Chillin' in the Big Easy

Monday, July 25, 2016

We're on the move again, departing Lake Charles early for a long day moving east.  Here we are "up close and personal" with a big ship tied up in the Port of Lake Charles.

In Lake Charles, we met fellow boaters from Kemah who were just returning from Florida and they told us one of the major locks in New Orleans is being closed for construction at the end of this week.  It will not reopen for 3 - 4 months, so we will need to hurry to make sure we get through before it closes.  We could take a detour, but it would be a long one and not what we prefer to do.

Back in the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW), we transit Calcasieu Lock, our first of the day.  Most of the GIWW locks are designed to keep saltwater out of fresh water habitats, usually near rivers or, in this area, rice fields.  They also help control turbulence and debris from runoff after heavy rains.







Soon we have storm clouds approaching ...

followed by rain.  We saw intermittent rain the rest of the day. 










As we approach the cities of Intracoastal City, Morgan City and Houma, we see more waterfront commercial businesses and waterway traffic.  Here we are passing barges loaded with scrap metal.  We talk to the tow captains (boats pushing these barges) using our VHF radio to determine on which side to pass.  The captains' regional accents are a fascinating glimpse of the areas through which we transit.  Can you say "cajun"?

Still raining, we finally arrive at a commercial fuel dock in Intracoastal City to tie up for the night.



Tuesday, July 26, 2016

 An early morning view of our overnight spot with fog slowly lifting.

Proceeding east, we see more signs of civilization as fishing camps become more common.

A highway bridge - another reminder we are not as remote as we seem to be.  This bridge is a lift bridge (see gap in center where it opens).  Closed clearance is 73', so we won't need to wait for this one!  As we cruise, we need to look ahead on the navigation charts to be prepared for low bridges that could delay us if they are closed when we arrive.  We can call the bridge operator on the VHF radio to let them know we are coming.

After another partly rainy day, we tie up for the night at the Berwick City Dock, across the Atchafalaya River from Morgan City.  The dock facility is barely adequate, but the locals are extremely friendly and helpful.
 






Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Today is a gorgeous day!  The past two days of rain have cooled temps to mid 70's - low 80's and we are spending the day on the open top deck of our boat to enjoy this break from the heat.  We are cruising through the Atchafalaya Swamp, admiring dense stands of moss-draped cypress and willow.  We have also seen several alligators lurking low in the water, watching us pass.

This beautiful old plantation-style home sits almost obscured by huge oaks on the banks of the Waterway in Houma.

A local oyster boat is typical of commercial fishing operations in this area.

Still in Houma, huge ships are in dry dock for work.  All along this area, evidence of the oil industry slowdown abounds with large numbers of oilfield service ships and equipment idled and rusting.


Soon we end our day anchored behind a small island in the community of Jean Lafitte, named after the infamous pirate.  Daytime boat traffic is heavy with numerous air boat operators running nature tours in the area, in addition to local fishermen zipping by.  Nighttime, by contrast, is very quiet and calm.  Lots of alligators in the water all around our boat - yikes!

Thursday, July 28, 2016

This morning we have a short run to the Harvey Lock and the Big Easy!  Here we have just exited the lock.  There are two big locks on our route today, one on each side of the Mississippi River.  In contrast to previous locks on the Waterway, these will also change the water level from one side to the other.  The Harvey Lock will raise us up 3 1/2 feet to match the water level in the river.

Here we are on the Mighty Mississippi!  Another Carnival cruise ship, the Triumph, lies docked in front of the New Orleans skyline.  And no, we're not being paid to advertise for these guys - fat chance!  Also visible are the Greater New Orleans and Crescent City bridges.

Captain Robert at the helm.  We had the entire river to ourselves!  No other boat traffic moving in this area.  We will cruise a short distance down the river, about 6 miles, to the entrance to the Waterway canal and lock on the east side of the river.

Boka "does" New Orleans!

This 6 mile stretch of the river just happens to wrap around Uptown, the Garden District, Warehouse District, Central Business District, French Quarter, Marigny and Bywater.  

 Enjoying the scenery.

 More great views.

