather in the morning and let her know whether I’d be in or not.

I packed up all the movable stuff inside the boat on Thursday evening, so we’d be ready for a quick getaway if we decided to go.

Yesterday (Friday) morning, we got up at the same time I usually get up for work and I started getting ready while Phil went around to the pier to check the sea state. It was still dark, but he thought it looked OK.

We ate breakfast, fed Ruby and took her out then both went to check the sea in daylight. It wasn’t as calm as we’d hoped but not too bad, so we decided to go anyway.

I messaged my boss to say I was going fishing instead of going to work and she said she hoped we had a good time.

I really can’t believe I have a job, albeit temporary, that allows me to take the day off to go out on the boat if the weather is nice 😊

Ravensdale leaving Maryport Marina yesterday (Friday) morning

We left the marina at around 9.20am and headed up the coast towards Allonby Bay.

Ravensdale leaving Maryport Basin and heading out onto the Solway Firth

As we hadn’t run the engines for a while, Phil took the speed a little higher than our usual cruising speed of 8-9 knots and ran the engines at speeds of up to 11.4kn on the way there.

Phil at the helm of Ravensdale

Ravensdale on her way to Phil's favourite fishing spot in Allonby Bay

Ravensdale's wake with Maryport in the distance

We dropped anchor and Phil set up three fishing rods in the hope of catching one of the larger cod that we’ve seen fishermen catching from the shore in this area in recent weeks.

Sadly, it was not to be.

Phil setting up his fishing rods

The water was bumpier than we’d hoped, but I guess it wasn’t really surprising given that it had been very windy on Thursday

Strong winds were also forecast for later yesterday afternoon, throughout the night and into today (Saturday), when the winds were expected to gust up to around 60mph.

The wind started to get up soon after we’d dropped anchor, but Phil persevered with the fishing for a while.

Phil with the codling he caught on this trip

Me enjoying being back out on the water

It seemed like ages before he even got a bite and the only fish he caught on this trip was one codling, which was thankfully big enough to keep and we ate it for supper with chips, peas and tartare sauce 😊

Ruby seemed quite happy in her cage so we left her there as she wouldn’t really have enjoyed staggering around the deck.

I always set an alarm on my phone for an hour before the marina gate is due to close, as it’s only open for about two and half hours either side of high tide.

However, we didn’t wait until the alarm went off to start packing up.

Ravensdale became stuck across the tide when it turned as the wind was too strong to allow her to swing around to face into the tide.

Phil's last cast before we packed up to go home

She was rolling a good bit and the wind was forecast to get stronger still, so we decided to stop fishing, lift the anchor and head for home.

Phil at the helm of Ravensdale on the way home

Ravensdale returning to Maryport

And we were back in the marina at around midday after just over two and a half hours out on the Solway Firth.

As we’d been meaning to top up Ravensdale’s diesel tank for some time, but the weather hadn’t been good, we decided to fill her up on the way back to our mooring.

Ravensdale heading back into Maryport Marina

Phil stopped her in the basin on the way back to the marina so I could put mooring ropes on her starboard side and move some of the fenders across as we usually moor up on the port side, but the fuel filling cap is on the opposite side.

Reg filling up Ravensdale's diesel tank while Phil chats to Evan

Reg, the marina foreman, met us on the fuel pontoon and put 370 litres of diesel into the tank which topped her 1,200-litre tank back up to full again.

Phil then drove Ravensdale back down to the end of the marina by the sea gate and turned her around there so we could return to our current mooring and tie up on the port side, facing into the prevailing wind.

While he was doing this, I moved the mooring ropes and fenders back across and Reg met us on the pontoon to catch the ropes for us.

It may not have been the most successful fishing trip ever, but it was good to get out on the water again after so long, it gave Ravensdale’s two 300hp Volvo Penta engines a run and it provided our supper 😊


Missed opportunity

Ravensdale (left) at Maryport Marina on New Year's Eve. Photo by Fred Bell

New Year’s Eve was a beautiful, calm and cold day and one of the few days in the past couple of months that we could’ve taken a trip out.

Many of the boats in the marina went out for a sail or to fish, but Ravensdale was stuck in the marina because I was at work.

