Tropical stormz and mayhem

G'day All,
                 Itz been far too long since my last update, many reasonz why, but basically life aboard has been a state of limbo with maintenance and repairs consuming all my waking hourz.
The generator is still broken with little or no support available from the agents Power Equipment Australia based in Victoria. Long story short the CBU computerized control unit is about 2B removed from the genset and an aftermarket Isuzu analogue control panel ready to be fitted to the troublesome generator.
Many hours and thousands of dollars have been thrown at the generator with zero improvementz to the unit. Itz now thyme to retro fit the new control panel and with any luck the troublesum genset will simply become just another diesel motor aboard.
Many of the onboard systems rely on 240 volt power with the refrigeration,washing machine and air conditioner all being offline until the repairz are complete.Daily temps of 35 degrees make life uncomfortable without the air con unit. The freezer uses huge amounts of solar generated power during the day with the wind generators and main motors being used after dark to make 12 volt power that feedz the inverter that runs the freezer.
The aircon unit is set to be replaced with a new unit ready to replace the existing LG unit, this cannot happen until the generator is functioning properly. The lack of 240 volt power is also slowing the repairz to the anchoring system which requires welding to repair the chain link and manufacture a few reef picks that are required for anchoring on reefy bottoms.
The tropical stormz that are now a daily event are causing their own issues with 100 km per hour windz and monsoonal rainz making life "interesting" ! So much so that the yot drags itz anchor during these stormz.
While life aboard has slowed to a snail pace this has not stopped the occasional fishing trip to woods inlet just 8 miles away with good fishing but crabbing iz hard work to get a feed.
I've been using this thyme to restore my Felixxer stocks with a base level of 45 litres needed to allow 5 weexs of mellowing of the final product. It doesn't help that I consume a litre per day of my homemade bourbon.Slowly but surely I'm refilling my drumz with 35 litres now in drumz allowing the mellowing period of 5 weeks.
Using the spring tidez that we have at the moment I have "parked" the yot on the beach just in front of the Darwin sailing club. Once the tide went out about a km I proceeded to clean the propellors, rudderz and shafts with paint scraperz and then hydrochloric acid. This should allow at least 3 weex B4 I have to clean them again. Once I put the yot ashore next thyme I'll have some metal primer and anti-fouling to paint the shaftz and props.
After several of these stormz and dragging anchors itz thyme 2 move the Yot around the corner to Dinah beach in one of the rivers.
This iz where we first arrived in Darwin with Chris and Tara. A floating boat ramp and parking means this area is much more dinghy friendly, the dinghy motor is overheating with a blocked water gallery in the power head.
Hopefully I can get it repaired soon as I need to row the tinny to the boat ramp.
The  Generator is finally ready to go with just a few dayz until everyone closes for Xmas maybe I'll have a working generator for the Xmas New Year break.
Itz easy to forget how good life is with so many broken things at the moment but to watch the afternoon stormz build while hanging in a hammock with a pint of bourbon can't be all bad.

FRIDGY BRAD COMES TO TOWN...

EVERY DAY LOOX LIKE THIS!

 G'day All,
                  Itz thyme to update you all on the effortz to get back to life aboard  with the yot being put through her paces on a trip to the Tiwi Islands 80 miles North of Darwin.
My good mate Brad haz arrived for an extended stay aboard. Bringing with him a pal for Jake dubbed Captain Ahab!
Darwin iz known for itz spectactular sunsets and I've taken heapz of shots they just seem better every day.
Brad iz taking a break from hiz troubles back in Perth so haz joined me for a mammoth trip North taking in the Tiwi's, Cogburg Peninsula and finally we made it to Port Essington where we were heading with Chris and Tara before the propellor and steering damage that sent us to the slipways for repairs.2 months ago.
Brad is a refrigeration mechanic so there's heaps of jobs needing hiz skills and knowledge.The list of machinery that needz work iz large but we've got a month to work through them. enough about work !!

