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

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        

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.

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.

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.

Phil switching the pipes over as a temporary measure

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.

Phil removing the old calorifier

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

The cover I made for Ravensdale's windlass

Ruby of Ravensdale

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 😊

The scary drink carton that made Ruby bark 😊

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.

Ruby and I in our matching life jackets

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.

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).

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 😊

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.

Ruby meets Rio

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

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 😊

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

Swans

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.

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.

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 😊

Good Dog at Maryport Marina

The boat name that had me puzzled - for a while 😊

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

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.

Heavy clouds over Maryport Harbour

Colourful fishing nets at Maryport Harbour

Maryport Harbour 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.

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

Maryport Pier with the Scottish hills in the distance

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

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.

Threatening clouds over Maryport Marina

Another image of the dark clouds on Tuesday evening

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Anniversary of the life-changing decision to sell our house and buy a boat

Ravensdale returning to Maryport on Monday. Photo by Ronnie Bell

Two years ago this week we were on a boat-finding mission.

We were in the process of selling our house in Scotland to buy another when we lost the property we were hoping to buy and there was nothing else suitable on the market in the area.

From time to time, we’d considered selling our house and buying a boat and this situation presented us with the opportunity to take the plunge.

I’d already booked a week off work, so we gave ourselves one week to find a boat that we wanted to live on.

The plan being that, if we couldn’t find a suitable boat, we'd pull out of the sale and keep our house.

Thankfully we did find the boat we wanted – a Neptunus 133 at Maryport in Cumbria – two years ago tomorrow (Saturday).

I’m also very glad we were brave enough to go through with one of the scariest decisions we’ve ever had to make.

And, two years on, we’re very happy living on board our 43ft seagoing cruiser - now called Ravensdale.

Our cosy floating home

This week we’ve taken her out fishing on the Solway Firth twice and there really is nothing to compare with bobbing around on the waves in our home 😊

A momentous decision

“So, do we do it or not?

“Now is the time to say if you want to keep the house.”

These were the words Phil said the morning we were due to sign the papers at the solicitors that would mean we were committed to the sale of our last house.

The house we sold to buy our boat, which we named after this road

We were also going to make a firm offer on the boat we’d chosen the same day.

To say it was scary would be an understatement.

I loved Ravensdale – then called Candlelight – when we saw her for the first time on August 18, 2016, but we would no longer have a shore-based home.

The first time we saw Ravensdale - then called Candlelight

I couldn’t help thinking the sensible and responsible thing to do would be to cancel the sale of our house and stay put but that was also the boring option and I was ready for a new adventure.

A big part of the deal, from my point of view, was that selling the house and buying a boat meant I could take early retirement from my job as a journalist on a regional daily paper. I really don’t know to what extent this affected my decision, but it obviously played a part.

Me interviewing Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon just months before our big decision

I thought about Phil’s question, took a deep breath, then said: “I want to do it if you’re sure it’s what you want too.”

He agreed and the decision was made – there was no turning back.

The process that followed was anything but simple and I will confess there were odd moments, usually in the early hours of the morning, when I wondered if we were doing the right thing.

Me loving my life afloat

But, looking back, I’m very glad I didn’t chicken out on one of the biggest decisions of our lives.

I was thinking about this while sitting on the foredeck of Ravensdale on our latest fishing trip.

We were enjoying a cup of tea in the sunshine while the boat was being gently rocked around by the waves.

My thought process went something like this.

“So, would you rather be sat in an office working your socks off with no clue what time you’d get home this evening or sat here doing this?”

I didn’t even have to think about the answer to that one. It was a no-brainer.

I’m definitely happier where I am, doing what I’m doing now than I had been for a very long time before we started our life afloat in November 2016.

Here is a link to the first post I wrote after we moved on board Ravensdale - Mad or what?

I called it “Mad or what?” partly because I wasn’t sure of the answer to that one myself at the time and partly because I’m sure most the people we told of our plans thought we were totally bonkers 😊

Two fishing trips in three days

Saturday’s outing

The past week has been a very good week in that we were able to take Ravensdale out to play on the Solway Firth twice over a three-day period.

The first outing was on Saturday.

I regularly check the forecast looking for the next opportunity to get out on the water and Saturday looked like the only chance we were going to get this week, so we decided to go for it.

As expected, we weren’t the only ones to think it was a good day for a trip out and several other boats from our marina were also out on the Solway Firth, which is always nice - not least because it gives me something else to photograph 😊

We left the marina soon after 10am and headed for our usual fishing spot.

Ravensdale following yacht Sea Otter out between Maryport's twin piers

Phil set up both his uptide rods – one baited with a hardback crab, which had been trapped in our prawn pot, in the hope of catching smooth-hounds and the other with bluey.

