Life onboard under Covid-19 restrictions and our heater breaks down

Phil working on Ravensdale's broken down Webasto heater

The current situation due to the Covid-19 pandemic is just so weird and I’m still not sure if going through lockdown on a boat is any different to being told to stay at home in a house.

Our 43ft motor cruiser Ravensdale is certainly a more confined space than most houses and having a garden must make staying home a lot more bearable, but many land-dwellers don’t have the luxury of a garden either.

However, I think we can count ourselves lucky as we’re so much better off than people who are confined to high rise flats, with nowhere to go except their trips out for essential supplies or their daily exercise.

At least we can get out around the marina so I guess I shouldn’t really complain, and we have some lovely pathways around us here in Maryport, Cumbria, UK, for our daily walks 😊

But one thing we could really have done without was our diesel heater breaking down last month on one of the coldest nights we'd had in a long time.

Almost six weeks in lockdown

Ravensdale on a beautiful, calm, sunny day at Maryport Marina in Cumbria, UK

It will be six weeks ago on Tuesday (May 5) since the partial lockdown was imposed in the UK to slow down the spread of the deadly Covid-19 virus.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced it on the evening of Monday, March 23, with effect from the following morning.

Mr Johnson has since been treated in hospital for the virus before recovering at home and returning to work last week.

Our life at the marina continues much the same as usual except for not being able to go out when we want – either on the boat or on foot/by car.

We’re still taking our daily walks separately. Phil usually takes Ruby out in the morning and I take my exercise in the afternoon.

I like to wait until later in the day, so I have something to look forward to. I’m pretty sure I’d go stir crazy if I went out in the morning as, when I came home, I would know I couldn’t go out again until the following day.

I also think it’s good to go separately so that we both get a bit of time alone as being locked up on a boat together could otherwise be pretty claustrophobic.

Police checking on a vehicle parked on the road alongside the marina

It seems strange to see police stopping people in cars on the road that runs alongside the marina to the lighthouse and asking them what they're doing but it's good that they are keeping a close watch to ensure people are adhering to the restrictions.

It’s also strange that we’re being encouraged not to use cash in shops anymore. Who would’ve ever thought it? And, to discourage people from using notes and coins, contactless card payments have gone up from £30-£45.

I reckon shopping is the weirdest experience of the lot starting with queuing two metres (6ft 6ins) apart outside the store and only being allowed in on a "one out, one in" basis.

Shoppers queuing 2m apart outside the Lidl store in Maryport, Cumbria, UK

I always wear disposable gloves to shop, putting them on before I get a shopping trolley and removing them when it has been returned. I've only seen a few people wearing masks so far.

Moving around the supermarket isn’t easy as you’re constantly trying to be aware of where everyone else is so you can ensure you don’t get too close to anyone.

Most people are happy to observe the 2m social distancing rule, but a few just don’t seem to care and pass close by before you’re even aware that they’re there, which is really annoying.

It’s also odd to see the queue for the checkouts stretching to the far end of the store and it’s a fairly big supermarket.

The length of the queue is due to the 2m spacing between customers and when you get to the front of the queue the checkout operators, who are behind plastic screens, shout for the next customer to be served.

I have to confess that I’m beginning to struggle a bit with the restrictions.

I totally understand why they must remain in place and I observe them to the letter as I really don’t want to get the virus or to be the cause of anyone else getting it.

However, being stuck in a confined space for so many hours of the day is beginning to make me understand how wild animals feel when they’re caged up in zoos ☹  

The good news for me is that tomorrow (Monday) I'm going back to work at Chimney Sheep - the factory I was working at before the lockdown - so my life will be a lot more normal than it has been over the past six weeks 😊

Running Ravensdale's engines

Ravensdale's engine room

We've been unable to take Ravensdale out on the water since March 22 - the day before the partial lockdown was announced.

As she hadn't been out of the marina for six week, we decided we should run up her two 300hp Volvo Penta engines to keep them running properly.

