Lessons learned from other boats breaking down…and why we’re glad we haven't got a mast 😊

Phil changing the fuel filters on Ravensdale's port engine

Two boats from our marina broke down at sea on consecutive days due to engine failure.

One also had problems with communications.

These incidents provided timely reminders that we needed to carry out some routine engine maintenance to the two 300hp Volvo Penta engines on our Neptunus 133 motor cruiser and to replace our VHF radio.

Meanwhile, we took Ravensdale out fishing on the Solway Firth at Cumbria, UK, on Saturday.

And we’ve learnt that there’s a hidden benefit to having a cruiser rather than a yacht – it’s less attractive as a bird perch 😊



Saturday’s fishing trip

Ravensdale leaving Maryport Marina

The forecast was for calm conditions during the time the marina gate here at Maryport in Cumbria, UK, was due to be open on Saturday so we were keen to go fishing again to see if we could do better than on the previous day.

We drove around to the pier to check the sea state before making a final decision and the water didn’t look too bad at all.

So, we decided to head down towards North Workington as Phil fancied fishing in a different area for a change.

Andrew, one of the marina staff, waving us off after he'd opened the sea gate

We left the marina at around 2.20pm but it was pretty bumpy on the way down towards Workington, so we decided to turn around and go to Allonby Bay to see if it was any better there.

Ravensdale heading towards North Workington before we decided to go the other way

It was much calmer in our usual fishing spot, so we dropped anchor and Phil set up his rods.

Phil waiting for a fish to bite

The fishing was very quiet to start with, then he started catching dogfish.

He was beginning to lose heart when he caught his first codling of the day.

Even though it was undersized and had to be returned to the water, it gave him hope that there may be other larger codling around, so he carried on fishing.

He pulled in two more codling, along with more dogfish, and one of the codling was big enough to keep so it wasn’t the most successful fishing trip we’d ever had but at least he brought home one fish.

Phil with the codling that we kept to eat

Ruby wasn’t very interested in coming out on deck at all on this trip. She stayed in her cage for ages before venturing out.

I put her life jacket on her and took her out on deck, but she was soon back indoors and stretched out on the seating in the saloon.

But I’m not complaining. I want her to be wherever she's happiest, and it gave me the chance to take more photos 😊

Sun breaks through the heavy clouds over the Solway Firth as Ravensdale's flag blows in the wind

We were treated to some amazing skies while out on the water and I took loads of photos of the sun breaking through the heavy clouds.

It looked as though it could rain at any time but, thankfully, it stayed dry.

Ravensdale returning to Maryport on Saturday evening

We returned to the marina at around 6.20pm after about four hours out on the water during which time we’d travelled 6.9 nautical miles.

Ravensdale heading back into Maryport Marina

We were delighted to discover that a friend had taken a photo of Ravensdale on her way into the marina. Thanks Roy!

Ravensdale in Maryport Basin. Photo by Roy Simmons

A dramatic rescue

A yacht from our marina suffered engine failure in the middle of the Solway Firth while we were out fishing on Saturday afternoon.

We were totally unaware of this until we got back to the marina as there was no call over the VHF radio.

By the time we heard about the situation, friends with a similar-sized but considerably faster cruiser than Ravensdale had gone out to tow her home.

Our friends' boat Andromeda on the Solway Firth on Saturday before they went to rescue the yacht

We later heard that they’d had trouble locating the broken-down sailboat as her VHF radio wasn’t working and the mobile phone signal was intermittent.

They managed to find her and the two people on board were fine and they got her under tow, but the sea was very lumpy, and the tow rope kept snapping so they called the Coastguard.

The stricken vessel was towed into Whitehaven Marina – 14 miles from Maryport - and our friends had to go into Whitehaven as well as, by this time, the sea gate to our marina had closed due to the falling tide.

Our friends returned to Maryport on the morning tide, but the yacht had to stay put as her engine had ceased.

We were asked if we’d go and tow her back to Maryport but had to decline as our insurance allows us to tow a vessel back to port in an emergency but not to act as a pick-up truck to tow a boat from A to B.

We hated having to say no but couldn’t risk messing up our insurance.

They still haven’t managed to get home to Maryport yet so really hope they’ll be back here soon.


