North west England
We set sail from Liverpool mid-day because of the tides and the lock. We used the ebb tide (water moving down channel and out to sea), to help us along, and headed out the Mersey dodging the many large vessels sharing the channel.
We then headed northwards along the coast, noting the tower and large amusement park of Blackpool. The way was a little bumpy, but we persevered and made it with about 2cm clearance to the sands, across the bar at the entrance to Fleetwood. A night in a nice little harbour, on an swinging buoy, and then an early exit to allow a little more water (and a calmer skipper), in the exit further north.
Fleetwood harbour from our swinging mooring
We enjoyed the views of wind farms, gas platforms, and dolphins, seals, and countless waterbirds of all sorts.Rounding the prominent St. Bees Head, we made our way with a following sea and light winds.
candlestick ventilation stack, and pit head, for the Wellington pit coal mine beside Whitehaven harbour
observation tower at the old quay harbour entrance in Whitehaven
Whitehaven outer harbour
keeping watch for further American invasion!
Then, into Whitehaven, which is a very old harbour and once one of Britain’s largest. Coal, mined at the harbour mouth, and easy access to the rest of the Cumbrian minerals, made this a very important (and wealthy) area in its day. The site of the only invasion of Britain for hunderds of years, the American, John Paul Jones made an ill-fated attempt to disrupt the port. Quite famous here, but not an effective invasion, even in its day! Today, revitalized, the harbour has a large marina, and lots of commercial boats servicing the wind farms and the gas wells. There is also a fishing fleet, so lots of boat movements.
