New Orleans Eastbound III

5/18-19/2014
Knowing we had a long day ahead, we left Barber Marina on the AL Canal early, around 8 a.m. An unencumbered day for travel -- temperatures in the upper '70s, and mild. We motored to Dauphin Is., AL, passing Wolf Bay, The Wharf Marina complex, Lulu's Restaurant and Homeport Marina (she is Jimmy Buffet's sister)along the AL Canal. Then we crossed Mobile Bay, turning south at Dauphin Is., working our way to Pelican Passage, an anchorage at the underbelly of the Island. Our first time there, it proved to be an acceptable cove and very popular for locals. We rowed to shore, splashed around in the water for a while before retiring for sunset and dinner. This anchorage offers very little protection from weather, but the Windfinder indicated good conditions through the night. By the way, if there was any passage or cut through before, there isn't now, which makes for a longer trip when leaving to go westward. Maybe locals ought to refer to it as Pelican Cove. Location: 30 deg. 14.634 N/ 88 deg 06.902 W

5/19-20/2014
Weather conditions continued mild. So headed for the next island west of Dauphin called Petit Bois, and it's across the state line in Mississippi. If you're from the area you call it "Petiboi," a little bit of a departure from its French root, but who's challenging that. It did take a while to reach the northeastern part of Petit Bois from the southern part of Dauphin, also because there's no real channel between the two islands. So, you pick your way through very carefully, watching the depth meter intently. It seems that the whole string of Mississippi islands plus Dauphin Is., AL are slowly moving westward, so scientists say, and the continuous shoaling makes any chart outdated. We arrived at Petit Bois in the early afternoon, a destination we're familiar with and like. Again, limited protection, as are the rest of the Barrier Islands off the Mississippi coastline. In this case, there was no boat nearby, which made it a peaceful anchorage. We dropped the dinghy and this time the motor worked! So we made it to shore and walked around a bit plus swam. Time to break out one of the DVD's we had bought at a garage sale or somewhere like that, pop popcorn on the propane stove and enjoy the evening. Even watching a DVD on a battery powered, 7 in. screen can be fun when in the "camping" mode. Beside that, I have my Nook and Mike his reading material, too. No cell phone connection. The VHF would cover communications with another boat or the Coast Guard, or hear weather reports. But otherwise, it was just our floating cabin in the natural setting. OK by us. Location: 30 deg. 12.261 N/ 88 deg 26.679 W

5/20-22/2014
You notice how we alternate between the nature experience and the town experience? If water tanks are full, there's plenty of provisions, boat operations systems are working well, and there's no issue with weather, then there's a choice. Choosing nature takes you to a simple state of body and mind, best for introspection, and feelings that develop from a natural setting. Marinas, hence city life, feeds the addictions: technology, places, foods, entertainment. Our addictions were calling. So, we headed for Point Cadet Marina at the eastern tip of Biloxi, across the bay from Ocean Springs, and across a narrow channel to Deer Is. We left early and made the approx. 30 nm run in less than 5 hrs., motor sailing. The Golden Nugget Casino is next door to the marina. Gambling and the gambling environment is not for us, but the Starbuck's inside was. In fact, the Hard Rock Casino, about 1 mi. down the beach, also had a Starbuck's, and we visited that as well. Guess it's true that Starbuck's is everywhere. We did the usual biking, looking for the historic area, grocery shopping, and taking in any breeze we could. It was getting hotter by the day. We also looked in on the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor, which is much better located if you're biking, but they discourage (or so we thought) pleasure boats in favor of commercial boats. It's full of fishing vessels, and some sell fish/seafood off the boats during certain seasons. Many Asians involved, which is a usual sight along the Gulf Coast. So, that means Asian stores and restaurants, too, which adds texture to towns. A good thing.

5/22-24/2014
We left Point Cadet and made the 3-hr. run to Gulfport Harbor Marina where we stayed for a couple of nights, while waiting to rendezvous with our friends at Ship Is. on the 24th. No casino visits, but yes biking and the usual. Gulfport Harbor Marina is first class and most of the boats are pleasure boats. A totally different atmosphere from the Biloxi marinas, as we saw it. Otherwise, the town has an historic area, restaurants and coffee nearby, just like Biloxi. The big difference in the towns is that Biloxi has become synonymous with casino life, though it was a fishing town (many tournaments available for you sports fishermen) and historic town way before the casinos.

5/24-26/2014
We were eager to meet up with George and family at Ship Is., which in and of itself is an attractive destination. So, we left mid-morning for the 2 1/2 hr. straight run down to the northern part of the island where Fort Massachusetts is and the better anchorages. It's also where anchorage spots are closest to shore for exploration. Though a popular island, this was Memorial Day Weekend, and the sailboats/motorboats abounded. George's cat, a Privelege 39, was in a perfect spot, and we dropped anchor nearby. Saturday and Sunday were days to visit, share meals, go ashore, swim and generally frolic. If you're ever in the area, don't hesitate to visit Fort Massachusetts and the Gulf beach area of the island. Very nice, so much so that there are several daily excursions back and forth from Gulfport, and maybe from other towns. All in all, this was a wonderful way to put the finishing touches on a trip that was meant to relax and did.

IN SUMMARY:
This was a 3-week plus sailing trip that started out with no plan. We stopped where we wanted and moved at the speed we chose at the time, and it worked well for us. Weather, as well as boat and body functioning cooperated to make it a memorable trip. We visited new places: Pass Christian Harbor Marina, Lake Yazoo, Redfish Point and The Cut on Big Lagoon, Paradise Inn anchorage, Pelican Pass/Dauphin Is., and Point Cadet Marina. We revisited places we already knew and liked: Ingram Bayou, Palafox Marina/Pensacola, Barber Marina/AL Canal, Petit Bois, Gulfport, and Ship Is. Sailing for us is all about exploring and relaxing, and this trip delivered. Even when the weather is inclement, as in last trip (November 2013), there's always something to remember warmly. Memories that keep us going in life.