Phil baiting a hook with a hardback crab

Nothing showed any interest in the crab so, after about an hour, Phil but bluey on that line too.

He caught two tope and two dogfish.

We didn’t weigh either of the tope, but one was a reasonable size and the other was a bit smaller. The dogfish are of no interest to us. All were returned to the sea.

The larger of the two tope Phil caught on this trip

We set off home a bit earlier than we’d intended when the wind blew up and Phil decided to give the engines a bit of a blast.

He took them up to 1700 revs, which gave us about 12-13 knots into the tide.

The high water alarm went off while Phil was driving back to Maryport.

I went to check the engine room bilges but there was no sign of high water.

Phil explained that it was a small amount of water being rocked around, which is why it went off briefly a couple of times but didn’t stay on. Oh well, at least we now know it works 😊

Ravensdale returning to Maryport

We returned to the marina at 12.45pm when the average wind speed recorded locally was 16mph.

Monday’s trip out to sea

We really hadn’t expected another opportunity to go fishing this week.

The forecast for Monday was reasonable but there was still a good wind blowing when we got up on Monday morning.

We decided to stay put and set about some of the jobs we wanted to get done.

Maryport Marina launderette

I took the washing up to the marina’s launderette before breakfast.

After we’d eaten, Phil cleared the saloon and removed the carpet and seating on the starboard side while I went back up to the launderette to move our laundry from a washing machine into one of the tumble dryers.

I then helped Phil lift the saloon floor ready for him to drain the water/antifreeze mixture from that engine. The plan was to replace it with a new mix as he’d done on the port engine a couple of weeks ago.

It was at this point that I saw a friend heading along the pontoon towards his boat to go out fishing.

I told Phil what I’d seen and he came up on deck to see what the weather was doing.

It was almost flat calm and the marina gate was due to open very soon.

We took a snap decision to go fishing again so Phil rebuilt the saloon while I packed up all our loose belongings, made a flask of tea then dived up to the launderette to retrieve our washing even though it hadn’t been in the dryer for as long as usual.

I suppose I could’ve left it to finish but I wouldn’t dream of putting one of the two dryers out of commission for hours while we were out on the water.

As it happened, it was only 15 minutes before the dryer was due to finish and our washing was already dry (note to self – put less money in next time as I’m obviously paying for too long 😊)

We left the marina at 11.40am heading for our usual place when we passed the friend who’d caused us to make the decision to go out fishing.

Maryport from the basin as we left the marina on Monday

We spoke to him on the VHF radio and he told us he was going in search of thornback rays (AKA skate).

We asked if he minded us tagging along and he was happy for us to do that, so we dropped anchor near him and Phil put out his two uptide rods.

Sadly, while he was doing this, he discovered that the top 14 inches of one of his rods was broken and it snapped right off.

He put it out anyway and, ironically, all three thornback rays he landed that day were caught on the broken rod, so it was a good job he decided to carry on using it. He also caught three dogfish.

Phil with the biggest ray he caught that day on the broken rod behind him

We didn’t weigh any of the fish he caught but the largest ray was probably around 4lb.

Another of the rays caught on the broken rod

He’s mended the broken rod by putting a new top ring on the end, but we’ll probably buy a new one, and keep the repaired one, which is now much shorter than it should be, as a spare.

We ate our lunch while out at sea and it still strikes me as weird that it’s just the same as eating in the marina as our home goes wherever we go 😊

The wind was supposed to decrease further while we were out on the water but, as usual, it went the other way and, once again, we got stuck across the tide when it turned so we got a very rocky ride.

We stayed for a while as the fishing was good then headed home a little earlier than was needed to get back before the marina gate closed.

Returning to Maryport after our fishing trip

We were back in the marina at 3.20pm having done a round-trip of eight nautical miles.

Phil marked the location on the Navionics chart so we can return there another day.

I later checked the wind speed to discover that it was 8mph to 16mph while we were out on the Solway.

Changing the antifreeze

Last month, Phil changed the antifreeze and water in Ravensdale’s port engine.

And, this month, he decided to give the starboard engine the same treatment.

Phil trying to get to the drain plug for the heat exchanger on the starboard engine

However, this one was more difficult as it was hard to get to one of the drain plugs at the bottom of the heat exchanger.

The plug for the port engine is in the alley down the centre of the engine room between Ravensdale’s twin 300hp Volvo Penta engines.

To get to the same plug on the starboard engine, he had to lower himself into the gap between the engine and the side of the hull.

It’s definitely a job for a small person, but as neither of us really fits into that category, Phil had to squeeze himself into the very confined space.

Phil pouring the new antifreeze/water mixture into the starboard engine

He managed to reach the plug, emptied out the old antifreeze/water mixture, flushed it through a few times with a hosepipe then refilled it with a new 50/50 mix.

