South to Port Aransas

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

We’ve had a nice winter stop in our home marina, Waterford Harbor.  We’ve stayed busy working on boat projects, fitting in annual doctor / dentist appointments, and catching up with friends and family.  Our last week in Houston included a trip to the Houston Rodeo with friends Randy and Ellen.  As would expected, this is a BIG event!  Total attendance is over 2.5 million people during the three weeks of the event.  We watched a typical rodeo event, calf judging, appreciating the youth showing their charges; not a cell phone or tattoo in sight!

Houston Rodeo

Our favorite venue was the wine tasting, showcasing numerous award-winning wines from an earlier contest.  The outdoor setting with 2 live music stages was an added bonus.

Houston Rodeo

Inside the NRG Stadium we watched traditional rodeo events, such as this Chuck Wagon race.

Houston Rodeo

The grand finale was a performance by Santana.

Santana, Houston Rodeo

Saturday, March 16, 2019

Today we finally cast off lines to head south for a few weeks.  Robert has been missing his wade fishing from our years in Port Aransas and it is time to let him get his feet wet, literally.  We pass under the Highway 146 Bridge, watching the Kemah Boardwalk recede in the distance.

Kemah Boardwalk from Galveston Bay

We plow into choppy bay waters, taking spray over the boat until we reach the Houston Ship Channel.  Turning south improves the ride considerably and we enjoy an uneventful cruise to Galveston.  There we turn into the Intracoastal Waterway, passing a few tows before reaching Freeport, where we stop for the night at Surfside Marina.

Surfside Marina, Surfside TX

Sunday, March 17, 2019

Today dawns cloudy and cool; calm winds are welcome as we must transit a large, open bay late this afternoon.  As we near the Brazos River, we are delayed waiting for this dredge to move out of the channel.

Dredge near Brazos River, Gulf ICW

A short distance later we wait again for north-bound traffic to cross the river.  Locks on both sides of the river are not in use today, but the open locks are narrow enough to be one-way for the tows pushing barges.  We call the lock master on VHF radio and are instructed to wait for a couple of tows to pass before we can go.  We wait almost ½ hour, thankful for relatively weak currents and light winds, which impact our ability to keep the boat in position.

Waiting to cross Brazos River, Gulf ICW

We continue south through miles of flat, open land, passing occasional waterfront fishing villages.  This area is a LONG way from any major cities, and little development has occurred.  Laughing gulls are our constant companions.

Gulf ICW

We cross Matagorda Bay with light winds keeping seas almost flat.  Our two hour uneventful crossing is most welcome as this shallow bay can get quite nasty when the wind is up.  We pass the town of Port O’Connor and pull into the Sanctuary subdivision south of town for an overnight stop at their small marina.

The Sanctuary at Costa Grande, Port O'Connor TX

Monday, March 18, 2019

We get a leisurely start this morning, heading south again.  We must cross a couple of open bays today before arriving in Port Aransas so we are relieved that winds are not forecast to be too strong.  After an easy 6-hour cruise, we tie up at the Port Aransas Municipal Harbor.  A wintry sunset promises warmer days ahead.

Sunset, Port Aransas Municipal Harbor

Thursday, March 21, 2019

This is why we are here!  Clear water, hard sandy bottom, lots of shallow water ideal for wade fishing – and catching.  Robert gets a limit of redfish on his first day out!

Robert and Redfish, Port Aransas TX

And this – freshly caught shrimp off the boat!

Waiting for freshly caught shrimp, Port Aransas TX

We plan to spend at least 6 weeks here, fishing, catching up with friends from our 21 years living here full time, and just relaxing.  More later on the island’s recovery from Hurricane Harvey.