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

Phil disconnecting the old calorifier in Ravensdale's engine room after it developed a fault

This week has been one of those weeks that leaves us wondering what’s next as one thing after another has gone wrong.

First, Phil noticed we had diesel leaking from one of the taps on Ravensdale's diesel tank.

Then he discovered water apparently leaking from the bottom of the starboard engine on our Neptunus 133 motor cruiser.

As if that wasn’t enough, our car started making a horrible noise while we were out on a shopping trip on Tuesday and is now in the garage for repair so we’re carless until we get it back, hopefully on Monday.

And the cover that normally protects our dinghy’s outboard motor from the weather has disappeared – presumably blown away.

But we’re still smiling, honest 😊

Engine room problems        

Ravensdale's engine room

The first time we realised there was a problem was when the automatic bilge pump went off for no apparent reason just before we went to bed on Saturday night.

Phil went down into Ravensdale’s engine room to find out what was happening and had a nasty shock when he discovered water dripping from the bottom of her starboard engine, well, not just dripping, more of a slow but steady flow.

We had no idea what was causing it and thought it could be something fairly serious.

We knew the automatic bilge pump was well able to deal with the amount of water that was going into the bilges so decided to go to bed and investigate it properly in the morning.

We also noticed that the domestic water pump was going off when there was no water running from any of the taps on the boat.

Water leaking around the heat exchanger cap after the overflow pipe had been reattached

When Phil took a closer look, he discovered that the water was coming from the overflow by the heat exchanger cap, only the overflow pipe had come off, so the water was pouring over the side of the engine.

He put the pipe back on, but we had no idea why the water was overflowing all the time.

The old calorifier fixed to the inside of the hull alongside the starboard engine

Further investigations revealed that the problem was the calorifier – the heat exchanger which heats our domestic hot water indirectly by circulating it over a heating coil.

It turned out that there was a hole in the coil, which contains hot water from the engine. This meant that, when the engine was stopped and pressure was released, the domestic water, which was under pressure, was being forced into the engine's cooling system.

And we think this must have been happening over many months.

For a long time now, I’ve been questioning why the water wasn’t staying hot for as long as it used to after we’ve had the immersion heater switched on and also why the water wasn’t as hot as it used to be after we’d had the engines running.

I’d also been commenting on the amount of electricity we’ve been using over recent months, which has been more like our usual winter consumption than the amount we normally use in the summer.

All these things made sense when we discovered that our hot water had been flowing away, which meant the hot water tank was being topped up with cold water, so we were needing to heat it up more often.

It became obvious that we had no choice but to replace the calorifier, so we ordered a new one at a cost of almost £500.

We agreed that we shouldn’t take Ravensdale out again until the calorifier had been replaced.

Phil switching the pipes over as a temporary measure

The new calorifier

Meanwhile, Phil switched the water pipes to isolate the calorifier and the engine so no water was passing between them and this solved the problem so we were sure that the calorifier was the cause.

At least this meant the water was no longer overflowing from the starboard engine and we weren’t losing our hot water.

The new calorifier arrived on Tuesday and a friend offered to help fit it as Phil had hurt his back and thought climbing down into the narrow space to attempt the job on his own could make it worse.

When they went to fit it yesterday (Thursday), they discovered that the new tank was a good bit bigger than the old one despite Phil having measured the old tank and given the company the dimensions when he ordered it.

They decided that, although at 55 litres it was about 15 litres larger than the one they took out, it would still fit in the available space – thank goodness!

It wasn’t easy to get at but, between them, they managed to get the old tank out and the new one was fixed in place and connected up.

Phil removing the old calorifier

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

Phil and friend fitting the new, larger calorifier

So, our hot water system is now up and running properly again and Ravensdale is ready to take out on the water as soon as the weather permits.

The new calorifier fitted and ready for use

Phil now wants to drain the water out of the starboard engine and replace it with a new mixture of water and antifreeze as the antifreeze that was in it will have been very diluted by the water running into it from the calorifier – if there’s still any antifreeze left at all.

Meanwhile, I’m hoping the new larger tank will mean we’ll have more hot water and the fact it’s no longer overflowing and being topped up with cold water will mean it will stay hotter for longer.

The only downside could be that the larger tank will take longer to heat up.


