The S/V Veranda Shares Their Stories

S/V Veranda
Its more than just sunsets and cocktails out on the Veranda
http://veranda422.blogspot.com/
Bill and Christy have sailed the Eastern Coast all the way to the Bahamas over a two-year period. You will definitely enjoy their accounts of adventure, neat destinations, socializing with other mariners, incredible pictures, fishing acumen, and much, much more. What a world of experience they pack into their blog.

Maybe we, from the Gulf Coast, and they, from the East Coast, will meet up someday in the Florida Keys or Bahamas. Who says life is boring!

So, get your favorite refreshment and sit down for a fantastic read.

After that you might decide to pitch in with comments, stories, pictures or other. I certainly hope so. Conversation is good.

Your views, your stories?

Has anyone a story to share about the Gulf Coast, Florida keys, or Bahamas?
Tell us about your sailboat, crew, time of year, highlights, lessons learned, or anything else that comes to mind.

Mike and I are learning, and we want to make friends.

Really. We'd love to hear from you!

LA-MS-AL Trip May-June 09 Part IV

Louisiana – Mississippi – Alabama Coastal Sailing
May 27 – June 8, 2009
Beautiful Sights and Valuable Lessons (Part IV)

Fri 6/5. Blue Herons and Dolphins accompanied my yoga. Ingram Bayou was a serene and beautiful hideaway. No wonder so many recommend it! We were not that motivated to leave for the return trip to New Orleans, our home. Our friends were still resting when we weighed our muddy anchor and set off. Weather reports on the VHF advised of gusty winds close to 20 kts. directly on our bow. No use trying to sail on the Alabama Canal, but we expected to reach Mobile Bay in a couple of hours and then decide on sailing options. As we slid past the Canal entrance to the Bay, we were attracted once more by Sailboat Bay with its appealing condos and boat slips. Now that we knew how charming the Lower Alabama neighborhoods were, the condos seemed strategically located for easy access to places we admired both East and West. Who knows? Must keep one’s options open.
Mobile Bay welcomed us with winds WNW at 15-20kts. and waves 3+ ft. Mike raised a reefed main, and we motorsailed bumpily across to the Dauphin Is. Bridge on the other side of the Bay at 5.5 kts. against the wind. We passed Dauphin Is. and Petit Bois, heading for Horn Is., where we had not been and yearned to try. Given the wind direction and speed, that had not let up all day, we decided to try the south side of the Island facing the Gulf. Our charts showed reasonable depths of 12-16 ft. just ½ mi. offshore. Mike dropped 70 ft. of chain and another 5 of rode for added safety just in case. We expected winds to veer toward North and quiet to 5-10 kts. for the night. Perfect for a comfortable evening and sleep.
The sun was setting when we dropped the hook, and the panorama was great. Horn Is. was quite attractive, with woods throughout the Island, fine white sand beaches, and very little boat traffic, at least on its southern shore. We basically had a stretch of 2-3 mi. all to ourselves, it seemed.

Sat 6/6. Just after breakfast, we headed eagerly for the shore. We rowed the dinghy in and lifted it up on the bank. Walking along the shoreline, we saw sand crabs that scattered rapidly as we approached, stingrays, and then came upon what seemed to be the skeletal remains of a wooden boat. The Park Service must have cordoned it off, and there it lay on the sand for all to see and wonder the when and how of this probable shipwreck.
Out of nowhere, it seemed, a bikini-clad woman came into view as she briskly walked the beach. We approached her to ask some questions about Horn Is. and found she was friendly and informative. She said it was best we not enter the woods, given the pesky sand flies and, oh no, snakes. That was enough to distance me! She and her husband, who was fishing at some point along the shore, would “escape” to the Island often from Biloxi. “Only a 15 min. ride,” she affirmed. Maybe they actually flew over the water, as many boaters seem to do from the Mississippi coastline to the islands and back. Maybe it was slight exaggeration. It reminded us that we had chosen sailing for other reasons rather than speed. But at times we would also want to get away or get to the islands fast. Ah, so many tradeoffs.
The sun was climbing in the sky, and we went for a good swim to cool off. The temperature of the water was deliciously cool. And what clear waters. This visit to Horn Is. would prove to be memorable.
After lunch we set out for Cat Island, the last of the string of sizeable islands off the Mississippi Coast on the way to the Rigolets. A stopover at Cat Is. would mean that we would have completed visits to the must-see islands off the Mississippi coast (from East to West in this order): Petit Bois, Horn, Ship and Cat.
We wanted to find anchorage at Smugglers Cove on the southeast end of the Island, but our 4.5 ft. keel would have put us at a couple of miles off shore where the predicted SW winds could pick up. So, we cozied up to a spot about ½ mi. off the eastern side of the Island.
It was evident by the many boats that dotted the shoreline that this side of Cat Is. is quite popular. The sun was setting when we dropped anchor. Once again we admired a beautiful sunset, with dolphins, pelicans and seagulls playing in the vicinity. Maybe Nature knew that we were sadly nearing the end of our trip and wanted to give us an extra treat.