 Jackson Square - heart of the French Quarter.

This is one deep river!  Our chart recorder shows 153 feet of water depth.

Finally out of the Mississippi, we are locking into the eastern side of the GIWW.  Here we will be lowered about 2.5 feet from the river level.

Just past the Industrial Lock, we had to wait for a train to pass.  Now the railroad bridge is being lifted.  Clearance with the bridge down is 4 ft.

Shortly after this bridge, we turn north into the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal and our marina, Ponchatrain Landing.  We will tie up here for several days to rest and enjoy the Big Easy.

We're off!

Wednesday, July 20, 2016


Finally, Robert has retired, we have leased our house, sold our cars, stored possessions and have started our new cruising life!  We departed our home port at Waterford Harbor on July 20th with this ominous view of a funnel cloud.

Almost to Galveston, we had a chance to wave "bye" to our friends Steve and Susie on All Talk II.  They will be missed!

Thursday, July 21, 2016
 


Our first day was a short one with an overnight at the Galveston Yacht Basin.  As we prepared to
depart the next morning, we got a close look at one of the Princess cruise ships arriving in port.



 
 
After a 10 hour day, we stopped for the night at Shell Island, a scenic anchorage just east of Port Arthur across the state line into Louisiana.  We enjoyed some much needed down time on the boat deck followed by a spectacular sunset.

 

Friday, July 22, 2016

We had a leisurely half-day cruise into Lake Charles today.  The port facilities seemed eerily quiet with little signs of activity, but the casinos appeared busy.

We are docked at the city marina, Bord du Lac Marina, for a night or two to rest and catch up on chores.  Besides, Boka is bored and needs some romp time in the park.  This is the first WI-fi service we've had since leaving home so we will catch up on email and post this blog.  We do have the option to tether our phones for internet service, but the signal strength was weak at the anchorage and we are not yet sure how quickly we will use our data allotment.  Another learning experience ...

Mobile to Port Aransas

Planned route

Sauvy B had been in Mobile for 7 weeks, waiting for the spring winds to lay down.  We planned to run offshore in the Gulf of Mexico to Port Aransas, as this route is much faster than going via the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.  There would be no place to anchor or tie up, so we would need to run 24 hours per day, 4 hours per shift.  Our best (most optimistic) estimate was for the trip to take about 65 hours.  We recruited a crew of 3 to accompany the two of us; Boka would not be on-board.

Bob, Reagan, Bill

Friday, June 17, 2011

Our crew departed from Corpus Christi, flying to Mobile the day of departure.  Bob, Bill and Reagan are all good friends and experienced offshore boat owners and we were very fortunate to have them aboard.  Many thanks to Reagan for serving as our trip photographer.

Sunset over Mobile Bay

We timed our departure to be offshore before dark and to transit major shipping lanes in daylight hours.  Unfortunately, we left Dog River about 1 1/2 hours behind schedule.  At least we enjoyed the sunset in the calm waters of Mobile Bay!




Our calm was soon interrupted near the farewell buoy as we left Mobile Bay.  We suddenly encountered extreme turbulence, possibly due to standing waves.  In addition, numerous shrimp boats were dragging their nets crisscrossing the channel.  We scrambled to dodge the shrimpers, pass through the turbulence, miss the channel markers and stay on course.  Of course it was pitch black dark by this time.  We learned the hard way which drawers and doors on Sauvy B were not properly latched.  Refrigerator contents sailed out the door and landed upside down all over the floor.  Drawers were slamming open - shut - open - shut.  Yikes!  We were very close to turning around when the seas slowly began to calm.  Only then did we realize the A/C was no longer cooling.  The rough seas discouraged Captain Robert from assessing the problem so, as the seas calmed, we opened windows and those off duty spent a long night trying to get some sleep.


Saturday, June 18
 
The next morning, Robert and Bob finally diagnosed the A/C problem and jury rigged a solution so we would have cool air, hopefully for the remainder of the trip.  The day was gorgeous, sunny with 1' - 2' seas.  Unfortunately we were making less than 7 knots, rather than our projected 9+ knots.  We appeared to be bucking a strong current, likely from the Mississippi River outflow, that had been with us since we left Mobile Bay.  We are now even further behind schedule with increasing wind and seas predicted once we turn south near the Texas border.

