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 first trip out on the water this year after almost two months stuck in the marina

Ravensdale leaving Maryport early yesterday (Friday) morning

A brief weather window provided an opportunity to take Ravensdale out on the water yesterday (Friday) for the first time this year.

High winds have plagued this part of the UK for much of the past eight weeks and we had very high winds here in Maryport, Cumbria, again today (Saturday).

But yesterday was much calmer so I took the day off work and we headed out onto the Solway Firth for a fishing trip.

Meanwhile, I checked our records to discover that we took Ravensdale out on the water 37 times during 2019 – an average of once every 9.8 days – not quite the once a week we aim for but not too far off either 😊


First fishing trip of the year

Calm conditions at Maryport Marina when we got up yesterday (Friday) morning

The weather has been either wet or windy – usually both - most of the time for weeks, which has stopped us getting out on the water on our 43ft Neptunus 133 motor cruiser since November 18.

Over the past week, I could see that the only chance of weather calm enough for a trip out looked likely to be on Friday, but I’m currently working five days a week.

By Thursday, it became obvious that it was probably our only opportunity for at least another week, so I asked my boss for the day off.

When I first started my seasonal job at the factory she said she didn’t mind if I wanted to go out on the boat instead of going to work so I said we’d check the weather in the morning and let her know whether I’d be in or not.

I packed up all the movable stuff inside the boat on Thursday evening, so we’d be ready for a quick getaway if we decided to go.

Yesterday (Friday) morning, we got up at the same time I usually get up for work and I started getting ready while Phil went around to the pier to check the sea state. It was still dark, but he thought it looked OK.

We ate breakfast, fed Ruby and took her out then both went to check the sea in daylight. It wasn’t as calm as we’d hoped but not too bad, so we decided to go anyway.

I messaged my boss to say I was going fishing instead of going to work and she said she hoped we had a good time.

I really can’t believe I have a job, albeit temporary, that allows me to take the day off to go out on the boat if the weather is nice 😊

Ravensdale leaving Maryport Marina yesterday (Friday) morning

We left the marina at around 9.20am and headed up the coast towards Allonby Bay.

Ravensdale leaving Maryport Basin and heading out onto the Solway Firth

As we hadn’t run the engines for a while, Phil took the speed a little higher than our usual cruising speed of 8-9 knots and ran the engines at speeds of up to 11.4kn on the way there.

Phil at the helm of Ravensdale

Ravensdale on her way to Phil's favourite fishing spot in Allonby Bay

Ravensdale's wake with Maryport in the distance

We dropped anchor and Phil set up three fishing rods in the hope of catching one of the larger cod that we’ve seen fishermen catching from the shore in this area in recent weeks.

Sadly, it was not to be.

Phil setting up his fishing rods

The water was bumpier than we’d hoped, but I guess it wasn’t really surprising given that it had been very windy on Thursday

Strong winds were also forecast for later yesterday afternoon, throughout the night and into today (Saturday), when the winds were expected to gust up to around 60mph.

The wind started to get up soon after we’d dropped anchor, but Phil persevered with the fishing for a while.

Phil with the codling he caught on this trip

Me enjoying being back out on the water

It seemed like ages before he even got a bite and the only fish he caught on this trip was one codling, which was thankfully big enough to keep and we ate it for supper with chips, peas and tartare sauce 😊

Ruby seemed quite happy in her cage so we left her there as she wouldn’t really have enjoyed staggering around the deck.

I always set an alarm on my phone for an hour before the marina gate is due to close, as it’s only open for about two and half hours either side of high tide.

However, we didn’t wait until the alarm went off to start packing up.

Ravensdale became stuck across the tide when it turned as the wind was too strong to allow her to swing around to face into the tide.

Phil's last cast before we packed up to go home

She was rolling a good bit and the wind was forecast to get stronger still, so we decided to stop fishing, lift the anchor and head for home.

Phil at the helm of Ravensdale on the way home

Ravensdale returning to Maryport

And we were back in the marina at around midday after just over two and a half hours out on the Solway Firth.

As we’d been meaning to top up Ravensdale’s diesel tank for some time, but the weather hadn’t been good, we decided to fill her up on the way back to our mooring.

Ravensdale heading back into Maryport Marina

Phil stopped her in the basin on the way back to the marina so I could put mooring ropes on her starboard side and move some of the fenders across as we usually moor up on the port side, but the fuel filling cap is on the opposite side.

Reg filling up Ravensdale's diesel tank while Phil chats to Evan

Reg, the marina foreman, met us on the fuel pontoon and put 370 litres of diesel into the tank which topped her 1,200-litre tank back up to full again.

Phil then drove Ravensdale back down to the end of the marina by the sea gate and turned her around there so we could return to our current mooring and tie up on the port side, facing into the prevailing wind.

While he was doing this, I moved the mooring ropes and fenders back across and Reg met us on the pontoon to catch the ropes for us.

It may not have been the most successful fishing trip ever, but it was good to get out on the water again after so long, it gave Ravensdale’s two 300hp Volvo Penta engines a run and it provided our supper 😊


Missed opportunity

Ravensdale (left) at Maryport Marina on New Year's Eve. Photo by Fred Bell

New Year’s Eve was a beautiful, calm and cold day and one of the few days in the past couple of months that we could’ve taken a trip out.

Many of the boats in the marina went out for a sail or to fish, but Ravensdale was stuck in the marina because I was at work.

When I saw the forecast, I considered asking my boss for the day off as she’d always said she didn’t mind it I wanted to go fishing instead of going to work.