Sun 6/7. Continuing the search for new overnighters, we passed through the Rigolets and into Lake Pontchartrain but passed up our usual stopping point, Oak Harbor, Slidell. This had been our entrance and exit point for several trips, but we decided to shoot for Mandeville, LA. We were able to hoist the spinnaker for some good sailing (not motorsailing) for a few hours until we reached Mandeville.
This city on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain has some special charm. There are lots of marinas, but the public dock is available for overnighters, and there are power outlets that mostly work. Lakeshore Drive that runs parallel to the Lake is a promenade for dogs and their owners, couples, families and those who are looking to exercise by walking, biking or running. There are nice views, and at least ½ dozen eating spots within walking distance too. After registering our stay at the public dock with the beautiful, rebuilt (after Hurricane Katrina) Pontchartrain Yacht Club, we strolled to a restaurant and then turned in for the night.

Mon 6/8. Our last day was spent getting back to the Tchefuncte River and our marina. We experienced what, it seems, many sailors do: a desire to continue the cruising adventure tempered by a desire to get home to feel at-home with the accompanying routines. Unless we were to move onboard, we would probably continue to have those conflicting feelings into the future. For now we felt satiated and said “so long” to Talisman, with a “we’ll go out soon again.”

Summary:
• We have now visited the Mississippi islands we read and hear about (for sailors): Cat, Ship, Horn and Petit Bois
• Lower Alabama via the Alabama Canal (or “the ditch,” or Alabama ICW) is delightful with plenty of options. We haven't exhausted them all yet.
• The weather was not a problem, though we would have wanted to sail more, rather than motor or motor/sail
• Next trip should get us to the Florida Panhandle and maybe beyond.

LA-MS-AL Trip May-June 09 Part III

Louisiana – Mississippi – Alabama Coastal Sailing
May 27 – June 8, 2009
Beautiful Sights and Valuable Lessons (Part III)

Tue 6/2. The weather was supposed to be very hot, in the low 90’s. Hey, this is only the beginning of June! What will it be like along the Gulf Coast during July and August, we wondered. T-storms out of the west were predicted for the following several days. We would probably have a decent day but the buildup would mean rain for sure by the early evening. We decided to stay an extra night at Bear Point Marina and dedicate ourselves to wallowing in the pleasantries of our new neighborhood. Not difficult at all. Besides, who’s on a schedule? Cruising is supposed to be about loosening the grip of past habits and demands. Etc., etc. And let’s not get started on that, for now.

The best way to explore the neighborhood is with the dinghy, we agreed. We wanted to get a closer look at Pirates Cove Restaurant and Roberts Bayou just across the way. And, maybe we could take a swim and admire other landscapes around there. A refreshing dip in the clear waters of the Canal would also be desirable given the direct, relentless heat of the Southern sun.

