Overnight Mandeville, LA

Even during the hottest days, such as any day in the New Orleans summer, there's an urge to get away on Aventura, our 37' Lagoon Catamaran. George, our fellow cat owner and marina neighbor, went along for the ride. We left early morning for the 3 1/2 hr. crossing of Lake Pontchartrain, from the "south shore" to the "north shore." That is, from New Orleans to Mandeville, La. There are several communities around the Lake that make it a nice short trip, and they are all pleasant to visit. For example: Slidell, Bayou Lacombe, Mandeville, Madisonville, and a couple of points along the New Orleans lake shore. These are communities that have a history and share the love for fishing and boating. That makes for good eating, good stories and good landscapes. If you visit the area, they are interesting enough to spend time at each one. Mandeville offers a free dock by the Yacht Club. Three nights maximum and you sign up at the Yacht Club. Water and electricity included. Walking or biking along the shore reveals a lovely neighborhood of southern homes, restaurants and other small businesses. There's even a biking trail called the Abita Trail that brings you to the closeby town of Abita with a well-loved brewery. Try it some time. Until next time, keep on sailing!

Madisonville Boat Show 10-2011

This year's Madisonville Boat Show in October was a big hit. The weather couldn't have been nicer. Mike and Gina, plus Gina's friend, Margie, traveled on George's pretty catamaran, Anejo, across the lake from New Orleans. A slight breeze had us motorsailing and enjoying ourselves. George and his daughter, Beverly, hosted us on his cat for the weekend so we could "do the show right." See the embedded slides!

Limited but not trounced by BP oil spill

Yes it's really very hot down here in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region. And, yes the massive BP oil spill has dampened our plans to sail off into the Gulf for the time being (eight weeks into this mess). But we still have Lake Pontchartrain and the surrounding communities/playgrounds. If we really want to, we can travel down the Rigolets and into the Gulf but not move beyond Cat Island. We're contemplating that possibility, that is if the current weather and other trends keep the oil away.

In the meantime, we'll do what most sailors do down here. We'll avoid the intense heat of the day and opt for sailing late afternoon and/or evening. Our new friend George has a neat Cat he keeps at South Shore Marina.

Oh, I need to mention that we moved back to this our old marina, refurbished since Hurricane Katrina ('05). It's where we lost our first sailboat, a C&C 27 - Mark V, to the storm. South Shore is beautiful (like spanking new), great price and closer to the exit for the Rigolets (hence Gulf of Mexico). We're happy to have brought over our current 1979 Pearson 365 ketch, "Talisman," and look forward to more coastal cruising from this strategic point.

So George invited us on his 1993 Juntot Cat, 40 ft., and we sailed off around the Lake along with a friend of his. What a treat! The Cat sailed well in light winds, responding really very quickly, no matter how relaxed the sail plan. Multihulls feel lighter and more stable, given their beaminess and less weight below water. Talk about space - wow! Lots of comfort. Mike and I experienced more enjoyment with less effort. Would that be the case in trickier weather? We plan to test that further. Thanks, George!

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.

Talisman sails the Mississippi Sound

TALISMAN GOES COASTAL !

MARCH 2009

We had been waiting for this day. We wanted to finally exit the protective waters of Lake Pontchartrain and venture out into the Gulf of Mexico. How would it feel to navigate the great expanse? We would see land a few miles away on our port side, but not always. Eleven months after the purchase of our Pearson 365 ketch, Talisman, we were eager to push the envelope and try new adventures. Oh, we knew that this “first” was not going to be the grandest adventure, but the excitement and drive for exploration was enough to fuel our imagination.

After all, we had lost our first and only other sailboat, a C&C 27 named Sas-Sea Lady, that Hurricane Katrina had claimed. It was sad to find it heaped up on the shore at Southshore Marina in eastern New Orleans. From what we could see, all the other boats had either been flung on shore or were sunken. A few masts pointed out of the water to remind us of the mighty hand of Mother Nature. We had already been toying with a bigger and better sailing vessel for our growing interest in cruising. SasSea Lady wasn’t exactly comfortable for multiple nights out. We had sailed across the Lake and included overnighters at the Mandeville public dock and in Bayou Lacombe, but transitioning into coastal cruisers represented a whole other dimension.

After many boat inspections throughout several states, literature, a boat show, and interactions with other sailors, we settled on Talisman. It was right here in our own back yard, and also made a slip available to us on the north shore of the Lake. Slips were and are still hard to come by in this area and along the Mississippi Coast ever since the Hurricane. Finally we had a boat of our own again; Talisman was welcomed into the family in April of 2008.

