Wolf Bay, AL to Pensacola, FL June 28

Wolf Bay provided us a protected anchorage last night from the west wind, and shortly after arising this morning we were treated to a great dolphin show!  About 4 or 5 frolicked around the boat for quite a while, cavorting in among each other and checking us out.  After getting the anchor up about 0945, we headed back to the ICW in Orange Beach, and turned east toward Pensacola.  At 1120 we entered Florida, and soon were passing the NAS at Pensacola.  With such a beautiful facility that we taxpayers have built for them, I’m not sure I understand all the buoys telling us not to come closer than 200 yards!  We passed old forts on the barrier islands, the lighthouse, and turned up into Pensacola Bay.  At about 1315 we entered the harbor and tied up at Palafox Pier fuel dock. 










 We had called ahead, and Ron had agreed to squeeze us in somewhere; there is a large billfish tournament headquartered here this weekend.  We backed into a spot at the Baylen Slips next to the Port Royale condos behind Palafox Marina, and secured the boat.  Though we are not near the marina’s shore facilities, we do have a secure spot for the thunderstorms that are anticipated tonight.  After cooling off and cleaning up, we wandered up Palafox Street for a look at the “old” downtown, and dinner.  One boat in the tournament came to weigh in a couple of dolphin and a tuna, but most boats will stay out overnight since they are fishing about 100 miles or more offshore.

Horn Island, MS to Wolf Bay, AL June 27

Our carefully selected spot behind the east end of Horn Island (across Mississippi Sound from Pascagoula) which would protect us from the SE breeze which was blowing turned out to be of little value when the wind shifted to NW.  It was a little bumpy during the night, but nothing of any real concern.  We got underway shortly after 0700, and soon crossed into Alabama.  We cleared the Dauphin Island bridge about 1020, and watched as fighter jets trained over the barrier island and near offshore waters beyond.  By 1315 we arrived at Lulu’s restaurant in Gulf Shores, and at the direction of nearly everybody who has traveled this way before us, we docked and stopped for lunch.  The food was very good (but not outstanding, as it should have been for the price).  However, just studying the commercialization of the place was fascinating, and it was well worth seeing (at least once). 

 We then left about 1515 and soon saw the sign announcing our arrival in Orange Beach.  We had a special interest here, as our daughter, son-in-law, and his family will vacation here next month.  It is a beautiful place, though we were seeing more the tree-lined ICW side than the high-rise beach side.  About 1545 we turned north into Wolf Bay, progressed up about 2/3 of the way, and picked a spot on the west shore (we know the wind will be west tonight, as it has been all day!).  We were anchored about 150 yards offshore by 1630.  This is a secluded and beautiful anchorage, and we see a few local outboard boats passing up the bay, but we are about 1 ½ miles away from the ICW and its traffic.

 

New Orleans to Horn Island, MS June 26

We were up before 0600 (that’s not so difficult as you move east in the time zone), and after off-loading trash and on-loading the water hose and AC cable, by 0630 we were off from the Pontchartrain Landing Marina that has been Texas Ranger’s home for the last 3 ½ weeks.  Just before departure, I discovered the tree frog that had stowed away in the Barataria Waterway on June 1 hiding beneath the flybridge instrument cover, so I jettisoned him to the marina grounds.  I hope he finds new family in his new environs!  We found a train crossing the L&N Railroad Bridge, but by the time we reached this structure which was built in 1911 by the Bethlehem Steel Co., it was raised and we passed right through.  By 0700 we had reached the junction of the Industrial Canal and turned east, and by 0950 we had passed the Michaud Canal with its NASA facility and new floodgates, and cleared the Rigolets into Lake Borgne.  By 1030 we were able to text our son-in-law and inform him that we had passed the Pearl River and entered his home state of Mississippi!  We had considered Cat Island or Ship Island as stopping points, but were making such good progress that we continued on past Gulfport and Biloxi to the eastern end of Horn Island (across the bay from Pascagoula), where we anchored about 1715.  It has been a long day, but not particularly stressful as we encountered few tows, and wide passages.  The sand is getting lighter, but the water is not (yet).  We will press on in quest of that clear water tomorrow...

Bye, Bye New Orleans June 25

Well, it is time to depart New Orleans!  Texas Ranger has been here since June 1, and it is time to move on.   We have thoroughly enjoyed the cuisine and sights of the Big Easy, and as well having traveled to Lampasas, TX for a family reunion and to Corpus Christi to attend to some business matters.  We have expanded our waistlines with Creole and Cajun cuisines (some partaken of in VERY rural and authentic settings, where American English is hardly recognized or spoken), and have seen unique venues and museums.  We heartily recommend the WWII museum; a full day is barely sufficient, though we were treated to a “special” tour of a PT-boat restoration project that is not open to the general public, and must be taken on the workers’ lunch hour.  Fascinating!  The boat has been cleaned (somewhat) of swamp slime, and we will depart tomorrow for locales east of here!

Withdrawal June 6

We departed New Orleans and our boat by rental car today to return to Texas for a week or two.  I’m not sure if our withdrawal is from inability to touch the hallowed Lone Star soil for a few weeks, or withdrawal from good Mexican food!  At any rate, both can be satisfied by the time we reach Houston.  My family’s reunion (85^th occurrence thereof) will take place this weekend in Lampasas, northwest of Austin.  This is the first time in several years that Stacy will be able to attend, since she has now relocated back to Texas from working in our nation’s capital, and Kim, Wayne, and both grandchildren will also attend.  We have enjoyed sightseeing in New Orleans, and yesterday drove down to Chalmette to tour the site of the Battle of New Orleans.  We then drifted a bit further south toward delta country, and ate at a wonderful local restaurant that advertises 300 items on the menu.  The only problem I had was comprehending the local dialect of the waitress!  After dealing with a few business issues in Corpus Christi, we will return to the boat in a week or two, and perhaps do a bit more touring of museums and sightseeing around New Orleans before resuming our eastward cruising.  At least the locks are behind us for awhile! 

