More pre Xmas pottering....

After the house and hound sitting excursion "up north" life in Penarth continued on its usual enjoyable course for a few days, until we headed to the wilds of Cornwall for more house and hound stuff. Norman and Julie were also off to a wedding so we spent a happy few days in the lovely Cornish countryside, amusing and being amused by the two labradors and the less grumpy than usual Jack Russell.

You just have to take the labs to the beach as they enjoy it so much:

After beach time for them, it was fun time for the adults, the Watergate Bay.Beach Hut is rather good. Click on the link to see why it is not quite a hut. They also make some impressive patterns on coffee  that seem to last right to the end of the drink:

Not quite like the Lanzarote happy faces though, a little more traditional in keeping with the setting in a classically beautiful bay.

Waking up to this sight is a little different to waking up on the boat:

Two hopeful animals waiting at the bedroom door who know they are not allowed in but being dogs, live in hope. Amazingly well trained Julie!

We also had a trip to see Amanda and Chris in St Austell with a guided tour of their splendid B and B / house and a wander along the cliffs to Charlestown harbour (Poldark setting for the TV addicts). On the drive back we enjoyed a beautiful Cornish sunset too:

Yes, we know, it could have been taken anywhere. Little to prove the Cornish identity and amazingly clear considering it was taken from a Defender on the move through a dirty windscreen.

Back at base, the boat needed a run to warm up all the mechanicals and electronics. Our track around the bay, in mist / fog, looks a bit strange:

We blame that on Steve the waterbus man who was at the helm. Please don't let you put this off going on his boat, he normally finds the landing stages at each end with no trouble. With the main and wing engine nice and warm, on oil change seemed sensible too.

Maintenance news:

The raw water pump on the genset is the original one and has now started to weep a little. A new one from the Northern Lights dealer is stupidly expensive as is an overhaul kit. We've used a kit that we bought from the USA before to reseal and put new bearings into the wing engine pump and the even better news was that the supplier agreed to cut down the contents to remove the wear items (wear plate, cam, faceplate) and hence reduce the cost of one significantly.

Our "spare" rebuilt pump will be fitted to the genset and the leaky one fixed using the kit. For any folks who have the Northern Lights genset or Lugger wing engine have a look at item number 112658598938 on eBay. I will get around to measuring the bearing etc sizes one day to source them locally.

That Lanzagrotty time of year

Yes, as usual it had to be done. A couple of weeks away from the boat enjoying some winter sun and warmth. Since we love the area and the Rubicon Palace Hotel so much, where else would you go?

The hotel has been through a serious makeover and gained a star since our last visit. That together with the Brexit devaluation of the pound meant it was more expensive of course. Somehow the temperatures and pampering made it worthwhile though.

As part of the general upgrade, they seemed to have trained the staff to liven up a cappuccino:

They also have installed 4 turtles in one of the ponds inside the atrium area. Watching for any signs of movement amused simple souls like us for hours:

What to do on the island? Well, as the northern contingent were around (Northern contingent = John and Irene, sadly no Archie the Lakeland Terrier) we took them to Lagomar for a look around. Have a look at the history and pictures on Lagomar website. To whet your appetite:

More Manrique ideas in an amazing "house" with an interesting Omar Sharif ownership period too.

The regulation walk to Marina Rubicon to admire the boats and eat huge amounts of apple cake (one of your 5 a day after all) had to be completed frequently too. Some of the craft moored there were entertaining. Perhaps this owner has several dogs or likes golf:

Cannot imagine having to cut the grass as well as wash off the boat. Most strange. On the walk along the waterfront there are several cat houses run by a local charity known as Freddys which feeds (and neuters!) the local wild cat population. We reckon this is one brave or very stupid bird:

Meanwhile, back on board the boat, it seems that the recently quiet Patrick is up to badness again. Steve the waterbus man sent us this worrying picture of Patrick and Kylie:

"Bring me a present or the bird gets it" post it notes indeed. We have some serious sorting out to do when we get back. Of course, that might include sweeping up a few feathers. We will let you know if our on-board stuffed menagerie is now smaller.

Dogdate County Durham continued

The travelling around thing continued with Tynemouth and a visit to the Priory and Castle ruins:

Fascinating site with real atmosphere. A priory come castle come World War 1 fortification come WWII fortification. Well worth a visit with a few relics of the more recent past still in place:

Another excellent walk was from Bellingham to the waterfall at Hareshaw:

Of course, with all this activity some down time was needed. Archie enjoyed his by licking the crew most fastidiously:

Linda on the other hand proved that the ride quality of a Defender isn't that bad by managing to sleep in the back of it underway:

Publishing this less than flattering image might seriously damage our already limited popularity but if you can't live dangerously from time to time......