Changing fuel filters

The new fuel filters on Ravensdale's starboard engine

We’ve been meaning to change the fuel filters on Ravensdale’s two 300hp Volvo Penta engines for some time.

We ordered the filters last week and went to collect them on Saturday morning.

And, after towing in our friend’s fishing boat when his engine cut out on Friday, we were very glad we’d decided to do it now, especially after we later learned that his engine problem had been caused by dirt getting into the engine.

We’d intended to ask someone else to fit them for us.

However, after the engine problems this fishing boat and the yacht experienced while out on the water, Phil decided to do it himself, so he’d be able to do it again if he ever needed to do so while we’re away from our marina.

Changing the fuel filters was fairly straightforward until it came to priming the filters on the starboard engine because a fuel pipe had been fitted against the top of the pump handle so it couldn’t be operated.

Phil changing the fuel filters on Ravensdale's port engine

This meant that we had to prime the filters by turning the engine over a few times until Phil found fuel in them.

The handle on the pump on the port engine was clear so that was simple to prime.

We also needed to replace the pre-filter cartridges on both engines as they were very dirty, so it looks as though it was a very good job we decided to do them now.

New cartridges were ordered on Tuesday.

Phil removing the bowl from the pre-filter on Ravensdale's starboard engine

Meanwhile, Phil stripped down the pre-filters and thoroughly cleaned them, so he’d be ready to fit the new cartridges as soon as they arrived.

One of the pre-filters before cleaning

Both pre-filters clean and drying

They turned up the following morning and Phil fitted them during the afternoon.

The pre-filters on both engines are very low down making it difficult to get a receptacle under the drainage tap so he’s planning on lifting these up in the near future.

He then turned to the fuel purifiers.

These don’t take cartridges so just needed to be drained and to have any air released from the top.

After he’d completed the work on each engine, he started it to check it was running OK to discover, unsurprisingly, that they were both running better than they had before he changed the filters.

The fuel pipe on the left previously ran across the top of the wheel on the manual pump

Phil then went back down into the engine room and rerouted the fuel pipe that was obstructing the pump handle on the starboard fuel filters so that job will be much easier next time he changes the filters.

He was so pleased when he’d completed the task.

There really is nothing like the satisfaction you get from doing a job yourself and the comfort of knowing that you’ll know how to do it the next time 😊


New VHF radio

Our old VHF radio on Ravensdale

We’ve had a few problems with the marina hearing our VHF radio transmissions on our fixed radio.

We can hear their calls clearly, but they often have to ask us to repeat ours.

We’ve been switching to our handheld radio whenever this has happened, but it wasn’t ideal.

A while back, we changed our VHF aerial in the hope that would cure the problem and it has been better, but still not right so we decided we’d have to bite the bullet and buy a new radio.

This was reinforced by the communication problems experienced when our friends were trying to rescue the yacht that broke down on the Solway Firth on Saturday afternoon.

Phil checked out various reviews and it seemed that the Standard Horizon GX2200E would be perfect for our purposes, so he ordered one online from Marine Superstore on Monday.

We decided against paying for next day delivery as we weren’t planning to take Ravensdale out of the marina for a few days and were amazed when it arrived the following day.

Our new VHF radio

Phil has been busy in the engine room this week so hasn’t had a chance to fit our new radio yet.

I’m guessing it will either be done over the weekend or early next week.


Why we’re glad we haven’t got a mast 😊

The crane the starlings used to sit on before it was removed

A flock of starlings used to spend a lot of their time perched on a tall crane on the boatyard next to the marina.

But the crane was recently sold and taken away (wishing I'd taken a photo of the starlings on it now ☹)

At this time of year, the starlings make a real mess of the boats, mainly the yachts, when they perch on the masts, rigging and spreaders after eating blackberries.

But this year, without the crane, they’re spending even more time on the yachts than usual and they are ending up covered in purple splodges.

Just a few of the starlings that spend a lot of time at our marina

The cruisers only get bombed occasionally when the birds relieve themselves in flight and, so far, we’ve been very lucky as Ravensdale hasn’t been hit once.

Whenever Phil gets our hose out to wash our boat or fill up with water, he’s been hosing down some of the yachts near us while their owners aren’t around to save their gel coat from being stained by the purple birds’ mess.