When I saw the forecast, I considered asking my boss for the day off as she’d always said she didn’t mind it I wanted to go fishing instead of going to work.

However, I decided to work as I didn’t know how much longer my seasonal job would last and I wanted to put in as much time as I could while I had the chance.

I’m still glad I made the decision I made.

However, it was harder to believe I’d made the right choice when I saw a Facebook post of our boat in the marina with a clear blue sky and flat calm water while I was sat in a factory with no windows eating my packed lunch ☹ 


Our fourth New Year on Ravensdale

Ravensdale's Christmas decorations stayed up until Saturday, January 4

We saw in the New Year on Ravensdale with a bottle of wine, a box of chocolates and Netflix.

I’m sure it’s not everyone’s idea of celebrating the start of a new year and, in this case, a new decade, but it suited us just fine.

It also meant I got to see in the New Year with Ruby even if she did fall asleep long before the big event.

At the end of each year, I always wonder what we’ll be doing this time next year.

When I asked myself that question on New Year’s Eve 2015, I had no idea we’d be selling our house and buying a boat, which enabled me to retire from my job as a daily journalist in October of the following year.

On each subsequent New Year’s Eve, I’ve wondered if we’ll still be living on Ravensdale next year and, if so, where she’ll be moored.

I certainly never imagined that we’d still be at Maryport Marina more than four years after we bought our boat here and decided to “stay for a while before moving on”.

And, this time last year, I never even considered that I’d be working in a local factory and loving every minute of it.

Now I’m wondering if we’ll still be in Maryport this time next year.

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see…


Ruby of Ravensdale

Ruby in her favourite spot in Ravensdale's saloon

One of the highlights of last year for me was watching Ruby grow from the timid little puppy we brought home with us just before Christmas 2018 into the beautiful, loving, friendly dog she is today.

I really can’t imagine life without her now. She’s great company, so much fun and I love her to bits.

She’s been having some lovely walks and runs on the beach with Phil while I’ve been at work and I’ve enjoyed joining them on walks at the weekend.

Ruby playing with Ted, a cocker spaniel, we met while out walking

Swan family

The two adult swans and one cygnet on a recent visit to the marina

The swan family appear to have lost a cygnet.

There were two adults and two young ones but there has only been one cygnet with its parents on recent visits to the marina.

Phil tells me he saw the cygnets with their parents on the Solway Firth shortly before Christmas, but there hasn’t been any sign of it since, which is very sad.


In the news

The newspaper cutting about my fund-raising effort for Maryport Inshore Rescue

My fund-raising effort for Maryport Inshore Rescue made it into our local newspaper - the Times and and Star.

The photo of me handing over the £1,120 cheque to the team was printed along with an article stating that it had helped to pay for repairs to the rescue boat after it was damaged while rescuing a fishing boat in the Solway Firth last month.

I have to say, it seemed really weird appearing in a newspaper rather than writing it 😊 


Photography

Looking back at Maryport as we headed out onto the Solway Firth yesterday (Friday)

I haven’t had a lot of chance to take photos again, partly due to work but also due to the horrible weather when I have been at home.

I took a few photos around the harbour with my mobile phone on the Friday afternoon after Christmas.

Fishing boats in Maryport Harbour at high tide

Maryport Harbour

Another view of Maryport Harbour

Fishing boats reflected in the still water at Maryport Harbour

I grabbed a quick shot of the beautiful sunrise that I spotted out of the window while getting ready for work on Friday, January 3.

Sunrise over Maryport Marina on Friday, January 3

As usual, I took some quite a few photos while we were out on the Solway Firth yesterday (Friday).

Maryport Lighthouse

Sun breaking through stormy clouds

Maryport Basin

Maryport from the Solway Firth

Sun reflected in the Solway Firth

And I took my camera around to the shore around high tide today (Saturday) to capture the big waves whipped up by the high winds.

Big waves smashing against South Pier at Maryport

Wild water on the shore at Maryport

A huge wave crashing onto the shore at Maryport

Another big wave rolls along the pier

Weather watch

The windswept view from Maryport's South Pier at high tide today (Saturday)

Wind and rain have definitely been the predominant features of the weather over the past fortnight - followed by more wind and more rain.