It didn't take long for Brad to open his fish tally spending 2 nights trying to out smart some very clever Tarpon but finally success. these game fish are tough fighters once you get them to take a hook.
We filled the Yot with fuel, water and food loaded the dinghy and headed North  2 begin our adventure into the remote rivers of Melville Island. Chasing Mudcrabs, Barramundi and other pelagic species. No Barra unfortunately  but we did find a few mudcrabs for dinner on the first night at Camp Point on the South side of Melville Island. The rivers we are visiting are too far from Darwin for much fishing pressure but the fish still proved 2B elusive. Plenty of sharx made night fishing not so much fun.
The waterways we entered with the dinghy scream fish but we trolled and casted for many hours for very little reward. The outboard motor gave us heapz of trouble and a replacement iz needed urgently itz just 2 remote to not be able to rely on your outboard. I mean really remote we didn't see another boat the whole thyme we were there.
Thyme to spend 3 or 4 days chasing Barra and crabz B4 we set off for some blue water fishing chasing mackerel and hopefully a sailfish for Brad.
Our crabbing efforts yielded 1 trap with 5 big buck mudcrabs these become Brads pets for a few days B4 we gave them a hot water soaking. The power in the crabz claws iz obvious when you see the damage to our cans of cat food used as bait. We expected to find heaps of crabs but they 2 proved harder to find than we expected.
We did find heaps of tricky snapper in between the ever present sharx.
We decided after 3 days of generally relaxing and working our way through 5 liters of Fellixer Bourbon that it waz thyme 2 leave the rivers and mud behind and head off shore to a remote reef called Orontes Reef about 45 miles away from the top of the Tiwi Islands. we motored through the night arriving at the top of Cogburg Peninsula for a break in the journey and catch up on some sleep B4 heading up to Orontes.

Brad haz taken too the task of collecting bait with the throw net. mixed results but always lotz of mud to clean up I'm looking forward to some blue water fishing I really don't enjoy river bashing.
At last some decent fish!!!!
We dropped anchor and lines and got into the fish straight up with plenty of bottom species coming in just to be released as we had plenty of fillets to keep us fed.
The yot is in constant need of maintenance with the ever popular generator taking most of our effortz.
We need the genset to provide power for the refridge and air con both of which are neccessary 4 surviving the tropical temps expected in the next few months.
I have to decide whether to stay in Darwin or head West into the Kimberlies with stopz at Wyndham and Derby on my way through to Broome. Darwin haz the advantage of several marina's that can shelter the yot from Cyclones but itz not a very yot friendly town.
As many have noticed itz been a full month since an update.
The yot iz in a state of limbo with a broken generator and with no 240volt power the air conditioner won't work.
With day thyme temps reaching 35 degrees c the aircon is a necessity hopefully both can be repaired soon as just to make life more comfortable aboard.
Itz now crunch thyme as I decide whether 2 stay in Darwin until the Wet passes or 2 head towards Broome in Western Australia.
The journey to Broome should take 8-10 days, however there is only 1 place to buy fuel at Wyndham. This means the 2nd leg of the journey is about 550 nm I'm not sure of my fuel burn as I battle the massive tides and currents that make up the Kimberly region. The other negative iz the lack of Cyclone anchorages around Broome so itz really a matter of safety, if I remain in Darwin I have several marina's available during the cyclone season however it means I need 2 stay until March next year.
I don't handle the limbo very well so I'm leaning 2wards heading to Broome.
Fridgy haz expressed  hiz desire to re-visit the yot for this journey or I need 2 find a couple of backpackers to act as crew for the journey. Only thyme will tell which iz the safer/better option.
Darwin gives me the access to repair services for both the genset and the air-con unit. So for now itz a case of twiddle thumbs until these units are both repaired and functioning reliably.

GALLEYCAT IZ BAK !!!

G'day All,
                 After 6 weex of isolation parked on a concrete pad the Yot iz finally repaired and ready 2 go bak in2 the water.
The rudder, shaft, propeller and the "P" bracket all needed work this task waz supposed 2 take just a week or 2 to sort. That waz the theory but in truth the entire job took closer to 7 weex.
The yard iz a good15 minutes outside Darwin which makes getting supplies a difficult task, as I need a taxi 2 get 2 the shops and back.
The new fishing platform waz built out of the old one, only this version iz welded together and haz been over engineered slightly!
Not only the platform haz been welded but 2 new support poles now hold the big roof out the back, all this strength iz needed to support the dinghy once itz been winched aboard and rested onto the fishing platform. The dinghy then getz roped onto the yot securely.
The yot now haz new zinc anodes and a couple of coatz of anti fouling should keep the barnacles and oysters from growing on the hull. Normally I would just dive under the hulls and clean them but up here there are way 2 many crocodiles to even think about getting in the water.The anchor winch has also been rebuilt and installed on the bow while a question mark still hangz over the winch does it need a new chain drive "gypsy" cog so the chain stops slipping or not.
The air conditioner haz been repaired and iz working again I just need 2 get the generator sorted so I can run the aircon and get my refrigeration working properly.
Itz now thyme 2 get to know Darwin itself.
I've missed the window for exploring the Kimberlies this season so Darwin iz home for the next few months at least.
The yot iz parked off Darwins' main beach Fannie Bay and with the 6 meter tides here I'm well off the beach area, like 500 meters to a kilometer.

