Showing posts with label heat exchanger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label heat exchanger. Show all posts

Friday, 23 August 2019

Typical British summer! Wild weather means Ravensdale is stuck in the marina ☹


Photo of big waves whipped up by high winds on the shore at Maryport in Cumbria, UK

Big waves whipped up by high winds on the shore at Maryport in Cumbria, UK


We’ve had no chance to take Ravensdale out on the water this week due to high winds.

And, even if it hadn’t been so windy, we probably wouldn’t have taken our Neptunus 133 motor cruiser out on the Solway Firth in Cumbria, UK, because there’s also been a lot of wet weather here this week.

Thankfully, the forecast is for warmer, calmer weather this weekend so, hopefully, we’ll be able to go fishing either tomorrow (Saturday) or Sunday – possibly both 😊

Meanwhile, Phil has replaced the water in Ravensdale’s starboard engine with a new 50:50 mixture of water and antifreeze because the heat exchanger had to be drained while our new calorifier was being fitted.

Photo of Ruby in her inflatable collar on Ravensdale's aft deck

Ruby in her inflatable collar on Ravensdale's aft deck


Poor little Ruby has had to wear her inflatable collar to stop her scratching again when she developed yet another ear infection

And we’ve walked further than usual this week because we’ve been carless so all our shopping has been done on foot, not that we minded as we know it's good for us.


Antifreeze

Photo of Phil flushing the heat exchanger with clean water before filling it with the water/antifreeze mixture

Phil flushing the heat exchanger with clean water before filling it with the water/antifreeze mixture


The heat exchanger on Ravensdale’s starboard engine needed to be refilled with water and antifreeze following the replacement of the calorifier that provides our domestic hot water.

The engine had to be drained before the job could be carried out.

We bought some new antifreeze before the engine was drained down but discovered that we didn’t have enough so it was temporarily filled with plain water until we could purchase more antifreeze.

We couldn’t go and get more straight away because our car was out of action while it was waiting for the garage to have time to replace the rear disk brakes and carry out an MOT.

Once we got the car back, we were able to drive to nearby Workington to buy some more antifreeze.


Photo of Phil pouring the antifreeze into the heat exchanger on Ravensdale's starboard engine

Phil pouring the antifreeze into the heat exchanger on Ravensdale's starboard engine


Phil drained the water out of the heat exchanger, flushed it through with clean water, then refilled it with a 50:50 mix of water and antifreeze.

Photo of Ruby watching Phil working in the engine room

Ruby watching Phil working in the engine room


Ruby was very interested in what Phil was doing and sat on the edge of the hole in the saloon floor watching his every move.

Ruby of Ravensdale

Photo of Ruby in her inflatable collar

Ruby in her inflatable collar


Ruby developed yet another ear infection this week.

She will be 10 months old next week and has already had three ear infections and a nail bed infection.

The vet now thinks they've all been caused by allergies causing her to scratch. The scratches then become infected.

We don’t know what she’s allergic too, but grass seed is a distinct possibility, which would be a real shame given how much she enjoys running around in the long grass, rolling around in it or just laying down in it.

Photo of Ruby playing in the long grass before her latest ear infection

Ruby playing in the long grass before her latest ear infection


The vet treated Ruby’s ear infection and put her on anti-allergy medication.

We’ve got to take her back for a follow-up appointment on Tuesday when the vet will decide whether they will be likely to go ahead with the spaying surgery she’s booked for on Thursday as they won’t operate unless her ear is fully healed. 

Meanwhile, Ruby’s had to wear her blue inflatable collar again to stop her scratching and seems to like it less this time as she tries to run away when we go to put it on her.

Photo of Ruby playing with a ball on Ravensdale's aft deck

Ruby playing with a ball on Ravensdale's aft deck


Once, it’s on she seems to accept it and carries on as normal, which is just as well as she’s going to have to wear something to stop her biting or scratching her stitches after her operation next week, if it happens then.

