Ploughing Through Swells

Day 5,6&7.  Whitby

The weather panned out as forecast with two days of strong S.W. wind Thursday and Friday. We certainly did make the right decision to head north as the seas were very large off East Anglia. We are now waiting for the weather conditions to calm down at the weekend before heading to Hartlepool.

Day 8.  Whitby to Hartlepool.

We waited until early afternoon to depart Whitby after spending several very windy days in port, as the wind was forecast to die down then. 

Despite the 1 metre northerly swells off our starboard bow we were able to plane and did eventually have a pretty decent run to Hartlepool, hitting another thunderstorm which whipped the sea conditions up for a while off Tees Bay Windfarm. 

After a meal on board and nipping to the supermarket (as Peter had ran out of beer) to stock up, we went across to the fuel berth and fuelled up with 450 litres of diesel. 
Logged 27.3 nautical miles.

Day 9&10.  Hartlepool to Amble.

We departed Hartlepool after an early lunch. We let Moonshine's engines warm up for five minutes then planed from The Heugh breakwater all the way to Amble harbour entrance, which we covered in exactly two hours. Sea conditions were ok despite a large ground swell running from the north, with chop from a fresh S.W. breeze blowing off land. We encountered another heavy rain storm from Newbiggin Ness all the way into Amble.  We passed to the east of Coquet Island and then kept well to the north of it to avoid Pan Bush Rocks as there was still a lot of swell running. Amble Marina were very organised (as we had phoned ahead) and sent a staff member out in the heavy rain to take our lines. 

Since we visited five years ago a lot has changed such as a development of apartments next to the Marina, and a tasteful development of the Fish Quay. 

This is as far north as we are heading. We would have liked to have visited Eyemouth had the weather been in our favour but it is not to be this year.  

We intend on staying tomorrow and will head back to Hartlepool on Tuesday as strong wind is yet again forecast for Wednesday. 

Logged 49.2 nautical miles.

Day 11. Amble to Hartlepool.

We departed Amble just after lunch, and after looking at the sea conditions earlier and with a light northerly breeze forecast we thought we would be in for a pretty decent run back to Hartlepool.  However in reality sea conditions were still quite lumpy all the way with a swell from the north with added chop on top from the N.E. However we were still able to plane and after rounding the Heugh it was lovely and smooth and we enjoyed quick service through the lock and we were once again moored on the visitor pontoon. 

Logged 45.9 nautical miles.

This past week has given us a mixed bag of weather but Moonshine has excelled herself once again in ploughing through the swells. It has not been easy at times in these conditions trying to navigate and see through dense visibility to avoid the crab pots which are littered around the coast line.  The boat heater and waterproofs have had to be in use over the last few days but hopefully after Wednesday's strong wind has passed we can move on to Scarborough on Friday whilst giving the sea an extra day to calm down.  

It is nice to know we are lucky enough to still have another full week to get back home, let's hope the wind eases and changes direction to the west again. 

Being Indecisive!

Day 1&2.  Goole to Hull

After booking in with Goole Docks with our timings for penning out on Saturday morning, we had to quickly sort ourselves out as five other boats were waiting at Ocean Lock very early on the tide. Since the Dock Master wanted his logged in pleasure craft in one pen, I had to quickly throw my clothes on and with unclean teeth assist with the ropes.... not a good start to the holiday!

As the weather was looking unsettled for the next few days we decided spending two nights in Hull was a much better option before hopping across to Grimsby where the kids were concerned.

 At this stage things are still looking unsettled at sea the further down the coast you go, and we are a bit indecisive deciding whether to miss Wells out at the start of the holidays as the webcam photos show boats rafted three deep (it is not easy to get three dogs off several times a day),  or should we head straight to Lowestoft when the weather looks more clement.

Logged 27.1 nautical miles.

Day 3.  Hull to Grimsby

We waited until high water Hull to depart to give us wind with tide conditions for a smoother ride to Grimsby. It was very lumpy blowing sw 4-5 until we reached the Lee of the Lincolnshire bank where it was considerably smoother. When we got to Clay Huts we thought we were were cutting it fine to get in on the level at Grimsby traveling at displacement speed, so we planed down to Grimsby at 22 knots and were surprised to see the lock gates shut 15 minutes before the end of the level. When we penned in the Dock Master informed us he had shut the gates to retain the level as a large vessel had been pulled out on the slip and as it was only neap tides this enabled them to get the vessel out, however he told us he would not charge us the £10 fee as we were there in plenty of time. Forever on Seawings watch we noticed 'Odin' from Farndon a newer 355 was visiting Grimsby, however he was also waiting for the weather to head south. As the weather is looking good tomorrow we intend on moving off to Lowestoft. 