ONEDERFUL WESSELZ...

Were Back!
After  a monumental week we re-emerge to "civilization (wkoa)".
The Wessel Islands have been and gone.
The journey seemed lotz longer than we anticipated. The massive tides here now controll your journey. Itz foolhardy to burn up fuel trying to push against the massive currents.
More on that later!
We have just spent a week in Paradise so much so that itz on par with The Whitsundays though not as intense and spread much further afield.
The fishing lived up to our expectationz (wkoa),more fish that you could count and of SO many varieties.We spent a vast amount of thyme fishing in these remote islandz that are too far away from the pressure of civilizationz fishing Vs the remote reefs we visited.
Massive pelagic activity including our coral trout dayz. With catches of 6 to ten trout each using barra classic lures but itz a lot intentsive.
All manner of fishes eat theze lures so that activity left you exhausted after a few hours of fun.
Then it was thyme to retreat back 2 the yot for a shower and fooding.
Now we have 3 dayz of V8 Supercars at Hidden Valley racetrack just outside town proper. B4 loading the yot again heading back North and slightly East to a huge network of bays and coral reef areas. We passed these areas on our journey but were running short on dayz and fuel was becoming an issue. So we've decided to revisit these areaz for 10 dayz. After the V8's have finished.
Mark and Emily have had to return to Perth unexpectedly which leaves Chris ,Tara, myself and Honey to visit Port Essington and itz many bays and beaches.
Safety issues have seen us return to Darwin with no steering on the port (left hand) side of the hull. This made steering the Yot nearly impossible with the auto pilot not able to hold a course. After 3 days we have finally returned to land and the yot iz on the hard stand at spot on marine just North of Darwin proper. What ever hit the prop haz twisted the rudder nearly 30 degrees from being parallel with the other side.

GROOTE TO GOVE CHAOS!!!

Gove Harbour

Loading bauxite at Gove

 G'day All,
                  After 3 days of ruff weather and tough conditionz we have now arrived at Gove to make good, repairs to Chris's dinghy. The tow points we were using on the front of the dinghy have both broken on the trip North.
We eventually made it to Burns Shoal but alas it waz way 2 ruff to fish, so we headed towards the mainland at 3 am to take stock of the damage and get some much needed sleep thyme.
Day 2 began at midday with yet another short trip to an anchorage  called Wonga Bay. Here we caught up on some much needed sleep and catch'd a few squid for bait.
Day 3 had us  steaming North with a 25 knot tail wind making for Gr8 sailing conditionz. No more damage but it waz decided to put in at Gove to get the dinghy repaired.
Chris and Tara knew a lady here that enabled us to get a loan car and boat trailer, hopefully an ally welder will be available 2 complete the necessary repairz.
We have finally caught up on sleep that we needed after 2 weex of solid loading the Yot 4 the journey. Now itz thyme 2 head towardz our first decent break on Truant Island about 30 miles North of Gove.
Itz now a waiting game while the welding guy does hiz thing, hopefully he'll be done B4 lunch so we can get going again.
G'day again, we are finally underway at 6 pm after the welding guy did hiz thing.
Now itz an 8 hour trip Northwards to Truant.
Apparently the fishing and oysters at Truant iz fairly special so once we arrive around 2 am it'll be thyme 2 get some sleep B4 harvesting a few seafood delicacy'z.
We will drop out of internet range until around the 12th of this month and we ae within range of Darwinz internet service so itz ciao 4 now.

OUTTA THYME!!!

