THYME'S FLYIN' BY! WHITSUNDAY STYLE....

"MERRY CHRISTMAS! "

XMAS DINNER

G'day all,
Today marks 2 weeks since we left Townsville on this little adventure.
Christmas cheer has come and gone, now everyone waits for the party that is "new years eve".
When I last updated we were back in Airlie Beach. Ready to pick up a couple of visitors and head out again, however there was the small matter of Christmas in the way.
So with MUCH Christmas "spirits" We all enjoyed the festive season as best we could.
(see opening photo)

FLO AND EMMA

BEACH CAPERS AT WHITEHAVEN

STUNNING PLACE

A merry thyme was had by all and as usual the food was terrible!
We bid farewell to our German friends after a short trip to Armit Island for a dive. Where I found my first painted crayfish!
Back to Airlie same day to pick up our new guests from France. Florene and Emma. These 2 bubbly people were  polar opposite to our last visitors. Really fun 2B with and all round good company.
I'm rapidly learning that most of "travelling" isn't the places you visit, but the peoples you meet while your there.

SUNSET APPROACHES

After we resupplied and re-fueled it was thyme to depart once again, with good winds we set off for Cid Harbour.
Cajun BBQ'd chicken with  greek and bean salads for lunch washed down with tropical fruit punch while we sailed towards Cid's place, only 2 find it full of "others" So after reconsulting the map we changed our destination to a little place, big enuf 4 one or 2 yachts only.
May's Bay is just outside Cid Harbour and a far more betterer place to set anchor for the evening while we got to know our new visitors. However we found the coral a little earlier than we hoped and put a sizeable hole in the left (port) rudder. (easy fix when we return to Townsville). After a fantastic dive it was thyme for dinner and drinks while we got chatting.
I got the Yot underway around 5am while everyone slept. Taking full advantage of the big tides I "roared" past Hamilton Island at a whole 7 knots. Round the bottom of Whitsunday island before heading to Chalkies beach for a sensational dive (best visibility of the whole trip) Fed countless reef fish with our bread crusts . Lotz of laughs and giggles from our French connection. Back to Whitehaven after a full cooked breakfast.
We felt Whitehaven / Hill inlet deserved a second visit while we were here.

CLOUDZ ARE FORMING

  After a close call with the tide dropping we set sail once again for Marcona inlet on Hook Island. B.B.Q'd mushroom pizza's for lunch with sausages and fresh potato salad while underway through Whitsunday passage.
We reached our destination around 4.30 pm and while the others went for a last minute dive I set about making a traditional bolognaise sauce for dinner.
Showers and drinks all round before we settled down for a gr8 spagetti served with grilled cheesy garlic bread followed closely by lemon cheesecake for dessert. Itz amazing how many people can't eat all there main meal but still find room when dessert arrives.
Lydern kept everyone amused with his attempts at squiding.
After a lazy start on Saturday morning we set sails and headed back 2wards Airlie as our guests needed to head to Byron bay for a music fest.
Our return to Airlie, marks the end of our Whitsunday adventure, sort of !!!
With a big blow expected for the next 3 days we are changing our planz and delaying our leave date until this wind slows.
So we've put out a few flyers at the backpackers to see if anyone wants a lift to Townsville, while we wait out this blow. Who knows we may brave the conditions and head up to the top of Hook Island for a few more dives in the sheltered waters of either Manta Ray bay or Butterfly bay.
With Christmas happening there waz lotz of calls/ emails and texts across the country and the world and itz at this thyme of the year I realise just how far away I really am.
The list of people that made contact is to big to individualize but thanx to all that did and Bah Humbug to those that didn't.
That's it for this week as itz now 2.30 pm and definitely thyme for a nap.
Cheers from Galleycat and crew and we meet again next year!
Captain Felix
 

WHITSUNDAY MAGIC

G'day All,
 Itz very hard to follow the last entry of just a few days ago however when your in "paradise" itz really not that difficult....
This is an interim entry to try and kleer the amazing backlog of photo's and experiences of the past 5 days.
Since arriving in The Whitsundays early this week every day/ evening / night has been an incredible journey. And the quantity of photo's and video images that are recorded have me struggling to remember them all if I don't keep updating the Blog.

