Well 2 weeks have flown by since my last update! The delay was no fault of mine the FFFFN! computer crashed "AGAIN" It came home today but it's still got Lotz of issues. I ventured up the mast to connect the new Furler and install the necessary navigation lights for Galley Cat's first trip.Huge problems arose the week before Ash and Carl visited from the West,and truth be told I was still bolting bitz into place the day they got here.Well Carl arrived,Ash's flight details got screwed up so he arrived a day later.If you fly Qantas be sure to insure your luggage as they managed to smash Ash's fishing rods.
Carl,Carlo and Myself used the day we waited to visit the Bohle River. What a trip Carlo threw the boat around some amazing curves and banks that had all the hallmarks of New Zealand's Jetboat. He really knows the river well and was able to pull prawns from the first spot he tried. The water was unfortunately too cold for any Barramundi but that didn't stop us casting lures till our arms grew tired. Carl definitely has the gift when it comes to lure placement with an unbelievable accuracy! We did come across my first ever crocodile (Yes there really are croc's in Qld) Great shot Carlo!
Big Ash arrived the next morning (bringing some fantastic WA Scotch fillet steak) we set about preparing for our first trip in the YOT! Lots of last minute work and shopping saw us stranded on the beach with not enough water to launch the YOT.
Big stuff up! So we decided to grab the dinghy and head for magnetic island instead. Well the wind blew up and we beat a really uncomfortable retreat back to the Yot (fishless). Then we headed into the Ross creek for some throw netting for livebait. These livies yielded a few barracouta and other small fish. Lots of drinking and eating then ensued.
We managed to float the Yot that night and anchored in the middle of the river for an early start the next morning. Daybreak saw us up anchor (must get an electric anchor winch!) we headed out of the harbour aiming for West point a trip of 12 nm. Just outside the heads the wind again greeted us, so we changed plans and set the sails (well 1 sail) for the Strand area north of the harbour ,were we dropped anchor and had a hearty breakfast with all the trimmings (My first meal cooked at sea) Heading back to the harbour, travelling under sail only was a new experience. Ash caught a Wolfe herring in the harbour and we set about preparing for an early morning start on Carlo's charter boat,more food ,more alcohol and general mayhem followed. Carlo arrived just after dawn and we headed for Cape Clevland 10nm. Both Carl and Ash caught Barramundi ,but the real surprise was the mudcrabs, they attacked every livebait within seconds of them hitting the water. After returning to harbour with Carlo we shot straight back to Cape Clevland in the dinghy(with traps this time). In 2 hours we had over 30 mudcrabs onboard plus another barra, cod and bream.Heading back to the YOT we set about eating mudcrabs and getting drunk. Ash made a Singapore chilli mudcrab dish that hit the spot nicely. The boys headed back to Peth the following morning and I'm still finding mudcrab shell pieces around the back deck. This week has seen me take a break from YOT work with several big jobs needing my attention in the yard and alot of work needing to be done to the dinghy.Also dealing with the computer boffins and generally recovering from a rather intense 6 months. The YOT still has a long way to go in preparation for her trip across the top of Australia (a fact that showed up clearly during our first trip) but baby steps have been taken and I can now set about rectifying the setup issues and streamlining the operational problems we encountered. I feel my work has only just begun!
Enjoy your life as I enjoy mine!
Captain Felix
