THE BIG PUSH !!!!

G'day All, When I said last week that
"Galleycat waz a veree busy place" I had just no idea how undestimated that statemint (weird flavor) would turn out 2B.
This week saw efforts and the workload triple and then some!
Before that a few items from last week that need closing, the stainless angle bending trick is now as you can see by the first and second fotoz, complete. I could tell you how it waz done but I'm sworn to secrecy! but suffice to say that the engineer's rule book- went out the window!
Also mentioned last entry was the fact that my original goal has not only been met but actually surpassed.
While this is true, a major factor in my original goal was to "SLOW THE PACE OF MY EXISTENCE !"
This is a lesson I have obviously NOT learnt! as this weekz blog will be the truest testimint (nutha weird flavor) to this fact.
WHAT AN AMAZING WEEK!
Saturday the Yot failed to float, missing out by just 5 cm of tide, however 4 am Monday morning the tides were right, the cradle was still waiting from Saturday and with little effort Noah and Myself nudged Galleycat into the cradle.
2 names that'll be extremely prevalent during this blog are KEN and NOAH, these two hero's stepped up as volunteer's/ consultants/ experts for the MASSIVE task we had in front of us. Richard was also a major factor as he provide not only his business but all the materials and services as well.
A HUMUNGUS THANX must go out to all that lent a shoulder to the wheel. Several others helped as well with "advice and wisdomz". Some welcome, some not so.
The effort was not unrewarded as I kept everyone fed in true Galleycat Style, with a special pasta feed on Monday and a massive buffet lunch for Tuesday's offering. Friday also was a special effort with everyone demolishing all laid on the table. A leg of ham was consumed during the week in a effort to keep energy levels and spirits up.
Thursday nite I spent a few hours keeping my "spiritz" up and put the outside kitchen and stereo through their paces as I turned the remaining ham on the bone into ham,cheese and chive croquette's. This involved making a dry garlic mash potato and chive mix to which I added the diced ham and cheese  before shaping and then double crumbing them. Shallow fried then baked these tasty offerings were served with a tomato, onion and balsamic salad plus american style coleslaw and a five bean and corn kernel salad.
Nothing left but dishes to wash!
But I digress, the efffort to bring Galleycat back
 into operation before the trip to Cairns took its expected "protein pill" this week with the haulout and repairs completed in under 2 days rather than the allotted 4 day thyme frame.
The major reason 4 the out of water journey was of course to repair the damaged port rudder.
But in true yard fashion and polar opposite to my life goals, we simply compressed the entire job list into just 2 short work days.
Ken waterblasted the bottom while Noah and myself set up for a day of sanding and grinding the hulls.
SO much HULL!, itz not until Galleycat is out of the water that I appreciate the sheer scale of the effort involved. In comparison to many of the vessels that arrive on the slips, the YOT is a monster! Huge and even dare I say BIG!

A special mention must go out to Brad who walked me through refrigeration (wkoa) repairs  by phone that allowed me to repair both Engel freezers that were suffering with the heat. I've got ice and ice-cream again. THANX HEEPZ.
After a full day of sanding then fibreglassing the hulls and repaired rudder were given a Birthday with a full coat of 2 pack epoxy supa primer then 2 more coats of Jotun anti-foul. This treatment is the ultimate that Galleycat could get and should see the underwater areas through the upcoming trips Northwards.
As Ken left on Monday night I was busy with the task of drilling some 90 plus holes through the newly curved stainless rails in readiness for the big mast re-fit the following morning.
Job nearly completed, Ken finished the rails in the morning, after my angle grinder decided to expire during the final shaping and deburring.
 A massive effort very early on Tuesday morn saw the mast lifted out of the shed and placed in the driveway so the rigging could be fitted. Before Vaughan (the crane man) arrived to pluck my mast off the dirt and back aboard the Yot. Once again Ken, Noah and Richard were first to lend a hand. Unlike many others.
We soon had the mast safely back aboard and secured to the front, rear and new side rails. By late Tuesday afternoon we all had zero energy left as the job was declared "DONE". Many drinks followed!
IT was after these drinks when I climbed the ladder onto the Yot that I realized just how much there was still to do!
So I turned on the rear deck lights and headlamp and began to look for the Yot under the mess.
Initial task, secure the mast properly so it would stay in place as Galleycat was lowered back into the water on Wednesday morning. Making way for a 60 ft trawler.
 I pinned all the fixings with the proper lugs and split pins, tensioned the rigging to get the mast locked down and laying properly straight. Before sorting the massive tangle of ropes that hung from the mast like "Louisiana swamp vines."
The mast, what can I say but "WOW" itz hard to believe itz the same mast. The steps have been put to use several thymes already, as I had to disconnect the crane and sort wiring and bring lights and electronics on line.
While Ken and Noah moved there efforts onto the Pioneer Star trawler on the big cradle I spent Wednesday rewiring and securing the necessary links between the brain of the Yot and the mast. By around 6 that evening I had the radar connected and working along with the Vhf radio and some of the lighting began to come to life.
By 1 am all lights except 1 were working and doing a brilliant (pardon the pun) job. Just the pesky Tri-light gave me grief and however I thort a trip up the mast at 1 am after several bourbons not such a good idea, so I retired to the rear deck to try and get some much needed shut eye.
Thursday saw all hands needed on the trawler and Riana a 40 ft concrete yacht. So very little was achieved on Galleycat other than a major clean up before a big cookup on Thursday evening to make Friday's croquettes.

With the massive tides we have at the moment everything goes under water in the yard making things very messy with the flotsam that the tides bring. In true Govt fashion  the EPA (tie wearing clipboard holding type) people will visit next week so we have a major clean up job on our hands.
I've used Friday as a boom and winch day refitting the mast with the necessary equipment to allow the Yot to once again able to sail.
 My list of tasks from the Whitsunday trip is nearly half complete, but has been revised into "wants Vs needs list" with a cull of the items that make life more pleasurable in favour of the items that make the Yot sail, float or work better. However with the massive acheivemints (an even stranger flavor) of the past week the goal is well and truly on track.
There's been much fone activity as well this week with lotz of calls regarding me returning to Perth for a weeks fishing and catching up with everyone, also calls to head to Brisbane on the yacht Weathersfield as well, both of these trips coincide with each other and also clash with the desire to get Galleycat ready to head to Cairns.
 But with the fishing reports flowing in from Brother Andrew, Carl, Big Ash and also Mr Mick and Hanni as well, the drive to get my jobs finished and head back to Perth for a few days of R+R is looking more promising than ever. So itz thyme to put the hammer down (against life goals again) and get the necessary tasks done so I can pull a rabbit out of the hat and head West to catch up with Family and Friends and Freinds too.
So after spending just over an hour of productive thyme filling out the blog this morning I'm getting back to it and will sign off here.
Thatz it from Galleycat for this week,
Live Life everyday!
Captain Felix