Over Whitehaven Beach

I left you last entry as we left Langford Island under sail at night heading for Nara inlet.
Awoke the next morning inside the huge valley that is Nara, Turtles around the Yot and trees as far as the eye can see.
After a tour of the inlet in the dinghy, housework beckoned.
So with a few jobs to do we moved the Yot out of the inlet to our first dive location about 200m outside the entrance.
We never did go diving!
Instead a lazy day of fishing and chores around the boat.
Then back into Nara for some mast repairs and Autopilot work.
Scotch fillet for dinner then sleep.

Early next day we set off for Airlie beach (glass calm). Upon arrival we met Eike and Mona our guests aboard for the next few nights both hail from Germany.
Resupplied with food fuel and Ice we set off again towards Whitsunday Island and Whitehaven Beach. However the breeze had other ideas, so we headed for our dive spot from the day B4. Arriving around dusk for a quite evening getting to know each other.
Grilled Spanish mackerel and salad for dinner.
Eike caught his first squid.

Eike and Mona

The wind blew 20 knots all night but we were safely tucked in our little bay. Raven's cove.
An early morning dive proved how wrong we were not to indulge the day before.
"WOW What a dive!"
Feeding giant fish at the back of the Yot then diving amongst forests of coral inter spaced with coral trout.
After a fruit breakfast it was thyme 2 head once again towards Whitehaven.
We made it as far as Tongue point and the lookout over Whitehaven and Hill inlet.
I took the kayack to the beach for some solace time, and photo opp's.
We planned to head up to the lookout for sundown.
SPECTACULAR!
What a sight!, it was instantly obvious where we'd park the Yot the following day.
A quite sundown with everybody enjoying their own thoughts as we watched the sun set and colours change across our goal of Whitehaven Beach.
Once again hundreds of foto'z to sort upon return to Gallleycat.
Dinner was a fresh basil and cashew pesto pasta, followed by strawberries and yoghurt before everyone retired to the foredeck area to sleep.
Until 1 am when it absolutely bucketed down!

Parked at Whitehaven

After a quick move we all bunked down again until around 4.30 am when I awoke to move the Yot to the beach for dawn.
The weather had deteriorated and it was decided to park the Yot on the beach from inside Hill Inlet and enjoy the beach while safely high and dry for 24 hours while the weather cleared.
Another amazing day....
The BUBBLE SAND is definitely the most amazing feature of the piece of paradise.
While the beach itself is special itz this sand thatz truly amazing. As you put your feet down while swimming the sand releases thousands of tiny air bubbles around you.

Double parked on Whitehaven

 The worlds largest champagne pool!
Swimming here while it was absolutely pouring with rain was another of those really special experiences.
After a full cooked breakfast of poached eggs on muffins with ham and melted cheese, we all went our separate ways again except for Mona who slept the entire day.
I swum, photo'd and did a few Yot maintenance jobs also made anzac biscuits and an exploding pavlova.
With the tide out til 6pm the best anchor is no anchor at all.
After a busy day a real cruisey evening of music and a fresh laksa with what was left of my special exploding pavlova covered in whipped cream, mango, banana and kiwifruit for dessert. (the rest was stuck to the walls of the oven)

BUBBLE SAND?????

TRANQUILITY

The images recorded this day will be uploaded as they become available along with the first of the diving video footage once we work the editing program out.
An early morning swim while we waited for the Yot to float.
Stingrays and shovelnosed sharks everywhere!
With the weather still against us we set off for Airlie again via Hamilton Island and lots of other places I'd only ever heard of in glossy brochures.
Arrival in Airlie for Christmas eve shopping and a hearty informal B.B.Q  dinner and more than a few drinks.
Will the weather clear enough for us to head out tomorrow?
Who knows-Who cares!

Pavlova or Bombe'?