Diesel leak

Diesel was leaking from the tap in the centre of this image

The day before Phil discovered the water coming from the engine, he'd seen a small amount of diesel leaking from the tap on the fuel tank and put a plastic tray underneath, as a temporary measure, to prevent the diesel running into the bilges.

He then tightened the nut on the tap, cleaned out the tray that had been underneath it and put it back so he could check whether the leak had stopped.

Phil cleaning up the tap after he had fixed the leak

He left it for a few hours then went down to check again and it was dry.

There was no sign of diesel leaking when he carried out further checks later the same day and over subsequent days so hopefully that leak has also been sorted.


Car brake problems

Our car started making a horrible noise while braking on the way back from a trip from our marina at Maryport in Cumbria, UK, to nearby Workington to get antifreeze for Ravensdale’s starboard engine and some food shopping on Tuesday afternoon.

Phil looked at the rear wheels when we stopped and discovered that a chunk of the surface on the disk on the offside rear brake had apparently dropped off.

The following day, we walked to a local garage to see when they’d be able to fix it for us and we were told to bring it in on Monday.

However, when Phil said we wouldn’t be driving it again until the work was done, the owner told us to drop it off at the garage that day and they would do it asap.

So, we’re hoping we may get it back today (Friday) or tomorrow (Saturday) morning but it’s more likely that it won’t get done until Monday as he told us they were very busy.

We’ve also asked them to MOT the car while it’s at the garage as it was due to go in for the test next week anyway.


Missing outboard cover

Ravensdale's outboard cover in place during the trawler race. Photo by Lee Wise

The cover was definitely on our outboard when we took Ravensdale out during the trawler race on August 3 and when Phil used the dinghy to retrieve a deck brush he dropped in the marina a few days later.

However, it has now disappeared so we can only think it must have come loose and blown away.

We’ve yet to decide whether to order another ready-made cover or get some Sunbrella fabric and make one to match the cover I made for Ravensdale’s windlass.

The cover I made for Ravensdale's windlass

Ruby of Ravensdale

Phil throwing a ball for Ruby to fetch

I’m never sure whether Ruby’s favourite part of the day is going out for walks, playing with her toys, especially when she can persuade one of us to play with her, when she’s cuddling up with us or when she’s eating because she certainly likes her food 😊

The scary drink carton that made Ruby bark 😊

But she seems to dislike littering as much as we do.

On Wednesday evening, I heard her barking on the aft deck and went outside to see what she was barking at.

It wasn’t dogs or people walking along the road alongside the marina or even someone hoisting the sails on their yacht, which always makes her bark, but not this time.

It was nothing as obvious as that. This time she was barking at a really scary empty KFC drink container floating past our boat 😊

She really does crack me up at times 😊

But then she probably thinks I’m a bit crazy too, especially when I try to take selfies with her as I did on our last trip out on Ravensdale.

Ruby and I in our matching life jackets

Me cuddling up to Ruby on the seating in Ravensdale's saloon

Earlier this week, I was thinking that I call her by so many different names that it must be really hard for her to know when I’m talking to her.

Ruby waiting for Phil to throw her ball

So, I decided to list them and discovered that she has at least 20 other names as there are probably more that I forgot while writing them down.

These are the ones that sprang to mind – Roo, Rooby Roo, Rooby Doo, Little Roo, Little Red Roobster, The Roobster, Ruby Shark, Baby, Baby Girl, Pretty Girl, Puppy Girl, Puppy Pig, Piglet, Pretty Puppy, Pretty Face, Sweetheart, Sweetiepie, Cutiepie, Beauty and Little One.

But if I really want her to do something and she appears to be ignoring me she’s called “Oi! Ruby!” in the sternest voice I can manage 😊

As usual, she’s enjoyed her walks over the past week, especially when she gets to play fetch or meet and play with other dogs.

She particularly enjoyed playing with a nine-month-old cocker spaniel, called Jerry, that she met while I was walking her yesterday (Thursday).

Ruby and Jerry

Surprisingly, she also seemed keen to play with Tom, the first cat she’d ever seen, when we met him and his owner near the marina yesterday. Tom didn’t run away, but he didn't look over impressed when Ruby tried to play with him.

And, yes, it did amuse me that Ruby got to play with Tom and Jerry on the same outing 😊

Ruby tries to play with Tom

She also had a great time with Rio, an eight-month-old staffie, she met when Phil and I took her out for another walk yesterday afternoon.