Locked in the car

Ravensdale likes to keep us on our toes by finding us plenty of jobs to do but our car is usually relatively trouble-free.

However, this week, she decided it was her turn to get a little TLC.

She refused to let Phil get out when we drove to the motor spares dealer in nearby Workington to collect new fuel filters for Ravensdale on Saturday.

The driver’s side door just wouldn’t open so Phil had to climb out of the passenger side, which isn’t easy for him as a knee-replacement operation on his left knee has left him with less flexibility than he would’ve liked.

He tried the door again before heading home, but it wouldn’t budge so he climbed back in the same way to drive back to the marina.

Typically, this happened just after the garage we use had closed so we couldn’t contact them about it until Monday when we were told to take it in on Tuesday and they’d get on to it asap.

So, we ended up carless again – she had to go into the garage for new rear brake discs a while back and, for the first time since I got rid of my car when I left work, we had to walk everywhere we wanted to go, which was no bad thing 😊

We were delighted to get a call from the garage yesterday (Thursday) but sadly it wasn’t to say they’d fixed the problem as they couldn’t find an obvious cause.

The door seems to be opening at the moment so we’ve brought her home to use while the garage orders a new door lock, which will hopefully be fitted next week.


Ruby of Ravensdale

Ruby with her teddy

Ruby enjoyed watching Phil change Ravensdale’s filters this week.

She walked around the edge of the hole when we’d lifted the floor to expose one of the engines and peered down into the engine room to see what was going on.

Ruby watching Phil work in the engine room

Ruby checking out Ravensdale's port engine

She was less impressed when she dropped her favourite antler chew down into the engine room while Phil was working and had to wait for him to retrieve it for her when he’d finished.

Ruby was also pleased when we returned from a food shopping trip with a new red, beef-flavoured bone chew yesterday (Thursday).

She went through her usual new toy routine – creeping up on it, barking at it then jumping away from it over and over again until she decided it was safe to chew it.

She really is totally hilarious 😊

Ruby with her new chew

Ruby also cracks me up when I'm trying to type or work on photos and she wants me to hold what's left of her favourite antler chew while she's chewing it.

She keep putting it on my mouse hand or on the table next to it in an attempt to get me to do as she wants 😊

Ruby trying to get me to stop using my laptop

Ruby chewing her antler on the back of my hand

And she's really funny when we’re eating a snack she fancies, her favourites being anything involving cheese, especially cheese sandwiches or cheese and cream crackers.

She patiently sits and watches in the hope she might get a bit and, when we’re nearing the end of our food, she puts a paw on an arm or sometimes both paws on a shoulder to remind us that she’s there – as if we could ever forget 😊

Ruby patiently waiting for a bit of Phil's cheese and crackers

Ruby's patience is rewarded 😊

Meanwhile, she’s been enjoying her walks this week despite them being a bit restricted due to her being in season but I bet she can’t wait until it’s over so we can get back to normal and let her have a proper run off the lead again.


Missing parcel!

I have no idea why Royal Mail would deliver a parcel addressed to Phil with our address correctly displayed on the front to a business address on an industrial estate in Maryport.

I can’t see any similarity between Ravensdale at Maryport Marina and Chimney Sheep on the Solway Industrial Estate, but it seems to have caused some confusion 😊

Amazingly, it so happened that Miriam, a Facebook friend who I’d never met, works there and spotted our name on the parcel.

She messaged me to tell me it was at their premises, and we picked it up on our way to collect our car from the garage yesterday (Thursday) afternoon.

An added bonus was getting to meet my Facebook friend.

Many thanks for getting in touch, Miriam. It was good to meet you 😊



Photography

Just for a change, most of the photos I've taken this week are from our trip out on the Solway Firth on Ravensdale on Saturday 😊

Yacht Manatee on the Solway Firth

Sun breaking through heavy clouds over the Solway Firth

Maryport from the Solway Firth with Andromeda in the basin

Cormorants on a navigation marker in the Solway Firth

Maryport from the Solway Firth with the northern fells in the distance

Maryport charter fishing boat Venture West on the Solway Firth

Another view of Maryport from the Solway Firth with the northern fells behind

A yacht on the Solway Firth

The northern fells from the Solway Firth

I also got some lovely sunset shots of Maryport Basin and the marina while walking Ruby on Sunday evening.

