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

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

Sun 5/31. Mike felt rested (see Part I), as the wind did not pick up during the night and Talisman was well protected from the NW winds by our position east of Sand Island. The water was calm, the beach, ½ mi. away, shone with its fine, white sand. I couldn’t help noticing the contrast between Pascagoula’s petrochemical complex (in sight) and this simple, totally natural environment. Surely those folks who are tied to work in the industrial city of Pascagoula must escape as often as possible to the natural calm and simple beauty of Petit Bois. Even on a Sunday morning, motorboats and some sailboats were arriving or had spent the night.

After a quick swim for Mike, we studied the charts and decided to make way toward the other side of Mobile Bay, a peninsula type land mass called Mobile Point. There stands Ft. Morgan, and there seemed to be some anchoring spots near enough to shore. We were expecting light NE winds, somewhat variable, and then veering N sometime during the night. Another sailor had recommended it to us as backup.

From Petit Bois we would be passing Dauphin Island to enter Mobile Bay and would probably make it over to Ft. Morgan by late afternoon. Late afternoon is a desirable ETA because it gives us a chance to find good anchorage, rest, freshen up, admire the sunset with wine or beer or other, and dinner.

However, getting there was not as interesting as previous days. Maybe the presence of so many oil platforms was disconcerting. Talisman plodded along at less than 5 kts., and wind direction didn’t favor using the spinnaker. Too bad. It would have made for a more interesting day of travel. We ended up motoring most of the way.

Dauphin Is. is split in two, with the western part completely uninhabited and the eastern one on its way to full development. We had been to Dauphin Is. before by land. It’s roughly a 45 min. detour from Mobile City and connected to the mainland by a good 85 ft. bridge. The Island has an older part that conserves its greenery and old town charm, and the newer portions that are so developed that not a bush or plant can be seen. Why do developers love to level everything in sight? Don’t they know that the 85+° weather over several months of the year along the Gulf Coast make it suicidal to be without shade?

Anchorage about 1 mi. from Ft. Morgan and ½ mi. offshore proved to be just fine. Dropping the hook was easy. We settled into a gorgeous sunset and a great meal (couscous with chicken and spinach). We were even lucky enough to get cell phone connection, which provided the extra treat of contacting family and friends. We watched the frequent ferry arrivals and departures from Ft. Morgan to/from the east side of Dauphin Is. The woods and the coastline were also attractive. The only two problems with anchoring in that area are: a jungle of crab traps that would prove vexing the next day during departure; and, the oil platforms (Mike counted 9 in the general area we occupied). In fact, the next morning, an alarm went off at one of the platforms and did not cease for the next 2 ½ hrs. Needless to say, we prepared for departure faster than usual. I guess one becomes sensitive to what sounds are permissible when enjoying nature (and sailing).

Mon. 6/1. After breakfast we weighed anchor and departed. We weren’t sure what our next stopover would be. We only knew where we were headed. The ICW crosses Mobile Bay and then cuts through land on the way to Perdido Bay and finally to Pensacola Bay. It is affectionately referred to as “the ditch” or the “Alabama Canal” as it snakes its way through the area. Alabama Canal is my choice because “the ditch” does not conjure up the lovely images we saw along the way and that have stayed with us.

Somewhere around 5 mi. into the Alabama Canal we passed the first bridge (probably 85 ft.) after which we saw Lulu’s Restaurant immediately on the port side. Everyone we’ve talked to says, “you gotta try Lulu’s.” But it wasn’t in the cards this time around. It was after lunch and too early for dinner. We’d just have to catch it some other time. We knew it would be good given all the hoopla about it, and we had eaten several times at her brother’s restaurant, Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, in New Orleans. Anyway, we did get fuel and filled the water tanks at Homeport Marina, which includes Lulu’s on its premises, before continuing on.

