Delcambre to Houma Downtown Municipal Marina

We got up early Friday morning (6-14-13 my birthday) and got ready to leave. Once we untied the dock lines we went to LeBlanc Fuel Dock to fill up with Diesel. The diesel at LeBlanc's was only $3.16 a gallon..... I can't remember the last time I paid this little for fuel. This is just another reason to visit Delcambre North Pier Marina. They had someone there to help you tie up and then leave.

We then headed down the bayou towards the ICW. Once we got to the ICW we turned East. There was not very much to see along this section except some wildlife. We had a gator that was about 10 feet long check out the boat as we passed by. He was a little camera shy so I couldn't get a picture.

We came across the a rig in the ICW that Jimmy Roller the Big Captain of the Bayou Crew Boats works on. Jimmy was not there when we passed. So we sent him a picture of the rig to remind him to go back to work so I can stay retired.






We got a little shower and then it got really hot for a while. I was showing 105 degrees in the shade of the Bimini in the cockpit. The temp gage is located on the helm next to the chart plotter.

We finally arrived at Morgan City about 4:30pm and tied up to the old shrimp docks, which is now call the Morgan Municipal Pleasure

Boat Pier..... Well nothing has changed. It is still an old shrimp dock. There were about 5 shrimp boats there but plenty of room for Greg's boat and Barefoot Babe.
I would not recommend the pier unless you only stay one night. There are no cleats, and your electric cord will not reach to the power and may not even fit. The water facet can not be reached either with a normal 75 / 100 foot hose.



The only reason to spend more time here is to see the town of Morgan City. The docks are right in the middle of the old area with quaint buildings and nice restaurants. And all the people were friendly too.

Early the next morning we headed to Houma Louisiana. They have a very nice marina next to the ICW and it is built in a park like atmosphere.

We arrived there early, about 12:30pm so we could get the pick of the slips. All the slips are a first come, first serve. So it pays to get here early just in case there are no slips available and you have to find an alternative location for the night.

Once we got tied up to our slip, we called Ray the Harbor Master. He came over to the marina and turned on our electricity and collected our slip rental. The slip rental is $25.00 a night and includes water, electricity, trash, and pump out. And of course complete use of all the park facilities. We plan on staying at least one night, maybe two.

 

Tour of Delcambre, Abbeville and Avery Island.

Our hosts here at North Pier Marina were Katherine and Jim Kenworthy who some of the most friendly people you would like to meet. They are living here on their boat "Dream Away" They cruised in to Delcambre and decided to stay. They both work hard at promoting Delcambre and the North Pier Marina for cruisers to visit. And I must say are doing a very good job.

It also turns out that we had met them before while they were living at Watergate Marina and that we know a lot of the same people. The cruising world is a small place.

Katherine offered to show us around the town and some the local attractions that were available. Not having much time, Elaine, Ann, Greg and I took her up on her offer, piled into her vehicle and off we went to see the town. The town of Delcambre is small but has a lot of beautiful homes and southern architecture and a really neat lifting bridge over the bayou.

Greg & Ann

Since time was short we all decided for a quick tour of the Jefferson Plantation and Mansion. The grounds and long tree lined entry take you back to an earlier time in history. The mansion and out buildings are kept in excellent condition. We only had time for a
short stay here. You could spend a full day here.

We then got back in the vehicle and headed to Avery Island to see the world famous Tobasco Factory. When we got there we took a tour of how they produce the famous sauce from field to bottle. Then we got to tour the factory while they were bottling sauce headed to Germany.

As you entered the doors you could smell the hot Tabasco sauce

 being made. It was a pleasant smell not what I expected. After touring the factory we headed to the Tabasco Country Store. Here we sampled Tabasco Ice Cream, Tabasco Chocolate, and numerous other Tabasco products. We purchased a few things to take back to the boat.

After the tours we went back to the marina to walk the dogs and put up the things we bought. After this was taken care of Jim & Katherine took Elaine & I and Greg & Ann to Abbeville for dinner. We went to the almost world famous "Shucks" in Abbeville. The food was very good and we got to meet the owner who sent out some of his special recipe oyster / andouille  sausage chowder.  I had shrimp and oysters with grilled potatoes. Elaine had crawfish etouffee  and fried crawfish tails. We then finished the meal off with some excellent bread pudding with real rum sauce.

For more pictures and information on this location click the links below.

http://www.northpiermarina.com/

http://www.portofdelcambre.com/

Galveston Tx. To Delcambre La.

Our first stop after leaving Watergate Marina was Offats Bayou at Galveston Island. When we arrived we were warned of a severe storm headed our way so we decided to tie up to the Moody Gardens marina slips. It was a really good decision because the storm produced rain, lightning, and winds gusted to almost 60 miles an hour. Thought we were in a tropical storm.

After the storm passed we were given some beautiful days to enjoy. So we decided to stay a couple of more nights at the marina. Help give Elaine time to heal from her fall too.


