An aborted fishing trip and our double-glazing experiment

Ravensdale returning to Maryport in Cumbria, UK, on Tuesday morning

We took Ravensdale out for a short cruise/fishing trip on Tuesday to give her engines a run and to see if Phil could catch anything nice for supper.

Sadly, we only achieved one of our two aims.

Our boat got a bit of a run, but Phil didn’t even get to attempt to fish because of the bumpy sea conditions.

And we ended up returning home to Maryport Marina in Cumbria, UK, much sooner than we’d intended ☹

Meanwhile, the large windows on our 43ft Neptunus 133 motor cruiser help to warm the boat up when it’s sunny but they also mean we lose a lot of heat when it’s cold outside.

The window behind the dining table that has been caused a draught problem

So, this week, we decided to experiment with fitting secondary double-glazing to one of the smaller windows that causes a real draught problem.

The plan being to do likewise to further windows if it makes a noticeable difference.

Tuesday’s fishing trip

Ravensdale out on the Solway Firth during our previous fishing trip

An unpleasant experience while out fishing on November 17 has put us off going out over two tides for a while.

Very bumpy conditions made fishing extremely difficult and resulted in us having to motor up and down the coast for a good hour and a half while waiting for the marina’s sea gate to open so we could go home.

However, a forecast for single-figure wind speeds tempted us out onto the Solway Firth for what was to have been a four-hour fishing trip on Tuesday.

The basin between our marina and the firth dries out at low tide, so the marina’s sea gate is only open for around two and half hours either side of high tide.

This means that we either have to leave when the gate first opens and make sure we’re back before it closes again when the same tide is going out or stay out until the next tide, which means it’s impossible to return for at least seven hours.

Maryport Marina gate opening

This is not a problem in favourable conditions.

However, when the forecast proves to be totally wrong and the wind speed is nothing like the low speeds that were promised – as happened on our last outing - it becomes a real pain.

Tuesday morning’s high tide was at 09:18 so the gate was due to be open from around 06:48 to 11:48.

And the forecast was for average wind speeds of 6-8mph while the gate was open, which would’ve been well within our comfort zone.

We set an early alarm and woke up to still and very cold conditions.

Frosty pontoons at Maryport Marina early on Tuesday morning

Ravensdale’s decks were icy and her mooring ropes that we neatly coil on the pontoons and decks were frozen solid.

The marina pontoons were also very slippery, so Phil salted the ramp up to the facilities as he went up there before any of the staff were on duty.

He also decided to salt our decks as, although it would be messy, at least we would be safe.

Meanwhile, I packed all the loose stuff inside the boat away into crates, as usual, and strapped down the freezer and microwave.

We also moved the dehumidifier in the aft cabin off the shelf, where it usually lives, onto the floor so it couldn’t fall as happened on our previous outing.

Ravensdale going out through the marina gate on Tuesday morning

We left the marina at about 7.30am, which was more than half an hour before sunrise so it was still pretty dark.

We headed down towards North Workington and found the spot where we intended to fish.

Ravensdale on the way to our first stop

Phil put the engines in neutral ready to drop the anchor and we were surprised at how much the boat was rocking given the lack of wind.

At first, we thought it was our own wake as he had turned the boat around, but the waves just kept on coming so it obviously wasn’t that.

We waited a while to see if it would stop, but it didn’t so we decided there must be a big swell.

We then headed back towards Maryport to see if we could get the boat to settle at another fishing spot close to Maryport pier.

It seemed a little quieter so we dropped the anchor and turned off the engines but, before Phil could even set up his fishing rods, the wind started to get up and that coupled with the swell made for a very bumpy ride again.

Maryport from our fishing spot close to the pier

Again, we waited a while to see if the boat would settle but it didn’t so, we brought the anchor in and decided to cut our losses and head for home.