Maryport Lighthouse at sunset

The Coastguard station on Maryport Basin

Maryport Marina at sunset

Maryport Marina at sunset

Another view of Maryport Marina at sunset

Weather watch

Today's (Friday) view through Ravensdale's windscreen

The weather really hasn’t been much to write home about this week.

The main theme for this week seems to have been rain followed by more rain ☹

Saturday was the best day of the past week. It was dry, sunny and very warm for the time of year but there was still a good breeze.

Maryport Marina on Saturday afternoon

The top temperature was 21C (70F) and the top average wind speed at St Bees Head, which is our nearest weather station, was 31mph, gusting 44mph.

While we were out on the water the average wind speed at St Bees Head was 13-30mph, gusting up to 40mph. It was certainly windier than we’d expected here but nothing like the speeds given here.

We had heavy rain overnight. It was still raining when we got up on Sunday morning and it kept it up until around mid-morning when it was cloudy with light showers. 

Sadly, I forgot to check the last 24-hours weather data for Sunday so I can’t provide the figures for temperature and average wind speed ☹

Maryport Marina on Sunday afternoon

It was bright and sunny first thing on Monday with increasing cloud cover as the day went on, but we still enjoyed sunny intervals. It started raining early evening and kept it up until we went to bed.

The top temperature was 15C (59F) and the top average wind speed was 22mph, gusting 30mph.

The same view of Maryport Marina on Monday morning

It continued to rain heavily overnight, but it had stopped by Tuesday morning.

We then had light rain from late morning followed by heavy rain later in the afternoon.

The top temperature was 17C (63F) and the top average wind speed was 15mph.

Heavy cloud at Maryport Marina on Wednesday

Wednesday was dry but cloudy and fairly breezy. The top temperature was 14C (57F) and the top average wind speed was 13mph.

Yesterday (Thursday) started wet. The rain cleared but we continued to have heavy showers until mid-afternoon. It then remained cloudy but thankfully there was no more rain.

The top temperature was 15C (59F) and the top average wind speed was 23mph, gusting 32mph.

Thursday morning at Maryport Marina

We had more rain overnight and, so far today (Friday), the weather has been cloudy with

heavy showers. The top temperature was 14C (57F) and the top average wind speed was 23mph, gusting 30mph.

A successful fishing trip and a life-changing Wi-Fi deal 😊

Ravensdale leaving Maryport on Saturday afternoon

Calm, sunny weather over the Bank Holiday weekend gave us the chance to take Ravensdale out on the water twice.

Our outing on Saturday afternoon and evening was fantastic - the weather was perfect, and the fishing was good.

But Monday’s early morning fishing trip was less successful – there was very little wind, but a big swell made sitting at anchor uncomfortable, so we returned home early.

Meanwhile, we’ve got a new mobile Wi-Fi deal that gives us unlimited data for less than we were paying for 50GB so we have a reliable internet connection that we can use as often as we want 😊

And poor little Ruby has been unwell. She developed a stomach upset the night before she was due to go to the vets to be spayed.


Saturday’s trip out on Ravensdale

Phil and I leaving Maryport Marina on Ravensdale on Saturday afternoon

We were really pleased to get some calm weather last weekend after the high winds we’ve had here in Maryport in recent weeks.

And we were delighted to be able to take Ravensdale out on the Solway Firth on Saturday afternoon.

As we weren’t going out until later in the day, we had plenty of time to pop over to the Aquarium on the harbourside to buy fishing bait and for me to pack up all the stuff inside Ravensdale at a leisurely pace.

This made a nice change from all the rushing around I usually end up doing to get packed up before the marina’s sea gate opens so we can take full advantage of the four-five hour period that we can get in and out of the marina.

Ravensdale leaving Maryport Marina

We untied Ravensdale’s mooring ropes at about 4.10pm and headed out onto the Solway in lovely calm conditions.

Phil headed up to Allonby Bay to the spot that provided him with some good fishing on our last trip and we were not disappointed.

Phil baiting a hook

He set up his fishing rods and, within the first 10 minutes, he got a good bite.

He pulled in a good-sized tope. I was struggling to get the landing net under it because my right arm was hurting when I tried to reach over the side, so we swapped over and I held the rod while Phil scooped the fish up in the net.

