September 2009Wednesday 16th,
0915 Pos: N 30*06.925 W 085*45.160Heading: 270* due west Distance: 170 nm Forecast: Light and variable wind. Seas 1-2 feet.
Thunderstorms possible 60% precip.
Conditions: south wind 8-10 kts Seas 1 - 2 feet 85*F ( damn hot!) Eng Hrs: 2478
Michael and I are celebrating our birthday's by taking a little sailing trip. This is the first leg of the "HMR return trip to Texas." Only sailboat people are insane enough to make an 11 day, 600 mile journey, to compete in a 150 mile overnight "Regatta". It's not even a real race, just a regatta.
The first mild squall hits us at 1245. The air temp dropped 20 degrees and shifted 150* to a north breeze at about 15 kts. SOEL tacked without ever adjusting the autopilot! We simply trimmed the sails over to the other side. By 1430 we were back on port tack with a steady south wind. ? ! ?
Finally, about dark, the wind settled in at a comfortable 15kts from the south and the sky cleared. No moonlight tonight and the stars were gorgeous! The Milky Way was clearly visible and we sighted shooting stars, constellations we knew and orbiting satellites we know nothing about. Tyndall AFB was conducting night time activities, so we got to see the fighter planes popping off flares during their "Top Gun" like practice session. Way cool!
Thursday, 17th
Decide to go inland at Mobile Bay. (even though its still dark) One last little rain storm hits us west of the Dauphin Island bridge and we make good time sailing the rest of the way.
Mike and take turns napping and working online. He finally reserves a rental car to take him home and I find the Biloxi Small Boat Harbor. It is one of the few marinas in this area that are open - four years after Hurricane Katrina. Prices are reasonable, only $1 per foot per night, with elect, but no bathrooms! Man, I was looking forward to a good hot shower. We shower on board and discover... the shower pump quit working! It's always something with these damn boats.
Next door is the Hard Rock Casino, so we walk over to find a beer and a cheeseburger. Bad idea.. Burgers are $18.50. Pass. Two beers cost us $13. Couldn't get outta there fast enough. "Hey, Dude. Why you runnin?" At the Shell gas station across the street we find a 30 pack of beer for $13.99 and head back to the Marina. A local Shrimper sells us about seven pounds of fresh shrimp for $20 and Mikey whips up some delicious Shrimp Tacos. We eat till we can't breathe, and pack the rest in the freezer. Sleeping by 2100.
Friday, Sept 18th
Heading: West to New Orleans Distance: about 80 miles Depart: Biloxi small boat harbor 0900.
Forecast: Scattered showers, thunderstorms possible, high 86, 50% precip, south wind 5 - 10 kts.
Conditions: at 0900 cloudy South wind at 10kts.
Mike gets off the boat before 0730 and I get off the dock before 0900. Sailing in the Mississippi Sound is awesome, but, I miss my brother already.
First squall of the day hits me between Cat Island and the Rigolets packing a punch of 30+ knot winds and buckets of rain so thick I can hardly see the bow rail. I had plenty of time to prepare, so it was really no big deal, but the tug boat ahead of me had a rough fight.
1500 the wind shifted to west at about 15kts and SOEL became a Trawler for the rest of the day.
Entered the Rigolets at 1600 - engine room check - OK.
Motor to Nawlins just after dark and reach the L&N Railroad bridge at 2015. The Operator tells me the bridge just BROKE! Power failure. I drift around for an hour with two other pleasure boats and about a dozen shrimp boats till the operator gets back on the radio and announces that the electrician will not start working on the problem till 0600 tomorrow morning. I decide to just keep going, turn around and call the next bridge.
He's got a train coming in 15 minutes. Yea, right. I wait another hour. Finally lock through the Industrial Canal Locks to get into the Old Man River at midnight. Wait two and a half hours for the Algiers Locks. West bound in the Algiers canal at 0430. Seven hours to get through New Orleans! Yuck!
By the way... the lift bridge at Highway 90 will not answer you unless you call them by the BRIDGE name Danziger - not Chef Menteur Highway bridge, or HWY 90 bridge, but Danziger. The name on the bridge, of course. Could anybody even SEE the name on the side of that huge slab of concrete? Next is the Railroad bridge under Interstate 10. Of Course that one answers to L&N railroad.?.?.?