Phil bringing up Ravensdale's anchor

Passing Maryport lighthouse on our way back to the marina

We were back in the marina soon after 9am after just over an hour and a half out on the water during which time we did 6.4 nautical miles with a top speed of 10.2 knots.

I moored Ravensdale up using our docking sticks, which enable me to tie her up without help. Before we got them, I was reliant on someone coming to meet us and catching our ropes as our boat is too high for me to jump off onto the pontoon.

Phil put on the spring lines and we were about to replace the lines on the docking sticks with our regular bow and stern lines when I suggested that it might be a good time to get some more diesel before doing so.

We went up to the marina office to check they were OK with this then moved Ravensdale onto the fuel pontoon to fill her up.

Phil refuelling Ravensdale

We may not have managed to do any fishing, but we did get to give Ravensdale’s two 300hp Volvo Penta engines a bit of a run and we refilled her diesel tank, which made the effort involved in taking her out worthwhile.

Secondary double-glazing

Phil marking the multi-wall polycarbonate sheet ready for cutting

Me lending a foot while Phil cuts the sheet of plastic

Ravensdale’s large windows result in considerable heat loss during cold weather.

And the one that causes us the most discomfort is the long, narrow window along the back of the dinette on the port side of the boat.

Phil sits under this window while we’re relaxing in the evening and has long complained of cold air dropping down under the curtain when it’s closed.

This is our third winter living on our boat and each year we’ve said we should do something about it.

However, it hasn’t happened and, once spring comes around, it's forgotten until the temperature drops again.

Well, this year, we decided to tackle the problem, so we bought a multi-wall polycarbonate sheet and some double-sided sticky tape.

And, yesterday (Thursday), Phil set about cutting the sheet to fit the window then used the tape to stick it to the metal window frame.

The secondary double-glazing in place on the window in Ravensdale's dinette

We’re hoping it will make a big difference and, if it does, we'll do the same to some of Ravensdale’s other windows.

Horse and cart ride 

The photo I’d been hoping for of me getting a ride back to the marina on a horse and cart the weekend before last never materialised.

I was really hoping someone would’ve snapped us and would post the image on a local Facebook group.

This didn’t happen, however, there was a photo of me chatting to Dave, the guy who owned the horse and cart, before he offered me a lift home.

Me chatting to the owner of the horse and cart before my ride back to the marina

Photography

My calendar showing photos of Maryport

The July photo in my calendar

This week, a photo calendar I’d ordered featuring some of my photos of Maryport arrived back from the printer.

I had it printed for a woman who contacted me on Facebook and asked if I would make a calendar for her to give to her father as a Christmas present.

I was happy to do it and, having seen the finished result, I really wish I could’ve had more printed and sold them to raise money for Maryport Inshore Rescue.

I considered this when I was ordering the single calendar but discovered the cost was likely to be prohibitive as it would mean charging more for the calendars than I thought people would be willing to pay.

I was disappointed about this so was really pleased when I met a local woman who runs her own business making cushions with photographs on them.

I agreed that she could use some of my photos of Maryport on her cushions to raise money for the charity of my choice, so Maryport Inshore Rescue will now receive £1 from every cushion she sells with one of my photos on it.

Our trip out on the water offered a few photo opportunities on Tuesday, but not as many as I’d hoped.

It was rather dark when we left the marina and the sunrise wasn’t particularly special, but I still managed to get a few photos from the trip that I quite liked.

Maryport just before sunrise

Cormorants on a navigation mark in the Solway Firth

The cormorants' perch with the Iggesund paperboard factory at Workington in the distance

Sunrise over the Solway Firth

I also took my camera for a walk along the shore and around the harbour on several occasions during the week and I popped out to get some photos of the sunset over the marina on Monday evening.

Bridge over the River Ellen at Maryport

Waves crashing on the lifeboat slipway at Maryport

Ellenfoot Bridge over Maryport Harbour

Reflections of fishing boats in Maryport Harbour

More reflections in Maryport Harbour

Maryport Marina at sunset

Another view of Maryport Marina at sunset

And, having discovered my mobile phone took better photos than I thought before I discovered it just had a dirty lens, I couldn’t resist trying a few shots with it when I didn’t have my camera with me.