The shores on both sides along the Alabama Canal were lined with trees, individuals fishing, and regular traffic of sailboats, motorboats and some commercial as well. Around 3 mi. after Lulu’s we passed under the second bridge (around 65 ft.). The Wharf was immediately after the bridge on our starboard side. It definitely was a surprise and seemed somewhat out of place: so shopping center-like with its tall buildings and retail fronts. I guess in a pinch we’d have to stop there, but not as a first choice. We were enjoying the older, quainter look of the Canal up to this point.

The next few miles showed us small communities of lovely homes and their boats on the Canal. The entrance to Wolf River lay to our port side, and that’s where our sailing buddies wanted to stay. But we preferred to press on and see more before deciding where we'd overnight. We passed the new and large Barber Marina on the north side of the Canal, and the entrance to Ingram Bayou, the must-experience area that sailors recommend strongly, which was just past it. We made a promise to catch it on the way back.

For now we wanted to find a way to provision Talisman. We called Pirate’s Cove Restaurant, which we’d find just beyond the next bend on our port side. With only a 4.5 ft. draft, we figured it would be plausible to tie up at the Restaurant’s pier, eat and find a way to a grocery store. Yes, we could tie up without any difficulty. There was plenty of room and the depth was permissible on the right side of the pier. However, there was no grocery nearby. So we called Bear Point Marina, just across the Canal on the south side. It had also been recommended by another sailor who had recently been there.

Bear Point Marina had been damaged by the string of storms and hurricanes in 2004 and 2005. But they were up and running again. Not only were their rates for overnight stays half of what others were asking (including the usual services of water, electricity, bath/shower, Internet connection, etc.), but also they offered a ride to a nearby grocery store, a Publix. The restaurant at the Marina looked inviting (Flippers), there was the needed dock store, everyone had a good attitude, and we discovered a very friendly live aboard community.

This was not a hard decision to make. We looked at each other and said, “let’s rent a slip for tonight.” What the heck: it was time for a little relaxation, air conditioning, Internet, and chatting it up with all these experienced sailors! And that’s what we did, except that one night turned into three. There’s a reason why, besides enjoyment. Stay tuned for Part III.

LA - MS - AL Trip May - June 09 PART I

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


Thu. 5-28. After overnighting at Madisonville, LA, we left at a decent hour heading toward Eden Isles, in the Slidell area. There was hope and excitement in our newbie hearts. After all, we would be facing a new challenge -- new places and a longer trip aboard Talisman, our Pearson 365 ketch. Would we meet the physical challenges that Nature seems to throw at everyone with seeming glee? Would we be able to solve boat functionality problems along the way? Were we well provisioned? Etc. Etc.
We tied Talisman up at Phil’s dock in the late afternoon. This is our new friend that we had visited days before so we could meet the other sailing buddies. It would be a loose group of boats sailing east. We met Karen, Phil’s friend and sailing partner, and a lively discussion ensued about anything relevant to sailing and the upcoming trip. They would be gone longer; we had a definite schedule.

Fri. 5-29. We all left early with the objective of making it to Ship Island off the coast of Mississippi by sundown. This time we took a different route than the last trip Mike and I had taken. As we approached Cat Island after exiting the Rigolets and a portion of the Mississippi Sound, we came around its south side, rather than by the north. It seemed quicker and less crowded, and it provided a better wind direction for sailing purposes. We tried our spinnaker and new sock along the way and realized it lent some efficiency to raising, lowering and handling the spinnaker in light wind.
Finally we all made our destination just around sunset. We had planned on anchoring at the Northwest side of the Island near the pier, but the increasing seas and NW winds made us question the sanity of our objective. Nonetheless, Mike dropped our 35 lb. Delta anchor at about the same spot we had used before (see past trip). But the seas were increasing and we had to question whether the anchor might slip and we’d find ourselves in 2-4 ft. of water. The 24 ft. depth quickly changes to 2-4 ft. within a few hundred feet. So we weighed in the anchor and dropped it again in a spot that was slightly further from shore, though vulnerable to the NW winds and waves that picked up after sunset.
Our friends’ boat, Candida, also experienced problems. Phil and Karen rowed over to us with a bottle of wine, and I was busily preparing a pasta dinner as a good conclusion for a long day. But, alas, that was not in the cards. We happened to look toward Candida and noticed with horror that it was moving toward shore and the 2-4 ft. shallows! After that, there was no relief for Phil, Karen and Candida. And, so much for dinner and company. They weighed and dropped hook several times in the night. While Mike and I stayed put with our GPS tracking any dragging of the anchor, Phil and Karen finally took off for the Mississippi coast late in the night. However, we didn't know and wouldn't find out until much later the next day.