We took to collar off while taking her for walks this week as she doesn’t tend to scratch so much while out and, if she does, we can stop her, and we were able to remove it totally yesterday (Thursday) for which she was very grateful.

Photo of Ruby cuddling up to my side after her collar had been removed yesterday (Thursday)

Ruby cuddling up to my side after her collar had been removed yesterday (Thursday)


Ruby has become obsessed with sticks lately and wants to bring them all home, but she attempted to fetch home a couple that were much too big for her when I walked her on the beach on Tuesday afternoon.

Two were just too big to bring home but she had a good go at them - one was more like a whole tree trunk 😊
Photo of Ruby playing with a large stick she found on Maryport beach

Ruby playing with a large stick she found on Maryport beach


PHoto of Ruby with an even bigger stick that looked more like a tree trunk

Ruby with an even bigger stick that looked more like a tree trunk


Photo of Ruby with a smaller stick that she carried most of the way home

Ruby with a smaller stick that she carried most of the way home


Our car is back on the road


Thankfully we got our car back on Monday afternoon, just in time to take Ruby to the vet with her ear infection.

Last Wednesday, we left it at the garage to have the rear brake discs replaced after a chunk dropped off one of them. We also asked the garage to carry out an MOT test.

When we took the car in, we were told they probably wouldn’t be able to do it until Monday but we weren’t going to drive it in that state so the owner said to leave it with them and they’d do it sooner if possible.

And they did get the brakes done sooner.

When we were returning from a walk with Ruby on Saturday lunchtime, we were surprised to see our car being driven towards us.

The mechanic recognised us, so he opened the window and told us he was just testing the brakes.

He said the work had been done and he could take us back to the garage to pay for the work so we could have the car back there and then, so Phil, Ruby and I climbed in.

At that point, I realised we needed to pop back to the marina first, so he drove us to the marina where I checked that the MOT had also been done.

He hadn’t been aware it needed an MOT as well, which meant it hadn’t been tested so he dropped us off at the marina and took the car back to the garage.

I called the garage about the car on Monday morning and was told it was ready to collect but we’d already arranged to go out for lunch to celebrate Phil’s birthday, so we walked to the pub and then on to the garage after our meal.

I called the vet as soon as I knew we would have the car back and managed to get the only available afternoon appointment for Ruby, which fitted in perfectly.


Cooking on gas


We have a gas cooker on Ravensdale and have discovered that a 13kg propane cylinder lasts us three months and a 3.9kg cylinder lasts about three and a half weeks.

We use a 3.9kg cylinder when the 13kg runs out, while we order a new one, as we don’t have room to store a second 13kg cylinder on the boat.

Photo of 13kg and 3.9kg propane cylinders in Ravensdale's gas locker, which is under our freezer

13kg and 3.9kg propane cylinders in Ravensdale's gas locker, which is under our freezer


Our last 13kg cylinder was fitted on April 26 and ran out on July 26.

The last 3.9kg cylinder was fitted on July 26 and ran out yesterday (August 22).

I started keeping a record of how long each bottle lasted when we first moved onboard Ravensdale in November 2016 so we could gauge our usage and therefore the costs involved.

I now know exactly how long they last but can’t stop filling in my list – probably because I’m a very sad person who's addicted to writing lists 😊


Litter louts strike again
Photo of broken glass and other litter in one of the viewing areas on Mote Hill, Maryport. The information board has also been vandalised

Broken glass and other litter in one of the viewing areas on Mote Hill, Maryport. The information board has also been vandalised



Photo of litter by the path along the River Ellen in Maryport

Litter by the path along the River Ellen in Maryport

I was saddened to see so much litter on a walk along the River Ellen and up over Mote Hill on Saturday.

The footpath up Mote Hill was also very overgrown and wearing shorts was definitely not a good idea as there were stinging nettles, thistles and brambles across the footpath. Ouch!