Ruby meets Rio

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

Ruby checking out the engine room from the saloon

However, we had to put her in her cage while he and our friend were taking out the old one and fitting the new one as there would have been no room for her and she could've fallen down the hole into the engine room.

I took her out half-way through so she could stretch her legs then she went back in her cage until the job was done and all we heard from her were a few quiet whines to let us know that she wasn't very impressed 😊

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

Swans

This year's cygnets visiting the marina for the first time

The pair of swans that used to be regular visitors to the marina turned up with their new family for the first time on Monday.

The cygnets eating the food I gave them

They returned in search of food on Tuesday, Wednesday and yesterday (Thursday), so it looks as though they have made visiting the marina part of their routine.

Meanwhile, the cygnet from last year's brood that has been a regular visitor at the marina in recent weeks became stuck in the mud in the harbour on Monday.

A member of one of our local Facebook groups posted that four girls had been seen throwing stones at it while it was trapped by the mud, stating that police had been informed. Locals were horrified to hear of such cruelty.

Ruby was due to go out so I took her for a walk around to the harbour to see if I could find the cygnet as I wanted to see if it had been injured and to try to get it help if necessary.

The swan trapped in the mud at the harbour

We found the bird behind a boat at the far end of the harbour and it seemed to be OK. We later heard that it was swimming around quite happily when the tide came in but it hasn't been back in the marina since then.


(EDIT -  I've just heard that the girls were trying to throw stones into the mud near the swan to help it get out rather than throwing them at the bird and that they stopped when an adult told them this would not help it. Apparently, they were devastated to see the comments about their stone-throwing efforts on Facebook)


Amusing boat name 😊

Good Dog at Maryport Marina

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

I was amused by the name of a motorsailer that visited Maryport Marina on Sunday and stayed overnight.

When I saw it was called “Good Dog”, I thought it a really strange name for a boat and wondered why anyone would give their boat such a name.

The visiting vessel stayed overnight Sunday and left again on Monday morning by which time the penny had dropped.

It was a Nauticat and I guess whoever named her had a sense of humour when they came up with the idea of calling a Nauticat “Good Dog”.

It took me a while to work it out, but I got there in the end 😊


Fire alarm

Fire alarm sign at Maryport Marina

I’ve been meaning to share this for some time now because it makes me laugh every time I go in or out of the outside door to the toilet and shower block here at Maryport Marina in Cumbria, UK.

The sign above the fire alarm button just inside the door says: “This is a FIRE ALARM. Please do not press. Thank you.”

So, if we discover a fire in the toilet and shower block, what are we supposed to do?

OK, I know the answer to that one really, just thought it amusing that we’re being told not to press it 😊

I also know why the sign was put there. It appeared after someone pressed it because they thought they needed to do so to open the door from the inside. Instead, they set off the fire alarm.

In fairness to the person responsible, we have to push buttons to get out of the marina’s main gate and out of the ladies and gents toilet and shower areas into the corridor to the outside door.

So, I guess, it would be an easy mistake to make - if you didn’t notice that it was red and had a little picture of a house on fire on it 😊


Photography

My camera seems to be working again – at least for the time being.

It’s only let me down a couple of times and, on both occasions, taking the battery out and putting it back in again has done the trick.

I took it with me when I took Ruby for a walk around the harbour and basin on Monday evening.

Heavy clouds over Maryport Harbour

Colourful fishing nets at Maryport Harbour

Maryport Harbour at low tide

Maryport Basin at low tide

And I took a few photos, including some of a couple of lads riding their motorbikes along the shore, while we were out walking Ruby on Tuesday afternoon.

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

Maryport Pier with the Scottish hills in the distance

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

A closer view of one of the motorcyclists on the wet sand

And I couldn't resist taking a couple of snaps of the heavy clouds over the marina on Tuesday evening.

Threatening clouds over Maryport Marina

Another image of the dark clouds on Tuesday evening

Lights reflected in the water at Maryport Marina

Weather watch

The weekend weather was atrocious and made me very glad that I’m now retired 😊

We had heavy rain and fairly strong winds overnight Friday into Saturday with a top average wind speed of 24mph, gusting 37mph.

This was followed by a very wet day on Saturday with brief breaks in the rain.

