Liverpool to the Isle of Man

With the water pump fitted back on Brown Eye’s engine, I was more than ready to leave Liverpool.

Catching the second lock gates opening for the high tide I was back on the Mersey by 1330hr, destination the Isle of Man.  I knew that I was going to be arriving during the hours of darkness leaving at this time, but if I wanted to arrive during daylight hours I would have had to have waited another 5 days for an early morning lock opening - but I was overdue leaving and wanted to push on.

The river traffic going in and out of Liverpool was quite heavy and there was a real mixture of larger boats that I had to avoid.  Here are just a few:

The Irish Sea was smooth and flat and there was very little wind, so the engine had to remain on once again, but at least the auto-pilot with its new drive belt was working well and this allowed me to move around the boat without having to worry too much about going off course.

I tried a bit of fishing off the back of Brown Eyes, with no success, but will keep trying.

Lighthouse of the day at Derby Haven

As expected, I arrived in Derby Haven soon after midnight, having already prepared the anchor for laying.  If it had not been for my plotter (GPS) I do not think I would have attempted going into this unlit cove - the moon had disappeared soon after the sun had set and it was pitch black.

The almanac had recommended dropping anchor in 5m of water, which I soon found and as far as I could tell, there was no one else in the cove which made things easier - you want to avoid laying your anchor chain over someone else’s and also have to take into account the swing of the boat as the wind and currents change.  Having laid the anchor, I sat and watch the GPS to ensure we were not dragging it and that we were staying in the correct depth of water; all appeared to have gone to plan, so it was kettle on and after a brew, some well earned sleep.

At daybreak I stuck my head out of the hatch and was able to see exactly where I was.

The water was clear, still and looked inviting and as it promised to be a hot day I was tempted to go for a swim, until I saw these.......

A chilled weekend, before further exploration of the IoM.

Water Pump Fixed.......

The water pump has now been repaired and I have refitted it and run the engine up - all is looking good.  I hope to set sail again around 1300hr tomorrow, once the lock gates are open, and head to the Isle of Man.

Just a reminder, if you haven't done so yet and you would like to support me in the three challenges that I have taken on you, can go to my fundraising page by clicking the link below:

Fundraising for EACH

I am getting close to the first £1000 -  thank you for your support.

Still here in Liverpool......

Liverpool Marina

By now I should have been exploring the Isle of Man, but a leak behind the impeller housing (sea-water pump) on Brown Eye's engine has delayed my departure.

Click here to donate to EACH

Albert Dock

This delay also means I have missed the favourable tide.  The lock gate here at Liverpool Marina only opens between 6-2200hrs, two hours either side of high-water, so at the moment that is only once a day in the afternoon.  It is at least a 10 hour sail to the Isle of Man, which on the current tide would mean either a night arrival or an overnight passage: these are both things I am trying to avoid whilst singlehanded.

The City Skyline

Whilst the pump is still being repaired I do not have to make that decision.

Waterskiing course in the shadow of the Cathedral

In the meantime I have been keeping myself busy with other tasks aboard Brown Eyes, servicing the life-jackets, keeping my running milage up and taking my camera for walks.

I'll let you know when I can set off again.......

Back to Liverpool and back to the Sailing......

My 9 days away from Brown Eyes has shot by quicker than I could have imagined.  As well as the socialising and going to see Robbie at Wembly, I have been providing a running analysis service at The Fitness Unit in order to help raise more funds for EACH and that has proved to be very successful - something I will be doing again later in the year.  Whilst on the subject of fitness, if anyone buys the Outdoor Fitness magazine you will find my mugshot in this months edition, under the ‘Faces of Exhaustion‘ heading; more fame!  

The last couple of days has been spent up in Yorkshire and completing the Yorkshire 3 Peaks challenge in 7 hours - good training for my next 2 challenges (photos on FB).

So getting back to the sailing, the next leg of my circumnavigation will see us going across to the Isle of Man and then to Dublin, where I will take another short break to go and see Anita, and others, take part in the London Triathlon.

After that, Anita will join me on Brown Eyes and we will sail some of the Irish East and South coastline.  Then I will be pushing on north again and tackling the rugged coast of Scotland, somewhere I have never sailed before and having read up on the area it looks challenging.

In the meantime I have now replaced the broken auto-pilot belt (although it needs sea-testing) and will be carrying out a few other maintenance tasks aboard Brown Eyes today.  I also need to practice getting the spinnaker sail up single-handed, as this spell of good weather we are currently experiencing means the winds will be light and the larger surface area of the spinnaker will allow me to make better use of them.

Images and Thoughts from India

A preview of my latest photo book:

Images and Thoughts from India by - Steve Paul | Make Your Own Book