I later discovered the route was supposed to be closed due to a landslip, but someone had removed the signs, so I had no idea it was out of bounds.

I guess that would explain why no one has cleared the path in recent months.

However, it doesn’t excuse the cans, bottles, food wrappers and, worst of all, the broken glass along the pathway and in the viewing areas at the top of Mote Hill that look out over the Solway Firth.

I will never understand why people can carry their food and drink to the location at which they consume it but are incapable of carrying their empties back home or to the nearest rubbish bin.

I'm just glad I didn't have Ruby with me on that walk or she could've ended up with cut paws


Photography


Photo of big waves crashing on the shore at Maryport in Cumbria

Big waves crashing on the shore at Maryport in Cumbria


My favourite photos from this week were from a walk along the beach here in Maryport on Sunday to photograph the big waves whipped up by the high winds.

Photo of waves whipped up by high winds on the shore at Marypost

Waves whipped up by high winds on the shore at Marypost


Photo of wild waves by Maryport Pier

Wild waves by Maryport Pier


Photo of storm clouds over Maryport beach

Storm clouds over Maryport beach


I also converted some of the images to black and white as I feel wild weather images work particularly well in monochrome.

Black and white image of wild weather at Maryport

Black and white image of wild weather at Maryport


Black and white image of wild weather at Maryport

Black and white image of wild weather at Maryport


Black and white image of wild weather at Maryport

Black and white image of wild weather at Maryport


I took my camera for a walk around the harbour on Saturday.

Photo of fishing boats and swans at Maryport Harbour

Fishing boats and swans at Maryport Harbour


Photo of high tide at Maryport Harbour

High tide at Maryport Harbour


Photo of more fishing boats in Maryport Harbour

More fishing boats in Maryport Harbour


I then decided to extend my walk and headed along the River Ellen and up over Mote Hill.

Photo of the River Ellen from Mote Hill, Maryport

The River Ellen from Mote Hill, Maryport


Photo of the Solway Firth from Mote Hill

The Solway Firth from Mote Hill


Photo of view across the River Ellen to the Solway Firth with the marina's hard-standing in the distance

View across the River Ellen to the Solway Firth with the marina's hard-standing in the distance


On Sunday, on my way back from taking photos of the wild weather on the shore, I took a few snaps of Maryport across the basin.

Photo of Christ Church at Maryport from across the basin

Christ Church at Maryport from across the basin


Photo of Shipping Brow at Maryport from across the basin

Shipping Brow at Maryport from across the basin


And, the only time we saw really calm weather this week was on Tuesday evening while the marina gate was shut, so we couldn’t take Ravensdale out on the water.

But it gave me the chance to take a wander around the marina and take some photos of the boats reflected in the still water.

Photo of reflections on the still water at Maryport Marina

Reflections on the still water at Maryport Marina


Photo of boats reflected in the still water at Maryport Marina

Boats reflected in the still water at Maryport Marina


Photo of sunset at Maryport Marina

Sunset at Maryport Marina


Photo of a calm evening at Maryport Marina

A calm evening at Maryport Marina



Weather watch

It’s been a wet and windy week here in Maryport, Cumbria, UK, this week and not particularly warm – considering it’s supposed to be summer.

I guess it’s what’s known as “a typical British summer” 😊

The temperature only reached 18C (64F), and then only briefly, and we’ve had wind speeds averaging up to 34mph with gusts up to 52mph.

Photo of blue sky and white clouds at Maryport Marina on Saturday

Blue sky


Saturday was dry and bright but very windy with a few spots of rain during the evening. The top temperature was 16C (61F) and the top average wind speed was 26mph, gusting 36mph.

Sunday was another windy day with rain first thing followed by dry and bright weather with a few showers during the early afternoon. The top temperature was 16C (61F) and the top average wind speed was 28mph, gusting 38mph.

We had rain first thing on Monday. It was then overcast with the cloud cover thinning as the day went on. The top temperature was 16C (61F) and the top average wind speed was 19mph, gusting 29mph.