When your fall back location is Airlie beach itz not that big a problem. I can't help but think how gr8 it would be to be sharing this experience with Amanda or Tony or perhaps a few mates out of my past life. But that's an experience I'll wait for.
Until Xmas day that's it from Galleycat
This year will definitely finish on a high, if the last week is anything to go by....
The journey continues

WHITSUNDAY'S AT LAST!!! HEAVEN FOUND.....

MY NEW LIFE HAS BEGUN!!!

WHITSUNDAYS FOUND

G'DAY  ALL!,
I've died and gone to heaven!
Not literally but close enuf of a descriptor.
The trip down here was in a simple word MAGIC!
Gr8 weather, Gr8 Fishing, Gr8 Sailing, Gr8 fun, awesome company and an experience I'll never forget.
We arrived at the reef first night around 1 am, it was thyme 4 sum shut eye before dawn arrived and allowed us to approach Darley Reef in relative safety.

WHITSUNDAYS THROUGH VEGETABLES

The Yot has performed beautifully, using just 35 litres of fuel to get from Townsville to the Darley reef group. Amazing! The new WFT no1 has made a massive difference to the sailing performance of Galleycat.
After a short move onto the reef proper both Lydern and Myself put on the dive gear and leapt ovaboard.
WOW!
Coral everywhere and right under the Yot a pack of squid, So being the fisherman I am I was out again, quick smart, while Lydern prepared the Contour underwater video for the hunt. Amazing footage of the squid playing with then attacking the lure.

SUNRISE TODAY

Squid for lunch, yummy! With a side order of Spanish Mackerel served 3 ways Creole, lemon oil and meniere'.
Thyme for a bourbon! And a relaxing afternoon.
We set up for night squiding and fishing but the wind picked up making it a little uncomfortable.
So with a 15 knot wind behind us and another 60nm to go before we found our destination (wkoa) It was decided to use the wind and "Sail South" ,
Perfection! Fantastic night sail, around 4 knots progress with gr8 music and a very relaxed evening on the bow (front) of the Yot.
Stars, Sailz, Music and efflorescence in the water. Dinner around 1 am was a creamy mushroom pasta that went done very well.

LUNCH ?

About 2.30 am the wind dropped so we started just 1 motor and continued along only not as quietly as B4.
Horbourne Island light was spotted around 3am.
At dawn we were still 36 nm from Bait reef our chosen anchorage for this day, so after altering course back towards the reef we fired the second motor and were soon steaming towards the productive trolling grounds on the inside of The Great Barrier.
Lures out!
Lotz of bird activity!
STRIKE- DOUBLE STRIKE!
12 kg mackerel and around a 6 kg tuna.
Lyderns first big trolled fish was now aboard.

BUTTERFLY BAY

About 8.45 the reel on the port side screamed again this thyme however a magnificent sailfish was leaping out of the water behind the Yot.
Chaos and pandamonium, well panda something ensued. The fish was lost at the back of the boat but that didn't stop us enjoying the moment.
More fish, More strikes and truly amazing conditionz. The end tally for the day was 10 fish Not Bad We kept none, as the fish supply aboard is already at breaking point with the Monster Mack of Day 1.
After a Kevin Bloody Wilson medley that went for around 2 hours we sighted The Whitsundays in the distance. Fresh Sushimi for a snack as we arrived at Bait Reef.

ALWAYS THYME 2 RELAX

This is a very special place which was evident
  even B4 we moored up as fish of every type converged on the Yot hoping for a feed.
Most amazing "The Giant Trevally" these black beauties would have many true fishermen in tears as we set about videoing while we hand fed them.
A few hump headed moari wrasse and even a big coral trout also came to play.
We spent more thyme underwater than aboard.
What a problem to have....

OUR NEW FRIEND

As the evening drew nearer a guy I met in Townsville arrived on his yacht "Mahiti" followed closely behind by the dive charter vessel "Kiana".
A truly spectacular sunset had us boarding the dinghy to try to capture a few sillouette shots of Galleycat.
We bedded down early and dawn arrived 2 soon. However with perfect conditions once again we set off for Hook Island at the top end of the Whitsunday Group.
Bacon and eggs for breakfast as we left Bait Reef behind and set motors (no wind) for a 3 hour trip across towards land and "civilization???"