Phil with the tope he caught on this trip

Phil had put new batteries in the digital scales he uses for fishing, but they still refused to work so we measured it instead and found it to be 1m (3ft 3ins) in length.

His next catch was a pair of mackerel, followed by a single mackerel and then five more arrived at the same time.

Five mackerel

He then caught a codling that was large enough to keep.

Phil said he wanted a bass next, but I said we needed another codling to make a good meal and that’s exactly what we got 😊

Phil with one of the two codling he caught on this trip

He also caught three dogfish, which he could’ve done without, but at least there were only three of them.

The weather was fantastic the whole of the time we were out – sunny, warm and lovely and calm.

The Scottish hills across the calm Solway Firth

The view from Ravensdale's galley as the sun was going down

Ravensdale turned smoothly when the tide turned and Ruby and I enjoyed sitting out on the aft deck in the evening sun.

Ruby relaxing on Ravensdale's aft deck

I was watching the golden light dancing on the water as it dropped down low over the Scottish hills, but Ruby was more interested in Phil’s bait and any fish that he caught 😊

We headed home a bit earlier than the time the gate was due to close as we know it varies depending on the depth of water over the sill.

We were also aware that the gate had been opening a bit later and closing a bit earlier than expected over the previous couple of tides.

Me enjoying the evening sun on Ravensdale's aft deck on the way back to Maryport

We were back in the marina at 7.55pm after three hours 45 minutes out on the water, during which time we travelled five nautical miles.

Phil drove Ravensdale alongside her mooring really smoothly and I used our docking sticks to get the lines on and managed to get the boat perfectly lined up with our boarding steps, so no adjustments were needed when we disembarked.

We both agreed it was one of our best unaided docking procedures yet, but sadly there was no-one around to see it. Typical! ☹



Monday’s trip out on Ravensdale

Ravensdale heading towards the sea gate at Maryport Marina on Monday morning

I’d left everything packed up after Saturday’s outing as it looked likely that we’d be going again over the next couple of days.

The tide times meant we either had to go early morning or during the evening, which would mean returning home after dark. The other option was to go out before the gate shut in the morning and stay out all day, returning when it opened for the evening tide.

Neither of us really wanted to go for the full day so we decided to try an early morning trip for a change and set the alarm clock to wake us up at 5am.

Phil drove around to the pier to check the sea state. He couldn’t see much as it was still quite dark but said it didn’t look too bad next to the pier and the water in the marina was really calm, so we decided to go.

I had very little to do by way of preparations as everything was still packed up, so I took Ruby for a quick walk then made a flask of tea to take with us while Phil sorted the mooring ropes and the engine room.

Ravensdale in Maryport Basin on our way out onto the Solway Firth - taken from the flybridge

We left the marina at around 6.15am and headed to the spot in Allonby Bay where Phil had done so well on the previous trip.

We could see there was a good swell, but it wasn’t a problem while we were underway.

However, it was more noticeable at anchor.

Phil set up his rods then came in for breakfast.

Phil setting up one of his fishing rods on Ravensdale's aft deck

When we went back outside, the boat was rolling so much that we couldn’t even tell whether he had a bite as it was impossible to see whether the tips of the rods were moving due to fishes or because the boat was moving around so much.

He sat it out for a while and caught one dogfish. He didn’t bother to set that rod up again and, soon afterwards, he decided to reel the other one in and head for home.

The calm water in Maryport Marina on our return

We were back in the marina at 8.10am after just under two hours out on the water during which time we travelled five nautical miles.

And it was weird to see just how calm the water was in the marina when we returned given what we had just experienced out on the Solway Firth.


New Wi-Fi

Our new mobile Wi-Fi router

We were discussing our Wi-Fi problems with my oldest son, Ed, when he and his lovely family came to visit us in April.

I didn’t think any more of it until he messaged me last week to say that they’d switched to Smarty for their home Wi-Fi and suggested it could be a good option for us.

We took out a 12-month contract with Vodafone for mobile Wi-Fi a year ago because the marina Wi-Fi here in Maryport, Cumbria, UK, was so unreliable.

As the contract was up this month, it was the perfect time to look around and Smarty seemed to be the answer to all our Wi-Fi problems.

We were paying £25 per month for 50GB with Vodafone and some months it ran out before the end of the month, despite our only using it when the marina Wi-Fi let us down.

