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

Freezing temperatures followed by three days of stormy weather

Extra mooring ropes on Ravensdale in preparation for Storm Diana

Freezing temperatures followed by high winds and torrential rain have made for an interesting week on Ravensdale - our 43ft motor cruiser home.

At the start of this week, we had a period of cold, sunny weather during which we awoke to temperatures of 6C (43F) and 7C (44.5F) inside our boat and frost on the pontoons here at Maryport Marina in Cumbria, UK.

Then the weather turned really wild as Storm Diana – described as a “double vortex super tempest” - swept in from the Atlantic bringing severe gales and torrential rain.

Unsurprisingly, we haven’t been out on the water on Ravensdale this week. Instead, we've been trying to sort out a few storage problems.

Other than the wild weather, which is always quite exciting, the highlights of my week were an unexpected ride on a horse and cart and finding my favourite hat that has been missing for months 😊

Falling temperatures and Storm Diana

Phil returning to Ravensdale during Storm Diana

It was very cold when we awoke on Monday morning with the thermometer in the saloon showing that the temperature had fallen to 6C (43F).

We put our Webasto 5 diesel heater on then climbed back into bed for a cup of tea while waiting for the boat to warm up.

When we got up, we realised that the sun shining on Ravensdale’s port side had warmed the curtains so opening them earlier would’ve helped to warm up the boat.

The following morning the temperature in the boat was 7C (44.5C) so we repeated the process, but this time we opened the port side curtains as well, leaving the starboard side closed and it warmed up much more quickly.

Ravensdale's curtains remain closed on the starboard side to prevent heat loss

Next time it gets that cold, I think we’re going to have to leave the heating on the economy setting overnight to keep the temperature up a bit.

We’ve been putting off doing this because it’s quite noisy when it kicks in and tends to wake us up, but I think the time has come that it has to be done.

The marina pontoons were frosty first thing on both mornings and were pretty slippery, but the ramp up to the facilities had been salted so that wasn’t a problem this time.

The weather changed dramatically during the day on Tuesday.

It warmed up a lot but, as usual, warmer temperatures meant heavy cloud and rain.

And we were well aware what was coming as the Met Office had issued yellow “be aware” warnings for strong winds.

The Met Office warned that Storm Diana would batter large parts of the UK with 70mph winds and torrential rain.

The warning period started at midnight on Tuesday, but it was very obvious that the weather was revving up to it from mid-afternoon on Tuesday.

So, we put on extra mooring ropes and made sure everything outside that could possibly get blown about was either stowed away or tied down.

Ravensdale with extra mooring ropes ready for the storm

The forecast was for the bad weather to continue throughout the day on Wednesday, with more wind and rain for yesterday (Thursday).

And it wasn’t wrong 😊

The wind got up and it started raining heavily from about 2.30pm on Tuesday and kept it up until just before sunset.

The highest average wind speed recorded locally during the day on Tuesday was 40mph, gusting 59mph.

But Storm Diana didn’t really hit this part of the UK until Wednesday.

The wind and rain got worse during the morning, peaking around lunchtime and continuing during the afternoon when the top average wind speed was 45mph, gusting 64mph.

Ravensdale was rocking wildly as she was buffeted by the wind but, thankfully, the wind direction meant she was being blown away from the pontoon, which is so much better than when she's blown up against it.

Surprisingly, our mooring ropes didn't creak anywhere near as much as they have done in far less severe conditions.  

The view from Ravensdale's port side window during the storm

We often go over to the Aquarium on the harbourside for our lunch on a Wednesday and we decided we might as well go despite the weather, especially as I wanted to get out there with my camera.

Getting off the boat was interesting as there was a huge gap between the boat and our steps on the pontoon, but we managed to cross it without falling in.

And we walked down the right-hand side of the pontoon because the wind was gusting across from right to left. The idea being that, if we got hit by a big gust, we had a better chance of not ending up in the water.

When the wind is that strong, we wear our lifejackets when we go out and tend to leave the boat together so that if anything happens to one of us the other is there to assist.

If, for any reason, we need to go out separately the other one watches from the boat so they can raise the alarm if anything untoward happens.

Marina staff putting extra mooring ropes on one of the boats in preparation for the storm

We usually walk to the Aquarium as it’s very close to the marina, but this time we drove there so we could take the car round to the beach to get some photos of the big waves after we’d eaten.