Greg, Ann, and I decided that with the sun shining and happy hour coming on we would partake of
the swim up bar located in the pool of the hotel. So we went on over and swam up to our barstools and order a couple beers and a pina colada. After enjoying some cool refreshing beverages we went back to the boat and enjoyed the evening with a movie.

On Saturday we were joined by Pat and Gale on s/v Copy Cat. They took a slip and were going to head to Florida with us. Pat and Gale have some property in Florida and are moving Copy Cat there.

On Sunday we headed out to Galveston Yacht Basin to fill up with diesel. We left out Offats Bayou, under the I-45 and Railroad Lifting Bridge then through the Pelican Island Bridge. As we entered the Galveston Harbor we were greeted by Dolphins playing around the boat. The cruise ship was in port so we had to give it a wide berth. Once we got to the yacht basin fuel dock, I filled Barefoot Babe up with diesel @ $3.79 a gallon. Nice!! Copy Cay need fuel too, so Nauti-Gal and I did circles in Tea Cup anchorage till he was ready to go.

We all then headed East across the Houston Ship Channel toward the Boliver cut to enter the ICW Eastbound. My crew already started to loaf on deck.

There was quite a bit of barge traffic on this stretch of the ICW. We made sure that we were in contact with the barge Captains to ensure that we always had a safe passing or crossing. They are so big that they would not even feel it if they hit you so safety is always first.

When we were approaching the High Island Bridge all three boat had just passed an extra large tow. While we were passing the barge a storm hit that produced 45 knot winds and rain. Copy Cat was the last boat to pass and was about 1/2 ahead of the barge when he radioed he lost his engine. He quickly got to the side of the ICW and deployed his anchored. I then warned the oncoming tows of his situation. When he could not get his motor going, he contacted Tow Boat US. Once we knew he was ok, Barefoot Babe and Nauti-Gal then proceeded on without any further problems.

We arrived at Taylor Outfall Canal, our anchorage for the night. The anchorage was beautiful, secluded, and we had it all to ourselves. We arrived a couple hours before sunset, had dinner and a sundowner to celebrate a beautiful sunset. We then made sure all the screens were on because as soon as the sun went down, all the bugs in the marsh came out to check the boats.




The next morning we pulled up anchor and headed to Lake Charles. We went through the Port of Port Arthur and had to make way for a couple of big boys heading out to sea. The pilot called us and was very courteous about his ships intentions. We make sure to give him a wide berth.

After we got past Port Arthur we set up an opening for the Ellender bridge. It is 50' closed and we can not get under it. We had a 3:00pm opening and arrived about 25 minutes early. So we did the ICW dance for awhile. 

We decided to stay at a marina for the night so we could give the dogs some land time and we could have a nice dinner at a sit down restaurant. So I contacted the LeBerge Dulac Casino and secured a couple slips for the night. We pulled in there and had the marina all to ourselves. After a nice shower and getting dressed Elaine and I along with Greg and Ann went through a stroll through the hotel casino and then had dinner at the Jack Daniels Restaurant. The food was good, service slow and a bit pricy but it is a casino. Did a little after dinner gambling and then back to the boat and walk the dogs for the night.


The next morning we headed out for the Mermantau River. As we were leaving Lake Charles I noticed a ship that had been involved with another ship. It had been run into in the structure that houses the crew.

As we entered the ICW E/B we came up to the first lock. I contacted the lock and they wanted to just float us through. We went on through without having to wait.

We did not encounter very much barge traffic and had a nice trip east. Passed some interesting Louisiana real estate too. Got to the river and anchored in an oxbow about 1/2 mile upriver. The water was very smooth and the anchor holding excellent. Lots of wildlife too. The next morning we pulled up anchor while being greeted by a nice sunrise and headed towards Delcambre La.




The trip East was very easy with very little barge traffic. We did have to go through another set of

locks and had to wait for about 45 minutes to get through. Once through we were traveling down the ICW east at a nice pace. We arrived at Bayou Petite Anse and headed North up the bayou. My charts on the chart plotter ran out about two miles up the bayou and showed me on land. So now I reverted to my old river boat pilot skills. Just kept the boat between the banks and looked for the deepest water. NO Problem..... After about 7 miles we arrived at the North Pier Marina in the Port of Delcambre. We were greeted by people on the pier who helped up dock and get set up. We then got Nauti-Gal docked in front of us.

After everyone was docked Katherine Kenworthy, who in the Port Marketing Manager came to the
boats and welcomed us to Delcambre with gifts. REALLY NICE GIFTS!!!!!. Everyone here is really nice, friendly, gives great customer service. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO COME HERE!!!!!

While dinking around I met a man that was shrimping while his boat was tied to a dock. He invited me aboard for a beer and to show me how he shrimps. I tied up the dink and then spent some time drinking beer and learning to shrimp, docked style.

Today we are going to be given the royal tour of the area and attractions. There is a lot of plantations and the Tabasco factory at Avery Island to see. Off to meet people and see the area.......