G'day All,
                 After weex and weeks of emails and phone callz, Chris has finally been told he'z not getting a "re-location" package.
This meanz that he has to pay for any items sent by barge back 2 Darwin.This doesn't sound 2 bad until you find that just a 10 ft sea container costs $6000 just to go on the barge and hiz boat trailer is another $1000.
So we now have to sell or dump whatever stuff we cannot fit on the yot. We can use the trailer and another dinghy as a box trailer fitting any of the larger items that he still needz 2 keep. We have spent the past few weex setting up a "mast cam" thanx mainly to Uncle Graeme and hiz son Tim. Having the camera up the mast gives me the ability to drive the yot amongst the coral reefz and bommies that are so prevalent around the coast.
We now have just slightly less than 1 week to get everything packed and loaded aboard the dinghy and yot.
The other major achievement of the past few weex iz the arrival of a "man overboard screamer"!
This rather complicated device will hopefully reduce the risk of losing Chris's dinghy from behind the yot which happened during our last trip to wedge rock. We awoke around 5 am to find the 2 ropes secured to the dinghy had chaffed through and the tinny was nowhere 2B seen.
I sent Kane up the mast with binoculars to search the horizon for the dinghy which is valued around $15000. After searching for 2 hourz and preparing a plane or helicopter we got a faint echo on the radar around 3 miles away this turned out 2B the tinny and we were able to recover it. Learning from this experience we have purchased the screamer from America this will sound an alarm if the dinghy or a person travelz more than 150 meters from the head unit on the dash of the yot. While the unit had a cost of around $400 thatz still cheap insurance so the same thing doesn't happen again on our trip 2 Darwin. We have also ordered a radar reflector unit that goes onboard the dinghy and turnz a small echo into a large one. Once again lessonz learnt.
We have now loaded the yot with 1000 litres of water and 800 litres of diesel fuel all thatz left now is for us to buy 150 litres of unleaded fuel to refill Chris's tinny.
Fuel on the Eylandt cost just $1 per litre here (cheapest in Australia) but $2.30 in Gove so every tank iz being fuelled here.
The task of preparing the yot to head to Darwin iz nearly complete. Our trip iz planned for 14 days while we visit the many islands along the way.
We are to meet up with Brother Mark and Emily in Darwin on the 14 the of june. B4 heading to the V8 racing at Hidden Valley racetrack in Darwin. We will then head towardz one of the many islands we passed on our journey to Darwin for 2 weex of R&R.
At last after dayz and days of prep we are finally under way. We lifted the anchor at 2.30 pm and begun our journey Northward towards a place called Burns Shoal approx 40 nm away we will spend a day there B4 heading further North to Truant Island.
Ciao 4 now.
Further updates when we get internet service nearer to Gove

Groote Eylandt Twighlite...

SENSATIONAL SUNSETZ

 G'day All,
                  It finally thyme to say goodbye to Groote Eylandt! Well almost!
Chris haz now finished work and he and Tara are finalizing their commitments in preparation (wkoa) 2 leave Groote behind us.
My visit to Groote waz originally planned for 3 months that was nearly 2 years ago.
We are planning to head up to Truant Island just North of Gove for the initial stage of our journey to Darwin. Then back to Gove to re supply B4 setting off for a month in the Wessell Island chain.
There are still many tasks on the blackboard that need attention B4 we leave but we are steadily working through them. 8 to go...
This week had me finishing the new fishing bench out on the rear deck area. 10mm thick stainless formed the bench top in what could be the strongest fishing bench in history. The bench haz been on the list since I first arrived at Groote with the new Yot.
Considering how much fishing we do, the task of building the bench should of been completed much sooner but just how to mount the bench had us perplexed for a good while then we came across a big stainless blade off a mine site concentrator.
Now itz thyme to fit a spotlight and luxuries such as knife holderz and boga grips for handling the fish. A salt water washdown hose is ready also but I'm still waiting for a couple of pressure pumps to arrive on island.
The biggest news / improvement of the past few weex is the problematic generator iz finally operational with Ben spending many sweaty hourz in the engine room getting the unit working. As part payment I took Ben and hiz three kids for a night fish up to Wedge Island.
We were half way there when Kyle scored this fine spanish mackerel, "lots of big smilez" a few smaller mackerel kept us busy until dusk, when we anchored on a lump in 22 meterz of water and were immediately set upon by giant trevally and huge catfish alas no jewies but lots of stretched  arms and broken fishing rigs later it waz thyme for a feed of spaghetti bolognaise for energy. The kids fished until midnight B4 settling down for a few hourz sleep but set alarms for 3 in the morning and they were straight back into the action until another couple of hours sleep.
As dawn arrived they were straight back into fishing mode with several meter long queenfish adding to the tally board. All fish were released unharmed so only mackerel filletz to take home. Still not a bad nightz "work".
We then spent a week at the top end of the island with 4 guy's from a mine site in Indonesia they were matez of Blackouts. They had a gr8 thyme catching heaps of fish and generally swimming in the shallowz while eating the usual quality fair.
I'm still waiting for Hanni and the boyz from Sydney who now have just 1 month B4 we leave Groote behind us.
Itz now been decided that we leave at the end of May, heading 120 miles North towards Truant Island.
We will then head to the Wessel Island chain B4 heading across to Darwin to meet up with Brother Mark and his partner Emily.
After the V8 Supercars at Hidden valley racetrack Chris, Tara and myself will then head back towards the Wessels for a month of fishing and exploring.