Phot of Monday evening at Maryport Marina

Monday evening at Maryport Marina


We woke up to rain again on Tuesday morning. It then cleared up and the rest of the day was dry and sunny, except for a light shower in the evening.

The top temperature at St Bees Head - our nearest weather station - was 16C (61F) and the top average wind speed was 19mph, but it was warmer than that here as the thermometer in the car was showing 18C (64F).

Photo of the wet view across Ravensdale's aft deck on Wednesday afternoon

The wet view across Ravensdale's aft deck on Wednesday afternoon


Wednesday started dry and bright with the cloud increasing during the day. The wind got up during the afternoon and heavy rain arrived at about 5pm. The top temperature was 16C (61F) and the top average wind speed was 28mph, gusting 40mph.

After another wet and very windy night with average wind speeds up to 34mph, gusting 52mph, yesterday (Thursday) started wet again and it didn’t stop raining until lunchtime.

Photo of Maryport Marina yesterday (Thursday) afternoon

Maryport Marina yesterday (Thursday) afternoon


It stayed cloudy and windy throughout the day. The top temperature was 16C (61F) and the top average wind speed was 22mph, gusting 32mph.

And, today (Friday) the weather has been dry but breezy. It was very overcast first thing, improving as the day went on. The top temperature was 16C (61F) and the top average wind speed was 19mph, gusting 29mph.

Photo of a grey start to the day today (Friday) at Maryport Marina

A grey start to the day today (Friday) at Maryport Marina

Friday, 16 August 2019

Problems in Ravensdale's engine room…and our car is off the road

Photo of Phil disconnecting the old calorifier in Ravensdale's engine room after it developed a fault

Phil disconnecting the old calorifier in Ravensdale's engine room after it developed a fault


This week has been one of those weeks that leaves us wondering what’s next as one thing after another has gone wrong.

First, Phil noticed we had diesel leaking from one of the taps on Ravensdale's diesel tank.

Then he discovered water apparently leaking from the bottom of the starboard engine on our Neptunus 133 motor cruiser.

As if that wasn’t enough, our car started making a horrible noise while we were out on a shopping trip on Tuesday and is now in the garage for repair so we’re carless until we get it back, hopefully on Monday.

And the cover that normally protects our dinghy’s outboard motor from the weather has disappeared – presumably blown away.

But we’re still smiling, honest 😊



Engine room problems        

Photo of Ravensdale's engine room

Ravensdale's engine room


The first time we realised there was a problem was when the automatic bilge pump went off for no apparent reason just before we went to bed on Saturday night.

Phil went down into Ravensdale’s engine room to find out what was happening and had a nasty shock when he discovered water dripping from the bottom of her starboard engine, well, not just dripping, more of a slow but steady flow.

We had no idea what was causing it and thought it could be something fairly serious.

We knew the automatic bilge pump was well able to deal with the amount of water that was going into the bilges so decided to go to bed and investigate it properly in the morning.

We also noticed that the domestic water pump was going off when there was no water running from any of the taps on the boat.

Photo of water leaking around the heat exchanger cap after the overflow pipe had been reattached

Water leaking around the heat exchanger cap after the overflow pipe had been reattached


When Phil took a closer look, he discovered that the water was coming from the overflow by the heat exchanger cap, only the overflow pipe had come off, so the water was pouring over the side of the engine.

He put the pipe back on, but we had no idea why the water was overflowing all the time.

Photo of the old calorifier fixed to the inside of the hull alongside the starboard engine

The old calorifier fixed to the inside of the hull alongside the starboard engine


Further investigations revealed that the problem was the calorifier – the heat exchanger which heats our domestic hot water indirectly by circulating it over a heating coil.

It turned out that there was a hole in the coil, which contains hot water from the engine. This meant that, when the engine was stopped and pressure was released, the domestic water, which was under pressure, was being forced into the engine's cooling system.