At times, it was difficult staying upright to take photos, especially when I tried to stand at the entrance to the pier to capture the water being thrown up over it.

Spray being blown across Maryport Pier by the strong wind

I got absolutely soaked and annoyingly the photos weren’t great because I got salt spray on my lens.

Giant waves breaking on the shore and pier at Maryport

The wind and rain continued throughout the evening.

The wind speed dropped a little overnight. It went down to 19mph, gusting 30mph, at the quietest point.

The wind picked up again early yesterday (Thursday) morning and continued blowing a gale throughout the day, peaking at around 10am, when it was 41mph, gusting 57mph.

Storm Diana, which was named by Portuguese weather service, was dubbed a “double vortex super tempest” when it merged with another low-pressure system from the Atlantic, which led to high wind and heavy rain continuing into today (Friday).

New china

I was convinced crockery in a cupboard by the galley had been smashed to bits in rough conditions during our last trip out on Ravensdale.

New plates and cardboard dividers in the storage drawer 

Fortunately, nothing had been broken on that occasion, but our everyday china had become increasingly chipped and cracked since we moved on board two years ago.

This was mainly caused by the various items sliding around in the drawers in which they’re stored.

We’ve tried putting packing material between them but don’t always remember to replace it when we put them away after using them.

This week we bought a new set of cheap china from a local supermarket and cut up the cardboard box it came in to make spacers for the drawer in which it’s stored.

We’re really hoping that the cardboard will do the job.

However, if it doesn’t, at least the china is nothing special so we can just replace it as and when necessary.

We do realise that plastic crockery would make more sense but neither of us likes using it so we'll just have to do our best to make sure our china lasts as long as possible.

Storage wars and the return of my favourite hat 😊

We decided to have a bit of a sort out of the stuff we have in the marina storage unit this week as it was looking a bit higgledy-piggledy.

We pulled everything off our shelf in the container and put it back tidily.

And, while doing so, we found my favourite woolly hat.

Me happy to have my favourite hat back

It was hiding in the bottom of my rucksack where it had been since our holiday in the Scottish Highlands in April.

I am so pleased to have it back as it’s really warm, has flaps over my ears and I can tie it up under my chin to stop it blowing away in high winds - and we’ve had a few of those this week 😊

Horse and cart ride

I totally love the random stuff that happens to me here in Maryport, Cumbria UK.

On Saturday morning, I walked up to town to post a card and was taking photos on my way back when I got chatting to a man, called Dave, with a horse and cart.

I took some photos of him and his horse, Blue, and asked him if he would take a photo of me with Blue.

Me with Blue on South Quay at Maryport

He then offered to take me back to the marina on his cart.

I’d intended to take photos around the harbour on the way back, but I couldn’t turn down an opportunity like that.

He asked whether I would rather make the short journey via the main road or the harbour and I opted to go around the harbour.

It was great fun and, whereas I’m usually the one taking photos of other people, several people snapped away as we passed them but, sadly, no photos of us have turned up on any of the local Facebook groups.

My lift back to Maryport Marina

I snapped a few shots of Dave and Blue when they dropped me off at the marina.

After he’d gone, I walked back over to the harbour to take the photos I wanted.

Maryport Christmas lights switch-on

Maryport’s Christmas lights were switched on at a special festive event in the town centre on Saturday.

The main street was closed to traffic and a mobile stage was set up at one end of the closed section. 

There were also children’s fairground rides and food stalls and no Christmas event would be complete without a visit from Santa 😊

One of the fairground rides at Maryport Christmas lights event

One of the food stalls at the Christmas lights event

I didn’t go to the whole event that went on throughout the afternoon.

Instead, I walked up to town shortly before the lights were due to be switched on at 5pm.

Santa on his sleigh

I was amazed by the number of people who had turned out for the event. 

The area around the stage was packed solid with adults and children watching and listening to school children singing Christmas carols before the countdown to the big switch on.

Local children singing carols before the Christmas lights were switched on

It was the first time I’d attended this event since we moved to Maryport two years ago and I totally loved it.

Christmas lights on the main street in Maryport

I will definitely be going again next year, assuming we’re still in Maryport…

Photography

My main photo opportunities this week were provided by the wild weather during Storm Diana on Tuesday, Wednesday and yesterday (Thursday).

