"MEALS ON KEEL'S"

Today's been all about food! Galley cat has lived up to itz name with the YOT  being used to produce a diverse variety of produce.Starting with a dawn fishing trip(successful), distillation of my next batch of bourbon, yoghurt making, salad harvesting, beef and chicken schnitzel crumbing, making of flavoured oil's and ending with a dusk crabbing run that resulted in a ten minute struggle to convince Mr Mudcrab that he really DID want to get into the big pot of boiling water. My 2 pair of tongs eventually winning a well fought joust.The idea of a floating food production facility is becoming a reality.Meals on Keels is the current direction  with the call for me to cook meals for other Yachty type people.Sort of like a floating takeaway cafe.This will only be practical if I can sort out the electrical / refrigeration issues that still continue to hamper my efforts to head out on the briney sea.I've spent this week installing WFT no1 (see Tuesday's upload) This sail is now home on its roller furler (wind up thing) at the front of the YOT. WFT no2 should be up by Tuesday this week giving me a full compliment of Sail power.Dad has sourced 2 more rolls of sail rope so I'll soon have these sails rigged for use. The 2 new winches will be ordered soon and installed on the side of the raised main cabin.I've made huge inroads into the electrical issue with the installation (wkoa) of three solar panels giving 12amps (when they're working). The fridges are drawing about 10 amps so these panels alone are not enuf to keep the batteries charged.I've purchased a multi stage battery charger in preparation to install the AGM (really good)batteries. Once the rear deck roof goes on the Solar panels will be boosted with 2 further 200w panels providing an extra 30 amps which should go along way to beating off the flat battery bug. Wind generators will also be added to further top up the battery's.If all that fails I can always start the generator. It is looking more and more likely that I'll have to build a custom refrigerator to fit the cockpit seating area as this style of fridge would reduce my energy useage from 10-12 amps/hour to just 4 amps.This is a major reduction in the amps I need to produce to run the YOT for any 24 hour period.

The Fishing trip this morning resulted in 2 perch,a nice grunter and a small bronze whaler shark more than enough to keep me in fish fillets this week and also enuf so I can make Thai Fish Cakes for Friday's lunch. This Friday saw me revert to an old faithful with stuffed baked spuds. Only with a Jamie Oliver inspired twist as I scrubbed the skin of the spuds I rubbed them with a mix of olive oil and rock salt before baking.Resulting in a crispy flavoursome crust.Tomorrow's Lunch will be another fully sourced meal with poached fish fillets served with a fresh  garden salad and home-made bread rolls. I can't wait!
Ken is back on Monday ,so all going well I should make a start on removing the Roof this week (fingers crossed).Lotz still 2 do but itz really gaining momentum now, as I'm all too aware that the stifling heat and humidity of the next WET season is rapidly approaching. The YOT has to be watertite and ready to sail before the next cyclone season restricts my ability to set sail for the Whitsunday Islands. Which is where I'm hoping to spend a large portion of the next WET.
Thatz all for this week,it's time to chow down on my jousting partner and his mate!
Enjoy Life every day cos your a long thyme dead!
Captain Felix

MAJOR STEP 4WARD!

WHITE FLAPPY THING NO1

 ITZ ONLY TAKEN THE LAST 4 MONTHS!!!
But I now have a WFT1 ! alias Jib,Genoa,Headsail,Staysail or any numba of uther teknical, politically correct YACHTING terms.
With this achievement I can now officially call Galley Cat a "YOT".
I seriously began 2 doubt that anything major would b achieved this week as the yard has gone into ovadrive. The tides are right so the bigger vessels are queueing up. Last week I uploaded a foto of the vessel freedom floating in mid-air as she was moved from hardstand to cradle. I thought this moment to b significant as this pretty serious AMATEUR FISHING boat was the largest boat I'd seen lifted by crane.Perhaps itz the Skipper in me but I find it odd 2 see a boat flying! As u can plainly see the repairs are now complete and FREEDOM is now free. However my respect 4 the power of CRANEOLOGY has been seriously upgraded with the lifting (over the top of FREEDOM)of the vessel "KNOT AGAIN".
This Bullshit boat took a wrong turn leaving Picnic Bay, Magnetic Island and slammed into the reef at 22knots. WHOOPS!!!!
The Skipper knew the reef waz there but "I thought I could make it"

This is no small boat as u can plainly see by the way it dwarf's both BIG Rob and FREEDOM. The propellor shaft's were bent like Qld bananas not a bad effort as they are made of  2"solid stainless steel.
I think the propellorz  r a throw away but we'll see what the xpertz in Cairns have to say.
This week will be rather intents(scout joke) with Kenny away, Rob on the injured list and several large boats/yachts needing dive work and the usual yard work still needing 2 b done. The trick is too not lose sight of the goal and with  WFT no1 finally being fitted all I need do is sort out this damn electrical issue and I'll b on my way to my ocean journey beginning.

Just an interim update as the weather in Perth means that no-one will be fishing this week Sorry! Hanni.
Captain Felix