The top temperature was 17C (63F) and the top average wind speed was 23mph, gusting 34mph.

Rain clouds over Maryport Marina on Sunday

On Sunday, we had heavy rain and high winds averaging up to 26mph and gusting up to 39mph overnight followed by light rain during the morning.

It dried up a bit during the afternoon, although the showers were never far away.

The temperature only reached 14C (57F) with a top average wind speed of 29mph, gusting 38mph.

It was fairly windy overnight Sunday in Monday with average wind speeds of up to 25mph, gusting 32mph.

And, on Monday, we awoke to a bright sunny day with very little wind for the first time in days.

Blue sky and white clouds over Maryport Marina on Monday

Rain was forecast for the afternoon, but we only got a few light showers and the top temperature was 16C (61F) with a top average wind speed of 14mph.

Tuesday started dry, bright and sunny and stayed dry and sunny with a little more cloud later in the afternoon. The top temperature was 16C (61F) and the top average wind speed was 15mph.

Maryport Marina on Tuesday morning

We had rain during the night and first thing on Wednesday. It then dried up for the rest of the morning followed by light rain during the afternoon. The top temperature was 16C (61F) and the top average wind speed was 22mph.

Yesterday (Thursday) we awoke to a nice morning after a wet and windy night with an average wind speed of up to 32mph, gusting 41mph. The day was mainly dry and bright with a little light rain late morning and a good wind.

Dry, bright weather at Maryport Marina yesterday (Thursday) afternoon 

The top temperature was 17C (63F) and the average wind speed was 36mph, gusting 46mph, first thing, dropping to 22mph, gusting 31mph, during the afternoon.

And, so far today (Friday) the weather has been wet and miserable.

It poured with rain from the time we got up until early afternoon and still looks as though it could start again at any time.

It has also been a very windy day. The top temperature was 16C (61F) and the top average wind speed was 33mph, gusting 47mph.

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

A spectacular trawler race and Ruby gets a nasty electric shock

Ravensdale during Maryport Trawler Race

It’s been an eventful week on Ravensdale – some of which was good and some not so good.

Maryport Trawler Race is my favourite event of the year, so I was really pleased that the forecast was good for Saturday – and that the forecasters were correct 😊

We thoroughly enjoyed taking Ravensdale out on the Solway Firth here in Cumbria, UK, to watch the race again this year and for a successful fishing trip yesterday (Thursday) evening.

But we had a less good experience on Sunday when Ruby – our 9-month-old staffie puppy – bit through our 240V shore power cable giving herself a nasty electric shock ☹


Trawler Race

Some of the boats taking part in Maryport Trawler Race on Saturday

Ruby looking unimpressed by our aft deck bunting 😊

I totally love Maryport Trawler Race and the weather gods were definitely kind to us this year as we couldn’t have asked for anything better than blue skies, sunshine and very little wind 😊

I’d been for a walk around the harbour on Friday afternoon to see the fishing boats being decorated ready for the race and couldn’t help wishing that we’d bought some bunting to decorate Ravensdale for the event.

We mentioned this to friends in the marina who said they had some but wouldn’t be decorating their yacht, so they lent it to us, which was very kind of them. There were two lengths that were just long enough for Ravensdale’s aft deck.

Another friend gave us some longer lengths of bunting that Phil strung from the flybridge to the guard rail on the bow and back again.

Ravensdale decorated for the trawler race

Ravensdale's bunting viewed from inside the boat

The trawlers were due to leave the harbour at around 12.45pm and the race was scheduled to start at about 1pm.

Ravensdale in Maryport Basin before the trawler race. Photo by Bryan Hewitt

We left the marina at about 12.15pm so we’d be out on the Solway Firth in good time and wouldn’t get in the way of the boats taking part in the event.

Ravensdale leaving Maryport

Phil checked the position of the buoys marking the route then found us a good spot where we could watch the decorated trawlers coming out of the basin ready to line up for the start of the race.

Ravensdale sitting just off north pier to watch the trawlers leaving Maryport. Photo by Ronnie Bell

Most were packed with people, some of whom were in fancy dress in keeping with the theme for their boat.

I didn’t count the entries but there must have been about 20 boats taking part.

The local lifeboats were also out on the Solway along with a number of other boat owners who, like us, were there to watch the race.