Pirates Cove faces the ICW and has sufficient pier for several boats to tie up. It was evident that patrons motored in regularly for the famous hamburgers, family time and a small natural beach for kids to romp around in. Entering the channel to Roberts Bayou was easy by daylight since the markers are clear, but we probably would have had our doubts by night. Nonetheless, despite appearances, even sizeable boats with deeper keels were nestled everywhere we looked in the coves we saw behind the restaurant. Roberts Bayou was delightful. I couldn’t get enough, as you will/have noticed in the slideshow. This neck of the woods is next door to Perdido Bay and accessible to Mobile Bay’s east shore towns of Fairhope, Daphne, Foley and others. It certainly made my mouth water. Who knows…

We continued making our way along the coastline and stopped where we had a view of the Canal on a lonely strip of “beach.” After some munchies and a cool swim, we crossed over the Canal and headed back the long way, taking our dinghy in close to shore to see the enticing homes and their boats.

As mentioned before, the live aboard cruisers at the Marina were just as nice as can be. One couple offered us a ride to the grocery a few miles away. I got the fresh goods we’d need for the next 5 days (which is what we can accommodate onboard Talisman). And, they entertained me with their accounts of travels to Venezuela and other parts of the Caribbean. Now their Morgan was parked at the Marina while they worked day jobs. But who knows for how long. It seems that, once you taste the good life, you always look forward to your next trip, when you can again break away from conventional life for as long as the funds hold out. They were probably in their 50’s but still going strong.

Another couple we met had sold their farm and their belongings in Texas. They were probably in their 40’s and whose grown son also loved sailing. This couple bought an Island Packet, moved onboard, and was making their way to Florida and the eastern Caribbean. This is not unusual amongst sailors. And, what pleasant and interesting people! Everyone at the Marina, whether sailor or staff, was great. Even teenagers seem to do well, and that’s a lot to ask for. Maybe it’s the saner, healthier environment of Nature that puts things in perspective for humans.

And, by the way, the food at Flippers Restaurant on site was very satisfactory, and the views, enchanting.

Wed 6/3. The weather was deteriorating. Heading west would have meant heading directly into the storms. Why not stay another night? We decided to do just that and spend the day cleaning, charging up equipment, checking on weather reports and so forth.
Meantime, we spoke with our sailing buddies on the s/v Candida. They were anchored in Wolf River. We would connect with them around Ingram Bayou where Mike and I planned to spend the next night.

Thu 6/4. Long necked herons accompanied my yoga. Everything looked refreshed after the all-night rains. We left Bear Point Marina and pointed toward Ingram Bayou, across the way and a few miles west. The entrance is easy to pass up. Just remember that it is on the east side of Barber Marine.

Once in we were met with a very pretty sight, and we weren’t the only ones admiring the scenery. Several sailboats, including a Cat, and one house boat occupied the area just inside the entrance channel. That’s where depths are reasonable (7-9 ft.). Beyond there, depths dropped off to 5 ft. or less. Ingram Bayou is very nice (different but not nicer than the Tchefuncte River, LA from where we hailed), with rich foliage, lots of birds, and frequent visits of dolphins. And clean, fresh water, perfect for a swim.

Our friends showed up and decided to overnight. So they rowed over in their dinghy (Bubba the cat stayed to protect the boat). We chatted and caught up, as well as revisited the inevitable events that occur when one is cruising (see Part I). Luckily Talisman didn’t have a breakdown of any kind. The engine was leaking fuel, and Mike had jury rigged a container to catch most of the diesel (taking care of that and a rusted 30-yr. old fuel tank will be the subject of a posting by Mike in the near future).

Mike and I took a dip in the Bayou. Oh, how refreshing! That, a nap, and dinner with our friends on Talisman made for a luxurious afternoon and evening. Good company, fabulous sights, and even the threatening cloud buildup and thunder were part of the fun.

Phil and Karen were going to leave for Pensacola the next day, and we would be pointing in the opposite direction toward New Orleans. Mike and I experienced a twinge of envy. Could we instead follow them to new and different places, rather than head home? Not this time, unfortunately. But soon we would be back and give in to that urge to push the envelope further: Pensacola, Panama City and beyond the Florida Panhandle.

Our trip wasn’t over. We would experience new places on the way back to New Orleans: Horn and Cat islands. Stay tuned for the final leg of this trip. Those islands and getting there added a lot to our total experience!