Reeling in the big one

Releasing a Jack Crevalle

Not to worry!  Fishing lines went into the water to troll for "the big one".  Soon one of the reels was singing with line being stripped off.  The reel was almost empty of line when Bob got it under control and started slowly reeling in the catch.  It takes some time to reel in several hundred yards of line, so we had lots of time to speculate about the fish species we would have for dinner. The consensus was it would be a big tuna. Yum! Finally the fish was at the surface - a Jack Crevalle!  Not good to eat, so it was released.


Sunday, June 19

Today the seas were a little rougher, maybe 2' - 4', but our stabilizers helped smooth the ride considerably.  We passed through lots of "weed lines", large patches of seaweed concentrated by currents, which made fishing impossible.  It would be too easy to keep snagging the seaweed with the fish hooks, rather than catching fish.  So we enjoyed some music and slowly picked up speed to our normal 9 knots.


Monday, June 20

By midnight, we passed offshore of the Louisiana - Texas border.  The seas were building steadily. When we passed offshore Galveston about 3 am, we also turned more southeast and began taking the seas almost exactly broadside.  We passed row after row of anchored ships interspersed with oil platforms, all lighted, radiating in spokes from the Galveston jetties.  An awesome sight!  As the hours wore on, the seas built to 8' - 10' and we had to slow our pace.  Sauvy B was handling the waves with much more grace than her crew!  We finally turned toward Freeport to go inshore at their jetties.  After several hours of rough seas, we finally sighted land!  We pulled into Bridge Harbor Marina, just inside the jetties, at 11 am.

Land ho!

Our crew departed at Freeport with work commitments, since we were already overdue for our scheduled arrival time in Port Aransas.  We were still almost 150 miles from home.  After a quick lunch with the crew, we said our farewells and headed south in the Intracoastal Waterway.  After an uneventful afternoon, we pulled into Matagorda Harbor Marina about 5:30 pm.  We were delighted to be on a new, secure floating dock in quiet surroundings.  We could shut down the engines and generator for the first time in three days!


 Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Home at last

 
One more day on the Intracoastal and we finally arrived home at 7 pm.  What an adventure!

Heading to Mobile

Friday, April 22, 2011

Aqua Yacht to Mobile

We're finally ready to move our newly acquired boat from its previous home, Aqua Yacht Harbor in Iuka MS, to Mobile, AL.  This will be our first stop en route to her final destination in Port Aransas TX.  After a great sendoff from brother Jim and wife Rita, we departed Aqua Yacht the afternoon of April 22.  What lies ahead are 12 locks, 550' of elevation change (to sea level at Mobile)  and almost 500 miles of river, part of which is in flood stage.  The adventure begins ...

Niagara Prince tour boat

Cruising south on Pickwick Lake, we soon entered the Tenn-Tom Waterway.   Built between 1971 and 1985 by the US Army Corps of Engineers to connect the Tennessee and Tombigbee Rivers, the Waterway has an interesting history for those so inclined.  We saw little traffic on our first afternoon, so passing this tour boat was a welcome diversion.

Jamie Whitten Lock

Soon we were at the first of today's three locks.  We quickly got the hang of  "locking down".  Here we are exiting the Jamie Whitten Lock after an 84' drop.

Creek junction

These impressive structures are common along the Waterway.  They appear to prevent turbulence where streams merge with the main channel.  They also trap debris, although this one was clean.  As you can see, a lot of water is moving downstream due to recent heavy rains.  A 3-knot current allowed us to throttle back and still maintain 10 mph.

Sunset at Midway Marina

 

Two more locks, 30' drop each, and we ease into Midway Marina in time to tie up and enjoy a nice sunset.  Hey, we could get used to this lifestyle!