Then... the very next bridge, which is another railroad bridge, has to be called by the HIGHWAY name - which is Florida Ave. But even that is not good enough. You just say "Florida Bridge" Fine.
Of course 500 feet later you run into the Claiborne Ave bridge which is really named the "Seeber" bridge - but of course they won't give you the time of day unless you call them by the highway name, (Claiborne - instead of Seeber) and the Bridge Tender will be so polite and help full. Of course a couple of yards later you run into the New Orleans Navigation Canal Locks. Even in the dark I could see that sign. But, they don't answer to that. They answer to the "Industrial Lock". (Don't ask me why.) Before you can even get outta tha Locks, you have to call the next bridge... which is on highway 39 - but, you guessed it - you have to call them by the name of "St Claude" - not Highway 39 bridge... (that just sounds dumb.) Did I mention that Traffic Control is on Channel 12 - Tow boats, Tug boats and half the locks and bridges on channel 13 - the other half of the Locks and bridges on 14 - USCG and everybody else is on 16?
Are you confused? I lived through it and I'm still confused.
Saturday 19th
Arrive at Houma Municipal by 1430 and Love-E is there! Yeah! We drive over to Donna and Roberts for the best boiled crabs on the planet and then I drop into the "sleep of death" again.
Over 300 miles - half the trip already - in two big jumps. Not bad. But I have only had about 12 hours of sleep - total - since Tuesday night. I'm exhausted!
Sunday, September 20th, 2009
Depart: Houma 0700 Arrive: Morgan City 1400 Distance: about 40 miles.
Eng Hrs: 2507 Eng Room check: all OK Heading: still West, duh.
Forecast: Wind light and variable - 40% precip - poss tstorms.
Conditions: Sunny and HOT - no breeze. Fuel: still over half Water: less than 1/2 Ants.
Don't know where the ants came from, but, I'm smashing them left and right.
"Sleep of Death" till 0600 then, back on the road! Love-E slept aboard and I didn't even have time to fix her breakfast.
No trouble with the Dularge bridge this year. Last year the operator wouldn't answer my calls for over an hour. Crossed a Wildlife and Fisheries agent in an airboat about 0900. He took one look at my inflatable harness and went off to bother someone else.
Bayou Boeuf locks were open and we tied up to the Morgan City docks at exactly 1400
Elizabeth met me at the dock again and we got to visit over a bowl of Shrimp Etouffee.
Gators - 2 Bald Eagles - 1 R-boats - 1 BigAss woodpeckers - 2
eng room check: OK Repacked shaft log.
Monday Sept 21
Position: N 29*41.711 W 091*12.613
Depart: Morgan City 0500 DARK! Arrive: Shell Morgan Landing 1650
Heading: West Distance: around 60 miles Fuel: 1/2 Water: Full
Forecast: 40% precip, T-storms, high of 86 Conditions: HOT humid and skeeters.
Wake at 0330 and fill a Thermos of coffee for Love'E. Kissed goodbye without breakfast, again. Filled water tanks and pushed off the dock at 0515. First half of trip was pretty boooring, hot, river boat ride. But, the second half was much better. I actually got to sail. The wind shifted South around noon and the sails were still wet from a rail shower 2 days ago, sooo... I figured they needed to dry. The bonus is, SOEL goes faster with wind than with diesel.
Speaking of fuel - took on 40 gallons of diesel for only $2.15 per gallon! CHEAP! Overnight fee - $20 with elect and hot showers.
Last week, Mike grabbed a Diet Coke out of the fridge, showed me the gray slimy froth on the bottom of the can and said "Something died in your fridge." I'm still not sure what the scientific experiment was, but, I took out everything cleaned it and repacked the refrigerator. Cell phone service is intermittent at best and I've got calls to make. Check in's, Birthday wishes and bridge lifts.
Tuesday, 22nd Happy Birthday lil Brother!
Position: N 29*47.030 W 092*09.283 Shell Morgan Landing, Intercoastal City, LA
Depart: Intercoastal City 0645
Arrive Bow Tie Marina, Lake Charles. 2100
Distance: about 90 miles WOW ! Heading: take a guess
Forecast: 80% precip, t-storms, high 88, South West wind 5 - 10 kts
Conditions: clear and hot till noon, then rain, rain, more rain and lightning. Yuck.