Here we were in March of 2009, after updating and fixing structural, mechanical and electrical components, ready for our first foray into the Gulf. Mike had worked diligently (and still does – it’s a work in progress, as you all know) on bettering the systems and making the boat safer, more efficient, etc. At least his brain cells won’t go to mush too soon. I don’t know about mine but am hoping that the challenges of navigation, and organizational matters keep me alert.

Our first day of the Talisman Coastal Cruising I trip was consumed by getting everything ready for departure. Just inflating, hoisting it on board, and learning how to accommodate the new Achilles dinghy took up a number of hours. Then checking systems, cleaning, topping fuel and water tanks, organizing the galley, hooking up navigational systems, etc. wore us out.

DAY 1.

We headed for Madisonville just south of our marina on the Tchefuncte River. This is a beautiful river with the sights and sounds of bayou country Louisiana. And Madisonville is still true to its roots in the fishing and boating history of south Louisiana. It is a jewel of a town. Tying up at the public dock near attractive southern style homes and great restaurants on the water is a treat. So, we spent our first night there and enjoyed the ambiance we have loved from the beginning.

DAY 2.

Early in the morning of day two, I did as I always do six days a week, that is, yoga on the foredeck. We had the inflated dinghy taking up space exactly where I like to practice my yoga, which is in front of the main mast. However, I found another spot that suits me well. It’s port side alongside the boom, just behind the mast wedged in between the hatch and mast. The mist is lifting, the loons are dipping into the River, Cyprus trees line the banks with their exposed roots, and the early morning fishermen are motoring (purring) downriver and under the swing bridge to make it into the Lake for fishing and maybe some crabbing. We also set out, request passage at the swing bridge and motor a couple of miles toward the lighthouse at the mouth of the River.

We’ll have to request passage at the North Causeway drawbridge, and then pass under the railroad bridge and request passage under the Hwy. 11 Bridge in order to reach our destination for that day. We’ve calculated a late afternoon arrival at Oak Harbor Marina, City of Slidell. There’s a great seafood (and steak) restaurant named Phil’s with docking availability. Several sailors had recommended it on the SeaKnots blog after my post requesting suggestions for our trip. We passed Mandeville and Bayou Lacombe that we were so familiar with, and the Slidell area wasn’t too far beyond.

Lake Pontchartrain has very attractive communities, including New Orleans on the south shore. One could spend all of one’s sailing life on this Lake, the bodies of water that connect, and the many culturally interesting towns around it. But we also are training our eyes to the Gulf and beyond.
Passing under the North Causeway draw bridge, we pay our respects to the many pelicans that perch there, claiming that territory. The pelican is the State of Louisiana’s symbol. And they are interesting creatures to watch. Though not noisy as the seagulls tend to be, they fly gracefully, despite their size, skimming the water for an opportunity to fish.

After two more bridges, we entered Oak Harbor Marina. It is easily the cleanest, most orderly marina we’ve seen thus far. Surrounding the Marina are nice modern condos and townhouses. There’s a yacht club and a couple of restaurants. We stayed at Phil’s, spent the night tied up to their pier, but fueled up at The Dock, the other restaurant that dispenses gas and diesel (cheaply).

DAY 3.

Next day we were continuing our route of unknowns when we departed early for the Rigolets and Gulf of Mexico. It’s a narrow, but not too narrow (a mile at its widest), stretch of channel which provides good passage within a couple of hours from the Lake to the Gulf. The morning fog seemed to persist well into the late morning. So our traverse of the Rigolets was less scenic and more demanding of our full attention.

We passed Rabbit Island at the mouth of the Gulf. It had been suggested as a stopping off anchorage, if needed. There’s a rusty, discontinued oil platform that serves as a landmark. If you were to use the Industrial Canal into or out of New Orleans (that’s the Inter Coastal Waterway, or ICW), connecting to the Gulf, you would necessarily pass by Rabbit Island. There’s a half moon section surrounding the Island good for anchoring and resting for the night. Some mention there’s fishing there too and maybe gnats. We made a mental note to consider it on the way back from the Gulf. We’d have to see.

Finally, we experience the Gulf of Mexico! From Rabbit Island we could see where the Mississippi Sound begins (also part of the ICW). We follow the Coast Guard’s Coastal Explorer charts, but it’s evident that the Sound is well marked, with beacons lining up every couple of miles or so. The Sound runs parallel to the Mississippi Coast for a ways until roughly at the longitude of Pass Christian. Then it veers northeast to take you to a juncture that offers a couple of interesting options: Long Beach Marina on the Coast or Cat Island toward the south. We had been told of the enticing anchorage area of Cat Island, somewhat protected at its southeastern section, a hideaway called Smuggler’s Cove. We had planned to reach it that night but winds were picking up and the weather window looked like it was going to get worse before it got better again.