UNDERNEATH US

Arrival in Butterfly bay around 11am saw us prepare a slow cooked lunch of baked spanish mackerel served with a filled baked potato.
While this was cooking we set off for the most sensational drift dive of my life!
Giant Clams, coral forests and fish everywhere. Unfortunately my video is having a dummy spit but Lydern's is still giving us some amazing footage.

GIANT TREVALLY EVERYWHERE

Back to Galleycat for a very special lunch B4 we set sail again but just  a small hop over to Hayman Island and a quick look at how the other half do it! Float planes and supa yachts.
We then moored Galleycat at Langford Island, while my Ma;ltese friend went chasing turtles with his camera I contacted a few in Perth to let them know we were safe.
This trip has just begun but has already provided more sensational memories than I'd ever hoped for. I'm sure more will follow as the biggest problem we are having is trying to download images onto the puter and deciding just where we will go tomorrow. Itz tough!

AMAZING CORALS

 Life is definitely improving and this week should see lotz of updates as I struggle to relay our journey to you all.
So that's it from GALLEYCAT in THE WHITSUNDAY ISLAND GROUP in TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND!
We made it!
 In a philosophical sense....

WHITSUNDAY'S (FINALLY) !!!!

ITZ THYME 2 GO!!

G'day All!
ITZ FINALLY HAPPENED....
Galleycat has left Townsville bound for
THE WHITSUNDAY'S,via
The Great Barrier Reef.
After the week that was, with Christmas parties and final preparations (wkoa).
 At 10.30 am today (Sunday) we (Lydern and Myself) pointed the nose of the Yot outside the harbour, put up the WFT's and began a trip that has been more than 2 years in the making.
First item on the agenda was the phone calls West to let those people know the Yot's trip safety details. Then I left my Maltese friend in charge of the boat while I jumped aboard the dinghy to get some foto'z of Galleycat under full sail....
This is very hard to actually do because most of the thyme your are driving the yot. However I have enuf confidence in my sailing partner that I was able to climb aboard the dinghy and circle Galleycat while she was under sail power.

Mum had asked for sail foto's last week but I thunk these will be a far better example of wat the Yot loox like now.

 It took a while to fit the  new "genoa" (teknical sail speak) for the new bigger WFT No1 but we managed to fit it to the front furler and with 3 times the area of sail it should push Galleycat along quite nicely.
The Christmas party was heaps of work with both Lydern and Patricia (see last entry) helping until 2 am on Friday morning and then again after 5am until around 11.30 pm.
Huge effortz by all to feed the mob!!
The party itself waz a gr8 success but unfortunately 4 me the night before took itz toll and I was done fore by around 8pm.

This didn't stop the otherz partying on until the very early hours of Saturday.
I've introduced Lydern to the joy of mudcrabs now he can't get enuf of them.
I sign off here as we are passing Cape Clevland and itz thyme to reset the course, sails and deploy the fishing lines in the hope of a mackerel or two this arvo...
Thatz all 4 now from a very contented
 Captain Felix

Bak again B4 the internet drops out with some gr8 newz!
First fish of the trip is a HORSE!!!
Topping the scales out at 28kg is a monster Spaniard that took our lure just outside Cape Clevland.
Then after a 25 minute  battle we finally got this beast on board for a few happy snaps then got them onto the blog
 NOW ITZ THYME 4 A BOURBON!
I'm sure more will follow once we download Lyderns' video and stills (stay tuned for more updates.

BLIND AMBITION!!

G'day All from a very tired Captain felix,
The Yot has just arrived bak in Townsville after a weekend trip out to Rattlesnake island.
B4 I update you on this weekend I'll show you how blind I got this week.