Sat. 5-30. Next day, I emerged from below with yoga mat in tow after an uncomfortable sleep (too much rocking of the boat). Where is Candida? We tried to radio them but no answer. Bad cell phone connection also made it difficult to track them down. In the meantime we heard a call for assistance from “a vessel in the Ship Island northwest corner.” Could it be Candida? But why couldn’t we see it? What we could see was a smaller sailboat dangerously near shore and next to the pier. As it turned out, that was not a good thing. We had seen the small boat being repositioned the evening before, as had occurred with the other boats in the vicinity. That story ended better than expected when the Coast Guard, one of the Mississippi services, and a private towing company came to its rescue, and the boat was “unstuck” within a few hours.
We took Talisman around to the south side after breakfast, awaiting word from Candida. It was beautiful, serene and the Gulf was calm. We could have kicked ourselves in the you-know-where that we hadn’t moved over there the night before.
Anyway, we lazed away for several hours before heading to Petit Bois (many pronounce it “Petibo”). We had called Phil and Karen, got the scoop on their midnight escape and discussed where we would meet up next. So, we decided to rendezvous about midway across on the north side of Petit Bois around sunset. Winds were light from the N/NE. We made our way following the coastline, a mile or so below Ship Island, passing Horn Island (which we would visit on the return trip) before reaching our destination. We planned to round up at Petit Bois Channel, which is an extension of the Pascagoula Channel, to meet our friends on the north side.
It was interesting and relaxing to view the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico and avoid the heavy commercial traffic of the ICW. Beaches, birds, dolphins, fishing boats, and a sailboat or two were the only sights.
The channels in between the barrier islands have to be adhered to simply because tides, winds and other natural phenomena tend to create sandbars right and left, and they don’t show up on the charts. By the time your depth sounder spots them, it’s probably too late. So, we kept well within the channel, though ships and barges out of Pascagoula were of the enormous type, and the channel was fairly narrow at this juncture. In fact, we kept still at the sidelines at one point to let a megaton ship plow its way through and waited some more for its significant following wave action to subside. Whew!
Yes, we made it to our rendezvous point on Petit Bois and dropped anchor. But again, the wind was blowing out of the N/NW and we were not confident the anchor would hold in this terrain and in this unprotected spot. So, we weighed anchor and proceeded to the northwestern corner of the Island. Sand Island, a small island just slightly Northwest of us, seemed to offer some protection were the winds to pick up. And we noticed another sailboat in the vicinity, though it seemed a little too snuggled up to the shore for our sense of caution. Better to be overly cautious than end up in the shallows like the boat from the night before, we said. That lesson stayed fresh in our minds.
In the meantime, no sign of our friends. Luckily, we had cell phone access (kind of iffy on the islands). They decided to stay put at their getaway on the coast. Could we meet there at Petit Bois the next day? Well, that depends. It depends on whether the wanderlust gets the best of us. After all, we had a limited window of time, and there were new places to explore!
Stay tuned. The best is yet to come.