So, we made our way to Long Beach Marina and decided to study the situation more before making decisions about the next few days. Yes, we were disappointed but happy to find a functioning marina on the Mississippi Coast. Hurricane Katrina had devastated Bay St. Louis, Pass Christian, Long Beach, and greatly affected Gulfport, Biloxi and Ocean Springs. Only two marinas are functional right now: Long Beach and Biloxi’s Small Craft Harbor. Biloxi's Point Cadet, the premier marina along the Mississippi Coast, is due online in the near future. That's what officials informed me when researching this trip.

Long Beach Marina was surprisingly accommodating. It had had the reputation of shallow waters towards the back of the Marina where a restaurant once stood (before the Hurricane). We found that the Marina had been dredged and provided sufficient depths for our 4.5 ft. keel and slightly more (7-9 ft.). Water, electricity, fuel and waste dumping were available. There was also round-the-clock security. Several fast food places are within walking distance. If one had wheels, there is also a full-fledged grocery and marine supply stores within a couple of miles. Also, Gulfport is slightly less than two miles from Long Beach. We basically cooked on board and hunkered down for the evening. The trip from Slidell’s Oak Harbor Marina to Long Beach Marina had tired us out. The newness of it all, having to be continuously alert and moving about, etc., etc.

DAY 4.

Next day, we strolled over for a cup of hot coffee nearby. Then we visited with the Marina office personnel to get a better understanding about weather and other conditions that would affect our plans for the upcoming days. Would we decide to head down to Cat Island, directly below Long Beach? Or should we look towards Ship Island, next to it, or Horn Island on the other side of Ship, or Petit Bois following that one? Whereas Cat Island offers some protection from N and NE winds, the others somewhat protect from southerly winds.

Opting for these barrier islands is not recommended when experiencing winds above 15 knots. Winds were expected to pick up more than that that afternoon and for several subsequent days following. We were just not in luck for this time around. The people at the Marina office couldn’t have been nicer. In the end we decided, much to our chagrin, to turn back west toward Lake Pontchartrain and eventually home again.

We set out with choppy seas that same morning. Another sailboat coming from the Cat Island area caught up with us and we basically buddied up for the trip back to Pontchartrain Lake. As we radioed back and forth, we found out from our sailing buddy that winds had grown quite strong in the night and that the seas were a bit rough. Depths around Cat Island are not fantastic for fixed keel sailboats. As our sailing buddy remarked, it had been no picnic.

Once we got to the entrance of the Rigolets, we parted ways. We were curious to try out Rabbit Island for that night. But, alas, there was another sailboat taking up the ideal spot. Given the winds, direction and the need for swing room, we moved on. We motored up the Rigolets and headed toward Slidell’s Oak Harbor Marina and Phil’s again. Geoghen Canal, another possible docking place, is still not recovered by the Hurricane. Plus the restaurant is no more. There’s one or two places to tie up, and there’s water. But electricity is still not a sure thing.

It was a good choice to head over to Phil’s at Oak Harbor since Friday nights are really lively. The plentiful and fresh crayfish, shrimp and oysters are certainly hard to resist. We had a wonderful meal, coldies and a great overnight at their pier. Again, it was wonderful to wake up to the very attractive Marina, the chattering of birds, the clanking of halyards, the lovely homes and manicured surroundings and the community of boats. Yoga on the foredeck couldn’t have been better.

DAY 5.

That day proved to be a glorious day. We were able to break out the spinnaker (asymmetrical) while traveling back to the western side of Pontchartrain Lake. With the spinnaker we felt an immediate pickup and within minutes had doubled our speed. That was the most enjoyable sailing we had throughout this week long trip. The Tchefuncte River was so enjoyable, its beauty enhanced by the sunny and mild weather. There were all kinds of people on the River: on motorboats, sailboats, fishing dinghies, and any type of vessel imaginable. We wanted to alight at “the beach,” the spot we affectionately call that entrance point to the River that boasts a sandy beach (all of a couple hundred feet of it) and tempting waters. And we had wanted to overnight there. We went upriver to Brady Island, an anchorage spot we love. It’s basically a tiny island on the River beyond Madisonville but before our marina. We dropped hook with enough time to break out some cold beer and snacks and watch the sun set in this very attractive bayou country.

DAY 6.

The next day was a day dedicated to trying out the dinghy. It was already inflated, but we had to harness it and let it down gently into the water on the port side where we have a swim ladder ready to support our getting into the dinghy without keeling over. No problem. Once I was in it, Mike walked me and the dinghy around to the stern to lower the motor into the dinghy. Then he stepped in and off we went to explore the Tchefuncte’s many coves and marshy shores. The sun was fantastic for this time of the year. We sunned, lazed and took pictures wherever. Mike went for a swim at some point. Too cold for me! Later in the afternoon we motored back to our marina and called it a day…and a trip.