And we think this must have been happening over many months.

For a long time now, I’ve been questioning why the water wasn’t staying hot for as long as it used to after we’ve had the immersion heater switched on and also why the water wasn’t as hot as it used to be after we’d had the engines running.

I’d also been commenting on the amount of electricity we’ve been using over recent months, which has been more like our usual winter consumption than the amount we normally use in the summer.

All these things made sense when we discovered that our hot water had been flowing away, which meant the hot water tank was being topped up with cold water, so we were needing to heat it up more often.

It became obvious that we had no choice but to replace the calorifier, so we ordered a new one at a cost of almost £500.

We agreed that we shouldn’t take Ravensdale out again until the calorifier had been replaced.

Photo of Phil switching the pipes over as a temporary measure

Phil switching the pipes over as a temporary measure


Photo of the new calorifier

The new calorifier

Meanwhile, Phil switched the water pipes to isolate the calorifier and the engine so no water was passing between them and this solved the problem so we were sure that the calorifier was the cause.

At least this meant the water was no longer overflowing from the starboard engine and we weren’t losing our hot water.

The new calorifier arrived on Tuesday and a friend offered to help fit it as Phil had hurt his back and thought climbing down into the narrow space to attempt the job on his own could make it worse.

When they went to fit it yesterday (Thursday), they discovered that the new tank was a good bit bigger than the old one despite Phil having measured the old tank and given the company the dimensions when he ordered it.

They decided that, although at 55 litres it was about 15 litres larger than the one they took out, it would still fit in the available space – thank goodness!

It wasn’t easy to get at but, between them, they managed to get the old tank out and the new one was fixed in place and connected up.

Photo of Phil removing the old calorifier

Phil removing the old calorifier


Photo of Phil about to take the old calorifier out onto the deck before fitting the new one

Phil about to take the old calorifier out onto the deck before fitting the new one


Photo of Phil and friend fitting the new, larger calorifier

Phil and friend fitting the new, larger calorifier


So, our hot water system is now up and running properly again and Ravensdale is ready to take out on the water as soon as the weather permits.


Photo of the new calorifier fitted and ready for use

The new calorifier fitted and ready for use


Phil now wants to drain the water out of the starboard engine and replace it with a new mixture of water and antifreeze as the antifreeze that was in it will have been very diluted by the water running into it from the calorifier – if there’s still any antifreeze left at all.

Meanwhile, I’m hoping the new larger tank will mean we’ll have more hot water and the fact it’s no longer overflowing and being topped up with cold water will mean it will stay hotter for longer.

The only downside could be that the larger tank will take longer to heat up.


Diesel leak

Photo of the tap that was leaking diesel

Diesel was leaking from the tap in the centre of this image


The day before Phil discovered the water coming from the engine, he'd seen a small amount of diesel leaking from the tap on the fuel tank and put a plastic tray underneath, as a temporary measure, to prevent the diesel running into the bilges.

He then tightened the nut on the tap, cleaned out the tray that had been underneath it and put it back so he could check whether the leak had stopped.

Photo of Phil cleaning up the tap after he had fixed the leak

Phil cleaning up the tap after he had fixed the leak


He left it for a few hours then went down to check again and it was dry.

There was no sign of diesel leaking when he carried out further checks later the same day and over subsequent days so hopefully that leak has also been sorted.


Car brake problems

Our car started making a horrible noise while braking on the way back from a trip from our marina at Maryport in Cumbria, UK, to nearby Workington to get antifreeze for Ravensdale’s starboard engine and some food shopping on Tuesday afternoon.

Phil looked at the rear wheels when we stopped and discovered that a chunk of the surface on the disk on the offside rear brake had apparently dropped off.

The following day, we walked to a local garage to see when they’d be able to fix it for us and we were told to bring it in on Monday.

However, when Phil said we wouldn’t be driving it again until the work was done, the owner told us to drop it off at the garage that day and they would do it asap.