Louisiana - Mississippi - Alabama sailing adventure

Trip Itinerary :

Madisonville --- Slidell --- Ship Island --- Petit Bois Island --- Ft. Morgan --- Bear Point --- Ingram Bayou --- Horn Island --- Cat Island --- Mandeville --- Madisonville


Finally, a Louisiana – Mississippi – Alabama trip that had the variety we wanted! For us, a trip is worthwhile once Talisman, our trusted Pearson 365, exits Lake Pontchartrain. That’s not to say that we don’t enjoy the communities around the Lake. It’s just that we are familiar with them and are seeking new sights, new explorations.

On this trip we visited friends in Slidell, LA. We had met the loosely assembled group of sailors and seen their boats at a get-together. A few people took off the next day, and we headed out with others a couple of days later. We covered pretty much of what are the interesting islands off the coast of Mississippi – Ship and Petit Bois one way, and then Horn and Cat on the way back. We crossed Mobile Bay and entered the Alabama Canal (the inland ICW of Lower Alabama), lighting at several spots that are just as quaint and attractive as can be.

Altogether this was a satisfying trip. There was a good mix of anchoring in pristine waters off of uninhabited islands, sharing scenery and meals in bayou areas, and partaking of what the boating communities of Lower Alabama have to offer. Lower Alabama has plenty of good marinas, bayous, restaurants, and gregarious people, all of which made for great enjoyment and socializing, too.

Enjoy the slideshow. The next few blogs will cover the trip segments in more detail.

Caravan to the MS & AL Gulf Coast

Ah, at last!  We're happy to be part of the caravan of sailboats and sailors making their way from Madisonville, Mandeville and Slidell, out of Lake Pontchartrain and into the Gulf of Mexico.  We expect to be stepping off at some or all of these new destinations (new for us):  the islands of Horn, Petit Bois, and Dauphin; then crossing Mobile Bay and into the Alabama Canal (ICW) to visit Wolf and Ingram bays; and the various, much touted marinas/restaurants/bars that eventually lead into Perdido Bay.  

Don't worry.  You'll get a full account of people, boats, places and happenings.  The good, the bad, the happy, and the sad. All memorable for sure, confirmed by the many pictures we'll bring back to you.  Look for the stories on this exciting trip sometime early to mid-June.

If you have advice or stories of your own, please, please send them in.  

The Tchefuncte River, LA

  

The Tchefuncte River on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, LA is a beautiful and relaxing body of water that winds by several charming towns, homes, and great anchoring holes.  Sailors, fishermen, boaters of all kinds, and people who just love to be around water convene on this River.  Not to mention those that have been lucky enough to build their homes (from nice to lavish) on its banks.  The ecosystem is amazing:  a variety of birds, plants, fish, and maybe an alligator or two.    Enjoy the slide show!  

P.S. -- Will create slideshow of marinas on the Tchefuncte at another time.  Take my word for it: there are plenty of sailing vessels large and small at marinas and private homes along much of this 48 mile river.  

From the beginning

Here are some sets of photos since we've had Talisman, our Pearson 365 ketch. We lost our original sailboat, a C&C 27, to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Talisman's been with us since April 2008. After a few more adjustments, we'll be heading toward the horizon!

Ship Island or Bust!

Ship Island, MS April 21-26, 2009

Day 1.
We are determined to make it to Ship Island, MS on this trip. The barrier islands off the coast of Mississippi beckon us. And who are we to ignore a challenge!

Our marina is approximately one hour upriver on the Tchefuncte River. Preparation for the trip takes, as usual, until mid- to late afternoon. Mike had installed some efficiencies -- a gauge to monitor levels of the waste tank; another battery and a gauge to monitor battery activity; and, a few other adjustments -- and we are going to test them. We motor downriver to Madisonville, which is just as quaint and enchanting as ever. There we meet another sailor, who comes by to chat. He has an Islander tied up along the same public dock near Friends Restaurant. He's certainly entertaining with his tales of the Bahamas. I just wonder if we’ll make it there before the end of this year. Or is it next year. But sometime in the foreseeable future.