Feeding the swans

The Maryport swan family has been paying regular visits to the marina in search of food, including on Monday while we were out on the Solway Firth.

I felt so guilty when a friend posted a video on YouTube showing the cygnets crying for food where Ravensdale is usually moored but I’m sure someone else here will have given them something to keep them going.

Me feeding the swan family

The cygnets are getting really big now and the whole family seems to be hungrier than ever.

They visit the boat more often than they did and seem to be demanding more and more food while here.

The swans gobbling up the food we give them

I checked online and it seems you can’t overfeed swans as they will stop when they’ve had enough food, so I guess it’s OK to just keep on providing it whenever they come calling.

One of the cygnets drinking from our hosepipe

And the cygnets are getting used to drinking from a dripping hosepipe. Not that long ago, they used to watch their parents but kept well back. Now they're happy to take their turn.

Kamikaze fish

One of the berth holders here had a bit of shock when he visited his yacht this week to find a dead sea trout in his aft cockpit.

The fish, which was about 2ft 6ins long and must have weighed 6-7lb, had apparently leapt into his boat.

Kamikaze sea trout that was found dead on a yacht in Maryport Marina

The area was badly stained with blood where it had obviously been trying to escape, sadly without success.

We had no idea there were sea trout in the marina as most of the fish we see here are grey mullet but I'm fairly sure I saw another close to one of the other boats here later on the day the dead one was discovered. 

Photography

Most of the photos I’ve taken this week were taken on our two fishing trips, including photos of the other boats out on the Solway Firth at the same time as us.

Bethany Sheila on the Solway Firth

Flame on the Solway Firth

Sea Otter on the Solway Firth

By the Way on the Solway Firth

And I’ve taken rather a lot of photos of the swans and cygnets 😊

One of the adult swans that visits the marina with their young

The cygnets investigate the hosepipe

I also snapped some shots of fishermen digging for lugworms on the beach when the tide was out last Friday evening.

Digging for lugworm on the beach at Maryport

Another photo of fishermen digging for lugworm on Maryport beach

And I took my camera with me when I walked up to town on Wednesday, but the weather was so horrible that I only took a few shots around the harbour.

Maryport Harbour

A different view of Maryport Harbour

My most annoying missed opportunity this week was when a beautiful rainbow appeared yesterday (Thursday) evening and I didn’t have my camera with me. By the time I got back to the boat to get my camera, the rainbow had gone ☹

Passers-by

Alena of Castletown on the Isle of Man passed Ravensdale on its way to the MPM boatyard next to the marina last Friday. It left again on Sunday.

Alena of Castletown leaving the marina

Another fishing boat, Maryport-based Alauna of Peel, arrived in the marina while we were out on the Solway Firth on Monday and is now on the hard-standing outside MPM where it's undergoing work.

Alauna on the boat hoist in the MPM boatyard

Weather watch

We’ve had a wide range of different weather conditions in Maryport again this week.

Last Friday was a day of sunshine and heavy showers, with the emphasis on heavy showers. The temperature reached 15.8C (60F). It was fairly windy by day but became more so during the evening with a top wind speed of 22mph at 8pm.

Sunny Saturday morning on the Solway Firth

Saturday started dry, bright and calm. The wind blew up around high tide at midday and the cloud increased as the day went on giving an overcast evening. The top temperature was 17.5C (63.5F) and the highest average wind speed during the day was16mph.

It rained first thing on Sunday, but the rain soon dried up and it remained dry but cloudy for most of the rest of the day. The sun was warm when it managed to break through the clouds giving a top temperature of 18C (64.5F). The average wind speed reached a high of 17mph.

Clouds over Scotland as the wind got up on the Solway Firth on Monday afternoon

Monday was mainly dry and bright. There was a slight wind first thing which dropped off just before the marina gate was due to open. The highest daytime temperature recorded locally was 17.8C (64F) and the top average wind speed was 17mph.

We had a damp start to the day on Tuesday and it remained overcast all day with regular showers and more persistent rain during the evening. The temperature reached 16.7C (62F) and the top average wind speed was 15mph.

Windy Wednesday in Maryport Harbour

It was dry but very windy on Wednesday morning becoming even windier as the day went on and it started raining at about 4pm. The highest daytime temperature recorded locally was 16.7C (62F) and the top average wind speed was 25mph, gusting 36mph.

Wednesday night into yesterday (Thursday) morning was wet and windy, followed by another very windy day with sunshine and showers. Yesterday’s temperature peaked at 16.1C (61F) and the average wind speed reached 23mph, gusting 31mph.

A torrential downpour on Thursday afternoon

So far today (Friday) the weather has been overcast, damp and blustery with the temperature reaching 14.4C (60F) and a top average wind speed of 22mph, gusting 30mph.