Back in Corbridge again, the two dogs were desperately keen to get to a tiny little mouse that was on the pavement:

They both tested out their harnesses and leashes to the maximum but the mouse survived. It came close to a sticky end when someone walking by, glued to their mobile phone, nearly trod on it. Andrew rescued it and put it into the nearby churchyard. The Vicar is probably so pleased about this.

On the survival note, this print on the kitchen window of John and Irene's house was worrying:

There was no sign of a dead / stunned owl outside though so we reckon that it survived with perhaps a bit of a headache.

On Whitley Bay beach, Archie and Izzy met Boris the schnauzer:

Then the fun kicked off - working as a team, then pinned him down rather effectively:

Archie looked rather pleased with the way things worked out:

There were plenty of good local eating and cake establishments. After a good walk or beach fun with the hounds, you feel as though you deserve cake somehow. Two miles from the house was The Kitchen Cafe with the most wonderful home made offerings. Go there for the blueberry and mango cake, backchat form Garry the owner and to meet all the local elderly ladies who frequent the place. You get life histories fast and often....

For those who understand Geordie, here is a Whitley Bay restaurant frontage:

For those who don't and who think that a Hinny is a cross between a male horse and female donkey, we are pretty sure that was not on the menu,

Being responsible for Archie - no pressure at all

You have met John and Irene on here before. You have also met their rather important Lakeland Terrier, Archie (he came over to Guernsey with us earlier this year for example). Well, the poor lad was abandoned to our care by his strangely trusting owners who went off for a family wedding on the other side of the world. What do you do to amuse a typical nearly 9 years old terrier? Well, first of all, you give him a 2 year old girl to play with:

Yes, Anne came along for a few days and then left Izzy the spoodle with us. Somehow having a younger woman around seemed to put a spring in Archie's step. No comment.

Then we tried to offer lots of stimulation - John and Irene live in Hamsterley Mill (Google it!) near Newcastle and there are many great walks in the area. Also nearby lives Colin the BA Captain who owns another Nordhavn 47 (Albatross) and who let us see his splendid riverside flat at North Shields.

Plenty of dog walking followed. One wander near Wylam along the river was particularly good, taking in an impressive disused railway bridge  :

The Boathouse pub at the end of the walk was interesting. The lunch menu was a toasted sandwich or Pie and mushy peas (no potato involved). The choice was a no brainer - and a good decision too as the pie was stuffed full of meat. As were we afterwards.

Both dogs love the beach of course and there are some excellent ones on the local coastline. Izzy enjoyed digging at South Shields:

although Archie treated her efforts as a toilet afterwards:

We didn't know the area at all well and so we felt the need to explore a little. Durham is such a lovely city and the cathedral is quite something - although with two dogs in tow it has to be admired from the outside:

Corbridge suffers from having a must visit spot - the Bike cafe that we were introduced to a couple of years ago by John and Irene. A repeat visit with Anne and then Andrew and Linda (who also came "up north" to see us) was a must do. Why? Well, here is the cranberry, white chocolate and pumpkin seed scone:

No more proof needed - although the savoury stuff is excellent too. What else, well, the poor Defender had a moment - starting became hit and miss so he was recovered by the Land Rover Assistance service and taken to the best local dealer, Team Valley Land Rover.  We had a loan car from Land Rover:

A Range Rover sport autobiography at about £83K. Frankly, no! Typical example of a modern "sports" suspension SUV with huge low profile tyres and an unnecessarily harsh ride. Much prefer the normal Range Rover - perhaps age is something to do with the desire for a better ride quality on our crowded and poorly maintained roads. Mind you, we own a Defender......

Archie liked the back of the Range Rover though:

However, he also loves his nest in the back of the Defender:

which the good guys at Team Valley fixed. What was wrong?  The wiring for the Tracker system that was put in by the Edinburgh dealer at purchase time had caused the ignition switch to have burnt contacts. Thanks Pentland Land Rover. Thanks a lot.

As part of the "keeping the dogs stimulated" approach, the river walk at Hexham was fun too.  Someone with a Tonka Toy Japanese truck seemed to have either a sense of humour or was very sick indeed:

We did wonder why they hadn't claimed any mobility scooters - they would be a prime target for us.

A trip to Newcastle and walk along the river showed the Tyne bridges at their best:

and the rather futuristic Sage building:

On the river, we saw one white ensigned craft that we doubt is a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron or the Royal Navy:

Wonder where they got the ensign from. Might look impressive, if slightly illegal, on our Nordhavn.

Pottering about

Now we understand what happens when we leave the boat in the winter. Graham and Pat (no longer boat owners, their flying machine has been sold) have figured out Patrick's strange and sometimes concerning behaviour. Have a look at BBC News report.