Maryport Inshore Rescue (right) and Siloth Lifeboat during the race

When the trawlers were all in place, Phil moved Ravensdale to a location where we would get a good view of the trawlers heading towards the first buoy without getting in their way.

Some of the trawlers lined up at the start line as the race began

We heard a bang and saw a plume of smoke rising from Venture West charter fishing boat, which had the race organisers and photographers on board.

The trawlers set off and seemed very close to each other at times as the skippers put their vessels through their paces.

Some of the decorated trawlers taking part in the race

I’ve never seen the race from the shore as we’ve been out on a boat every year since we moved on board in November 2016.

The first year we were on a friend’s yacht as Ravensdale wasn’t yet ready to leave the marina and last year we went out on our own boat.

I’m sure it would still be interesting from the land, but I’m sure there’s nothing like being out on the Solway Firth in the midst of the action.

The water was calm when we first left the marina, but it becomes pretty choppy with the wakes caused by the racing vessels and other boats motoring around to watch them.

Once the race was over, Phil took Ravensdale back to our vantage point just outside the basin so I could photograph the trawlers heading back into Maryport.

One of the trawlers returning to Maryport after the race

We’d intended to stay out fishing for a while after the race as the marina gate wasn’t due to close until around 4pm, but Phil decided to go straight back after the event, and we moored up soon after 2pm.

While I was processing my photos and started posting them on a local Facebook group, other people were also uploading their images of the event.

I was delighted to discover that there were quite a few photos of Ravensdale decked out with bunting, some even included me taking photos of the race from the aft deck and the flybridge.

And the photographers kindly gave their permission for me to share them in my blog. Many thanks to all concerned 😊

Me sitting on Ravensdale's flybridge waiting for the race to begin. Photo by Lee Wise

Ravensdale with one of the trawler race boats. Photo by Lee Wise

Ravensdale during the trawler race. Photo by Lee Wise

Ravensdale during the trawler race. Photo by Ronnie Bell

Ravensdale during the trawler race. Photo by Lee Wise

Me taking photos of the race from Ravensdale's flybridge. Photo by Paul Hamilton

Ravensdale returning to Maryport. Photo by Ronnie Bell

Ravensdale passing Maryport Lighthouse on her way into the basin. Photo by Ronnie Bell

(NOTE - There are many more of my photos of the trawler race in the photography section towards the end of this blog post 😊)

Ruby gets a nasty shock

Ruby on Ravensdale's aft deck

Phil and I were both inside Ravensdale and Ruby was out on deck when we heard the most awful yelping and whining coming from outside.

We both dived up on deck to find Ruby obviously scared and distressed but couldn’t initially see the cause.

My first thought was that she must have been stung by a wasp, then Phil noticed the cable for our shore power had been chewed through and we realised that we no longer had any electricity on the boat.

Ruby was terrified and refused to come indoors.

I managed to coax her inside and sat and cuddled her while Phil repaired the cable.

The damaged electricity cable after Ruby had chewed it

We looked in her mouth and couldn’t see any signs of burning but she was shaking and obviously very upset.

Phil repairing the power lead

After a while, she laid down with the little cuddly toy that she’s had since the day we brought her home and watched Phil repairing the shore power lead.

Ruby watching Phil repair the lead

But she dived back outside as soon as she saw a chance and sat on the far side of the deck from the power socket.

Soon after the repair had been completed and we had power again, it started to rain and we got her to come back in, but she was very wary of going near the cable that is right next to the door that is the only access to Ravensdale.

And she was very cuddly for the next couple of hours.

The incident happened soon after lunch on Sunday and Ruby still seems to be OK, so it doesn’t seem to have done her any lasting harm.

But we’re hoping it has taught her an important lesson in life – don’t bite electricity cables because they bite back 😊


Yesterday’s fishing trip

Ravensdale leaving Maryport Marina yesterday (Thursday)

I regularly check the weather forecast looking for our next chance to take Ravensdale out on the water and, from early this week, it became clear that yesterday (Thursday) was our best opportunity for days.

The gate wasn’t due to open until at least 3.55pm so we took Ruby for her afternoon walk a bit early and walked around to the pier to check the sea state.

It was a bit choppy, but not too bad and the wind was due to drop still further during the evening, so we decided to go, and we left the marina at around 4.15pm in glorious sunshine.