Maryport shore taken with my mobile phone

Another phone photo of the shore at Maryport

Swan family

As we were getting up on Saturday morning, we heard a strange sound coming from the side of the boat.

We looked out to see the swans tapping on Ravensdale’s hull.

It was as though they thought we should’ve been up earlier to feed them 😊

Feeding time

One of the cygnets tries to take food from the beaker I use to feed them

They were back many times demanding food throughout the day on Sunday and Monday.

The swan family lined up along the pontoon waiting for food

And we saw them out on the Solway Firth on Tuesday.

We haven’t seen them in the marina since then, but I’m sure it won’t be long before they’re back pestering us for food.

Weather watch

We’ve had more than our fair share of wind and rain here in Maryport over the past week with precipitation falling on every day but Tuesday.

Overnight Friday into Saturday was a very windy night with a top average wind speed of 24mph, gusting 37mph.

Saturday was a grey day with rain during the morning. It became dry and calm during the afternoon with a top temperature of 8C (46.5F) and a top average wind speed of 15mph.

Grey Sunday at Maryport Marina

It was wet and miserable all day on Sunday although the rain stopped for a short period mid-afternoon. The temperature reached 10.1C (50F) and the highest average wind speed recorded locally was 18mph.

Sunday night into Monday was wet and windy and it was still raining when we got up, but the sky cleared and it became dry, bright and sunny for much of the day. The top temperature was 6.7C (44F) with the average wind speed peaking at 14mph.

Blue skies and sunshine at Maryport Marina on Monday morning

Overnight Monday/Tuesday was a very cold night and there was frost on the pontoon and Ravensdale’s decks first thing.

Tuesday was supposed to be really calm, which is why we decided to take the boat out on the water, but it really wasn’t ☹ The cloud increased as the day went on and the top temperature was 7C (44.5F) with the average wind speed reaching 13mph.

Pigeons on the ramp at Maryport Marina during a brief break in the rain on Wednesday

Wednesday was wet with rain falling nearly all day and, even when it stopped raining, it was still grey and damp. The top temperature was 7.1C (44.5F) with a top average wind speed of 8mph.

Yesterday (Thursday) was another very wet day with rain from the very start. It stopped for a short while early afternoon then started raining again.

Another grey, wet day at Maryport Marina yesterday (Thursday)

It was windier and warmer than the previous day with the temperature reaching 10.4C (51F) and a top average wind speed of 22mph, gusting 31mph.

And, so far, today (Friday) the weather has been very windy with average wind speeds up to 30mph, gusting 41mph. The top temperature so far is 7.7C (46F).

A stunning sunset and an unexpected fishing trip

A beautiful sunset over the Solway Firth in Cumbria, UK

A brief weather window allowed us to take Ravensdale out to play on the water at the weekend.

Both Phil and I were convinced we’d been stuck in the marina at Maryport in Cumbria, UK, for at least two weeks, possibly three.

However, when I checked, I discovered we were wrong – it was only 10 days, but it really did feel much longer.

And it was looking unlikely that we would be able to get out for at least another week, so it was brilliant to be able to go on Sunday.

Another highlight of the past week was the amazing sunset on Tuesday evening.

I will never tire of the beautiful sunsets that light up the sky over the Solway Firth.

Unexpected fishing trip

It was looking as though this week was going to be one of those really annoying times when the wind speeds were too high to leave the marina whenever the gate was open.

Ravensdale waiting for the weather to improve so she could go out to play

According to the forecast, the only times when the wind speed was going to be in low single figures was either during the night or while the gate was closed.

And there would have been no chance to go out early in the morning and stay out over two tides because we would’ve been stuck out on the water when the wind blew up.

But the forecast changed.