Barataria Waterway to New Orleans June 1

 We awoke to the sound of fast fishing boats speeding by our scenic anchorage near Lafitte, LA.  After retrieving bow and stern anchors at 0615, we and our small tree frog stowaway headed for New Orleans.  The Algiers Lock, preferred by most of the commercial traffic, has been closed for some time, so tows are stacked up and the Harvey Lock, our destination, is on overload.  We saw many canal-front homes as we moved along, and passed numerous beached tows as we neared the industrial areas.  After passing the Algiers cutoff at 0750 and entering the Harvey Canal, we passed the Boomtown Casino.  It is large, seemingly isolated, and the cruising guides that suggest it as a place to tie up overnight haven’t seen the same crumbling concrete and steel bulkhead which I saw and would be afraid to approach. 

At 0820 we reached the Lapalco Bridge and called the Harvey Lock to check in.  We were directed to stage outside the lock behind a tug (“Moose”), and wait a short while.  An eastbound tow in the lock exited into the river, and a westbound tow was locked through.  Then it was our turn.  At 0945 after Moose entered the lock and was secured, we followed.  The lock attendant took our line, passed it around a cleat on top of the wall, and returned it to us to tend.  Secured, the water began to flow in, and we were raised eleven feet.  It was quite an adventure, and at 1007 we exited into the Mississippi River, which was flowing at six knots and full of debris (logs, etc.).  After entering the river and checking in with New Orleans Vessel Traffic Service, we were hailed by a Coast Guard cutter, asked our destination, informed of a security zone around a new Coast Guard cutter being christened this morning near downtown, and told we would be escorted along the route by a small inflatable Coast Guard boat with a large automatic weapon on the bow.  After Kay steered us downriver through the heart of New Orleans and past the French Quarter, we exited on the east side of the river into the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal, and after about 10 minutes idling we passed through the St. Claude Avenue Bascule Bridge and into the Industrial Lock. 

The lockmaster insisted that the port side of our vessel be tied to the wall (Harvey had used starboard side tie), so all fenders and lines had to be shifted to the opposite side.  Kay ended up doing most of this heavy work, as I was struggling to keep the boat floating in the middle of the lock until she was ready.  She does not think highly of this lock or its master.  After being secured, it was our turn to go DOWN eleven feet.  We went from a nice, scenic view looking over the levee at the town below us down to that level.  Eventually we were released from our concrete vault, and moved on under the North Claiborne Avenue Lift Bridge and the Florida Avenue Bascule Bridge.  We turned north up toward Lake Pontchartrain and our marina destination for our stay in New Orleans, requiring the L&N Bascule Railroad Bridge to lift for us (as had all bridges east of the river except Claiborne) and then under the higher I-10 and Danziger Chef Menteur Highway Bridges. 

About noon we arrived off the opening to our marina, and after a phone call that was passed to several employees, we received rudimentary instructions.  We tied up, attached electric cables and hose, and settled in to cool off, clean up, and put our feet in the air.  This facility is primarily an RV park with amenities that accompany that type of facility (showers, laundry, pool, hot tub, bar, casual restaurant/snack bar, movie, shuttle to the French Quarter, daily boat-side trash collection, wi-fi, cable TV, etc.).  At least I presume RV facilities usually have such amenities, not having ever stayed in one.  We did sign up for a month-long stay, as that rate is equivalent to 10 days of the daily rate.  With plans to return home to deal with some business issues and attend a family reunion in Central Texas while the boat is in New Orleans, we decided this was the most economical approach.  A number of vintage planes are flying overhead from a small nearby airport, and we are actually enjoying clouds—fluffy things rarely seen in South Texas over the last three years.  We look forward to some days exploring New Orleans.      

Houma to Barataria Waterway May 31

  Yesterday we enjoyed Houma, being tied to a dock, and finally finding wi-fi (at the nearby hospital).  It was nice to get a few blogs uploaded (we are still not very good at it), photos added, etc.  We rinsed the boat, cleaned a little of the bayou oily slime off the dinghy waterline, and did some minimal sightseeing and photography in the area of the municipal marina.  We clearly did not find the best that Houma must have to offer in the way of cuisine, but will have to save that search for a future trip.

Today we departed about 0700, shortly behind the 52-foot SeaRay that was also docked at the marina, and headed east.  At 0940 we reached Bayou LaFourche, passed under the West LaRose Bridge confirming my air draft on the SSB antenna, and soon thereafter saw an alligator swimming across the ICW.  We also passed a lifeboat being tested.  About noon we reached the Barataria Waterway, and went south down it sightseeing for a couple of hours before returning to anchor (bow & stern) behind an island at the junction of the ICW and Barataria.  This little island is evidently federal land, with signposts proclaiming “US Boundary”.  We saw a bald eagle fly from the island, and watched the swamp tour airboats transporting dozens of tourists in search of alligators.  At least 6-8 boats, some carrying as many as 20 patrons, departed with each tour shift.  Finally the tours and the accompanying noise abated about 1800, and after dinner we had a relaxing evening and excellent night’s sleep.