Smarty had a special deal on which gives us unlimited data for £18.95 a month for life, including a free month as a welcome gesture.

An example of our mobile Wi-Fi connection speeds with Smarty

The signal’s a bit variable, but most of the time it’s much better than we’ve ever had using the marina Wi-Fi and, even at its lowest, it’s still usable.

And, best of all, we can use it anywhere we have a 3G signal and as much as we like without having to worry about running out of data.

It should also mean we can watch films on Netflix without our internet connection dropping out at the most annoying moment.

In fact, it's better than we ever had when we lived in a house so it really is "life-changing" for us 😊


Ruby of Ravensdale

Ruby sitting on Ravensdale's aft deck in the hot sun just before she headed indoors to cool off

Ruby met her first ever horse on Tuesday and she was not impressed.

We’d walked around the harbour when I decided to take her across the main road and along the River Ellen.

As soon as we’d crossed the road, I saw a horse pulling a caravan coming towards us.

I didn’t have my camera with me, so I tried to take a few snaps with my phone but had to stop because Ruby was going crazy.

The horse that gave poor Ruby a scare

She looked totally terrified of the horse and was trying so hard to run away that I was scared she was going to slip her collar.

There were a lot of people around and other traffic on the road, so I crouched down with her, got hold of her collar as well as the lead and just cuddled her until she calmed down and we continued our walk.

We had to take Ruby back to the vet on Tuesday to complete the treatment for her ear infection, which now seems to have cleared up.

The vet also confirmed that the ear had healed sufficiently for them to be able to go ahead with spaying Ruby yesterday (Thursday).

Ruby all tucked up in a blanket and feeling sorry for herself after being ill in the night

However, she developed a tummy upset on Wednesday evening and was very unwell overnight so I called the vet yesterday morning and was told they would put off her operation until next Thursday. So, fingers crossed she’ll be OK then.

Phil and Ruby by Maryport Lighthouse

Phil clipping Ruby's lead onto her collar as she looks out to sea

Ruby sitting in the long grass by the lighthouse with Maryport Basin and the marina in the background

Ruby by the River Ellen in Maryport

Meanwhile, she’s been enjoying her walks on the footpaths along the sea wall to the lighthouse, on the beach, by the river and over the meadows and up the coastal walk towards Flimby.

Wildlife

Grey mullet at Maryport Marina

The swan family has been visiting us for food again this week and the grey mullet were very active in the marina during the warm, sunny weather over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Some of the flock of starlings that were feeding on the weed on the harbour wall

A more unusual sight this week, was a flock of starlings clinging to the seaweed on the harbour wall in the marina at low tide. I have no idea what they were eating but we've never seen them feeding there before.

Two more of the starlings on the harbour wall

And we came across this colourful caterpillar on a recent walk with Ruby. Fortunately, she didn't spot it or she'd probably have thought it would make a tasty snack 😊

I looked it up when we got home to discover that it was an Emperor Moth caterpillar. 

A colourful Emperor Moth caterpillar

Photography

As usual, I took loads of photos while out on the Solway Firth this week, but only on our first outing on Saturday.

Maryport from the Solway Firth

Local boats out on the Solway Firth with Maryport in the background

A row of trees stand out against the northern fells

The sun going down over the Solway Firth with the Scottish hills in the distance

Another view of the sun going down over the Solway Firth

Maryport Lighthouse and the town in the evening sunshine

Yacht Cicely on the Solway Firth

Yacht Skipsea Witch on the Solway Firth

Skipsea Witch and fishing boat Argonaut with the Iggesund paperboard mill in the background

Yacht Cicely on the Solway Firth

Sadly, my camera, which has been working fine for the past week, decided to play up again as we were leaving the marina on Saturday, so I had to dive indoors and nick Phil’s.

It was cloudy and a bit misty for our early morning trip out on Monday and we didn’t stay out very long, so I didn’t take many photos and those I did take are very grey.

Misty Maryport

Maryport through a sea mist on the Solway Firth

A wider view of Maryport from the Solway Firth

I’ve been using Phil’s camera ever since and we keep meaning to have a proper look at mine to see if we need to send it off for repair, but never seem to get around to it.

I took my camera along when I took Ruby for a walk around the harbour and basin just after sunset on Saturday.