DODGING CYCLONES!

Tropical Stormz

G'day All,
                  Itz been a long while  coming but itz finally thyme 2 update my progress.
With the arrival of a new computer I'm at last able to download pictures from the camera 2 the puter for the blog updates.
It seems at this moment that there are far more broken thingz in my life than working stuff.
In these tropical monsoonal conditions it seems as though anything electrical or mechanical needs tonnes of maintenance.
In the past little while I've had 2 replace the stereo, computer, mobile fone ,power inverter and both water pumps (salt & fresh).
The salt water pump failure resulted in a couple on thousand litres of sea water flooded in2 the port hull. "Luckily" I noticed the problem B4 it got 2 critical levels. I rung Blackout and waz able to get a 2" pump that emptied the hull in just over an hour.
The incoming water was faster than the auto bilge pumpz could handle, I need bigger pumps in the hulls or my own emergency pump. Plus a high water alarm system in both hullz.
New salt and fresh water pumps are ordered they are just in Australia post limbo.
I made a conscious decision at the start of cyclone season to remain at Groote rather than head to the safety of Darwin harbour and itz marina's.
So far that decision haz proven well thunked as Darwin has been visited by 1 cyclone (cat 1) and later this week they are expecting a massive Cat 4 system. while here on Groote I only have to deal with the tropical storms that roll past each day.
The other storm related issue is the amount of debris in the water, we struck a floating something the other day on the way 2 Connection Island now the Port (left) propeller has a bent blade and makes a slight vibration. This can be repaired easily once I get 2 darwin. The water is so dirty the trolling action is basically non existent.2 much weed and flotsam.
While here, I've set up 4 distilling units for various people and shown there owners how to produce there own versionz of "Fellixer".
Plus Big Ash in Perth has been taking his lessonz by phone instructions and produced 9 litres from his first batch.
 With the generator still broken I've been spending far more thyme on land than I have on the Yot but its now getting cooler during the dayz and the work list iz huge, so I need to bring all the damaged systemz back online with the exception of the genset which I've resigned myself to waiting until we reach Darwin where the agents for Mase genertors reside.
While lotz of items are in mail limbo some others have arrived, this air bed iz now mounted up on the rear deck roof in the "Penthouse Suite". This iz a gr8 place to sleep in the tropical conditions that iz until it rains at 2 am and I have to retreat downstairs to the hammock.
The downstairs couch now has a new matress and another iz being prepared to turn the front deck fuel tank in2 a "bali style day bed"
These extra bedz work well when we have extra peoples aboard. The front deck haz 1 beanbag already with another ready for filling with beans.
Add the daybed, penthouse suite and beanbags to change the sleeping room from 3 persons to 7 or 8 which enhances the Mothershipping role that this yot seems suited 2.
All the jobz piling up need serious attention but az long as I complete just 1 job each day the yot iz still progressing.
I've set up the rear deck kitchen with both fresh and salt water plumbed up to the sink.All I need is the pumpz themself which were ordered 5 weex ago.
Itz now thyme 4 cautious preparation (wkoa) as Tropical Cyclone Norah is  tracking straight towards us and not heading 2 Darwin as predicted.
This means getting the yot ready to handle the 150 km/h  windz that are forecast.
The ferry haz been sent to Gove but I'm to slow to try and outrun the storm.
The current plan is 2 move the Yot round to the relative shelter of Bartalumba Bay where I'll put out the cyclone anchors and wait out the storm.
I'm planning to stay aboard the yot if the cyclone is less than category 3, however if it loox like cat 3,4 or 5 the yot will be anchored then Honey and myself will head back to town and shelter at Andrewz or Blackouts house.Much apprehension as I've not tackled a Cyclone with this Yot.

Deadly Jellyfish

I sat out many of these huge tropical storms while in Townsville and The Whitsundays with the previous yot but itz just the unknown that I'm facing that iz cause 4 concern.
Another cause for concern iz the huge numba of Irakanji jellyfish in the water at the moment. the sting from just 1 of these jellies can be fatal so when you see hundreds itz not a good idea to go swimming. Between the Jellies, crocs and bull sharks the water iz totally off limits at the moment.