We felt the need to enjoy Cardiff and the bay again. Some painted dogs have arrived as a charity fundraiser. The one at Mermaid Quay is a clever depiction of the sights and landmarks around the bay:

To make up for the rather inert Snowdogs, we walked the more active fluffy couple. Afterwards, Pip had that "please cuddle me" look:

whilst Poppy simply collapsed:

We managed a brief trip to Malvern to meet up with Norman and Julie for a "day after Norm's birthday lunch" in an excellent pub. The crew managed to get a serious gum infection around the same time and ended up with an appointment in the dental hospital which was less than ideal. However, antibiotics and red wine seemed to clear things up. We are not sure which did the most good. Perhaps one worked on the gum and the other on her mood?

As for trips away, we visited John and Angela, the yacht owners from Holyhead marina and saw their lovely house in the Wirral area. They have the most amazing purpose built library in the house. Built as a balcony with a gorgeous wooden staircase and boat like rigging to hold it all up:

Quite a collection, we could have spent hours browsing in there.

We had a very happy couple of days afterwards, exploring the Lake District for a change - an area that neither of us knew well. Ullswater and Keswick on an atmospheric day were much enjoyed:

Not sure if we would like to take this old girl out in choppy waters mind you:

The Nordhavn is much more reassuring.

Fixing things, catching up with family additions and contemplating the winter ahead

After arriving in Penarth, we felt obliged to sleep a lot and then wash the salt and gunge off the poor neglected boat. Greenock had been a good place to stay but treated us to lots of dirty rain. The plan was to collect the Defender and "do stuff". Of course, the night before we planned to depart, the bilge pump turned on and just kept going.

Having been there before, we checked the float switch to see if it was gunged up again. No, not that simple, it just was not pumping. Was the strum box that prevents things being sucked into the pump blocked? No. Oh good, it was the pump itself. Why "oh good". Because the pump is mounted in the least accessible spot possible, behind the genset. After removing the genset side panels, demolishing the supports for the housing and laying lots of cloths and things down to protect the captain's back, he wriggled his way into the tiny gap with two water filters digging into his back:

and the end of the genset enclosure neatly pinning the other side of him. Oh, then you have to work almost at full stretch forwards, just to add to the delight, and remove the housing bolts by feeling their positions to guide the socket onto them.

Sure enough the valves inside the pump had failed. They have a rivet that holds the flap material onto the housing and guess what, it corrodes through. We had been through this fun in 2013 so we had an overhaul kit in our spares stock:

You can see the tiny offending rivet on the new circular valve above. Two new ones were duly fitted and the captain retreated from purgatory in need of soothing red wine but far too late in the evening to do so respectably.  We ask again, why didn't they mount the genset 3 inches further forward??  The plan is to order some suitable marine grade M3 stainless bolts and to drill out the failure prone rivets in the new valves and replace them with something that will last a little longer. Then the torture will be repeated.

We duly took the train and collected the equally neglected Defender which had been spending the summer in his PJs happily locked away undercover. The tyres slowly got more circular as we drove him further.

A trip to the Southampton boat show to look at new generation electronics and contemplate an upgrade was good as was a visit to see Anne who should be well known to you by now. The visit was not just to see Anne and Izzy our goddog. Izzy had produced two pups and so a day of "puppy fun" was in order:

For fun you can of course read clearing up little opportunities that they leave behind them all over the floor. They were around 5 weeks old and active, so needed a little restraint to get a proper picture:

Upon returning to Penarth, we had another little job. The blower that extracts air from the master shower compartment had been sounding sick, running slowly and making unhappy noises. Then it stopped totally. The original had failed a few years ago and so we were not surprised. A new one was procured and another fun fitting job was undertaken - this one involves laying on your back in the wet locker with your head in a hatch next to the tumble dryer trying to work on the blower that is just above your nose. The S curve that your back has to make during this activity is most enjoyable too.

The little 24v blower:

was duly replaced and then the new one (which tested OK before fitting) refused to work. "Oh bother" said the captain (or something like that) as he re-bent his spine into unusual shapes. Re-plugging the old blower into the connectors was a bit surprising as it then worked, with no funny noises. Grr - must be an intermittent bad connection to the thing. After some tweaking, the positive feed was found to be playing up - a crimped on bullet connector from the factory. Connector duly replaced (and its twin on the negative side just in case) the new blower happily made the right noises and extracted air. We now have a spare but well used blower on board.

Just to add to the general maintenance happiness, we also polished the hull ready for the ravages of the winter and sorted out the corrosion on the port pilothouse door. That was a bit of a saga as a door keep was secured using Robertson screws - square headed things that are popular in Canada where the doors are made but rarer than rocking horse droppings here. Still, after ordering suitable bits it was removed and refitted with ease, this time with the machine screws coated in Duralac to try and avoid the galvanic corrosion problem for a while:

We have more painting to do but the weather forecast isn't looking kind....