When I checked the Met Office app on my phone first thing on Sunday, I discovered that the wind was supposed to drop to 10mph at around 4pm, which was just after the marina gate was due to open.

It was then supposed to drop further while we would be out on the Solway Firth to around 6mph at the time we would need to return before the gate closed again at around 8.45pm.

There didn’t appear to be another time that we’d be able to go for the rest of the week, so we decided to go for it.

During the morning, we walked over to The Aquarium by Maryport Harbour to get some more fishing bait.

And, while out, we realised that the higher winds that had been forecast for that day hadn’t really materialised and we kicked ourselves for not going out on the morning tide and staying out until the evening.

A surprisingly calm start to the day on Sunday

We bumped into a fisherman friend by the harbour, who said he was thinking exactly the same thing, so at least we knew it wasn’t just us being over cautious.

The worst thing about the gate opening so late in the day is waiting around for it to happen.

We were ready a good two hours beforehand. Thankfully, the weather was good, so we were able to sit out on Ravensdale’s aft deck and enjoy the sunshine while we waited.

The gate opened later than we’d hoped at around 4.15pm.

Ravensdale heading for the gate on our way out of Maryport Marina

We headed out of the gate into Maryport Basin, then out between the twin piers into the Solway Firth at the first opportunity, waving to the people standing watching by the lighthouse as we went.

The opening between Maryport's twin piers that provides access to the Solway Firth

It felt good to be out on the water again.

I’m convinced that Ravensdale is happier when she’s travelling or even just bobbing around on the waves at anchor than when she’s tied up in the marina, but I guess I’m just projecting my own feelings onto her 😊

Ravensdale heading out of the basin at Maryport

Soon after we’d left Maryport to go to one of our usual fishing spots, Phil’s tablet died and the markers for our fishing locations are on Navionics on his tablet.

He was trying to get it to work while at the helm, so I offered to take over steering, so he could concentrate on sorting the problem, which unfortunately he was unable to do.

I ended up driving all the way to the area in which we normally drop anchor and turned the boat around to face into the tide at what looked like the right sort of place to stop.

Phil went out onto the bow and dropped the anchor before setting up two fishing rods.

Phil baiting a hook on Ravensdale's aft deck

He had another look at his tablet to see if there was anything obvious wrong, but it refused to restart.

We’ve always said that one of the good things about taking our home fishing was that we couldn’t forget anything.

Well, this time we proved ourselves wrong.

One of the dogfish Phil caught on this trip

We forgot to take the live crabs that we’d caught in our prawn pot. We left them in a submerged container that hangs from one of the cleats by our boat.

However, it didn’t matter too much as we had plenty of other bait.

This trip was much like our last few outings with very few fish showing any interest in our bait.

Phil only managed to catch a small huss and four dogfish (sadly, I didn't manage to get a photo of the huss before he threw it back).

My phone lies about the weather!

The weather didn’t do what the forecasters had promised either. It was supposed to be hot and sunny, but it really wasn’t.

The weather app on my phone was telling me it was 20C in my current location when it was cool enough for us to both put on long-sleeved fleece tops.

And the wind, which was supposed to subside while we were out, did the opposite and it started to blow up around the time the tide turned.

As we weren’t catching any worthwhile fish and the weather wasn’t particularly special, we decided to head back to the marina a bit earlier than planned.

We usually use the Navionics chart to follow the same route back, but it didn’t matter that it was out of action as visibility was good and it's an area we now know well.

If we’d needed to use a navigational aid, we still had the small Standard Horizon plotter that was on our Neptunus 133 when we bought her and we always carry the relevant charts.

We were unable to reach the marina on the VHF radio on the way back to let them know we were coming in so, after a couple of failed attempts, we headed back in anyway keeping a careful lookout for any other traffic.

Ravensdale returning to Maryport

We arrived back at the pontoon just before 7.30pm and I had no problem securing mooring ropes without assistance by using our docking sticks. 