So, we’re hoping we may get it back today (Friday) or tomorrow (Saturday) morning but it’s more likely that it won’t get done until Monday as he told us they were very busy.

We’ve also asked them to MOT the car while it’s at the garage as it was due to go in for the test next week anyway.


Missing outboard cover

Photo of Ravensdale's outboard cover in place during the trawler race. Photo by Lee Wise

Ravensdale's outboard cover in place during the trawler race. Photo by Lee Wise


The cover was definitely on our outboard when we took Ravensdale out during the trawler race on August 3 and when Phil used the dinghy to retrieve a deck brush he dropped in the marina a few days later.

However, it has now disappeared so we can only think it must have come loose and blown away.

We’ve yet to decide whether to order another ready-made cover or get some Sunbrella fabric and make one to match the cover I made for Ravensdale’s windlass.

Photo of the cover I made for Ravensdale's windlass

The cover I made for Ravensdale's windlass



Ruby of Ravensdale

Photo of Phil throwing a ball for Ruby to fetch

Phil throwing a ball for Ruby to fetch


I’m never sure whether Ruby’s favourite part of the day is going out for walks, playing with her toys, especially when she can persuade one of us to play with her, when she’s cuddling up with us or when she’s eating because she certainly likes her food 😊

Photo of the scary drink carton that made Ruby bark 😊

The scary drink carton that made Ruby bark ðŸ˜Š

But she seems to dislike littering as much as we do.

On Wednesday evening, I heard her barking on the aft deck and went outside to see what she was barking at.

It wasn’t dogs or people walking along the road alongside the marina or even someone hoisting the sails on their yacht, which always makes her bark, but not this time.

It was nothing as obvious as that. This time she was barking at a really scary empty KFC drink container floating past our boat 😊

She really does crack me up at times 😊

But then she probably thinks I’m a bit crazy too, especially when I try to take selfies with her as I did on our last trip out on Ravensdale.

Photo of Ruby and I in our matching life jackets

Ruby and I in our matching life jackets


Photo of me cuddling up to Ruby on the seating in Ravensdale's saloon

Me cuddling up to Ruby on the seating in Ravensdale's saloon


Earlier this week, I was thinking that I call her by so many different names that it must be really hard for her to know when I’m talking to her.

Photo of Ruby waiting for Phil to throw her ball

Ruby waiting for Phil to throw her ball

So, I decided to list them and discovered that she has at least 20 other names as there are probably more that I forgot while writing them down.

These are the ones that sprang to mind – Roo, Rooby Roo, Rooby Doo, Little Roo, Little Red Roobster, The Roobster, Ruby Shark, Baby, Baby Girl, Pretty Girl, Puppy Girl, Puppy Pig, Piglet, Pretty Puppy, Pretty Face, Sweetheart, Sweetiepie, Cutiepie, Beauty and Little One.

But if I really want her to do something and she appears to be ignoring me she’s called “Oi! Ruby!” in the sternest voice I can manage 😊

As usual, she’s enjoyed her walks over the past week, especially when she gets to play fetch or meet and play with other dogs.

She particularly enjoyed playing with a nine-month-old cocker spaniel, called Jerry, that she met while I was walking her yesterday (Thursday).

Photo of Ruby and Jerry

Ruby and Jerry


Surprisingly, she also seemed keen to play with Tom, the first cat she’d ever seen, when we met him and his owner near the marina yesterday. Tom didn’t run away, but he didn't look over impressed when Ruby tried to play with him.

And, yes, it did amuse me that Ruby got to play with Tom and Jerry on the same outing ðŸ˜Š

Photo of Ruby trying to play with Tom

Ruby tries to play with Tom


She also had a great time with Rio, an eight-month-old staffie, she met when Phil and I took her out for another walk yesterday afternoon.

Photo of Ruby meeting Rio

Ruby meets Rio


Ruby was able to sit and watch while Phil was swapping the pipes on the calorifier in Ravensdale's engine room.