Ravensdale on the way to Allonby Bay

The trip up to Allonby Bay was a bit bumpier than we’d expected but it was fine after we’d dropped anchor.

And we were very glad we’d decided to go as it was one of the most successful fishing trips in recent months.

Phil fishing from Ravensdale's aft deck

Phil caught a good selection of different types of fish. The best being a metre-long (39in) smooth-hound, which is a member of the shark family, and the first decent-sized bass he has caught from Ravensdale.

Phil with the smooth-hound he caught on this trip

Phil with the first decent bass he's caught from Ravensdale

He also caught two codling – one was pretty small and the other just under the 35cm length that we would’ve been allowed to keep so both were returned to the water.

Phil with the largest of the two codling he caught yesterday

Other catches included a small eel and another dogfish. We’re not sure whether the eel was a silver eel or a conger eel as, from my photos, we can’t see where its dorsal fin starts.

The eel Phil caught

And his most disappointing catch was a dogfish and a good-sized rock that we both thought was going to be a really big fish while he was reeling it in.

The dogfish and the rock that Phil hooked yesterday

But, all in all, it was a really good trip that we both enjoyed and, as usual, Ruby was happy licking up any fish juice that fell onto the deck from Phil’s bait and catches.

Ravensdale returning to Maryport

We were back in the marina at around 8.20pm after about four hours out on the water.


Cleaning Ravensdale’s water filters

Phil washing a strainer from one of Ravensdale's water filters

Phil regularly checks and, if necessary, cleans out the water filters on Ravensdale’s two 300hp Volvo Penta engines and from time to time he takes them out to give them a more thorough clean.

Yesterday (Thursday) he decided they needed a deep clean and took the strainers out to wash them under the tap on the pontoon before bringing them back on board to give them a good scrub.

We’re hoping Ravensdale appreciates his efforts on her behalf 😊


Ruby of Ravensdale

Ruby on look-out duties on Ravensdale

Ruby’s ear infection appears to have cleared up nicely despite her refusing to let us anywhere near her with the little bottle of drops that the vet sold us to treat it.

She ran away if she so much us saw us reach for the bottle.

However, we managed to put some of the liquid onto one of our fingers while she wasn’t looking then rubbed it inside her ear.

We were unsure whether she was getting the required amount, but it appears to have done the trick anyway 😊

Ruby’s still being a bit of a pain for me when I take her for walks on a lead.

She’s much better than she used to be but still has a tendency to stop, to pull or to try to eat everything she sees.

She’s also very keen to stop to talk to any people or dogs we meet but will now walk past them on occasions with a little bit of encouragement.

She’s much better behaved for Phil who manages to keep her moving on a short lead, so it must be me that’s the problem ☹

On the plus side, she seems totally unphased by traffic and is getting really good at sitting before crossing a road.

She also lets me tie her lead to a post while I stop to take photos without objecting, which is very useful.

Ruby patiently waiting while I photograph Maryport Harbour

Like most dogs, she really looks forward to her walks and starts looking for her ball as soon as we get to the places where she’s usually let off the lead to play fetch.

Ruby searching for her ball

Ruby fetching her ball

Ruby bringing her ball back to Phil

And she doesn’t give up if she can’t find her ball straight away when it lands in long grass.

She’ll search for ages and we can always tell when she’s got the scent of her ball as her tail starts wagging before she pounces on it 😊



Fredwood on the slipway

Fredwood on the slipway at Maryport Marina

Local fishing boat Fredwood has been undergoing work on the marina slipway over the past week.

Fredwood being pressure-washed on the slipway

I didn’t see her arrive because she came into the marina while we were out on the Solway Firth on Ravensdale.

So, I was determined to get a few shots when the 88-ton trawler passed Ravensdale as she left the marina in pouring rain on Tuesday afternoon.

Fredwood approaching Ravensdale after turning at the bottom of the slipway

Phil and I watched her come out of the boat hoist and were both very impressed by the way the skipper turned her on her own length at the bottom of the slipway with just inches to spare.

Fredwood heading towards the sea gate as she left Maryport Marina

Photography

Most of the photos I took this week were of preparations for the Trawler Race on Friday afternoon and the main event Saturday lunchtime.

