 |
| B.B.Q PIZZA's |
Life aboard is in a state of utter chaos!
With the Yot undergoing her paint job at the moment,nearly everything is covered in a layer of sanding dust and the tools are crowding all the remaining space.
I'll introduce you all to Mick and Katie who both hail from Scotland, they've taken up residence aboard 2 help with the huge task of preparing the front of Galleycat for painting.
We've spent day after day filling and sanding all the nicks and scratches in the deck and cabin sidez.
 |
| coconut curry! |
The daily routine of humidity, stifling heat then evening thunder stormz has now begun in earnest so we are limited to just a few productive hours each day.
One really huge positive is the new refrigeration is amazing!The power consumption is less than half of the old engels and waeco's.
I can now keep both ice cream and frozen yogurt! with the freezer holding at negative 15 degree's easily during even the hottest dayz.
On top of the power reductionz associated with the fridges is the arrival of the new solar panels which more than double the collective power.
I've had a major computa failure with the laptop going on strike.
I'm not sure wot killd it!, between the dust, electrical stormz, xrteme heat and humidity and downpourz it went on the fritz.
But I've now managed 2 coax it bak to life with sum basic electrical detective work.
Just 4 how long who knowz?
The Yot is as bare as itz been for a long thyme!, with no hand railz, front trampoline grating, Wft no1 or anchoring systems. The ropes and pulleys that make the boat work are all removed and stored inside, adding to the chaos.The gardens and homebrew have also been sent ashore for the duration (wkoa) of the painting.
To make life just a little more interesting I have a Xmas party to cater this week. the yard will hold itz annual bash on friday afternoon with 80 people a ruff xpektation (wkoa) of guests.
5 different roasts will be slow cooked then sliced then served with really nice gravy'z and sauces.I'm guessing every dish will have just a little "yot dust" seasoning.
The fishing and crabbing is nearly non existent with nightly rainstormz filling the creek with tonnes of leaves and grass clippingz.
Brother Andrew continues to catch amazing phish with a huge cod on lite gear this weex notable capture.
The hydraulic problem haz now been addressed with a local engineering firm manufacturing a whole new center piston out of high grade stainless instead of the chrome plated steel that Ultraflex supplied.
This should fix the problem once and 4 all.The sewing machine haz been put to good use also, with the blindz Mum and I sewed in August now fitted and working brilliantly.
I can sleep out side in even the most severe nite thyme stormz.
The party nite haz arrived with this years menu proving 2B far easier 4 me to prepare with nearly all dishes complete and just needing heating or final plate up.
I've spent the last couple of evenings getting the prep work done in the hope that this year I can relax and enjoy myself rather than spend the entire nite in the galley.--------------------------------------------
What a saxcess!
85 people fed with top notch food and drinx while most left early a few of us partyed until 3 in the morn.
With the usual recovery period.
Itz now thyme to get bak 2 the task of painting the Yot!
My 2 Scottish friends have now left to head down to the Woodford Music Festival, however Javier from Spain haz arrived 2 take their place.
With the yard now firmly in Xmas shutdown mode, I need to push to get everything ready to paint b4 the end of this week.We have continued 2 fill and sand each day in the hope that when we do get the first coat of primer on the next sanding layer will be easy!
The hydraulic ram haz now been rebuilt and installed so once the paint iz on the front Galleycat can return to sea!
As usual
at this thyme of the year the focus turnz 2 food with some extra amazing dishes being produced.
This slow cooked (14 hourz) garlic and rosemary rump was just one of the party meats! While one of our trawler mates haz left me stunned he bought a few boxes of prawns around for the party and workers.
Well 1 box has me checking for a new species "prawns are not normally 14" long and nearly 2" around.
This haz resulted in just a little cre8ive menu planning with these prawn / crayfish needing something special.
The final decision was to try a lite prawn and chive morney! The result truly "amazing" !
I've also been given a 4kg piece of Wagu beef that'll be saved for the Boxing Day Barbie.
Update!
The Yotz up on the slip!
Itz thyme 2 paint!
There'z a hole in the bottom of the rudder mount after our reef strike on the return from Airlie beach.
The world's all good and itz Xmas.
Captain Felix "out"!
 |
| PRAWN MORNEY |
Ahoy Cptn Felix. I'm glad to here the fridges are meeting all expectations. Should really provide a boost to the operation of the YOT with reduced power consumption allowing for more tunes and therefore more late night drinking sessions with lights so you can see where you're pouring the Jacks. I will have to give you some pizza making lessons next time I make it aboard. Seven years working in various pizza shops has given me a few skills that look sorely needed. I can't wait for the finished product of all this sanding and filling is published to the blog. Would be great to go back and create a blog with the 3 or 4 major stages of evolution from the first pic of a much neglected boat to the final shiny GalleyCat. I'm hoping to get my fridges into action early in the new year with a camping trip hopefully early January. Keep the progress steady and the glass full. Cheers for now. Brother Mark
ReplyDeleteGreetings, CF.
ReplyDeleteI'd be checking for drugs rather than a new species of prawn- it definitely looks like they've been on steroids !!!! Glad the Christmas bash went well, but as your father said, "With Stewart doing the cooking, would you expect anything else"!!! We had a very pleasant Christmas last week, with nearly all the available family here for a bang-up dinner, Mark and Narelle between them provided the funny moment of the day. Mark sat at the kitchen end of the table and found he was getting e face full of afternoon sun - so he got a cardboard box (we have no shortage of those) and put it on the window ledge to block the sun, with the comment that we didn't need to buy curtains, just move the box!!!! Narelle then added her twist by moving a small vase of artificial flowers from the top of Nana's crystal cabinet into the box - we now have a "flower box"!!!
I'm having a bit of a wind-down week, after end of school activities and Christmas here, before Mark and Maddi move in next week. It will be good to have the extra pair of hands around the place, but I do also like having my own space, too. Hopefully they will settle in quickly and be as comfortable as possible under the circumstances.
I sent the photos to Club Marine yesterday and indicated we'd like to meet with them once the yacht is done, to go over the policy to ensure everything is fully covered. It would probably be best for you to do that with the chap in Q, as you are so much more familiar with all the details of the boat than we are. Anyway, that's for the future - for now, lots of sanding, painting, showering, swearing and cursing and Felixers to ease the pains.
Hope you all have a great Christmas - give my love to Kenny and Richard, and don't eat too many steroidal prawns at once.
Love always
Mum
A very quick message to wish you and all the Slipway mob a very merry Christmas - not too many Felixers before the sun is over the yardarm though
ReplyDeleteLove
Mum
Ahoy Cptn Felix. Hope the dust has settled and the Cat is looking splendid in a new fur coat. Emily says "Hi" as she is over in Perth for a couple of weeks. I think those prawns were handed over as proof that our Mud crab isn't the only prehistoric crustacean out there. Must be just about time for a full blog update with pretty before and after pictures. Need a sequence of fotos showing the YOT in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and then how she looks all blinged up for 2015. Hoping I get a chance to meet you on the oceans somewhere in 2015 for some more RnR before my head explodes. Anyway Just saying Hi, getting in early on the Happy New Year and late on the Merry Christmas. Cheers for now. Brother Mark
ReplyDelete