Spray being blown across the pier at Maryport

A large wave practically obliterates Maryport lighthouse

Oystercatchers flying above the waves on the shore at Maryport

Sunset on the shore at Maryport

I also took my camera for a walk around the harbour on Saturday and again on Monday.

Fishing boats in Maryport Harbour on Saturday

More fishing boats in Maryport Harbour

Another view of the harbour

Reflections in the still water at Maryport Harbour on Monday

More fishing boats in Maryport Harbour

The entrance to Maryport Harbour with the Scottish hills in the distance

And, this week, I discovered my phone camera is nowhere near as bad as I thought.

I couldn’t understand why selfies came out much clearer than photos of anything else. Then I realised that the front-facing lens is always protected when the cover on my phone is closed whereas the one on the back is not.

I tried cleaning it with the lens cleaner and cloth I use for my camera lenses and, hey presto, the photos I took with it were much clearer.

I feel a total prat now and feel as though I owe Huawei an apology.

I’ve been moaning about the camera on my phone and trying to get EE - my mobile service provider - to let me change it early for more than a year and all I needed to do was clean the lens 😊

A photo taken with my phone last month before I discovered the lens was dirty

However, it had taken really poor-quality photos from the day I got it so I’m a little bit puzzled as to why the lens was dirty when I first took out the contract.

The counter in the Aquarium cafe. The first photo I took with my phone after cleaning the lens

The images I’m getting now are a hundred times better than they were but still nowhere near as good as my camera, so I don’t think I’ll be relying on it too much.

But it will mean that I can still take passable photos if I forget my camera or just choose not to take it out with me for whatever reason, which doesn’t happen often 😊

Swan family

The swans and cygents waiting for food by Ravensdale

The two adult swans and their three cygnets continue to pay regular visits to Ravensdale in search of food.

And they seem to have developed a knack of turning up at the worst times – usually when it’s dark, pouring with rain and/or blowing a gale.

After getting soaking wet while going out to feed them on several occasions during the storm, we brought their feed container indoors so I could throw food out of the window for them without having to go outside to do it.

Weather watch

The weather has been the main focus of the past week, thanks to Storm Diana.

Last Friday was dry, cloudy and bright with the sun coming out mid-morning before it clouded over during the afternoon. The top temperature was 7.5C (45.5F). and the average wind speed reached just 9mph.

Sunny weather in Maryport on Saturday

Saturday was dry and sunny with more wind than on Friday, but it was still fairly calm. The temperature peaked at 7.5C (45.5F) and the top average wind speed was 11mph.

The temperature plummeted overnight Saturday into Sunday going down to 2.8C (37F).

It was dry, bright and sunny on Sunday morning with an increasing amount of cloud from around lunchtime onwards. The temperature reached 6.8C (44F) and the top average wind speed was 13mph, but the northeasterly wind made it feel much cooler.

Maryport Marina gate under a cloudy sky on Sunday

Overnight Sunday into Monday was even colder with the temperature falling to 0.8C (33F).

We had a bright, sunny start to the day on Monday and it stayed dry and bright throughout the day.

The top temperature was 7.6C (45.5F) and the top average wind speed recorded at St. Bees Head was 7mph, but it seemed higher than that here.

Another cold night was followed by clouds and sunshine first thing on Tuesday, but the wind got up and it started raining heavily from about 2.30pm as Storm Diana started to make her presence felt.

However, it cleared up for a while in the afternoon and the sky coloured up at sunset.

Sunset over Ravensdale at Maryport Marina on Tuesday

The top temperature was 5.5C (42F) and the average wind speed reached 40mph, gusting 59mph.

Wednesday was wet and windy from first thing getting more so as the day went on. It was considerably warmer than the previous few days with the daytime temperature peaking at 12C (54F). The top average wind speed was 45mph, gusting 64mph.

Rain at Maryport Marina during Storm Diana on Wednesday

The wind speeds dropped a little overnight then picked up again early yesterday (Thursday) morning.

It continued to rain during the morning but dried up for a period during the afternoon before raining again in the evening.

Waves whipped up by high winds on the shore at Maryport yesterday (Thursday) 

The temperature reached 11.6C (53F) and the wind speed peaked at 41mph, gusting 57mph.

And today (Friday) has been another very windy day, with sunshine and periods of heavy rain followed by hailstones just after sunset. The top temperature was 8C (46F) and the top average wind speed was 30mph, gusting 43mph.