Pictures from Boomtown to Houma

This strange looking tug is used for manouvering vessels or barges usually in harbor, it passed by us beforfe we left Boomtown Casino's bulkhead.

A very nice house in near Lafitte about 15 mile West of the Harvey Lock

The "Chu Rouge", complete with un PC fisherman

The offshore supply boat Peyton Candies, at the Candies yard in Houma, looks like she will be ready for launching soon.

The Houma Twin Span bridges, The municipal Marina is under the bridge, a couple of miles East our slip In a couple of days I'll post some of the statistics of the trip.

To see our home slip loctation in Houma, Louisiana click on the link below

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=29.57683,-90.72437&ll=29.57683,-90.72437&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Boomtown Casino to Home

We left Boomtown at 7:30 this morning had a good trip back to the home slip in Houma. It did get quite windy during the morning and for the rest of the day. The South winds which are helping to blow the off shore oil spill towards the shoreline something we all dread, hopefully it won't be too abd because it looks like it will happen.
Marsha's Dad met us at the slip when we got in at 2:30, we unloaded some of the stuff from the boat, I'll go back for the rest tomorrow. Everything was fine when we got to the hose but lots of mail to go through!
I'll post pictures from to day's leg tomorrow. It was a great trip but, it is always good to be back home for a while!

Pass Christian MS to Harvey LA

Following a shrimp boat out of Pass Christian harbor.

Construction of Mississippi River Gulf Outlet floodgate

Entering the Industrial Canal locks on the East side of the river.

New Orleans Skyline from the river

Gumbo tied up at the Boom Town Casino, Harvey Canal bulkhead

W left Pass Christian in the middle of the shrimp and oyster fleet at 6:30 this morning. There are lots of commercial seafood boats at the harbor for some reason they seem to all leave 6-7 am. we followed them out. It was strange there were about 30 boats all working in a relatively small area. They must have some system worked out to keep from hitting each other they are all circling pulling nets for shrimp or dredging for oysters.

Our trip went well it was a bit rolly, but when we got into the ICW canal it calmed down. There was a lot of work being done on the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (AKA MR GO) flood gates. The MR GO was blamed for a lot of the flooding of New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina pushed Gulf waters up the channel into New Orleans.

We had great luck transiting New Orleans locks and bridges! We arrived at the first bridge on the East side, Florida Av., about 1 PM and exited on the West side of the river at Harvey Canal two locks and bridges later at 3:15 PM that is very good time!
It was short ride down Harvey Canal to the bulkhead at Boomtown Casino. About an hour after we got in Kendall and Kay Cranston arrived for the night in their beautiful trawler MV Higher Ground we had met them in Houma when they were on their way to Texas last year and were surprised and happy to see them again., they head East in the morning
We plan to leave for Houma tomorrow morning, if all goes well will be there mid afternoon.

To see our location at Boomtown Casino in Harvey LA click on the link below

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=29.84602,-90.06042&ll=29.84602,-90.06042&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Leaving Point Clear at daybreak.

A tug and barge on Mobile Bay's ship channel

A freighter goinu up the channel to Mobile. I woke up at 4 AM this morning and the wind had died down. We got everything moved down to the boat and left the marina at 6:30. The winds were light till we went under the Dauphin Island Bride and turned West, about 20 minutes later the wind started picking up it got very windy and very rough, we really got bounced around from 10 AM untill about 4 PM just outside of Pass Christian. We are staying at the Municipal Yacht Harbor it had been destroyed by Ivan years ago and now has been rebuilt and is quite nice.

If the weather is nice tomorrow as forecast we will leave for New Orleans in the morning if all goes well be in New Orleans in the afternoon.

To see our location in Pass Christian click on the link below:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.31078,-89.24885&ll=30.31078,-89.24885&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Still in Point Clear

It was very windy and rough on the bay all day so we weren't able to leave as planned, maybe tomorrow will be OK, but the forecast isn't good for then either.
Being marooned here would be perfect if I was still a golf nut, there are two great courses just across the street.

Point Clear

Grand Kids Harrison, Madison and Hayden at Point Clear Resort's beach.

Joshua ,Sunshine, and the boys left Saturday afternoon after Joshua and Christopher played a round of golf. Not long after they finished their game the winds picked up and it started raining hard. Christopher, Lori, and Madison left early this afternoon, we plan to leave first thing in the morning but the weather forecast looks iffy, we'll see how it looks in the morning.

Point Clear Marriott

The pool water was not to cold for these guys.

Or Grandsons Hayden and Harrison

We spent the day at the hotel I did some work on the boat then dinner in town.

Marriott Point Clear Alabama

The Marriott's beach on Mobile Bay

The pool, beautiful but still too cool for most floks.
The duck pond.

Gumbo at the hotel's marina.

Mobile Bay sunset with Pelicans diving.

After breakfast we drove into Fairhope and looked at a few antique shops, there are lots of them in the town. Then back to the hotel for the rest of the day, with dinner at a nearby restaurant.
Christopher Lori and Madison plan to arrive here Friday evening. If] weather permits we will leave for home Sunday mid day for the final leg of the trip.

The Warf Marina to Point Clear ], Mobile Bay

This Great Blue Heron had good luck fishing of the dock he caught this Mullet, about 10" long
The pictures tell the story better than words.

All down but the mullet's tail
Before we left the Wharf I saw this Geat Blue Heron fishing on the dock and took these pictures.

We left about 10:45 it was a short trip to Mobile Bay then North up the East coast of bay to The Marriott Hotel at Point Clear, where we were docked by 2:15.

Our son Joshua, Sunshine and the boys arrived from Baton Rouge about 8 PM. We will all leave, them by car us by boat.

