Ingleside to Kemah (So We Thought)

Our Track in the Gulf of Mexico

Our plan was to leave Ingleside on s/v Bravo at 6:00am on our delivery back to Kemah. The boat needed a little more preparation that morning. After coffee and undoing the tangle of lines we were able to shove off at about 7:20am. The tide was out and we bumped ground a couple of times getting out the marina channel. Nothing to stop us though. We then made it out to the Corpus Christi channel and headed to Port Aransas and the jetties. We cleared the jetties at approx 9:30am, only about an hour behind our schedule.

Tom enjoying the ride

We then set the sails and turned off the motor. The Gulf of Mexico seas were about 4 foot swells from the S/W with wind at about 5 to 10 knots also from the S/W. This gave some following seas and the ride was nice but very slow. We could only make between 3.5 to 4.5 knots. 

Tom and a large rig

We got out into beautiful blue waters with Dolphins swimming along and playing around the boat. We glided by several ships anchored off the coast. Between Port Aransas and Freeport there are a hell of a lot of rigs and production platforms. We passed by the majority of them between Port Aransas and Matagorda Ship Ship Channel during the day and early evening. The full moon came out and gave us alot of light to see the rest of the rigs at night. We did pass three UNLIT rigs and platforms during the night. 

Sun popping up

The Lord provided us with a fantastic sunrise. The winds had died down during the night and we had to start motor sailing when we crossed the Matagorda ship channel. With the winds at about 5 knots and glass smooth seas we finally made it to the Freeport ship channel. Once we passed the Freeport ship channel we decided to give the motor a rest and sail for awhile. We shut off the motor and was making way towards Galveston Island at about 3 knots. At about 5 miles East of Freeport the winds went to zero again. The seas were flat and a beautiful emerald green. As we floundered around a couple of Dolphins came to check us out. The temperature was rising very fast so we decided to start motor sailing again to make the Galveston jetties before dark. The motor would not start. We discovered that there was a short in the neutral safety switch. It was sparking and then the wire burned off the switch. I attempted a repair and bypass, but the motor still would not start. 

Beautiful Gulf Sunrise

We then call Tow Boat U.S. and gave them our position 5 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico ENE of the Freeport jetties and advised them of the problem with the vessel. They told us that they would see us in about an hour or so. While we waited we decided to have lunch. The wind then started to blow at about 3 knots out of the East. I rolled in the genoa and set the main so we could make some headway towards the Freeport jetties to meet the tow boat. We actually were making about 1.8 knots when the tow boat got there.

The towboat threw me a harness and we headed for Freeport. The Captain of the tow boat had made arrangements for a transient slip for us at Bridge Harbor Marina. When we arrived there, the harbor master was there to help us tie up. Once we were tied up I cleaned up the boat. Tom contracted for all the repair work to be done. I then grabbed all my gear and headed for a shower. After the shower I put on my bathing suit bought me a big cold Land Shark beer and got into the swim up pool bar. Took a seat on one of the underwater bar stools kicked back and relaxed. Now this is cruising island style.

Our ride back to Kemah got there about an hour later and I am now back in Kemah. Once the repairs are completed I will go back to Freeport and bring sailing vessel Bravo to the Boardwalk Marina in Kemah, Tx

Location: Kemah, Tx