I’m told there were occasional breaks in the clouds when the sun put in a brief appearance, but I didn’t get to witness these ☹

The worst of the weather was over the weekend of December 27-28 and Thursday, January 2 when the wind was gusting up to 44mph. There was also a lot of heavy rain.

On Monday, January 6 and Tuesday, January 7, we had high winds with gusts of up to 50mph with torrential rain at times.

Overnight Tuesday, January 7 into Wednesday, January 8 was a windy night with average wind speeds of up to 25mph, gusting 34mph.

One of the best days was New Year’s Eve when temperatures dropped to 0C (32F) in the early morning and there was frost on the pontoons first thing.

This was followed by a dry, bright, calm and cold day.

The top temperature was 7C (45F) and the top average wind speed was 16mph at St Bees Head – our nearest weather station - but it was definitely much calmer than that here.

And yesterday (Friday) it was dry, cloudy and calm first thing.

The wind got up as the morning went on and the sun came out for a while around lunchtime.

The wind continued to build during the afternoon and evening with heavy rain after dark.

The top temperature was 7C (45F) and the top average wind speed during the day was 24mph, gusting 33mph.

Overnight last night, the wind speed reached 34mph with gusts of up to 49mph and today (Saturday) was even windier with average wind speeds up to 40mph, gusting 56mph.

Me wearing my lifejacket on the pontoons during a period of high wind today (Saturday)

It was so windy that we put on our lifejackets every time we left Ravensdale and went out onto the pontoons.

As the wind began to subside late afternoon, we had a downpour of heavy rain.

Ravensdale to the rescue as we tow a broken down fishing boat into the marina

Ravensdale towing a fishing boat back into Maryport in Cumbria, UK, this afternoon (Friday)

We were called upon to help a fishing boat that had broken down just off Maryport Pier as we returned from a fishing trip this afternoon (Friday).

It was the first time this has happened to us in the almost three years we've been living on Ravensdale.

We were pleased to have been in the right place at the right time and very happy to have been able to help

A week of lovely calm weather has provided plenty of opportunities to take our 43ft motor cruiser out on the Solway Firth in Cumbria, UK.

However, we've only been out twice for several very good reasons.

Phil with biggest codling he caught on Monday

We didn’t see the point of going fishing again too soon when we'd caught enough fish for our needs on Monday and we had other jobs that needed doing on the boat.

We’ve also been busy moving our stuff into our new, larger storage container that is much closer to home than our previous storage facility.

So it was good to be able to get out on the water again today.


Today's fishing trip

Freebird tied onto Ravensdale

Today's (Friday) fishing trip ended very differently to what we'd expected when we were asked to help a friend who's fishing boat had broken down on it's way back to Maryport.

We were approaching the piers on our way back into Maryport Marina when we got call on our VHF radio from John to say he needed a tow.

We were very close to his boat, Freebird, and happy to assist.

Phil steered Ravensdale towards Freebird while I looked out a spare rope in case it was needed.

As we got nearer Freebird, which had John and two other people on board, they shouted that they had a rope ready.

When we were close enough, they threw me their rope. I caught it and hooked it onto the cleat on the port side of Ravensdale's aft deck.

Freebird ready to be towed

Phil set off for home at a slow and steady speed at around 3 knots and Freebird followed along behind us.

Freebird on her way home

As we passed through the basin, I did my usual preparations for returning to the marina - dropping out the fenders and preparing the docking sticks in case there is no one around to catch our ropes when we get back to the pontoon.

Ravensdale towing Freebird in through the marina gate

Phil carefully towed Freebird through the gate and around to the first hammerhead, which is where John said he wanted to tie up.

This would have been simple if the hammerhead had been empty, as had been the case when we both left the marina, but a visiting boat had arrived while we were out and was moored at the far end of it making it more difficult to get Freebird alongside the remaining mooring space.

Unfortunately, the only member of the marina staff on duty was busy on the marina's caravan site and therefore unable to come down and catch a rope so we were all very grateful when the folk on the visiting boat caught a rope and pulled Freebird in alongside their vessel.

After Monday's fishing trip, we decided to leave it until today before going out again and, during the week, the forecast was looking perfect for a nice calm trip out.