Dinner is on board Talisman. It makes sense to follow the “one pan” cooking logic. We have two options for cooking: an electric burner that requires AC, and an alcohol stove for when AC is not an option. To make best use of the one-pan/one-burner concept, I brought a bag of already cooked wheat pasta that will serve as a basis for several nights’ meals. Also another bag with cooked chicken for part of the meals, and cans of tuna and salmon for the other times. Frozen veggies make up the third component. And presto you have a meal! Of course one can't forget the spices and other ingredients that give special flavors. Since we’re on the subject of the galley (kitchen), you should know that you can provision for a good many days without having to depend on restaurants at all. Fresh fruit and veggies are kept in those new ever-fresh (green) bags, placed on shelves or in food hammocks. There are other containers and places for the nuts, dried milk envelopes, teas and cocoa, power bars and granola bars, cereal and other dry goods. The fridge is small but will accommodate the meat, pasta, frozen veggies, juice, other drinks and, oh, a few beers. Nonetheless, we plan to make restaurant stops along the way. If nothing else but to enjoy sunsets and views from another vantage point.

To cap off a great initial day we take our showers (so satisfying because Talisman has a separate shower stall, unusual for our boat size, 36.5 ft.), pour over the charts, and read to sleep (at least I do).

Day 2.

We leave Madisonville around 9:00 a.m. after our morning routines: yoga, breakfast and NPR news; filling up drinking water containers; checking engine and fluids, bringing handheld GPS and binoculars into the cockpit, and readying jack lines and PFDs for the open Gulf or rough weather on the Lake.

It’s the usual crossing of Pontchartrain Lake to access the Rigolets and then the Gulf of Mexico. The Tchefuncte River is all the way on the opposite side from where we need to go. Other things being equal, it takes roughly 2 – 2/12 hrs. to the Causeway Bridge from the mouth of the Tchefuncte River, then another 3 – 3/12 hrs. to the entrance to Slidell’s Oak Harbor, if the Hwy. 11 Bridge will open right away for us. We do experience an hour of angst as the N. Causeway drawbridge refuses to function well. Had the bridge engineers not been able to correct it, we would have had to consider an extra four hours tacked on to that day’s trip. It would make crossing the Lake in one day undesirable. The extra four hours would mean travelling alongside the Causeway Bridge to the S. Causeway just to pass under a fixed portion of the Bridge that is 50 ft. high (Talisman is 49 ft., thus only a 1 ft. clearance). We’re so happy to finally make it to Phil’s at Oak Harbor, Slidell that same day, that we treat ourselves to drinks and sunset on the restaurant’s back porch. And there’s Talisman staring gratefully at us.

Day 3.

The weather predictions are for steady 10 – 15 knot winds from the S/SE. We are comfortable that Ship Island’s northwest corner will be good for anchorage. The day is beautiful. The fog and chilly weather of the last passage are history. We make it out of the Rigolets and into the Mississippi Sound in a couple of hours. Piece of cake!

The sail to Ship Island is great. Talisman sails really nicely on 12-16 knot winds. It was a relief to not have to use the motor. So much of cruising involves the motor, which offends the ear and distorts what sailing should be – a communion with nature. We make it through Grand Isle Pass and Marianne Channel in the Mississippi Sound and the rest of the ICW to the Gulfport Channel. From there we turn south toward the barrier islands, then veer east at beacons 25 and 26. The old Fort Massachusetts has been in sight for some time. From afar it seems to stand on water. Just about 1/3 mile offshore from the Fort and its pier, we drop anchor. It’s exciting to experience sunset looking out on the Fort, the white sand no-frills beach, fish jumping out of the water, and nature all around us.

The anchor takes hold on the first try, and there's no need to reset it or find another spot. The natural shape of the Island gives us enough protection from the winds. In fact, the winds and direction do not change for our entire stay. What a relief! No midnight scampering to change position, reset anchor, or take care of other inconveniences (except to quiet the clanking halyards).