Photo of Ruby checking out the engine room from the saloon

Ruby checking out the engine room from the saloon


However, we had to put her in her cage while he and our friend were taking out the old one and fitting the new one as there would have been no room for her and she could've fallen down the hole into the engine room.

I took her out half-way through so she could stretch her legs then she went back in her cage until the job was done and all we heard from her were a few quiet whines to let us know that she wasn't very impressed ðŸ˜Š
Photo of Ruby watching from her cage while the new calorifier was being fitted

Ruby watching from her cage while the new calorifier was being fitted


Swans

Photo of this year's cygnets visiting the marina for the first time

This year's cygnets visiting the marina for the first time


The pair of swans that used to be regular visitors to the marina turned up with their new family for the first time on Monday.

Photo of the cygnets eating the food I gave them

The cygnets eating the food I gave them


They returned in search of food on Tuesday, Wednesday and yesterday (Thursday), so it looks as though they have made visiting the marina part of their routine.

Meanwhile, the cygnet from last year's brood that has been a regular visitor at the marina in recent weeks became stuck in the mud in the harbour on Monday.

A member of one of our local Facebook groups posted that four girls had been seen throwing stones at it while it was trapped by the mud, stating that police had been informed. Locals were horrified to hear of such cruelty.

Ruby was due to go out so I took her for a walk around to the harbour to see if I could find the cygnet as I wanted to see if it had been injured and to try to get it help if necessary.

Photo of the swan trapped in the mud at the harbour

The swan trapped in the mud at the harbour


We found the bird behind a boat at the far end of the harbour and it seemed to be OK. We later heard that it was swimming around quite happily when the tide came in but it hasn't been back in the marina since then.


(EDIT -  I've just heard that the girls were trying to throw stones into the mud near the swan to help it get out rather than throwing them at the bird and that they stopped when an adult told them this would not help it. Apparently, they were devastated to see the comments about their stone-throwing efforts on Facebook)


Amusing boat name ðŸ˜Š

Photo of Good Dog at Maryport Marina

Good Dog at Maryport Marina


Photo of the boat name that had me puzzled - for a while 😊

The boat name that had me puzzled - for a while ðŸ˜Š

I was amused by the name of a motorsailer that visited Maryport Marina on Sunday and stayed overnight.

When I saw it was called “Good Dog”, I thought it a really strange name for a boat and wondered why anyone would give their boat such a name.

The visiting vessel stayed overnight Sunday and left again on Monday morning by which time the penny had dropped.

It was a Nauticat and I guess whoever named her had a sense of humour when they came up with the idea of calling a Nauticat “Good Dog”.

It took me a while to work it out, but I got there in the end 😊


Fire alarm

Photo of fire alarm sign at Maryport Marina

Fire alarm sign at Maryport Marina

I’ve been meaning to share this for some time now because it makes me laugh every time I go in or out of the outside door to the toilet and shower block here at Maryport Marina in Cumbria, UK.

The sign above the fire alarm button just inside the door says: “This is a FIRE ALARM. Please do not press. Thank you.”

So, if we discover a fire in the toilet and shower block, what are we supposed to do?

OK, I know the answer to that one really, just thought it amusing that we’re being told not to press it 😊

I also know why the sign was put there. It appeared after someone pressed it because they thought they needed to do so to open the door from the inside. Instead, they set off the fire alarm.

In fairness to the person responsible, we have to push buttons to get out of the marina’s main gate and out of the ladies and gents toilet and shower areas into the corridor to the outside door.

So, I guess, it would be an easy mistake to make - if you didn’t notice that it was red and had a little picture of a house on fire on it 😊


Photography

My camera seems to be working again – at least for the time being.

It’s only let me down a couple of times and, on both occasions, taking the battery out and putting it back in again has done the trick.

I took it with me when I took Ruby for a walk around the harbour and basin on Monday evening.