They were run under load for about 15 minutes yesterday morning (Saturday) and they seemed to be just fine. They sounded sweet, the temperature rose evenly on both engines and there was very little smoke.

This is something that we will be doing on a regular basis until we can move her again.


Our heater breaks down

Phil removing one of the fuses from the heater to check it

The heater packed up on the evening of Tuesday, April 14, which was one of the coldest nights we’d had in a good while.

The heat didn’t come up when I turned the heater on.

I went to turn it up a bit more and noticed that the green light that’s constantly illuminated when it’s switched on was flashing and we were both pretty sure that was what happened last time the filter needed changing.

Phil went down into the engine room to check the fuses, but they seemed OK.

Thankfully, I had ordered a service kit a couple of months previously so it would be here ready to service the heater when the weather warmed up, but it seems the heater wasn’t willing to wait that long.

It was getting late for starting on servicing the heater, so Phil said we’d just have to live without it for one night and he’d get on with it the following day.

I put on a body warmer that I wouldn’t usually wear indoors and dug out a fan heater, which took the chill off a bit during the evening. The electric blanket and dehumidifier warmed our cabin up a bit too.

I was more worried about poor Ruby sleeping in the saloon without any heating.

I was pleased to discover that, although she felt a little bit cooler than usual in the morning, her ears weren’t really cold, which is always a good indication of her temperature.

I checked the thermometer in the dinette, and it was reading 10.5C (51F) so cooler than it would normally be but still bearable.

Ravensdale's Webasto fitted to the side of the hull alongside her port engine

Phil looked out the servicing kit and set about the task of removing the Webasto Air Top Evo 55 heater.

He’s changed a filter on this heater before but not done a full service, so it was a bit of a steep learning curve.

I photographed the heater from various angles before he took it apart in case he needed the images to help with reassembly.

The dirty glow plug that came out of our heater

Phil dismantling the heater

When he removed the glow plug, it was obvious that it could’ve done with changing sooner so we were hoping that was what had caused the heater to stop working.

Sadly, despite his best efforts and attempts to reset the heater by following the advice of a more knowledgeable friend, it still refused to work so we had to send it away for repair.

We tried to get by with the small fan heater, but it wasn’t really making much of an impact on the temperature on the boat.

Thankfully, the weather warmed up a bit after the first couple of pretty cold nights when the temperature went down to 9.5C (49F) in the saloon – or at least that’s what it was reading when we got up in the morning. It was probably lower during the night.

We also went to our storage container to collect two electric heaters and we’re managing to keep warm until the heater returns.

We've just heard that the heater needs a new fan. The part has been ordered so hopefully it can be repaired and will be back with us soon.


"New to us" plotter

The new plotter showing our position at Maryport Marina in Cumbria, UK

Just before the lockdown, we were offered a secondhand Simrad plotter that is a newer version of the one fitted in the console on Ravensdale.

The original plotter was black and white and had no card in it. We'd intended replacing the card but never got around to it so we only really used it as an extra check on our speed and location as the GPS was still working.

For navigation, we use Navionics on two tablets and a separate, smaller, Standard Horizon plotter, with charts and compass for back up if the electronics fail.

Phil testing the new plotter while fitting it

Phil has now fitted the replacement plotter and it's a vast improvement on the previous one.

For a start, the display is in colour and it has a much clearer screen. It also has an electronic card in it which means we'll be able to use it for navigational purposes as well.


Generator

Phil checking the generator

Soon after the partial lockdown was imposed, Phil decided to check the generator just in case we lose our electricity supply.

This is something that’s done fairly regularly anyway, but it just seemed to be a sensible precaution in case something goes wrong with the supply and there’s no one around to fix it.



My birthday and our cancelled holiday

Me with my birthday flowers

I celebrated my birthday on Tuesday, April 21, but it definitely wasn’t the birthday I'd had planned.

We lived in the Highlands for 16 years before we sold our house to buy a boat and it’s still one of my favourite places so I’m keen to return whenever I get the chance.