Once again the sewing machine has been put through itz paces. This week Spotlight had a 50% off sale on their outdoor patio blinds. This allowed me to pick up enuf blinds for the rear deck area for just under $200. A real bargain considering I priced them just last week from Bunnings at $375. They did however all need 2B modified to fit the Yot. So once again I did battle with my current tutor (the sewing machine) We are actually beginning 2 work well together, even if I have no idea just how it all works. By the end of the week I'd modified all the roller blindz so they fitted between the support poles for the roof. Now I just need to secure the drops to the floor when they're extended and that'll be anutha task complete.
The temperature difference with the blinds down is amazing as the morning sun no longer heats the rear deck and cabin area.
Mum asked for a photo of Galleycat with the sailz up so here it is!
However this will change in the next week as WFT no1 is about to be retired in favour of my new much bigger WFT no1 which will arrive this week and hopefully after a few small modifications (wkoa) will be fitted B4 I leave for the Whitsunday's. I've also been given a new Mainsail (the big one) this too needs mods B4 it'll fit, but the price was rite so in one week I've got new blinds and a complete set of sails.
Thatz a good week by any ones standards.
But it getz betta yet!

I placed an add last week looking for someone to share the trip south with me after the Christmas party. Well Lydern answered the ad, a young bloke from Malta. Really cool kind of guy very easy going. He also knew a German girl that would like to travel as well, enter Patricia. So after they introduced themselves on Thursday night we decided on a short trial trip over the Weekend to see if we can all get on with each other B4 commiting 2 a much longer trip.
So early Friday morning they showed up with their backpacks, just in thyme to help with the regular Friday lunch. This week it was ham steaks with fresh poached pineapple and asparagus with emmental cheese and a honey mustard glaze. with 18 people for lunch this turned into a full production line event as we cooked the ham steaks and made a fresh garden salad, potato salad and also a Greek salad. All of which was ready rite on thyme and hungrily demolished by all those present.
With many many compliments!
Once this was done we had just 2 short hours to get the dishes done and prepare Galleycat for sea on the high tide float at 3pm.
So it was chaos and mayhem but we were ready and cast off just after 3.20 with a vague idea of heading to Magnetic Island or Cape Clevland depending on the winds we encountered outside the harbour.
As it turned out there was a stiff easterly blowing which saw us alter course Northwards towards the very top end of Magnetic island  at West point.
A very plesent trip up with Lydern very keen to learn how the Yot works and what the WFT's did.
Arrival conicided with dusk so it was fishing lines out straight away with both Lydern and Patricia catching their first fish in Australia.
Some "unstoppable's" had us rigging up heavier gear very quickly. Plenty of Grunter around the 30 cm mark came aboard. We only kept one as I already had plenty of fish in the freezer from my reef trip last week. Around 1 am we retired for the evening after a feed of yellowfin tuna sashimi. Followed by a sensational Asian style chicken soup.
Early next morning it was up anchor and set the WFT's  for a nice sail across the gap to Herald and Rattlesnake Islands. While the trip was nice it was a little slow and we arrived around 11am in thyme for a well earned swim.
Lunch was fresh rolled sushi  with a few ciders and bourbons then more swimming, kayaking, snorkeling and floating around on the bean bag.
Not an unpleasant experience !
It was then thyme to retire to the rear deck and mix the spirits for the Christmas party. This done we began Dinner- fresh pan fried grunter fillets served with lemon, capers and butter plus minted baby potatoes, corn carrot and asparagus medley. All this was washed down with a few more bourbons for me and ciders for my out of town friends.
Night soon fell and once again it was thyme to fish and hopefully squid. alas neither were cooperating so when the going getz tuff, the tuff get cooking! Dessert was on the agenda with a hot butterscotch sauce mixed with fresh poached pineapple, bananas and apples served with home-made frozen yoghurt which we made last night while at West point.
Around midnight it was definitely thyme for bed.
 The trip home was another sail which was a gr8 success and we got bak to town around 11am.
The whole thing was a roaring success and once the Yot was safely secured and cleaned up we settled down to a fantastic creole grilled chicken and salad lunch before Lydern and Patricia bid a temporary farewell as they set off to the backpackers hostel just down the road.
 Only thyme will tell, but the general consensus was we all enjoyed the trip and we'll gather again around Friday's Christmas party to plan the big trip south.
For now though this little black duck needs some serious shut eye! So itz farewell from The Yot!
Hope you all had as good a week as I did.
Stay tuned for more ....
Captain Felix

UNPRECEDENTED ACCESS!!