However, I decided to work as I didn’t know how much longer my seasonal job would last and I wanted to put in as much time as I could while I had the chance.

I’m still glad I made the decision I made.

However, it was harder to believe I’d made the right choice when I saw a Facebook post of our boat in the marina with a clear blue sky and flat calm water while I was sat in a factory with no windows eating my packed lunch ☹ 


Our fourth New Year on Ravensdale

Ravensdale's Christmas decorations stayed up until Saturday, January 4

We saw in the New Year on Ravensdale with a bottle of wine, a box of chocolates and Netflix.

I’m sure it’s not everyone’s idea of celebrating the start of a new year and, in this case, a new decade, but it suited us just fine.

It also meant I got to see in the New Year with Ruby even if she did fall asleep long before the big event.

At the end of each year, I always wonder what we’ll be doing this time next year.

When I asked myself that question on New Year’s Eve 2015, I had no idea we’d be selling our house and buying a boat, which enabled me to retire from my job as a daily journalist in October of the following year.

On each subsequent New Year’s Eve, I’ve wondered if we’ll still be living on Ravensdale next year and, if so, where she’ll be moored.

I certainly never imagined that we’d still be at Maryport Marina more than four years after we bought our boat here and decided to “stay for a while before moving on”.

And, this time last year, I never even considered that I’d be working in a local factory and loving every minute of it.

Now I’m wondering if we’ll still be in Maryport this time next year.

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see…


Ruby of Ravensdale

Ruby in her favourite spot in Ravensdale's saloon

One of the highlights of last year for me was watching Ruby grow from the timid little puppy we brought home with us just before Christmas 2018 into the beautiful, loving, friendly dog she is today.

I really can’t imagine life without her now. She’s great company, so much fun and I love her to bits.

She’s been having some lovely walks and runs on the beach with Phil while I’ve been at work and I’ve enjoyed joining them on walks at the weekend.

Ruby playing with Ted, a cocker spaniel, we met while out walking

Swan family

The two adult swans and one cygnet on a recent visit to the marina

The swan family appear to have lost a cygnet.

There were two adults and two young ones but there has only been one cygnet with its parents on recent visits to the marina.

Phil tells me he saw the cygnets with their parents on the Solway Firth shortly before Christmas, but there hasn’t been any sign of it since, which is very sad.


In the news

The newspaper cutting about my fund-raising effort for Maryport Inshore Rescue

My fund-raising effort for Maryport Inshore Rescue made it into our local newspaper - the Times and and Star.

The photo of me handing over the £1,120 cheque to the team was printed along with an article stating that it had helped to pay for repairs to the rescue boat after it was damaged while rescuing a fishing boat in the Solway Firth last month.

I have to say, it seemed really weird appearing in a newspaper rather than writing it 😊 


Photography

Looking back at Maryport as we headed out onto the Solway Firth yesterday (Friday)

I haven’t had a lot of chance to take photos again, partly due to work but also due to the horrible weather when I have been at home.

I took a few photos around the harbour with my mobile phone on the Friday afternoon after Christmas.

Fishing boats in Maryport Harbour at high tide

Maryport Harbour

Another view of Maryport Harbour

Fishing boats reflected in the still water at Maryport Harbour

I grabbed a quick shot of the beautiful sunrise that I spotted out of the window while getting ready for work on Friday, January 3.

Sunrise over Maryport Marina on Friday, January 3

As usual, I took some quite a few photos while we were out on the Solway Firth yesterday (Friday).

Maryport Lighthouse

Sun breaking through stormy clouds

Maryport Basin

Maryport from the Solway Firth

Sun reflected in the Solway Firth

And I took my camera around to the shore around high tide today (Saturday) to capture the big waves whipped up by the high winds.

Big waves smashing against South Pier at Maryport

Wild water on the shore at Maryport

A huge wave crashing onto the shore at Maryport

Another big wave rolls along the pier

Weather watch

The windswept view from Maryport's South Pier at high tide today (Saturday)

Wind and rain have definitely been the predominant features of the weather over the past fortnight - followed by more wind and more rain.

I’m told there were occasional breaks in the clouds when the sun put in a brief appearance, but I didn’t get to witness these ☹

The worst of the weather was over the weekend of December 27-28 and Thursday, January 2 when the wind was gusting up to 44mph. There was also a lot of heavy rain.

On Monday, January 6 and Tuesday, January 7, we had high winds with gusts of up to 50mph with torrential rain at times.

Overnight Tuesday, January 7 into Wednesday, January 8 was a windy night with average wind speeds of up to 25mph, gusting 34mph.

One of the best days was New Year’s Eve when temperatures dropped to 0C (32F) in the early morning and there was frost on the pontoons first thing.

This was followed by a dry, bright, calm and cold day.

The top temperature was 7C (45F) and the top average wind speed was 16mph at St Bees Head – our nearest weather station - but it was definitely much calmer than that here.

And yesterday (Friday) it was dry, cloudy and calm first thing.

The wind got up as the morning went on and the sun came out for a while around lunchtime.

The wind continued to build during the afternoon and evening with heavy rain after dark.

The top temperature was 7C (45F) and the top average wind speed during the day was 24mph, gusting 33mph.

Overnight last night, the wind speed reached 34mph with gusts of up to 49mph and today (Saturday) was even windier with average wind speeds up to 40mph, gusting 56mph.

Me wearing my lifejacket on the pontoons during a period of high wind today (Saturday)

It was so windy that we put on our lifejackets every time we left Ravensdale and went out onto the pontoons.

As the wind began to subside late afternoon, we had a downpour of heavy rain.