Day 4.

The chattering of birds and the sight of the majestic Fort Massachussets inspire my yoga practice this morning. Fishing boats dot the horizon. And, dolphins swim up to Talisman as if to check us out. Our plans for this day are to inflate the dinghy, explore the Fort and the beach, and take a swim. The lee side of Ship Island is calm enough. But the waves are strong on the south side of the Island, which faces the open Gulf of Mexico.

Preparing the dinghy is a 45 min. ordeal. So, preparing it and then knocking it down for storage translates into 90 min., 1 ½ hrs. There’s got to be a better way! There are too many parts to this. Therefore, a strong probability that something might go wrong. The dinghy’s motor could drop on my head or in the water; the harness sustaining the dinghy while it is let down into the water and walked back to the stern could get tangled; etc. In addition, what if we needed to deploy the dinghy immediately due to an emergency? And, wouldn’t it be better to free up the space it takes – prime location, easy access area just below deck? The difficulty with using davits off the stern to keep the dinghy in “ready” stage is that the mizzenmast gets in the way. Keeping it on the foredeck blocks my (shorty) view. Oh well, this is an ongoing concern that has defied a solution as of yet. Hopefully I’ll be able to proudly report a solution soon.

It takes ½ hr. to get to shore on our dinghy with its 2.5 HP, 4 cycle Yanmar motor (brand spanking new). Fort Massachusetts is quite interesting. British soldiers used Ship Island to prepare for their attach on New Orleans in 1814. So, the U.S. War Department built the Fort and other fortifications to protect its territory from enemy invasion. A large cannon stands intact on the upper level, and the fort structure has been restored for tourism. After visiting the Fort we walk to the other side, the windward side, where waves crash heavily on the shore. Facilities are bare bones: a few blue umbrellas (for rent) in line across the beach, and a snack truck. A couple of outdoor bathrooms and water fountains complete the services. One of the park rangers tells us that a restaurant and other tourist facilities are in the making. We do notice some construction activity on the Island and are sad about their converting this simple, no-fuss island into a big tourist attraction.

We return to the lee side and ride our dinghy to other parts of the shore for a good swim. There are fish, and a couple of stingrays wander close into the shore. Then back to our boat that seems to patiently await our return. It’s nap time!

Day 5.

No WI-FI or cell phone access. We listen to the VHF weather report. Now the winds are supposed to increase notably, supposedly15-25 knots. Though we had hoped to overnight at the Pass Christian Harbor Marina on the coastline of Mississippi, we decide it might be better to get back into Lake Pontchartrain. The winds will be following us and that means strong wave action at our stern. Strong winds and a bumpy ride do not make for fun sailing. Rather than continuing in the Gulf, we point towards Slidell’s Oak Harbor Marina again. It’ll take a day to get there from Ship Island. Had we started out from Pass Christian, MS it would have been plausible to reach Mandeville, LA in Lake Pontchartrain. Mandeville is another lovely place to stop in, an experience much like Madisonville since it has lots of historical charm and one can walk to restaurants and cafes. Pass Christian, Mandeville and/or Bayou Lacombe will have to wait for another time.

The winds are strong and following. We have an exhilarating ride back into the Lake and are worn out when we get to Phil’s. All in a day’s work. We know that the weather on the next day will be equally as strong.

Day 6.

The day proves to be an even greater challenge. The shallowness of Lake Pontchartrain contributes to more wave action than the previous day. Mike skillfully gets us under two draw bridges where the main mast is swaying back and forth to the rhythm of the waves. There is a real danger that the mast or other dangling parts get caught on the bridge. So the suspense is definitely there. Adrenaline, anybody? Who needs the movies when you can live it in person?

Ship Island, here we come

Remember to check out our pictures in Picasa Albums. Look for the link on this page.

This is a beautiful day. Finally we can head over to Ship Island. We couldn't have more information. Now it's the act of doing. Will keep in touch!