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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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 😊

Ruby playing with a large stick she found on Maryport beach

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

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.

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 ☹

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

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

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.

Waves whipped up by high winds on the shore at Marypost

Wild waves by Maryport Pier

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

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

Fishing boats and swans at Maryport Harbour

High tide at 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.

The River Ellen from Mote Hill, Maryport

The Solway Firth from Mote Hill

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.

Christ Church 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.

Reflections on the still water at Maryport Marina

Boats reflected in the still water at Maryport Marina

Sunset 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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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

Ravensdale is stuck in the marina again – this time due to an inner ear problem

Ravensdale (the white cruiser just left of centre) at Maryport Marina this week

We’ve been unable to take Ravensdale out on the water this week because Phil developed a medical problem that made it very unwise.

He started having strange dizzy spells and keeled over when he bent forward so he made a doctor’s appointment and was told it was an inner ear condition.

This has been happening on and off for much of this week.

We also had some fairly windy weather for the first part of the week and the rocking of the boat has affected him a lot more than usual so taking her out onto the Solway Firth here in Cumbria, UK, would definitely not have been a good idea.

Meanwhile, Ruby is having to wear an inflatable collar for a few days until a wound on her ear heals.


Phil’s dizzy spells

Phil relaxing at sea on a recent fishing trip

Vertigo that can cause you to keel over when you bend forwards is not a great thing to suffer from when you live on a boat.

The rocking motion caused by wind and swell becomes exaggerated and disorientating - there were times when Phil thought the boat was rocking quite violently when it was hardly moving at all.

There’s always a chance that you could fall forward into the water or fall and hit your head on something that could knock you out.

And that’s when the boat is safely moored up in the marina so taking her out onto the water would not be a great idea.

Some time ago Phil had some strange vertigo-like incidents and went to the doctor about them.

At that time, he was on medication that the doctor thought may have been causing these symptoms, so he stopped taking it and the problem cleared.

He hasn’t taken it since but started having the strange dizzy spells again this week and, on one occasion, he bent over to stroke Ruby in Ravensdale’s saloon and ended up sprawled on the floor.

That was the point at which he called the doctor, who said that, when he’d seen Phil previously, he thought it could have been Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) – an inner ear problem where specific head movement cause vertigo.

He was told to see if it went away on its own again. If not, there’s a manoeuvre they can do that will hopefully cure it, at least for the time being.

Since then, he’s had a few less serious occurrences so we’re hoping it’s not going to be a recurring problem.

He's been trying not to bend forward as that is what causes him problems, but keeps forgetting and, on one occasion, he was about to lean forward over the water to adjust a mooring rope. I spotted him just in time and shouted at him to stop and I would adjust it.

As it happened, there was only one day this week that would’ve been almost calm enough for us to consider taking Ravensdale out on the water, but it was out of the question anyway while Phil was suffering from dizzy spells.

Once they settle down, we'll be able to go out fishing again.


Ruby of Ravensdale

Ruby happy to be back on the beach again

Ruby has been enjoying being able to go out for proper walks again this week, now she is no longer in season and therefore able to be around other dogs again.

She has been to the beach most days and had the opportunity to meet and play with other dogs.

She still refuses to go in water and, when her ball ended up in a small pool on the beach, she ran around the pool until Phil went and got it for her.

Phil had to push Ruby's ball closer to her when she refused to get wet

She got very mucky on the beach on Monday. Usually, she comes home covered in sand, which drops off when we dry her.

However, on Monday, her legs and belly were covered in mud and she had to be hosed down on the pontoons before we dried her, which was pretty annoying given that she'd had a shower the previous day.

Ruby with very muddy legs

We bought her a new toothbrush toy that has a central reservoir for dog toothpaste and rubber bristles that are supposed to clean her teeth when she chews it.

Ruby's new toothbrush toy that she has already bitten chunks off the base

However, it hasn’t proved to be much use as she started biting chunks off it within five minutes of being given it for the first time.

Ruby sitting on Ravensdale's aft deck

My latest attempt at a selfie with Ruby 😊

Last week, we took her to the vet because she was chewing her paws and she was given antibiotics for a nail bed infection.

The infection cleared up, but she keeps scratching her left ear until it bleeds.