G'day All,
               Galleycat is firmly beached in Townsville for this weekends racing.
It's the FINAL V8 FORD Vs HOLDEN RACE!
Whincup's got the championship with Lowndes second. Ford and Holden both won a race each and now an era of Australian Motor Sport is closed. Next season its Nissan and Mercedes along with our regulars.
Thanks for the Gr8 Thymes guys!
We'll wait until Clipsal  for the next install.

This weex title refers to my new access gate on the bow of Galleycat.
After just a few days of climbing over the bow rail I got pissed off with it and put the angle grinder through it. The end result is a far more practical method of boarding the Yot.
Once closed the railing is just as strong as it was originally, with locking pins used to hold the gate shut and secure the safety railing once again.
I'm now finally at the stage of making small yet practical changes that should improve "life aboard".
This morning saw the new power pak arrive for the laptop, nothing strange about that until you realize this means I can now shut down the 240 volt inverter that's drawing nearly 1 amp of power while it's on standby. the old system had the standard computer power pak plugged into the inverter. Thus taking 12v DC power turning it into 240v AC power then back into 18V DC power.
While the new "car charger" simply takes the 12v DC boat supply and up's it to 18v . Much more practical and a saving of 1 amp in the process.

I mentioned at the end of last weex Blog, Meteorites and pineapples, this was 2 remind me about the absolutely orsum light show both Ken and I observed while parked inside Cape Clevland on our way to the reef.
The sky lit up with a flouro orange then blue and finally yellow streak of light that turned night into day for around 20 seconds. And the pineapple wasn't bad either.
 Nature is truly amazing!
As the foto shows I'm getting close 2 being nearly as smart as a sewing machine! The rear bed/couch cover is now sewn into itz final size.
The mattress has also been hand sewn into a single piece with 3 layers of quilt and 2 layers of foam mattress overlay providing heapz of support while I'm slumbering out the back. Most comfy!
While watching the V8's I was also busy with a double distill batch of Felixxer!
This will provide spirits for the Yard's  Christmas Party and a few litres left over for my own Christmas spirits!  All in all it should be a very Merry Christmas!
I'm about to put an add on Gumtree for a Travel partner or 2 for my journey to the Whitsundays after the party next Friday. Hopefully I can get a backpacking couple or 2 guy's to help operate the Yot, but if not, I'll do the trip on my own.
After our reef trip I've realised that sleep deprivation (wkoa) can be a very dangerous factor to include in the planning, with 1 or 2 extras aboard, that should be able 2B negated.
I mentioned the small upgrades going on at the moment, the list from our reef trip only had 5 items on it that required attention but I've now done those and am preparing the Yot once again for sea.
On the fishing front
"IT'S TARPON THYME!"
These acrobatic fish have kept me very busy during the nightz with my biggest around 3.7kg "Huge"
While my freezer is still full of quality fish these have been a pure catch and release exercise, simply gr8 fun! I've had 2 manufacture a W.A prawn net that is just perfect for catching the tiny 2" long bait fish that the tarpon are feeding on, once these little live baits are cast behind the Yot they don't last very long at all. The mud crabs are still coming aboard along with the occasional blue swimmer crab that's a welcome reminder of my Perth based fishing heritage.
Brother Andrew has recovered enuf to finally get his Monster Cat "YOGI" on the water and straight away filled up on 5kg mangrove jacks. "Not Bad".
Fridgy Brad and Big Ash have also been in contact and my trip to Cairns is now locked in.
So things are moving in a positive direction and I'll be back on the water by the end of this week.
Its a busy week in the yard and my freezers are full so I'm looking for any excuse I can to point the Yot back out 2C. I'm sure I'll find some reason!
Keep on living!
Captain Felix