To see our location at Point Clear click on the link below,
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.48556,-87.93474&ll=30.48556,-87.93474&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

An overcast but calm Monday morning at Redfish Point

Mother dolphin and baby, they and another large one (the father?) swam alongside the boat for several minutes.

Gumbo at The Wharf Marina in Orange Beach

Sunset over the ICW at The Wharf Marina
We had another short trip today, 17 miles from Redfish Point Florida to The Wharf Marina in Orange Beach, Alabama. The boat has been in Florida for exactly 3 months.
We left at 10:30 the trip over went fine, skies a bit overcast but light winds and warm temps.
We arrived at our slip at the Wharf at 12:30.

To see our location at the wharf click on the link below:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.29367,-87.63161&ll=30.29367,-87.63161&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

The Pensacola Yacht Club at the entrance of Bayou Chico it is a very nice facility mainly used by sailboats but there were a few power boats also.

Pensacola Light House it is still functioning and can bee seen from our anchorage

Gumbo at the Redfish Point Anchorage of Perdido Key lots of room here and 12' deep where we are anchored.

We took the dinghy in to walk the beach and look for shells. It is about a ten minute walk from the bay side shown here to the Gulf side

The Gulf side beach on Perdido Key,this goes on for miles in both directions. it is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore so has no development no vehicles allowed except fo the four wheelers used by the Park Rangers

We only had 15 miles to go today so we got a late start, before leaving the marina we stopped to fill the diesel tanks and pumpout the holding tank. When that was done we headed out to Pensacola Bay, we did go out into the Gulf for a few miles just to see how the water was. Going out the pass brought back memories of coming out here in my fishing boat many times back in the 80's when our family used to spend a week here every summer. Once an aircraft carrier was leaving Pensacola we were fishing in the pass, a bit to close to it and the escort helicopters roared over to shoo us away.

Since the weather is nice today there were many boats of all descriptions out on the water, as usual, lots of people fishing not too many catching!

We anchored at Redfish Point and took the dinghy into the island where we walked across to the Gulf side. There are not as many nice shells here as there are on the South Florida beaches especially Sanibel Island, but the sand is more white here.

We had dinner on board, tomorrow we will have another short trip to the Orange beach area
To see our location , the green arrow, at Redfish Point click on the link below.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.31844,-87.34285&ll=30.31844,-87.34285&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Bahia Mar Marina

The marina's forklift raising a boat, about 28' long, from the water

The storage building the boats are stored on racks, three high, inside. Just like bottles in a wine rack.

Sunset over the bayou Chico bridge, from our slip.
I walked to a food store in the morning to pick up a few things we will be needing for the next couple of days. The rest of the day doing a few things on the boat.

Saturday is a busy day here, the marina has a dry storage shed, it has racks inside where the boats are stored. When a boat owner wants to use his boat he calls the marina they take the boat down launch(splash) it, fuel it up, and it is at the dock ready for the arrival of the owner. When the owner is finished with it he drops it off at the dock, the marina employees wash it, and the forklift places it back in it's rack in the shed. Nice and easy, expensive too I'm sure.

We plan to leave here in the morning.

Pensacola Beach to Bayou Chico

Leaving Little Sabine Bay for the Intracoastal

Entering Bayou Chico, Marinas on the right.
We left Little Sabine Bay at 8:45 this morning, it was a short trip along the ICW and Santa Rosa Island then across Pensacola Bay.

Around 10:00 AM we turned into Bayou Chico on the North shore and just west of Pensacola. We arrived at the Bahia Mar Marina and tied up at our assigned slip. The Bahia Mar is a small but very nice place it has floating docks, and a good restaurant on site. Our friends ted and Mona drove over from Gulf Shores with a bottle of wine and some great smoked tuna dip, in the evening we had dinner at the marina's restaurant.

To see our location on bayou Chico click on the link below:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.39988,-87.24213&ll=30.39988,-87.24213&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

April 15, Sandestin to Pensacola Beach

Heading out to Chocktawhatchee Bay

Crane Barge on the Intracoastal Waterway, Chocktawhatchee Bay

ICW shoreline park

Huge Military Radar tower near Manatee Point, Santa Rosa Island

Little Sabine Bay Pensacola Beach
We Left Baytowne Marina at 9:15 the weather was fine but a bit breezy with East winds 10-15

Chocktawhatchee Bay had a light chop. Along the way we met a crane barge heading East, it is one of the few commercial vessels we have seen on the waterway since leaving Louisiana.

We passed lots of Military installations on Santa Rosa Island mainly radar and air support equipment.

We arrived at Pensacola Beach Marina, right next to the bridge about 2:30 and tied up behind an 85 foot yacht. We were here in our Camano in 2007, the marina had a very good gourmet grocery and wine store then but it closed 6 months ago, too bad it was a nice place.

We had dinner at Hemmingway's across the street it is quite good.

To see our location at Little Sabine Bay click on the link below.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.33664,-87.14557&ll=30.33664,-87.14557&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Baytowne

Tree house along the nature trail at the marina.

Baytowne lagoon, lots of restaurants and shops but nothing important, like a West Marine.

A fairway on one of the resort's four golf courses.

Sunset over the Baytowne Marina.

Beatles tribute band, The Return, playing in Baytowne. They put on a good show in the park, free, lots of people attended. The Baytown complex next to the marina is very nice, there are four golf courses with beautiful houses along the fairways. The Market area has lots of restaurants and small clothing and crafts shops.

A lot of salt builds up on the boat from the spray when we are traveling so I gave it a good washing today then walked around the Baytowne resort for a good while. We had dinner at the Acme Oyster House, a branch of the original in New Orleans had a po-boy, half shrimp and half oyster, Marsha the same it was very good.

Tomorrow we leave here and head towards Pensacola, we may stop for a night along the way.