Fuel: full Water: full Happy boat!
Top off oil, check transmission fluid, check fuel filter, tighten packing. Float through Leland Bowman locks at 0815 and sip coffee while bird watching.
Wind shifted to North West at 1135 and temp dropped about 20 degrees. That must be the front.
Hit a submerged log that rattled the prop at mile 215 - about 1515. Called Doug at Bow Tie marina and made arrangements for the night. Waited for two pontoon bridges and the Calcasieu River locks then turned North up the Calcasieu River. Tied up next to the USCG boats and was sleeping by 2130.
Wednesday, 23rd
Position: N 30*12.225 W 093*14.382
Depart: Bow Tie Marina 0430 (to make bridge appt)
Arrive: Steve's Landing 2030
Distance: Almost 100 miles! Yikes! Heading: why do I even. . .
Forecast: more rain, t-storms, but cooler
Conditions: thick fog early, overcast the remainder, no rain.
Alarm went off at 0400, made coffee and get moving. The only bridge that is NOT manned is the Ellender bridge. It posts a clearance of 50 feet. SOEL is supposed to be 54. I don't even gamble.
One must call the Dept of Transportation and ask them to put a guy on the bridge at the time you say you will be there. Otherwise you will be calling an empty building over the VHF radio. The guy was there early - so was I - and he called me at 0640. I thanked him for getting up early and continued.
The fog burned off by 0900 and it was just gray and cloudy all day. The favorable tide kept pushing me along at a good speed, so I changed plans - AGAIN - and called Steve's Landing. It's gone. Hurricane Ike knocked it down, but the lady on the phone said "Go Ahead" The sun finally peeked out at about 1850, then the wind started blasting 25-30 and cold.?.? What's going on?
Yesterday I washed the deck and topsides in all the rain and today I kept myself busy waxing the fiberglass and polishing stainless.
Docking a sailboat, single handed, in a 25kt breeze, in the dark is always exciting.
Thursday, 24th - 2009
Wake up to 20 kts outta the North. Yeah, it's still blowin'.
Last week I had to make a decision. Go offshore Saturday (5 - 7 days) or go inland Wednesday (9-11 days). Either way, I would hit Kemah the weekend of the 25th. The offshore route would be exaggerated by the numerous rigs and platforms off the coast of Louisiana. I would have to sail South West from Florida to some point at least 100 miles off the coast of Louisiana, then turn West in the safety fairway, and finally head North West to enter the Galveston Jetty. The biggest influence was obviously, the weather. A counter clockwise rotating Low pressure system was centered over north Louisiana, meaning I would have a headwind the whole way. This low was kinda stuck and I didn't have enough time to wait and see what would move it along. WELL. Now I feel even better about my decision. If I would have had to fight up wind all the way across the Gulf, then deal with this 25 - 30 kt North wind from this frontal system, after days of limited sleep. . . don't want to think about it.
This morning, I'm listening to W & J on the radio, sipping coffee and waiting for the breeze to calm down. So glad I'm not battling up the outgoing tide, trying to get into Galveston Bay right now.
0900: apparently many of the work boats and tow boats decided to wait out this foul weather also. This morning the traffic is heavy.
1000: Nicely making way with the #3 jib and single reef main. 6kts + in the 20 mph wind and 2 foot chop is pretty damn good! Sailed in to Watergate about 1600 and backed into pier 9A / slip 36. All the hard work of getting SOEL here. . . now it's time to get to work! Arrrgggggh!
Saturday 26th
engine hours: 2556 time for oil and filter change. New shower drain pump impeller installed.
Elizabeth and I rented a storage unit and have unloading "non-essentials" for two days. it's frightening how much junk can sneak up on you. E straightens out the interior. I polish the outside.
SOEL is looking pretty for the party!
Wednesday 30th
The crew (Everybody!) is scheduled to be here by 2100 tonight . . . and , I'm so fired-up!
SOEL is clean and ready: clean bottom, clean prop, shiny hull, varnished teak, new sails. I cant wait!
Airport delay has everyone arriving approximate midnight. Yuck. Not an ideal way to start an overnight trip. everyone should be well rested. Jeanne brought T-shirts. J.K. brought booze. We are all so excited to be all together but, we must try and get some sleep.
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