Logged 15.6 nautical miles.

Day 4.  Grimsby to Whitby!

Whilst in Grimsby waiting for the level for us to depart, the wind whipped up more than what had been originally forecast. After checking the weather reports and forecasts again it was looking quite rough off Skegness and The Wash, however we needed to make a decision to leave today or potentially be stuck in Grimsby until the weekend. Since the wind was sw 4-5 we decided we had to move today. So at the eleventh hour literally (as we were leaving at 11.30am) we decided to scrap our ideas of heading south and made an about turn and head north as the sea conditions were much more favourable. It was calm in the Humber, lumpy off Spurn and calmish off the Holderness coast, then a large thunderstorm hit off Flamborough Head where it chewed the sea up a bit and we lost visibility due to the heavy rain...we always know when it has been rough as the toilet brush and the alarm clock go AWOL, which they didn't today! 

When we turned to head up the coast past Flamborough conditions improved significantly and we had a very enjoyable run to Whitby. 

Originally we all saw this change of plan as a major disappointment, however since only Peter has been this way on our previous boat back in 2012 whilst I port hopped in the car, we can cast aside the disappointment and say we have all done it, as it is very pleasant up North plus you get shelter travelling close in to land. As ever we are waiting for the next few days of weather to pass before heading further up the coast as we still have another two weeks. We are finally on holiday and now very much looking forward to this trip. 

Logged 85.4 nautical miles.

Plagued With Bad Luck

Last weekend we had a much needed trip up the canal to Pollington, mooring low side.  

Ever since our return from Wells in June we have been plagued with bad luck. The night we returned from Wells, Peter had his works van broken into on our driveway at home, with matters made even worse by a very aggressive neighbour. The following weekends were used to make security improvements at home, however once these had been implemented Peter suffered a bad ankle sprain at work which has prevented us from using Moonshine over the last three weeks. 

During the trip to Wells we noticed the starboard alternator was overcharging. This was removed on our return to Goole and very promptly repaired by Auto Generators Wakefield, and fortunately refitted the day prior to Peters injury. 

We are all ready for the start of our two and a half weeks holiday next weekend, but we needed to test the alternator was working correctly, hence the trip to Pollington. 

Fingers crossed for good weather and no breakdowns, and with Moonshine now sporting some new wheelhouse carpet she is all set to go. 

'Speedwell' waiting for a weather window to tow a houseboat conversion (completed in Goole over the winter) down south.

Little and Large

A few weeks ago we discovered the old battery charger  was not working, and therefore so as not to spoil our half term holiday in Wells we relied on a small portable charger from home for the week. This worked well, however since it had to work to its limit at times we had to cool it with a portable mains fan. 

Upon our return to Goole, the old Guest battery charger was removed for testing at home. We initially thought our luck was in, as we found two blown fuses inside the unit. We obtained some 10amp time delay fuses from Maplin, replaced these and plugged the unit into the mains and attempted to charge a battery to prove itself. Unfortunately this blew the mains fuse in the house which didn't bode well with our younger daughter who was on her gaming console at the time (slapped hands!), so we knew that there was something seriously wrong with it even though there were no visible signs. 

We then had to resign ourselves to the expense of a new unit. We decided on a Merlin Kisae Abso 40amp four stage battery charger from Cactus Navigation who were cheaper than other suppliers. This particular unit was chosen as you can prioritise your domestic battery bank over the engine start batteries. It also has a lot higher output than the old one and is considerably smaller in physical size. This was fitted last week and everything seems much more lively, so the old unit must have been on its last legs for a while now. 

It has now come to our attention that the starboard alternator was charging over voltage, and it looks as if the voltage regulator has gone faulty. This has been removed for repair, and we hope to have this sorted by next weekend.

 

This past week we have been busy with cleaning and new waterproofing of the newer and old canopies at home. Moonshines canopy was removed and replaced for the old blue one for the week.  This has been quite time consuming as the first stage of the sandy coloured newer canopy was to treat it with Patio Magic. It was then hung on the washing line at home for several days to let the biocide work, and allow any green or mould to be killed...this is an excellent product which is safe to use around animals and for use on fabric. The canopy then underwent a thorough wash, and finally once dried treated with Fabsil to waterproof it. A 5litre Fabsil container was obtained from EBay for £21.38 which was considerably cheaper than our local shops. The canopy is now back on Moonshine, and we decided to give the old blue canopy a quick treatment of the latter along with the dogs rain coats which were loosing their water resistance thick and fast.

