Whitby

It is intended that Whitby will be one of the first stops on our summer cruise next year. We have tried two times now to get there but each time the weather has stopped us in our tracks. Hopefully next summer we will make it. Whitby is one of the few places we intend to stay for a couple of nights as we know there is so much to see and do here. And of course we will have to go and get fish and chips. Rude not too.

 Yet another set of pier heads to aim for.

 Once through the pier heads the harbour opens up and you are greated with a pretty scene.

 The bridge that spans the river. At most states of tide Naughty-Cal will cruise straight through the bridge with no need to lift it.

 Whitby Marina right in the heart of the harbour.

 The ruins of the abbey looking over the sea and the harbour. Its a fair old climb up here but the views make it all worth while. The camera is going to be busy on this trip.

Whitby is built on the steeply sloping hillsides so a walk around the town isnt for the faint hearted.

Newcastle

Yet another modern marina we are due to visit on our big trip for summer 2014. Royal Quays is actually closer to the mouth of the Tyne than Newcastle city centre but is an ideal spot for us to visit on our way up the coast. With easy 24/7 all states of tide access via a large lock, modern facilities and a fuel berth on the river it seems like a sensible stop of on our way from Whitby to Eyemouth being pretty much in  the middle of both at 50 miles from Whitby and 60 miles from Eyemouth. If time and weather permit we may venture further up river and into Newcastle city centre for a few hours before heading back to the marina for an easy start to sea the following day.

 Another set of pier heads to aim for at the mouth of the Tyne.

 Waiting pontoon for the lock on the starboard side of the channel with the fuel berth in the foreground.

 A larger modern marina with all the facilities one would expect. This will be our last chance to stock up with essentials on our way up the coast as our next few days are in small harbours and ports.

Perhaps we might get to share the river with one of these huge cruise liners as their terminal is right next to the marina entrance.

Hartlepool

Yet another planned visit on our whirlwind tour of the east coast next summer. Hartlepool Marina will be one of the few all singing all dancing modern marinas we visit on the trip. It will be in stark contrast to the small harbours and ports we will have visited before hand. Hartlepool Marina offers all the mod cons that any boater visiting or resident will require and of course has that all important fuel pump.

 Hartlepool Headland an obvious navigational marker.

 Another set of breakwaters to navigate.

 The lock at the marina entrance.

 A large modern marina in stark contrast to the small ports we will have visited in the previous days cruising.

Despite being a modern facility there is still plenty of historic interest on the quayside.

Windy Weekend

With the weather proving to be a tad too windy for us to venture out this weekend we managed to spend the weekend fixing and fettling in readiness for next weekend’s trip to West Stockwith, a last blast for 2013.

First up was putting yet another 60 litres of diesel in the tank. With fresh, clean fuel we have noticed a remarkable difference in the amount of smoke not only from the engine, well exhaust but also from the Webasto diesel heater on start up. Just goes to show how careful you need to be when buying your fuel. Luckily we seem to have nipped any problems with dirty fuel in the bud before they became a problem. We can afford to be suffering fuel problems before next year’s big trip!

Next job was installing the new shower sump box. This has been a problem for the last few years. We had already replaced the float switch and the box lid on the previous one but then the pump failed. Sick of spending money on the thing we just bought a whole new unit. Whilst the box was out we took the chance to suck out the bilge water (from the leaky shower box) and clean the bilge area thoroughly, not a job that gets done very often it does have to be said. So out with the old, smelly box and in with the new which now works a treat, however as with all things it didn’t go smoothly and we have found another leak, this time from the shower waste pipe. I’m sure this boat likes having wet bilges. Luckily it won’t be a major job once we have the pipe to hand and the leak isn’t so bad that we can’t use the shower so not a major problem but a pain all the same.

With the midships berth reassembled we could then set about cleaning the boat. As usual I tackled the cabin whilst Liam set about the cockpit. As the bed had been dismantled to allow access to the bilges it made sense to fit fresh bedding whilst reassembling it and to also take the opportunity to fit the electric blanket, perfect for winter boating season. The rest of the cabin just needed a quick wipe around and vacuum as it wasn’t too bad but we do like to go away with a clean boat. The cockpit also needed just a quick wipe around but unfortunately by now the weather had turned too vile to wash the exterior, which is a shame but never mind.

Yesterday we took part in a session of go kart racing which was fun but left us all feeling very achy and tired after a half hour on the track. I think we all realised how unfit we are! Following our strenuous exercise we all retired back to the boats and chilled out for the remainder of the day, no exertion at all for the rest of the day thankfully. The weather didn’t really give us any reason to venture out again with strong winds and heavy rain so we took the chance to chill out, relax and unwind with a few Buds and some lovely slow cooked lamb shoulder and curly kale.

Luckily we appeared to miss the worst of the weather. Whilst we were lashed with rain for much of the night we missed the strong winds and subsequent damage suffered in the south of the country. In fact the wind dropping woke us up in the night as it became eerily quiet when the water lapping on the bow stopped!

Amble

Amble, claimed to be Northumberlands friendliest port is yet another stop off on our 2014 summer trip. Situated on the Rive Coquet the area is renowned for its wildlife, crystal clear waters and stunning scenery. 

 Another day, another port and another set of breakwaters to aim for.

 The River Coquet estuary.

 Amble Marina offering facilities to suit every boaters needs. 

 The estuary at low water showing the decaying bones of old boats with Warkworth Castle in the background.

 The town is scattered with lovely squares.

 Perhaps Ambles most famous residents are its seal population.

And if we are really lucky we may even get to see or cruise with the areas dolphins.

Eyemouth

Eyemouth, the furest point north on our big trip next year (if all goes to plan of course). Eyemouth is a Scottish Borders town with a harbour still very much revolving around the fishing industry. However for us leisure boaters they also offer good facilities and moorings for the visiting vessel. More importantly from our point of view they have a diesel pump!!

 Another harbour and another narrow entrance to aim for.

 The visitor pontoon berths opposite the fish quay.

 Stunning natural bay adjacent the harbour entrance. The wall on the far left of the picture is the harbour wall.

 Beautiful Scottish coastline.

The river Eye, from which the town gains its name enters the head harbour.

Seaham

As we start the planning for next years big summer cruise in earnest we keep finding more places we would like to add to the list of ports and harbours to visit. This time we have found the little harbour and port of Seaham. The leisure harbour is a recent development but im sure you will agree from the pictures it look like a nice place to spend a night or two.

 The entry to the port through the break water and past the lighthouse.

 View of the marina from the wall top showing the breakwater and lighthouse in the background. Water depth is maintained in the marina basin by way of an automatic tide gate.

 View of the visitor berths. The fingers look a tad short.

 Beautiful coastline nearby

 Moody skies over Seaham beach.

Hopefully the weather wont be like this when we visit.