They really are some of the best gadgets we’ve bought for our boat as the height from Ravensdale’s deck to the pontoon makes it impossible for me to jump off with our mooring ropes. This means that, without the docking sticks, I would need help every time we wanted to moor up.

Maryport Marina gate

Maryport Marina gate holding water in the marina at low tide

The sea gate here at Maryport Marina in Cumbria, UK, means we can only get in or out of the marina for around two and half hours either side of high tide.

When I write about the impact the gate has on our ability to take Ravensdale out to play on the water, I frequently get asked what I mean and how it works so I thought I’d try to give you a bit of an explanation.

There’s a big difference between high and low tide here, particularly during spring tides which can vary by nearly nine metres (almost 30 feet), and the basin outside the marina gate dries out when the tide goes out.

Maryport Basin at low tide showing the position of the marina gate

So, the gate is closed when there’s 2.4m (almost eight feet) of water over the sill to make sure there’s enough water in the marina to keep the boats afloat.

Marina staff open it as the tide comes in and close it as the tide goes out. They have to wait for the water level outside the gate to be the same as that inside the marina before operating the gate which is lifted and dropped by a cable.

Maryport Marina gate being lowered when the water levels are the same on both sides

Berth holders and visitors to the marina plan their comings and goings around this in the knowledge that the gate is usually open for around two and a half hours either side of high tide.

However, the timing can vary depending on the tides, the swell and the atmospheric pressure so we never know exactly what time the gate will open or close.

It’s sometimes left closed during stormy conditions when there’s a big swell.

Water pouring over the marina gate when it was left closed during Storm Hector in June

And it’s sometimes closed when there’s 3m (almost 10ft) of water over the sill if the marina is planning boat movements while the gate is shut or when weather conditions mean staff feel the gate needs closing earlier than usual.

Shower room leak

Phil has been trying to discover the cause of the water that has started leaking into the en-suite shower room in the aft cabin when it rains.

It appears to be coming through at the starboard side of the bottom of the window and sliding door that provides access to the saloon from the aft deck.

We thought he might have fixed it when he drilled extra drainage holes at the lowest point in the metal channel in which the door runs.

Just in case this hadn’t done the trick, he also sealed along the bottom of the window/door frame where it meets the superstructure.

Phil applying sealant around the door frame

We really hoped this belt and braces tactic had cured the leak until we had more heavy rain on Tuesday and discovered that water was still getting in.

The next step is to lift the corner of the teak deck in front of the door to see if we can find a problem there.

As I said in my last blog post, it really isn’t the most serious place to have a leak as any water than comes in ends up on the tiled floor of the shower and runs away down the drain.

The problem is also fairly minor with very little water coming in, but we really don’t want any leaks on Ravensdale, so the cause will be found and put right, however long it takes to get to the bottom of the problem.

Facebook vocabulary quiz

I never do the various quizzes that Facebook suggests for me because I’d always thought them a bit silly and a waste of time.

However, a friend did one the other day and the results were so funny that I just couldn’t resist having a go.

This one was supposed to tell you what the vocabulary you use on Facebook says about you and I just couldn’t believe what it came up with for me.

My Facebook vocabulary quiz results

Apparently, I have Thai ancestry (I mean, do I look like I come from Thai stock?), I enjoy vampire hunting (I don’t even like vampire films) and my nickname is “Loco Legs” (what’s that all about?) 😊

I quite like the bit about being 33 though, or at least I would if others I know who are older than I am hadn’t come out with younger ages

I can only think it’s because I use much more grown-up language on Facebook 😊

I guess I’ve just proved that I was correct in my assumption that such quizzes are silly and a waste of time.

Would I do another one?

I’d like to say “no”, but I’m not so sure as I laughed myself silly at the results I got this time 😊

Photo opportunities

Most of the photos I’ve taken this week, other than recording the weather, have been of our trip out on Ravensdale on Sunday and the beautiful sunset on Tuesday evening.