Saturday, April 23, 2011

We're off early the next morning to transit 4 locks en route to Columbus MS.  After exiting Amory Lock, we encountered lots of storm runoff debris in the water.  We slowly picked our way through the debris and swift current, then eased into Columbus Marina.  Below Columbus the Tenn-Tom Waterway merges with the Tombigbee River.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

After another early departure and 2 more locks, we are now in Alabama, having left Mississippi behind for the remainder of the trip.

Warsaw Cutoff

 We stopped late in the day at a lovely anchorage, Warsaw Cutoff.  The strong current and opposing strong wind made for a challenging first anchorage, but we finally got settled in just before dark.  The wind and current and approaching darkness made us decide not to launch the dinghy to take our dog ashore.  Did I mention we are traveling with a dog?

Monday, April 25, 2011

Boka and Robert on watch in lock

Boka is a 5-year-old Boykin Spaniel and this is her first extended boating adventure.  She loves playing at the beach and swimming and has even been offshore fishing, but she has never had to do her "business" on the boat. When we opened the door and she saw only water, she was NOT pleased!  So when the engines were started the next day, she refused to eat or drink and proceeded to sleep all day.  She did run out on the deck at every lock - she was fascinated by them. (Are we there yet?)  It's going to be a long week!  Fortunately we have a short day with 1 lock and an early arrival at Demopolis Yacht Basin.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Demopolis Yacht Basin

We decided to stay put in Demopolis AL today to wait for storms to pass.  This turned out to be a wise decision as some strong thunderstorms and heavy rain passed through both Monday and Tuesday nights.  While docked at the marina's fuel dock, also a commercial fuel dock, we saw a procession of large and larger push boats dock to refuel and take on provisions.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Demopolis is the location of the aptly named Demopolis Lock and Dam.  This was the start of above normal water levels, with Demopolis several feet above normal (above the dam) and much higher water below this dam and the next at Coffeeville.  Marina staff and lock tender Steve tried to talk us into waiting for water levels to fall before proceeding south.  We felt stopping here would greatly complicate our schedule to get to Mobile, so we decided to proceed south anyway.  As we locked down, Steve walked out to the lock to chat with us and gave us some great advice - very helpful and much appreciated!

Push boat with barges

We are starting to see a lot more commercial traffic as we get closer to Mobile.  We are also seeing more industrial sites along the river.

Boka at Bobby's Fish Camp

The infamous Bobby's Fish Camp was a welcome sight after a long day on the river.  This is the only fuel stop between Demopolis and Mobile, about 230 miles,  so it is a popular stop for boats that carry less fuel than we do.  Unfortunately we did not get to sample Bobby's renowned catfish, as the restaurant was closed on Wednesday.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Flooding below Coffeeville Dam

An early start, a short distance to Coffeeville Lock, and lots of high water below the dam!  What should have been a 34' drop was only about 6'.  Wow!  All buoys marking shoaling were gone - either submerged or washed away.  Not that water depth is a concern, but we don't want to run over a submerged buoy, especially if it has snagged a tree!

Jackson Railroad Lift Bridge

We should have easily passed under the Jackson Railroad Bridge, with a 25' clearance at normal water levels.  Today, there was about 6' of clearance so we had to wait for the bridge to be raised.

"Dolly Parton" bridge

We have now transitioned to the Mobile River.  Signs of civilization: the "Dolly Parton" bridge, where Interstate 65 crosses the river.

Briar Creek at sunrise

Our last overnight anchorage was at Briar Creek between the Mobile and  Tensaw Rivers.  This beautiful spot was protected and isolated, despite being just 12 miles from the Port of Mobile.  No wonder this is the local "hurricane hole", where many large commercial and pleasure vessels are anchored to ride out storms.

Friday, April 29, 2011

I 10 Bridge and Mobile

Our final morning on the river, we are soon at the Interstate 10 bridge and the entrance to the Port of Mobile.  A busy port, we had some anxious moments dodging tugs moving large container ships near our path.  Despite numerous conversations on the VHF radio with the tug captains, we were too close for comfort more than once.

Downtown Mobile

After passing downtown Mobile AL, we soon enter Mobile Bay.  Only 12 miles to our turn toward Dog River and a slip at Dog River Marina for the next few weeks.