GALLEY CAT

GALLEY CAT
LIFE BEGINS !

Saturday 8 August 2015

I'VE REACHED A NEW LOW POINT !!!


G'day All,
                 When I speak of a Low Point in truth itz more like an "isle"!
 We are parked out on The Gr8 Barrier at a little place called Batt Reef.
We left Low Isles this morning with a forecast of more perfection.11 nm from the outside of the Low Isle Marine sanctuary is a massive coral system known as Batt Reef, with lotz of help from Google Earth I found a small coral outcrop right in the centre of the main channel.
Galleycat is now parked in 6 meters of tropical 27 degree water! We have massive coral and sand beds out to the front and either side then a gradual drop behind us down to 25 metres.
Here'z hoping the Google Godz have yielded yet another piece of paradise.
The crew are all journal riteing (with the exception of Honey and Jake) so I've taken this opportunity 2 update the Blog.
Port Douglas is far behind but still close enuf for a return visit.
I allowed an xtra day in Port Douglas for Honey 2 get acclimatized to her new life aboard B4 heading out to Low Isles and catching up with Conner, Mabi "maybe" and Lisa (Germany) aboard Dolphin Queen.
We spent a fantastic day here catching up and preparing a culinary feed of fresh lemon pepper crumbed fish and chips and a chocolate cheesecake not 2B outdone by Lisa's 15 ingredient salad
B4 leaving Port Douglas we spent a day and evening fishing our mooring spot with this monster flathead being the stand out catch.
A feed of mudcrabs were turned into Singapore chilli crab as our final meal..
Our short lived convoy haz already split with Dolfin Queen heading North towards Lizzard Island, while I've headed due East to the outer edges of The Gr8 Barrier to give Honey a couple of dayz to really get used to the idea of no tree's.
Luckily we have large grass area's for her to water.
While Honey is my new best friend there is still no bond between us.
Only thyme will tell if my demon has complete control over my emotions or will a new dog spark some kind of "feeling" again.
The weather godz have shut down Hanni's trip North with 20-25 knots scheduled for Thursday.
So we'll head into Port Douglas on Wednesday, resupply then head North in pursuit of Dolphin Queen.
They are parked up at Lizzard Island and the magical Ribbon Reef system.
By all reports this is where the "tourist reef" finishes and the "reel" reef begins.
But I find it hard 2 believe it can possibly get better!
We had absolute crystal today!,
 so much so, that if not for the surface glare you'd have no idea there was water under us at all.
We were part of the biggest aquarium on this side of the island.
I spent nearly an hour just sitting on the bottom watching a garden with 20+ clown fish and hundreds of neons.
I had to leave this piece of heaven when 2 meter long sucker fish (wramorah) spelchek! kept sticking their heads into the cat food can I was feeding the fishes with, creating mayhem on the bottom.
We used the day to run the still and rebuild the shattered bourbon stox aboard.
The drumz are full again but only 5 litres is ready 2 drink, so itz rationz for the next few weex. Tuff but do-able???
I need to access a welder to weld the rebuilt rudder piece, while it fitz perfectly I need to lock it in2 place with a couple of spot weldz.
This removes the little slop in the bolt that only becomes apparent when we get a wind against tide situation (wkoa).
The fotoz from this trip are a pure guess work situ with the new Nikon camera crapping itself within 3 weex of purchase.
The screen is a mess of colors with no visible picture, I have resigned myself to the fact that the only way I'm going to get a decent working camera aboard is 2 buy a second hand one.
Still itz not that hard 2 get gr8 fotoz when the scenery is such.
There'z waz only 1 way the scenery could improve!
The sun could go down and another coral garden appear, this thyme above us, in the form of billionz and billionz of starz.
The Milky Way iz clearly visible 2nite with a cloudless and windless ocean providing absolute perfect viewing conditions. " Pink Floyd Thyme"
This will upset you Mexicans who R freezing in the lower half of Australia, but chocolate iz melting when itz out on the bench at 10.30 pm. Itz 24 degrees.
Thatz as close 2 freezing as I intend 2 stay 4 the foreseeable future.
Update:
The "CHAOS" thatz was Cairns haz given way to a huge desire to escape that environment and make bigger in-roads into the journey North.
The culinary side of the journey iz also taking a bigger part, with the garden really yielding itz weight in green "gold".
The spearmint and lemon grass have recovered to match the other 4 beds giving more than enuf salad ingredientz or the kick of fresh cut herbz to every meal.
On the gold front
 "Good Hunting Ken"
 He's off 2 seek his fortuna's
in the Wild Wild West!, well somewhere North of Kalgoorlie anyway
This weex culinary challenge is a Monster with a special day, planned for the 19th.and 20th (Ash Wednesday)
I'm constantly amazed at the "combined effect of land" on my state of mind! just when I think I've got a handle on the inner battle, I find myself in a crowded place surrounded by rulez!
This gives rise to my anger and frustr8ion levels and I simply cannot wait to leave again.
So leave this place I will with the wind blowing us North, once again itz thyme 2 go.
Captain Felix
Green "gold"

3 comments:

  1. Greetings, CF.
    With the joys of dentistry now behind me, I have a few spare moments to catch up. Honey looks like a lovely, well-named addition to your regular crew, and I like to idea of a mesh around the lower levels of the deck - will not only keep her safe but also stop lots of miscellaneous stuff sliding overboard. I hope she proves a more chatty sailing companion than Jake, even if a little more messy !!!!
    We sent a copy of the receipt for your licence renewal via your phone - will send the hard copy when it arrives, but the other should suffice in the meantime, if you need it for ID.
    We had dinner at Mark's place on Saturday night for his birthday. Things are moving along quickly there now, with only the tiling to do to make the place fully habitable. Hopefully, we'll get the tiling done this weekend so the bathroom, laundry and toilet can be put together.
    We've had a run of pretty awful weather lately, with very cold nights and quite cold days to follow, so I'm rather envious of your 27 degree temperatures. Oh well, I suppose in 6 months time we'll be complaining because it's so hot !!!!!
    Not really much to report from this end - dropping you a line, just for the halibut !!
    Have a package of Corelle crockery here for you. Will I send it to Port Douglas, or can you survive with what you have until you get to Groote. My only concern with the former idea is that you may have set sail before it arrives,(I don't know what the mail system is like into Port Douglas) so I'm thinking the Groote option may be the better of the two. I got Mum's stuff out, and a new set which is basically white with a fine black line pattern on it- I think you'll like it - as your birthday present.
    Will catch up again soon.
    Fair winds and following seas.
    Love, mum.

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  2. Ahoy Cptn Felix
    Looks like the camera solution can only be solved with the addition of a Go-Pro or 2. these are designed to handle the kind of conditions you will encounter.
    A little birdy told me you have a birthday coming up so if you think this might be a solution let me know and i will see if we can source new or second hand ones within the budget. Cheers brother Mark

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  3. Hi mate it's ash my phone crapped itself when the wave came over the cab give me a ring when you can

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