We now have six weeks before our main holidays, with the next two weekends being disrupted due to work commitments. Hopefully...everything will be in tip top condition for our trip south.

Wells-next-the-Sea at long last!

We departed Goole on the early morning tide on Sunday bound for Grimsby. A day behind schedule due to the wind which had whipped up on the Saturday, and coupled with a very strong spring  tide we thought we would leave it an extra day so as not to get a battering. Having said that even on the Sunday with a strong westerly 4-5 it wasn't very pleasant in places, but we arrived in one piece covering 39.7 nautical miles, with the only thing playing up being the battery charger. We made a quick trip home on the Saturday to fetch our car battery charger to get us out of the mire, but it's looking like a new charger upon our return....yet more expense!

 

With the wind forecast due to significantly subside on the Sunday evening tide, and looking relatively settled for the forthcoming week, we decided to head to Wells-next-the-Sea for the week and forget about Newark. The past couple of years at Spring Bank the weather has not been suitable for us to make the long passage down the coast without worrying about the journey back as soon as we arrive. We once had to abandon Moonshine for a week in Wells and we did not want to run the risk of doing that again. However, the weather was settled and the decision made!

 

After a very smooth run at sea with another 53.5 nautical miles under our belt, we arrived at Wells where we planned on spending several nights.  We haven't visited Wells for a few years, and the extended pontoon and visitor facilities are a fantastic improvement. They plan on extending the pontoon further and purchasing a new boat hoist and making improvements to the slipway amongst other things as soon as revenue permits.

 

After spending a lazy 4 days thoroughly ensconced in Wells we decided Friday was the day to leave bound for Hull Marina. It was such a shame as the weather was lovely, however with a gentle southerly breeze behind us and with the breeze turning north westerly f 1/2 the further up the coast we travelled, we enjoyed a nice calm run back logging 72.7 nautical miles.

 

We departed Hull Marina on Saturday homeward bound. The river was quite rough off Hull, so we travelled at displacement speed in a fresh westerly f4 until we got to the south side of the river which was significantly calmer and were then able to plane up to Goole covering another 22.2 nautical miles. 

We have logged a total of 188.1 nautical miles this past week, and Moonshine and her recently refurbished outdrives have certainly proved themselves. A fantastic if not lazy week away with excellent weather conditions...it goes to show that it has been calmer at sea than in the river both ways. We just need to inspect the battery charger now to see if this is repairable, if not it will be a new unit. 

Making Things Good Once Again

We have had a few jobs on the go this past week in an attempt to make things good once again. One being the wind indicator flag which was looking very tatty with the fabric falling to bits. We utilised an old rain jacket for this which seams had started to fail, in the past we have used old umbrellas as the material is the same... we never throw anything away you never know when it may become useful again. It is now as good as new once again and ready to be refitted for the season ahead.

 

We have also had a go at smartening up the Oceanair sky screen hatch blinds. These had gone mottled and were starting to look unsightly. In an ideal world it would have been nice to have these refurbished, however in an attempt to extend their life a bit longer we opted to purchase three cans of vanilla vinyl dye. These were sprayed in situ, as it would be quite involved to remove them both. The deckhead was masked up and everything beneath was covered in sheets. The result is quite good, not perfect, but a big improvement. This should put these on for another few years. 

 

We also thought it wise to purchase a carbon monoxide alarm, which was purchased from Argos for £9.99.  We have one of these at home, and after reading of some recent incidents involving carbon monoxide poisoning on boats, we thought it was time to purchase one for Moonshine. 

 

Finally, this weekend Moonshine has been treated to a good polish, so she looks smart for our forthcoming holiday.

Planning Ahead

After work commitments partially spoiling last weekend for us, all was not lost as some of the weekend was spent sourcing another car and we did get a trip to Sykehouse on the Monday on Moonshine to check some engine tweaks were running as they should do.

We were lucky enough to enjoy this weekend off and relax at Pollington. With Moonshine running well we are able to start planning ahead in relation to the forthcoming Springbank holiday. We will not be going to sea, unless weather conditions permit of course, however we are planning on a trip to Hull Marina as the recent problems with the lock gates should be fully operational for this coming Friday all being well. From Hull we will do Grimsby and then head up the River Trent and probably make Gunthorpe before returning back to base. 

We plan on taking another two and a half weeks off for our main summer holidays. We haven't visited Wells Next The Sea for a few years, so this will be a must this year before heading to Lowestoft and getting as far as Burnham-on-Crouch. Nothing too taxing for us this year, so hopefully we should be able to thoroughly enjoy the places we visit this time around, and more importantly it shouldn't cost quite as much as our two previous holidays...hopefully... I may end up eating my words on that issue!