Boomtown Casino to Houma

It was another very windy day today, about 20 mph from the SE
We left boomtown Casino at 6:30 and arrived in Houma at 1 PM. Marsha's father was there to pick us up
We did get some rain on the way but needed it anyway to wash off some of the salt  picked up on the trips from The Wharf  and Pass Christian where we got a lot of spray.
We were at home about 3PM all was fine there.

Pass Christian to Boomtown Casino near New Orleans

We Got up early and left the Pass Christian Marina at 6:30 it was windy all night and still blowing about 13 from the South. By the time we reached the Rigoletts it was quite rough. The waves in the sound don't  get too big but are choppy, and bounce the boat around from all directions making it uncomfortable. anything not well secured will fly onto the floor. neither of us get seasick (yet) but some do and say it is no fun at all.
We locked through New Orleans and across the Mississippi River quickly and were tied up at the Boomtown Casino bulkhead by 4PM. Dinner in the casino,
We plan to leave for Houma early and should be there mid afternoon and home a couple of hours later, if all goes well.

Levee work on the ICW East of New orleans it is a big project!

A pumping station in conjunctio with the levees

Flood gates across the ICW part of the project

Sunrise outside Pass Christian

 

 

The Mississippi sound kept getting rougher.

Near New Orleans in the ICW Canal it was calm but the wind was still blowing hard.

Click below to see our location tonight, Boomtown Casino Harvey, Louisianan

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=29.84695,-90.06088&ll=29.84695,-90.06088&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

The Wharf to Pass Christian

We left the Wharf at 6:45 it was hazy but  dead calm. we made it out to Mobile Bay which was also quite smooth too. After we passed Dauphin Island the breeze started picking up stronger and stronger till it was really blowing hard as we passed South of Pascagouola, MS. It was a very rocky ride in the "confused"  chop, mixed with the waves coming in betweeen the Barrier Islands. We kept on, carefully, especially going up or down from the flying bridge finally I started steering from below where the motion does not seem so bad but the visibility is not quite as good. About 4:30 I called the Pass Christian Yacht harbor to see if they had slips, I told them we just needed a spot to get out of the wind for the night, they found something and we entered the Marina about 6PM. After getting siecured in the slip I went to sign in and pay the dockage fee, they told me we had been classified as a "vessel in Distress" so no charge for the stay. Very nice of them I'll have to try that more often!
If conditions are not too bad we will continue West tomorrow and if all goes well make it to 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=30.3107,-89.24799&ll=30.3107,-89.24799&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

The Intracoastal was calm as we left the Wharf

 Jimmy Bufett's sister Lulu's place, Homeport 

A nice looking tug we met before passing under the Dauphin Island Bridge in the background.

The Wharf Marina

We spent the day at he wharf today Our friend Ted drove down from Mobile so we had a nice visit, and lunch with him. Ted keeps his boat Bay Spirit, a Camano, here so we spent some time on it too. After lunch I did some things on Gumbo and had a walk around the Wharf development.
Some bad weather is forecast for the Mississippi sound between here and New Orleans starting Tuesday night so we will try to do a long day tomorrow and again Monday to, if all goes well be in New Orleans and in sheltered water before the front comes through. We probably will not have intenet acess tomorrow night so possibly no post tomorrow evening.
Miles today 0

Pensacola Beach to The Wharf Marina, Orange Beach Alabama

We had the anchor up and were on the way from Pensacola Beach at 8:40, winds were light in the morning but soon picked up to about 10 K. There was a lot of pleasure boat traffic as today is a holiday for many, Good Friday,  making it a three day weekend. We also had some fantastic free shows on the way. As we crossed Pensacola bay the Navy's flying team The Blue Angels started one of their practice sessions, they were doing many of their maeouvers and did about 4 fly overs quite near us, those planes ROAR. Next a group of dolphins tagged along for about ten minutes swimming alongside of the boat jumping and having a great time
    .Around noon we stopped at Bear Point Marina tied up at their dock and went in for lunch. It is not a good place to stop, it is close to the Intracoastal Waterway and there are lots of boat wakes making it VERY rocky. Won't be stopping there again any time soon.
We stopped in Ingram Bayou for a while but the spot I like to anchor was taken so we moved on to The Wharf Marina got there and were tied up at the dock at 3:30
Dinner on board, lunch leftovers.

The Blue Angels Navy Flying Team

Flying by up close

Another pass

A dolphin joins us

And another, this one has some sort of tufts on his dorsal and tail fins???

 Click on the picture to enlarge. Two of the three dolphins had these

Marsha taking pictures of the dolphins

Sunset from the Marina Slip

 Enhanced,  with Photo editor

To see our location at The Wharf Marina click on the link below.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.29368,-87.63162&ll=30.29368,-87.63162&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Baytowne to Pensacola Beach

We departed Baytowne at 8:20 it was overcast with a light breeze from the Southeast. We traveled along Choctawhatchee Bay to Ft Myers the along the waterway between the barrier Islands and the mainland. We saw no commercial traffic and only a few pleasure boats today.
About 2:30 we approached Pensacola Beach where we had the anchor down by 3:40 it is a nice spot one we had not anchored at yet the water is 11 feet deep over a sand bottom. We are anchored in front of Hemmingways restaurant, so we launched the dinghy and went in for dinner. We have been to the resaurant several times the food we have had there has always been good. It is a nice place with lots of Hemmingway memorabilia on the walls. It was nice to sit on the restaurant balcony and be able to see the boat at anchor not far away.

In the channel leaving Baytowne ti was nice and calm

Approaching Fort Walton form Choctawhatchee Bay

These guys buzzed us as we cruised along the waterway.

There are lots of military facilities in the area this is one of their towers.

A small plane was dragging this sign as he circled the anchorage a several of times I guess the couple must have been having dinner in one of the nearby places No word as to what she answered.

Wiew from the boat, lots of restaurants and bars in the area being spring, Easter break they are very busy

 

Sunset from the boat, calm, but the wind picked up a little after a while.

 Miles today - 52

To see our location at the green arrow click the link below.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.33761,-87.14075&ll=30.33761,-87.14075&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Baytowne Marina

We spent the day at Baytowne I washed the boat, filled the water tank, and did some maintenance on the boat and walked around the town for a while.
Dinner at one of the local pizza spots.
Windy today, heading towards the Pensacola area tomorrow.
mile today - 0

Gumbo in the slip, Tortuga the trawler with blue canvas is in the background. She belongs to friends from Baton Rouge

Baytowne Village is behind the shoreline, taken from the marina.

"80s Tribute Band"  concert in Baytowne square

It was free, but not worth the price. We didn't hang around long.