Greenock to Penarth

Guess what - the weather decided not to improve much for us:

That wasn't a huge issue though. Firstly we amused ourselves signing the latest petition about poor pot markers on the government website. The one we mentioned in some earlier posts was "lost" thanks to the recent election so we have to start again. For everyone who can be bothered or feels strongly about the safety aspects like we do, here is the link Government website where you can do the same thing. Thanks!!

Then we did a few bits of maintenance / cleaning. We took the train into Glasgow for a very enjoyable day and had a delayed birthday lunch for the Captain in a most splendid restaurant in Gourock. It was suggested by the sloe gin expert Robert and we were most impressed. If ever you are there try Bath street arches restaurant. Very different menu, small 6 table operation and super service.

We also witnessed the paddle steamer Waverley getting steamed up in the dry dock nearby after her repairs:

Finally the winds died down and there was a nice little weather window for a run south. NE / NW 4 to 5 for a couple of days before it was turning to the more normal SW.

So, we headed off on Saturday at 9am into a quiet Firth of Clyde. Pretty calm too. Our liner curse was still in place, Carribean Princess was docked in Greenock. Must be a bit of a shock for the cossetted liner passengers when they hit the deprivation in some parts of Clydeside. We guess they try to herd the passengers onto coaches with the windows blacked out until they get to the Trossachs or Loch Lomond.

We headed south, this time a picture of the Cloch lighthouse for you:

then down inside the islands after a quick avoidance of the Weymss Bay to Rothesay ferry which always seems to get in our way.

The route took us very close to the Ailsa Craig and so this time you get a picture that is closer inshore:

but not that exciting. Here is the lump of rock's little lighthouse as well:

As we approached Stranraer, we had a decision to take. Should we head for Holyhead (arriving Sunday pm) and then leave on Monday afternoon for Penarth arriving Tuesday evening? Or should we just go all the way to Penarth in one run, arriving Monday late afternoon. Well, as the forecast was kind and the outlook for Tuesday not as clear, we opted to do the trip in one go. A little replanning and we passed Corswall Point and just headed for the South Bishop lighthouse which was a few miles away:

186 nautical mile leg ahead of us which at our average speed of around 6.4 knots was going to take some time. We settled in for the run....

Overnight there was a little ferry traffic to and from Belfast and Dublin. No course alterations were needed to avoid them though. The only exciting (?) bit was the smell from the new exhaust silencer paint and insulating wrap as it "burned in". Of course, that was all outside. During the day we had one ship that decided to overtake quite closely:

And some that were silhouetted against the end of the day sun:

We did the usual slowing down and speeding up stuff as the tide turned several times. The wave heights were around 1.5 metres (ie nothing!) from the stern quarter when the tide was with us and then increasing to 2.5 metres when it was against us. Just to prove that wind over tide is not as nice. Sunday was mainly spent heading down the Irish sea and aiming for St David's head. We rounded this during the early hours of the morning and the timing was perfect - lots of tidal help giving us a nice speed over the ground:

Nice when you get a favourable tide around the headlands - 9.5 knots feels like flying for us. As we approached Milford Haven, the traffic in and out of the harbour at around 4am was manic. Tankers arriving and leaving, tugs fussing around and pilot boats trying to look important in the dark. The Maxsea picture tries to show this:

but not very well. At one point there were three tankers, seven tugs, one pilot boat and the ferry to Ireland all underway in the entrance. Amazingly we continued on our course and didn't have to deviate for any of them.

The run up the Bristol Channel started very well. As daylight broke, the friendly Welsh dolphins came out to play in our bow wave and amused the captain for quite some time. The rest of the trip to Cardiff was the usual relatively featureless journey. We would not pick this area for regular boating! Muddy, fast flowing tides, nothing terribly lovely on the coastline to admire. At least the weather was good enough to sit on the flybridge!


After some wing engine exercise and a prolonged wide open throttle run to clear out the main engine, we made the 4:45pm lock in at the Cardiff bay barrage. The sad bit was that the rain started at 4:43 and became heavier and heavier whilst we were in the lock and unable to hide away from it. Welcome to Penarth indeed. As we entered Penarth marina, a local rather unmanoeverable passenger trip boat was turning around and trying to moor so we had some backing up and holding station practice whilst he sorted himself out. Just what we needed at the end of a long trip with restricted sleep. We were very happy to tie up on the hammerhead of I pontoon and turn off all the systems after over 56 hours underway and around 375 sea miles.  Strangely we spotted this workboat in the marina as we arrived, kind of a link to our last port of call:

Pity the folks who painted her last time cannot spell.


Maintenance news:

None at all. The big Lugger engine ran well, the new silencer and wrapping stopped smelling after a while and the little wing engine enjoyed its exercise. So, for all you grease and spanner types, nothing to keep your interest going.