I was disappointed to have missed the sunset because we were still sorting out the boat after returning from our fishing trip but was quite happy with the images I got just after sunset.

Maryport Harbour just after sunset

View across Maryport basin to the Solway Firth just after sunset

A lovely, horse-drawn gypsy caravan with a “Climate Crisis Emergency Response Vehicle” sign on the back visited Maryport on Tuesday afternoon.

I didn’t have my camera with me when I first saw it while out walking Ruby, so I took a couple of snaps with my phone.

The Climate Crisis Emergency Response Vehicle heading into Maryport

When I got back to the marina, it was parked there so I grabbed my camera and went and took a couple of proper photos.

The same horse-drawn vehicle at Maryport Marina

Another view of the horse-drawn caravan

The Climate Change Emergency Response Vehicle leaving Maryport Marina

I then took my camera for a walk along the River Ellen, but the light wasn’t great.

The road bridge over the River Ellen at the bottom of Shipping Brow in Maryport

Wildflowers on the banks of the River Ellen

Footpath along the River Ellen at Maryport

On Sunday, I took my camera along when Phil and I took Ruby for a walk and captured some photos of Maryport Inshore Rescue team members taking part in a training exercise.

Maryport Inshore Rescue Team boat being towed around to the beach at Maryport

Another view of the rescue boat heading for the beach

Launching the rescue boat by Maryport Pier

Another view of the rescue boat being launched

The rescue boat heads out onto the Solway Firth

I also took a few shots along the paths to Maryport Lighthouse that are on one of our regular dog walks.

Dog walkers on the old railway line by Maryport Lighthouse

Looking in the opposite direction along the old railway line at Maryport

View across Maryport Marina from the walk along the old railway line

This week’s topic for the Practical Photography 52-week challenge was patterns and textures so I took lots of snaps of the light reflected on the calm surface of the Solway Firth while we were out on Ravensdale on Saturday evening.

The evening sun reflected on the Solway Firth

Light patterns on the Solway Firth

More Solway Firth reflections

Weather watch

Clear blue sky over the Ellenfoot Bridge across Maryport Harbour on Sunday

After more than a week of wet and windy weather, summer made a very welcome return to Maryport over the Bank Holiday weekend 😊

Sadly, normal service has since been resumed and we’re back to wet and windy weather again ☹

Saturday was dry, warm, sunny and calm all day. The temperature was 18C (64F) at 9am, rising to a high of 22C (72F) during the afternoon, and the top average wind speed was 15mph.

This was the data recorded at St Bees, which is our nearest weather station, but it was definitely warmer and less windy here.

Maryport basking in the warm glow of the evening sun on Saturday

Sunday was another dry, warm and sunny day with a top temperature of 24C (75F) and a top average wind speed was 14mph at St Bees Head.

Maryport through the sea mist early on Monday morning

Monday started grey and cloudy with a sea mist or sea fret, as they call it here 😊 The cloud thinned during the morning to give another warm sunny day.

Maryport Marina on Monday morning

Unfortunately, I totally forgot to check the Met Office website for the UK weather over the last 24 hours until late on Tuesday so I have no record of the top temperature and average wind speed on Monday, but I do know that it was a fairly calm day.

Calm conditions at Maryport Marina on Tuesday afternoon

We had a calm, dry start to the day on Tuesday. The morning was bright and sunny, but it clouded over during the afternoon with a little light rain, which soon cleared to give us a sunny evening. The top temperature was 18C (64F) and the top average wind speed was 13mph.

There was a grey start to the day on Wednesday and it started to rain around lunchtime. It was much windier than recent days with a top average wind speed of 24mph, gusting 34mph, at 8am. The temperature only reached 15C (59F).

Sea cadets canoeing in Maryport Marina on Wednesday evening

Yesterday (Thursday) was bright first thing but it soon clouded over. It stayed dry but was very windy all day. The top temperature was 16C (64F) and the top average wind speed was 29mph, gusting 39mph.

Maryport Marina yesterday (Thursday) morning

And, so far today (Friday) the weather has been very wet and very windy. The top temperature so far has been 16C (64F) and the top average wind speed was 30mph, gusting 46mph.

The view through Ravensdale's windscreen at 3pm today (Friday)