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"

FIVE DAYZ OF PERFECTION...

TURTLE BAY TRANQUILITY

 G'day All,
                  Cairns is now a distant memory and we have left The Reef for Port Douglas.
I could not leave Cairns without one last visit to Turtle Bay.
I needed within myself to re-write the memories of my last visit.
So despite the 25 knot windz,we left town late on Friday afternoon. The lightz of Cairns were soon behind us as we sailed then powered our way round the point and in2 Turtle.
A ruff nite gave way 2 a near perfect morning.
After a cooked breakfast we lowered the tinny and set off for a discovery walk along the beach.
Then it was a quik trip back to the Yot 2 re-supply with everything we needed for a bonfire and campfire cooked dinner.
The rest of the day waz spent visiting the freshwater spring and preparing camp.
Roast Lamb with all the trimmings and fresh damper was our reward.
Then an evening under the stars until the tide rose just enough to extinguish our fire and my thyme in Cairns.
 Itz thyme to introduce our "Motley Crew".
Along with myself ,Jake and Duncan we have Manuel and Laura from France
We are travelling in tandem with Conner and Mabinta (maybe mabi) from Holland.
The other yacht finally found us, out on The Reef at Uppalo Cay.
 By this thyme the weather was turning perfect and we had the Cay all to ourselves.
Everyone spent the day snorkelling and fotograffing the coral gardens below and all around us.
Galleycat is working out gr8 as a Mothership / Kitchen. We have no problems catering for bigger numbers and I now have a willing sauce of dishwasher peoplez.
We have an amazing dinner of fresh crumbed chicken snitzels with four or 5 vegetables plus a mushroom cream .

It turned it2 an early night for all with the journeys out here and the effort expended while diving, taking itz toll on everyone.I mean real early like the sun went down then so did everyone.
We are not permitted to fish at Uppalo so we made a late start after breakfast and headed for Vlassof Cay.
The trip wasn't underway 4 more than 20 mins B4 two of the 3 rods screamed. " Double Strike!"
We soon had a couple of large Trevally aboard.
With us only needing 1 for some fresh sashimi the other was released after the mandatory fotoz.
The unlucky one was bled and put in the sink. We got underway again and it wasn't long B4 the Trevally made a break for freedom,  leapt out of the sink on2 the grass then into the water.
What looked like being a total waste of a phish turned out not bad as the trevally flapped on the surface behind the Yot.

I jumped aboard the tinny and left the still sailing yot in the crewz hands while I went back to retrieve our lunch, he was consumed upon arrival at Vlassof.
Then it was once again thyme for everyone to hit the water.
While I chose a "nanna nap".
After a full day of diving we moved the Yot out into deeper waters for an evening of fishing.
Several Emporer and shark kept everyone merry for the evening.
Many felixxers and wines were also partially responsible for the merriment.

While this all loox gr8 on the surface the demon  still lurkz and it takes days like these just to keep him at bay.
I'm going ahead with the staffy once I reach Port Douglas.
I'm kind of hoping this will help with my inner battle.
Update:
We have arrived in Port Douglas for a short lay over to resupply and meet "Honey".
Honey is a staffy x ?? she was scheduled to be put to sleep if no one came 4ward, so I've decided she can live out her remaining years as my sidekick and travelling partner.

The next couple of days will give her a chance to get acclimatized to life aboard the Yot B4 we head away from Port Douglas.
While she has the staffy build she is longer in the legs and has taken to the yot well so far how she'll go once we hit the open water is another question.
I've got some plastic mesh to run between the safety railz as a little extra security until she has her sea legs.
This is a huge step for me as I swore after "Cassie" I wouldn't put myself through the pain of losing another friend!
Still I think this is a positive step.
We will set off tomorrow morning for Low Isles a short 8 mile run here we will meet up with Conner aboard the other yacht. We'll spend a day here before heading out to one of the outer reefs.

Captain Felix
more to follow