One of the trawlers being decorated in preparation for the race

Bunting being tied onto another trawler ready for the race

Chelaris - the boat that went on to win the race

Maryport Trawler Race

Maryport Trawler Race

Maryport Trawler Race

Maryport Trawler Race

Maryport Trawler Race

Maryport Trawler Race

Maryport Trawler Race

Maryport Trawler Race

Maryport Trawler Race

Maryport Trawler Race

Maryport Inshore Rescue boat during Maryport Trawler Race

Sadly, my camera refused to switch on before the race started and I was really worried that I wouldn’t be able to use it at all.

I managed to get it to work again by turning it on and off, taking the battery out and putting it back and taking the lens off and putting it back on again. I have no idea which of these actions did the trick.

It stopped two more times during the race, and I got it going again by doing the same things as before.

Phil also passed me a Canon camera that he usually uses, and I haven’t really had much to do with, so I had that one with me as well.

It was set to auto, so I thought it was going to be fine, so I kept my 45-150 lens on my Olympus camera and used the Canon for the wider views.

But I later discovered that the last time Phil had used it the ISO was set to 1200 and all my photos were way overexposed. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement ☹

I took well over 500 photos, not including the ones I took with the Canon on the wrong ISO setting, all of which had to be deleted.

Taking photos for a good hour and a half made my right arm really painful. And trying to process them when we got back to the marina was even worse.

In the end, I had to give up on them on Saturday and work on them in batches over the next couple of days.

Thankfully, my arm recovered sufficiently to take my camera out with me while Phil and I were walking Ruby on Wednesday afternoon.

Grasslot beach at Maryport

A yacht in Maryport Basin

The same yacht with the town in the background as it heads for the marina

And I took more photos while out on the Solway Firth on our fishing trip yesterday (Thursday) but my camera packed up again and I had to borrow Phil's so it looks like it's going to have to be sent away for repairs ☹ I also popped out to get a couple of shots of the sunset soon after we got home.

Anglers fishing on Este Belle at sundown

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

Cloud sitting on the northern fells from the Solway Firth

The sun setting over the Scottish hills

Maryport from the Solway Firth

Another view of Maryport from the Solway Firth

Maryport Lighthouse from the Solway Firth

The Isle of Man from the Solway Firth

Last night's sunset over the Solway Firth

An earlier shot of the sunset across Maryport Basin

Another view of the sunset across the basin

Weather watch

The weather has been very mixed this week, but at least it was dry, warm and sunny for the day that mattered most. It was great to have good weather on Saturday for Maryport Trawler Race.

Blue sky at Maryport on Saturday

Saturday was a beautiful day with plenty of sunshine and very little wind. The temperature reached 22C (72F) and the highest average wind speed during the day at St Bees Head – our nearest weather station – was 13mph. During the trawler race, the average wind speed was 9-11mph.

It was very warm overnight with temperatures of 16-18C (61-64F) with a little light rain first thing on Sunday. The morning was then dry and sunny with light showers during the afternoon. The top average temperature was 20C (68F) and the top average wind speed was 17mph, although it was much calmer during the evening.

Reflections in the still water at Maryport Marina on Sunday evening

Monday was cloudy but bright with a little light rain during the morning. It dried up during the afternoon, then rained again in the evening. The top temperature was 17C (63F) and the top average wind speed was 19mph.

Heavy clouds over Maryport Marina on Monday morning

We had heavy rain overnight Monday into Tuesday. It was still raining first thing on Tuesday, the rain then cleared but the sky stayed overcast with more rain mid-afternoon. The top temperature was 16C (61F) and the top average wind speed was 21mph.

The view out of the window onto Ravensdale's aft deck during heavy rain on Tuesday

Wednesday started wet then dried up to give sunshine and cloud with a good breeze. The top temperature was 17C (63F) and the top average wind speed was 14mph.

Yesterday (Thursday) was dry warm and sunny with a light breeze. The top temperature was 18C (64F). The top average wind speed was 13mph and between 3mph and 7mph while we were out on the Solway Firth.

Maryport basking in the sunshine yesterday (Thursday) afternoon

We had high winds and torrential rain overnight last night with average wind speeds of up to 28mph, gusting, 37mph, but the wind dropped and it stopped raining by mid-morning today (Friday).

Today the weather was overcast but dry and fairly bright until mid-afternoon when it started to rain again. There was a brief thunderstorm early evening together with torrential rain. The temperature peaked at 20C (68F) and the average wind speed reached 26mph, gusting 37mph.