I still have problems getting clear photos while out on the water.

I use a higher shutter speed to hopefully make up for the rocking motion of the boat and for shots of other boats, which are often also moving, but am still rarely happy with the results.

Photography friends have tried to help me rectify this problem but, so far, without success. I’m beginning to think it’s just me ☹

Fishing from Ravensdale on the Solway Firth

One of the other boats on the Solway Firth on Sunday

A mackerel sky over the Scottish hills on the other side of the Solway Firth

Meanwhile, Tuesday evening on the beach watching the sun go down was an absolute delight.

I saw the sky starting to colour up in good time and headed out with my camera well before sunset.

I was out for well over an hour wandering along the coastal walk above the beach and then down on the shore, where I very nearly got my feet wet a couple of times.

I’m becoming an expert at looking through the viewfinder on my camera with one eye and checking what the water’s doing with the other one while taking photos and I usually notice when the waves are getting dangerously close to my feet, but I still get caught out from time to time 😊

Tuesday evening's sunset on the shore at Maryport in Cumbria, UK

A closer view of the sun setting over Scotland

Sunset reflections on Maryport Pier

Impressive cloud formations during Tuesday evening's sunset

And, on Wednesday, I just had to take my camera for a walk around the harbour and along the river when the rain stopped and the sun came out.

Both the harbour and the river look better at high tide but, even without water, I couldn’t resist the blue sky and fluffy white clouds.

Maryport Harbour at low tide

Another view of Maryport Harbour at low tide

Fishing boats sitting on the mud in Maryport Harbour

The River Ellen in Maryport at low tide

Another view of the River Ellen at Maryport

We had to go to Cockermouth on Thursday for an appointment and I meant to take my camera but totally forgot it and didn’t have time to go back.

My camera takes really poor quality photos, so I borrowed Phil’s to take a couple of snaps of the bustling market town on the edge of the Lake District National Park.

Floral displays in Main Street, Cockermouth

Looking in the opposite direction along Main Street, Cockermouth

The River Cocker at Cockermouth

Weather watch

We’ve had a pretty mixed bag of weather in Maryport over the past week - sun, rain and plenty of wind.

It rained during the morning last Friday, stopping just before lunchtime and we awoke to a dry and bright day on Saturday.

Last Saturday at Maryport Marina - the first rain-free day for more than a week

Amazingly, there was no rain all day after the rainiest week we'd had in a long time. In fact, I was so surprised by the lack of rain that I totally forgot to check the wind and temperature information 😊

Sunday also started dry and bright.

It was very calm first thing, while the gate was closed but it started to increase during the afternoon and blew up later while we were out at sea.

The top temperature was 19.1C (66F) and the top average wind speed recorded locally was 11mph. It was supposedly 8mph while we were out, but it was definitely more than that where we were.

Monday started dry and a bit breezy, but the wind got up and it started raining just before 10am when it literally tipped it down. There were further periods of heavy rain until it cleared up later in the day.

Ravensdale's aft deck after a torrential downpour on Monday

The top temperature was 15.7C (60F) and the top average wind speed was 17mph.

We had rain first thing on Tuesday, but it dried up during the morning and was much brighter during the afternoon with the temperature peaking at 16.2C (61F).

The windiest part of the day was early afternoon when the average wind speed reached 13mph. And the day ended with a beautiful sunset.

Wednesday started wet again and there were heavy showers throughout the morning. The sun came out during the afternoon making way for blue skies and fluffy white clouds, with a top temperature of 16.8C (62F).

Blue sky and fluffy white clouds over Maryport Marina on Wednesday

It remained quite breezy with a top average wind speed of 16mph.

Thursday was dry and sunny but felt cooler than the top temperature of 16C (61F) as there was a stiff breeze and a top average wind speed of 15mph.

And the weather so far today (Friday) has been a combination of sunshine and very heavy showers.