Headed Out / Back In / Headed Out

 Well we started out by doing the final preparations to leave. Like testing out the chairs in the redneck front yard. Of course along with a cold beer and lots of stairs from our neighbor boats. Hey it works good.

 

Then it was time to load all the critters on, one bird, 4 cats and 2 dogs. Wow..... Now that's a lot!!!

 

 

 So now we have the following on board, Missy an Umbrella Cockatoo, Hilde a Black Lab, Sacha a long coat Chihuahua, Fancy, Sonic, Tails, and Squeaky are cats. I think I need a bigger boat.

 Once loaded our friends Jim B, Thomas, (Real) Bob, were there to see us off. Motor running, all lines released, we were under way. As I was backing out of the slip, Elaine was walking backwards and trying to push the boat away from a pole when she missed the step down and fell hard on a stanchion and the life line. The fall was very painful and gave her a good injury. I was almost out of the fairway when we pulled back into the slip so we could access her injuries. After about an hour and still in pain, Elaine told me OK lets go ahead and head out. I told her we could postpone the trip to see how her injuries were. But just like a seasoned sailor she looked me in the eyes and said very sternly "No if we stay we will have to give back all the rum we were given as going away gifts." Well now the rum will be used for medical purposes.

So we threw off the lines again and headed out. We passed two more good friends, Maxine and Steve. Maxine took these pictures and sent them to us. Thanks Maxine.

 We headed across the bay and entered the ship channel. We turned toward Galveston and caught an outgoing tide. We made really good time and arrived to the Island ahead of schedule. The fuel dock was already closed and we had a severe storm heading our way, so I decided to head to Offats Bayou and Moody Gardens.

 We arrived at Moody Gardens and tied up to the T-Head slip about an hour before the storm hit. I put out extra lines and fenders in anticipation of the storm. They were predicting wind to 60 mph, lightning, and lots of rain.

Once prepared, we took Hilde and Sacha out for a potty walk. Once business was completed we headed back to the boat and battened down everything.

 The storm did not disappoint the weathermen. It was just as they predicted. It was dark driving rain with lots of lightning strikes everywhere and we have a 58 foot lightning rod attached to the center of the boat. We were lucky and had no strikes to mess our day up.

But the wind was really wild. It was coming out of the South and about 90' when we docked. But when the front hit the temp dropped about 15' and was straight out of the North. It started out at about 45mph and then built to above 50mph. We had the bow of the boat pointed North so the wind was not much of a factor at first. Then it moved to N/W which put the wind on our beam, pushing Barefoot Babe into the wooden pier while heeling it over about 5 to 10 degrees. The water level dropped and combined with the heeling action pushed our fenders below the dock. So I spent most of the severe part of the storm on deck using my feet and legs pushing the boat away from the pier and adjusting fenders to ensure we did not get any damage to our boats teak cap, toe, and rub rails. An inspection after the storm showed all the efforts paid off. No Damage!

We now have a beautiful day and we checked into the Moody Marina for Friday night. And they are offering us Saturday night free if we would like to stay. We will just have to see what Happy Hour will bring.

Ready to Leave Kemah / Watergate Marina

The transmission is installed and the boat turned back from a mechanics garage to a sailing yacht. Elaine was really happy to have a nice clean boat back. While removing and installing the transmission the back captains cabin was a real mess. Everything had to be taken apart to make access to the engine room. Parts and tools were laying all over the beds base and floor. And a big guy like me needs all the room he can get to be able to work in the engine room.

Once the transmission was completed, we had a diver come pull the prop to inspect the shaft, prop, and prop key. Glad we did. We found that South Texas Ship Yard had installed an under sized prop key causing a shearing effect on the key. So I took the prop to Mike Hoods Prop Shop and had the prop inspected and get the correct key. I also bought an extra prop key for the spares. The diver installed the prop and new key. I then did a test in the slip and every thing worked great.

Now we have all the food and supplies loaded. The freezer is so full I have no ideal how Elaine will know what she has in it. Hope she does not need something off the bottom. Secured extra diesel fuel, gasoline, and water in jerry cans on the deck. Also have our K-9 grass (potty patch) on the foredeck. It is so big it almost looks like a putting green or a front yard. Greg tested out the front lawn for me.

Elaine and I took Barefoot Babe out yesterday for a sea trial at sunset to test the transmission, prop, generator and all the electronic / navigation systems. Every system checked good and we were treated to a beautiful sunset.

We will be moving aboard the boat today with all the kids (2 dogs, 4 cats, and 1 Bird). We will spend the night at the Marina and then tomorrow leave at about 12noon and sail down to Galveston. We will spend the night anchored off Galveston Island and then if everything is OK, we will start heading East on the ICW towards Shell Island near Orange Texas.

You can track our progress and see where we are at anytime by SPOT TRACKER logo on the right of the blog page. The tracker will be running.