For this reason, I said it was where I wanted to celebrate my birthday and we booked a lovely remote cottage in Sutherland for a birthday break.

However, Covid-19 put paid to our plans ☹

The partial lockdown meant the holiday had to be cancelled so I’m hoping to be able to rebook when the restrictions are lifted.


Varnishing our new drawers

The new drawers in the saloon after they had been varnished

Phil has finished varnishing the new drawers we had built above the cupboards in the saloon to provide additional storage space and to stop Ruby pulling things off the shelf along the top of the cupboard.

They are looking a lot better now and blend in a bit better with the other woodwork although they're a bit darker than the original cupboards.

I'm hoping they might fade a bit and match in better still when the sun has been on them for a while.

The drawers are proving very useful too as any extra storage space is always very welcome.


Ruby of Ravensdale

Ruby waiting while I was taking photos

Ruby’s life hasn’t changed all that much since the partial lockdown.

Me walking Ruby on the shore

She still gets two good walks a day and spends most of her time on the boat either sleeping on her bed, sunbathing, sitting out on deck keeping a lookout for us or trying to cuddle up to one of us.

Ruby relaxing on her bed in the saloon

She's also been enjoying the treats I bought her to see her through the lockdown.

The problem is that she's already had everything I got for her so I'll have to pick up something else next time I go to buy her food.

Ruby with her new buffalo horn

Photography

Looking through a sculpture towards Maryport

One of the positives about the current situation is that I’ve been able to go out with my camera every day.

Fleming Square, Maryport

Crow Park, Maryport

Pathway through Crow Park

Another view of Crow Park

I take it with me when I walk Ruby and sometimes, if Ruby has already had a good walk with Phil, I go without her, which makes taking photos so much easier.

View across the rooftops to Maryport Lighthouse and the Solway Firth

Maryport and the River Ellen from Mote Hill

Looking out over Maryport Basin to the Solway Firth

Looking across the Solway Firth to the Scottish hills

Another view across the Solway Firth to Scotland

I have taken so many photos in and around Maryport over the past four weeks that I’m struggling to find new photos to take, but I don’t let that stop me snapping away.

A Maryport walkway known as Pigeon Well

Looking across to a field of rapeseed from a footpath known as Fat Lonning

The remains of Peel Tower, Senhouse Mansion, Maryport

The scenes change with the season, weather, tides and light so there’s always a chance I’ll get a better photo of a view I’ve photographed many times before.

Maryport Harbour

Fishing boats in the harbour with Christ Church, Maryport, in the background

A wider view of Maryport Harbour

Sun breaking through heavy clouds over the Solway Firth

Looking out across Maryport Basin to the Solway Firth

Maryport Promenade at high tide

Shadows cast by the railings at the top of Market Steps, Maryport

Looking out over the Solway Firth from the sea brows at Maryport

Looking along the promenade towards Maryport

Sunset over Mayport Marina

And I’m working hard on looking for anything new to photograph or trying to take familiar views from a different angle.

Looking in the opposite direction through the same sculpture - to the Scottish hills

I was also pleased to get some photos of local fishing boat, Silver Stream, landing its catch of whelks at the harbour on Tuesday, March 31.

Silver Stream landing its catch of whelks at Maryport Harbour

A closer view of the whelks being unloaded

I also got a few photos of Silver Stream coming home from a fishing trip on April 17.

Silver Stream returning from another fishing trip

Silver Stream in Maryport Basin

Weather watch

Calm, sunny weather at Maryport Marina

It’s so frustrating that we’ve had more sunny, calm weather since the partial lockdown than we’d seen for months beforehand.

If this had happened at any other time, we would probably have considered a trip over to Kirkcudbright in Dumfries and Galloway but, for very good reasons, we’re not allowed to take the boat out on the water at the moment.

Me wearing shorts for the first time this year

Saturday, April 11 was the first day I considered it warm enough to put on my shorts this year and I've worn shorts almost every day since then 😊

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.