This morning it seemed a bit windier than we'd expected so we drove around to the pier to check the sea state.

It was borderline for us with a good breeze and a few white tops breaking on the waves but it didn't look as though there was a big swell so we decided to go.

Ravensdale leaving Maryport

We left the marina at around 1.40pm and headed out onto the Solway Firth, then up to the spot where Phil has been catching some good cod lately.

We dropped anchor and Phil set up his rods and immediately started catching dogfish after dogfish ☹

Phil setting up one of his fishing rods

We had our lunch and Phil carried on fishing but all he caught, other than lots of dogfish, were two codling, only one of which was big enough to keep.

Phil with the only decent-sized codling he caught on this trip

The fishing was so boring that Ruby gave up and went indoors after a short while out on deck and, a good half hour before we were due to pack up, she went in her cage as if she was saying: "That's it! I've had enough! Let's go home now." 😊

Ruby laying in her cage ready to go home

We returned to the marina at about 5.45pm after just over four hours out on the water.


Monday’s fishing trip

Lovely calm conditions tempted us out onto the Solway Firth on Monday.

We didn’t even bother to check the sea state before we went as we were pretty sure it was going to be fine and we were right.

Ravensdale leaving Maryport Marina

We left the marina at about 11.30am and headed to Phil’s favourite fishing spot in Allonby Bay, which has now been dubbed the “cod hole” 😊

The weather was sunny, calm and mild for the time of year.

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

Ravensdale leaving Maryport in beautiful weather

Phil set up his fishing rods while I got us both a cup of tea and I was about to get Ruby out of her cage when he had his first bite.

I stayed to see what he’d caught before going back in and it was his first dogfish of many.

I put Ruby’s life jacket on her and took her out on deck, but she didn’t seem to want to stay out there for long.

Ruby making herself comfortable in the saloon

After a quick sniff of Phil’s bait box, she went back indoors and stretched out on the couch in the saloon although she did come back outside when we were having our lunch in the hope she might get a bit and she wasn’t disappointed 😊

The first codling of the day was just under-sized so was put back in the water.

The first codling of the day, which was just too small to keep

Phil then started catching codling that were bigger than the minimum size and we kept four of them to eat. His last one was the biggest at 45cm.

The first good-sized codling Phil caught on this trip

Another of the decent-sized codling that we kept to eat

The dab Phil caught on this fishing trip

He also caught a dab that was also large enough to keep.

A short time after we dropped anchor, Venture West charter fishing boat came and dropped anchor within about 75 yards of us.

Venture West anchored next to Ravensdale

Some of the anglers on Venture West waving to us

They were so close to Ravensdale that we could compare catches without having to use the VHF radio.

Strangely, although they were so close to us and there were nine anglers on board, they didn’t catch a single codling.

Phil's catch in the laundry basket we use for fishing trips

A light breeze picked up while we were out, which became stronger as the time went on and the ride home was much choppier than the trip out.

Ravensdale heading home to Maryport

The view from Ravensdale's aft deck on the way home

We returned to the marina at around 3.30pm after four hours out on the water during which time we travelled 5.5 nautical miles.

Phil bringing Ravensdale into Maryport Marina

As soon as we were back Phil filleted the fish he had caught. We had two of the codling for supper and the rest went into the freezer.

The prepared cod fillets

Storage wars

We were delighted to discover a new 20ft storage container that was available for rent just a short way from the marina.

And, yesterday (Thursday) we hired a van and collected our stuff from the small storage unit we were renting 12 miles away from here – the closest one we could find when we moved on board almost three years ago.

The van we hired outside our old storage facility

We also collected a lot of the stuff from the storage facility at our marina and took it to the container.

Our new storage container

And, over the past week, we’ve been moving some of the things that were on board that really didn’t need to be here all the time into the storage container.

Some of our stuff in the new container

The next step is to spend some time in there going through the boxes, throwing away the things we really don’t want or need anymore and re-boxing, sorting and labelling the stuff we want to keep.

Our storage seems to have been so chaotic for so long that I’m really looking forward to winning our storage wars at long last 😊


New radio holder

The new box for our handheld VHF radio

Phil has made a little box to store our handheld VHF radio.

It used to be in a plastic container that hung from a hook near the helm. This was probably fine when it was new, but it was falling apart and looking tatty.