The vet checked her ears when we took her back after the course of antibiotics and said there was nothing wrong with them.

The vet suggested putting Ruby on Piriton (chlorphenamine maleate) in case it was an allergy but that didn’t seem to help either as she scratched her ear until it was bleeding again.

We’re now trying an inflatable collar to give the wound a chance to heal as it could be the soreness and healing process that’s causing it to itch and creating a vicious circle.

She's being so good about wearing it. She didn't object to having it fitted and has just carried on with her life as if it's not there.

The only things we've had to change is moving her food and water bowls away from the wall because she couldn't get to them and giving her a helping hand up steps on the boat as the edge of her collar catches on the treads.

Amusingly, some people have mistaken it for a swimming ring and asked if we're teaching her to swim 😊

Hopefully, she'll only need to wear it for a few days until her ear heals up, then we're hoping she won’t scratch it and make it sore again.

Ruby in her new inflatable collar

Photography

I haven’t been out taking photos very much this week as I haven’t wanted to leave Phil on his own while he was having regular dizzy spells.

But I did get around to processing some of the photos I took on Friday of last week that I hadn’t had a chance to look at it before last week’s blog.

Maryport lighthouse at low tide

Silver Fern in Maryport Harbour

Colourful fishing boats in Maryport Harbour at high tide

A fishing boat and rusty trawler winch at Maryport Harbour

More fishing boats at high tide

Looking across Maryport Harbour at high tide

The view from Shipping Brow, Maryport, looking out towards the Solway Firth

Looking across the River Ellen towards Shipping Brow at Maryport

A sculpture of fishermen on the River Ellen at Marport

I’ve also taken a few photos while out walking Ruby on the beach.

Maryport beach with Maryport pier and the Scottish hills in the distance

Another view of Maryport beach

Clouds reflected in puddles on the shore in Maryport

Looking along Maryport shore towards Iggesund Paperboard mill

Fluffy clouds over Maryport beach

And I took photos of Maryport marina and across the basin on Sunday.

Christ Church at Maryport from across the basin

Another view across the basin at Maryport

Shipping Brow at Maryport from the other side of the basin

A calm evening at Maryport Marina

A wider view of Maryport Marina in Cumbria, UK

Weather watch

It’s been a cool and fairly windy week with temperatures ranging from 11C-15C (52F-59F) and wind gusting up to 41mph.

Calm conditions at Maryport Marina last Friday evening

We had heavy rain overnight Friday into Saturday and it was fairly windy with average wind speeds up to 25mph, gusting 36mph.

There was light rain first thing on Saturday, which dried up fairly quickly. It was cloudy for the rest of the day becoming brighter during the afternoon.

The top temperature was 13C (55F) and the top average wind speed at St Bees Head – our nearest weather station - was 26mph, gusting 41mph, but it was definitely less than that here.

Sunday was dry, bright and breezy. It was cloudy in the morning with the sun coming out during the afternoon.

The temperature only reached 13C (55F) again and the top average wind speed was 16mph.

A sunny day on Maryport beach on Monday

Monday was dry, sunny and warm. It was fairly calm in the morning with the wind getting up late afternoon.

The top temperature was 15C (59F) and the top average wind speed was 13mph. 

Tuesday started sunny then clouded over but it stayed dry and windy throughout the day, brightening up again during the evening.

Golden light on Maryport Marina on Tuesday evening

The top temperature was 13C (55F) and the top average wind speed was 24mph, gusting 40mph.

It was pretty windy overnight Tuesday into Wednesday with the average wind speed reaching 23mph, gusting 34mph and the high winds continued throughout the day.

Grey cloud at Maryport Marina on Wednesday

Dry and overcast conditions in the morning gave way to light rain in the afternoon. The temperature reached 12C (54F) and the top wind speed was 26mph, gusting, 41mph.

Heavy rain overnight Wednesday into yesterday (Thursday) continued into yesterday morning.

The rain became lighter during the morning and it dried up late morning with a little light rain during the afternoon. The temperature only reached 11C (52F) and the top average wind speed was 19mph, gusting 33mph.

Maryport Marina yesterday (Thursday) evening

And, today (Friday) started wet but dried up to give a bright and breezy day. The top temperature was 13C (55F) and the top average wind speed was 15mph.