Photo of heavy clouds over Maryport Harbour

Heavy clouds over Maryport Harbour


Photo of colourful fishing nets at Maryport Harbour

Colourful fishing nets at Maryport Harbour


Photo of Maryport Harbour at low tide

Maryport Harbour at low tide


Photo of Maryport Basin at low tide

Maryport Basin at low tide


And I took a few photos, including some of a couple of lads riding their motorbikes along the shore, while we were out walking Ruby on Tuesday afternoon.

Photo of motorcyclists on the shore at Maryport with Iggesund paperboard mill in the background

Motorcyclists on the shore at Maryport with Iggesund paperboard mill in the background


Photo of Maryport Pier with the Scottish hills in the distance

Maryport Pier with the Scottish hills in the distance


Photo of Maryport Lighthouse from the path on the landward side of the sea wall

Maryport Lighthouse from the path on the landward side of the sea wall


Photo of a closer view of one of the motorcyclists on the wet sand

A closer view of one of the motorcyclists on the wet sand



And I couldn't resist taking a couple of snaps of the heavy clouds over the marina on Tuesday evening.

Photo of threatening clouds over Maryport Marina

Threatening clouds over Maryport Marina


Another image of the dark clouds on Tuesday evening

Another image of the dark clouds on Tuesday evening


Photo of lights reflected in the water at Maryport Marina

Lights reflected in the water at Maryport Marina


Weather watch

The weekend weather was atrocious and made me very glad that I’m now retired 😊

We had heavy rain and fairly strong winds overnight Friday into Saturday with a top average wind speed of 24mph, gusting 37mph.

This was followed by a very wet day on Saturday with brief breaks in the rain.

The top temperature was 17C (63F) and the top average wind speed was 23mph, gusting 34mph.


Photo of rain clouds over Maryport Marina on Sunday

Rain clouds over Maryport Marina on Sunday


On Sunday, we had heavy rain and high winds averaging up to 26mph and gusting up to 39mph overnight followed by light rain during the morning.

It dried up a bit during the afternoon, although the showers were never far away.

The temperature only reached 14C (57F) with a top average wind speed of 29mph, gusting 38mph.

It was fairly windy overnight Sunday in Monday with average wind speeds of up to 25mph, gusting 32mph.

And, on Monday, we awoke to a bright sunny day with very little wind for the first time in days.

Photo of blue sky and white clouds over Maryport Marina on Monday

Blue sky and white clouds over Maryport Marina on Monday


Rain was forecast for the afternoon, but we only got a few light showers and the top temperature was 16C (61F) with a top average wind speed of 14mph.

Tuesday started dry, bright and sunny and stayed dry and sunny with a little more cloud later in the afternoon. The top temperature was 16C (61F) and the top average wind speed was 15mph.


Photo of Maryport Marina on Tuesday morning

Maryport Marina on Tuesday morning


We had rain during the night and first thing on Wednesday. It then dried up for the rest of the morning followed by light rain during the afternoon. The top temperature was 16C (61F) and the top average wind speed was 22mph.

Yesterday (Thursday) we awoke to a nice morning after a wet and windy night with an average wind speed of up to 32mph, gusting 41mph. The day was mainly dry and bright with a little light rain late morning and a good wind.


Photo of dry, bright weather at Maryport Marina yesterday (Thursday) afternoon

Dry, bright weather at Maryport Marina yesterday (Thursday) afternoon 


The top temperature was 17C (63F) and the average wind speed was 36mph, gusting 46mph, first thing, dropping to 22mph, gusting 31mph, during the afternoon.

And, so far today (Friday) the weather has been wet and miserable.

It poured with rain from the time we got up until early afternoon and still looks as though it could start again at any time.

It has also been a very windy day. The top temperature was 16C (61F) and the top average wind speed was 33mph, gusting 47mph.

Photo of wet and windy weather today (Friday) at Maryport Marina

Wet and windy weather this morning (Friday) at Maryport Marina