He recovered a piece of marine ply from the marina’s rubbish bins (with permission) thinking it would save us a few bob 😊

What he hadn’t realised was that there would be hidden costs involved.

The first thing we had to buy was wood glue as he couldn’t find the glue that we both knew we had somewhere – one of the joys of living on a boat 😊

Then, he had to buy some stain to get the colour of the little box as close as possible to the wood to which it was being attached.

But I’m fairly sure it was still a lot cheaper than buying a ready-made handset holder and he has the satisfaction of knowing that it was all his own work 😊



New rod holders

One of Phil's new rod holders

One of the new rod holders in use on our latest fishing trip

The new rod holders Phil bought himself recently have turned out to be a bit of a disappointment.

They looked as though they were going to be perfect for his new fishing rods but they don't stay upright.

Any pressure on the line, even the tide is enough to pull the rod over.

He has tried putting a split pin through one of them (he only had one spare of a suitable size).

This seems to have helped, but he's still not happy with it so it looks as though they will have to be replaced asap ☹








Defrosting the freezer

Our freezer after it had been defrosted and cleaned

I was so pleased with the extra space in the fridge after defrosting it last week, so I decided to give our little freezer the same treatment this week.

I transferred the contents into a cool box with a couple of ice blocks, switched off the freezer and switched it off until it started to thaw before knocking off the worst of the ice with a plastic spatula.

As soon as the ice had gone, I gave it a thorough clean and put it back on for a while so it would cool down properly before restocking it.



Ruby of Ravensdale

Ruby lounging on the couch in the saloon on Ravensdale

One of Ruby’s favourite places to sleep during the day is tucked in behind me while I’m sat at the dining table using my laptop.

She snuggles into the space between my back and the back of the seat and sleeps there quite happily until I have to move.

Ruby squeezed in behind my back

Meanwhile, she seems to have got used to wearing her knickers and can frequently be seen posing in them on the couch in the saloon 😊

Another photo of Ruby posing on the couch in her knickers

Ruby's new knickers in clear packaging

Phil has also taught her to “assume the position” while we put her knickers on her.

She puts her front feet up on the second step of the steps from the saloon to the aft deck and stays there while we take them off as she goes out for walks and put them back on afterwards.

It’s comical to watch, but I really think a photo of that would be a step too far (no pun intended 😊). My poor baby needs a little bit of privacy 😊

And it’s just as well she isn’t easily embarrassed as the spare pair of knickers that we ordered because the pet shop only had one pair of her size in stock turned up in a clear plastic wrapper 😊

I’m not quite sure why she needed the large size as I don’t think she’s particularly big for a staffie and the size charts for the knickers give medium as the size for staffies, but they were much too small for her.

I just wish we’d thought of getting them for her during her first season as it means we can all carry on as normal without having to take up the carpet and protect the seat cushions…and there’s no cleaning up to do, which is brilliant.

Ruby sitting on one of the lockers on Ravensdale's aft deck

Ruby doesn’t like Phil’s new rod holders any more than he does – she barked at them for the first couple of days but seems to have accepted them as part of the ytttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttthnffixtures and fittings now 😊

Ruby obviously decided that she should be allowed to write her own section in my blog now.

I left my laptop for a couple of minutes to do something in the galley and, when I got back, I found her with her front feet on the keyboard and she’d made the alteration above 😊😊😊

Sadly I didn't get a photo of her doing this as my first thought was to get her off my keyboard.

And she still hates having her photo taken. She can be fast asleep but the second I point a camera at her she immediately wakes up and gives me the evil eye 😊

Ruby fast asleep

Ruby a second later when she realised I was taking photos of her

Chelaris visits the marina

Chelaris arriving at Maryport Marina

Maryport fishing boat Chelaris arrived in the marina yesterday afternoon and tied up on the wall opposite Ravensdale while waiting to be lifted out of the water.

Chelaris passing Ravensdale

As soon as the boat hoist was set up, she went into the hoist which was pulled up the slipway for work to be carried out at the boatyard next to the marina.

Chelaris heading into the boat hoist

Chelaris on her way up the slipway

Swans and cygnets

The cygnets with one of their parents paddling past Ravensdale

The family of swans, the other pair and a single swan, all of which are fairly frequent visitors, have called around for food on a number of occasions this week.

But the real problem comes when any of the others turn up at the same time as the cygnets and their parents.

Last Friday evening, we saw the family of swans on the marina slipway with the male swan a short distance from the female and cygnets. He had the lone swan pinned against the wall and was pecking at its head.

He then chased it up the slipway around a campervan that was parked at the top of the slipway across the concrete area at the top of the slipway and along the road towards the west gate where he trapped it in a corner.

The male swan chasing the interloper across the top of the marina slipway

The lone swan being scared off

The chase continues

The lone swan being chased down towards the west gate

I really wish I'd had my camera with me as the quality of the photos I took with my phone is not great, but at least it enabled me to capture the action.


Early Christmas

Christmas decorations for sale in Maryport's B&M store on Wednesday

It seems Christmas has arrived even earlier than usual this year ☹  

Is it just me or is mid-September really too early to see Christmas decorations for sale in the shops?

We just couldn’t believe it when we went into our local B&M store to see an aisle dedicated to Christmas stuff, including tinsel, baubles and Xmas stockings.

There were also Christmas selection boxes in the confectionery aisle.


Photography

One of the fishing boats from the marina leaving Maryport Basin

As usual, a lot of this week's photos were taken while out on the Solway Firth on Monday and today (Friday).

Fishing boat Argonaut on the Solway Firth

The northern fells from the Solway Firth

Maryport from the Solway Firth on Monday

The same view taken today (Friday)

Maryport from the Solway Firth

The entrance to Maryport Basin from the Solway Firth

I also took my camera for a walk up to The Settlement, where I went to see an exhibition of the work of local artists on Saturday afternoon.

Looking out towards the Solway Firth from The Settlement

Looking along the River Ellen towards the Solway Firth from The Settlement

Looking over the rooftops to Maryport Lighthouse and the Solway Firth

And I couldn't resist taking some photos around the harbour on the way there and again on the way back to the marina.

Ellenfoot Bridge over Maryport Harbour

Fishing boats in Maryport Harbour

More fishing boats in Maryport Harbour

I also took my camera along while walking Ruby around the harbour on Wednesday evening.

Evening light on Maryport Harbour

Maryport Harbour bathed in golden evening light

Another view of Maryport Harbour

She doesn't mind me tying her lead to the railings next to me briefly while I take photos as she gets a treat when I untie her if she sat quietly while waiting.


Weather watch

The weather has been so much better this week than in previous weeks but it’s definitely getting cooler at night now.

Blue sky and white clouds over Maryport Harbour on Saturday

Saturday was dry, bright and sunny but it was still pretty windy.

The top temperature was 16C (61F) and the top average wind speed was 22mph, gusting 32mph.

Sunday was dry and bright but not particularly sunny and less windy than the previous day. The sun came out late afternoon and it was very calm in the evening.

The top temperature was 14C (57F) and the top average wind speed was 11mph.

Monday started dry, bright, sunny and calm, but the cloud increased during the afternoon and the wind got up a bit.

The top temperature was 14C (57F). The top average wind speed was 21mph and the wind speed while we were out on the Solway Firth was 6-13mph.

Looking out to the Solway Firth from Maryport on Tuesday afternoon

Tuesday was another dry, sunny and fairly calm day with a top temperature of 15C (59F) and the average wind speed peaked at 11mph.

A sunny end to the day on Wednesday evening

We had a dry and calm start to the day on Wednesday. There was a mixture of sunshine and cloud during the morning with the amount of cloud decreasing at the day went on.
Wednesday night into yesterday (Thursday) was a much cooler night than previous nights with the temperature going down to 9C. The temperature in the boat was only 13C when we got up.

Clear blue sky at Maryport Marina yesterday (Thursday)

Yesterday, the weather was dry, sunny and calm with a top temperature of 16C (61F) and a top average wind speed of 9mph.

A misty start to the day at Maryport Marina this morning (Friday)

And, today (Friday) the weather was dry and sunny with an early morning mist. It was fairly calm for much of the day with a good breeze at times. The temperature reached 19C (66F) with a top average wind speed of 16mph.