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First day out and Blew by You, Summer Lovers, LeGrand Jour, Day
Star, Leaf Picker and Great Ketch all reported exhilarating
sailing from Seabrook to the Harbor House in Galveston. Winds south 15-25
kts meant lots of tacking in East Galveston Bay. All made it in by 3:30.
Great Ketch on Galveston Bay (left)
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Dinner at Willie G's was followed by a stroll to the Strand for an Ice Cream Cone. The Captains (and their Admirals) met on Great Ketch to discuss the pros and cons of an offshore passage the next morning to Freeport. The 35 mile trip has an average heading of 225 making it a beat on the predicted south wind.
"I Don't Want to Beat" said Cynthia, placing the matter directly up for decision.
We plan to do the ICW leaving around 9:00.
The new wireless modem is having trouble receiving in this protected harbor. We are down below and the signal strength is intermittent. I was able to download the most recent copy of my web page file from ghg.net. That was one small step.
M/V Catherine a westbound tow with two empties strung out enters Chocolate Bay. There she meets a flotilla of TMCA sailboats, also westbound, extending half way across the Bay. Catherine is making about six knots and we are doing about 5.5. And that's how it was when the "Slow Motion Sailboat Grand Slalom" started. The event lasted about an hour with Sue on an intermittent radio negotiating the whistles for boats a mile behind.
"Grandeur, will you please get a new radio?" said the towboat captain at one point, "We are not communicating."
"We know.. We know.. We are planning to stay on the green side. Or do you have a better idea".
While it was hectic, all took it in good stride and the Catherine wove her way through five sailboats and three Eastbound tows. Summer Lovers put on the afterburners and left us all behind.
Sue thanked the captain for his patience and he replied, "It was great working with you and it sure broke up a dull day"
The toll of groundings for the day: Three out of six went aground. Names
will not be given but one PICKed a shallow at Red Can bend, a second got
KETCHed in the lee of Catherine, the third was just JOURneying down
the ICW and snagged a shoal.
| Geezers and Trainees* Group at Freeport
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Seated:
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Dinner was Italian Pot Luck on the verandah at Bridge Harbor. Hail to the Chefs! We posed for the obligatory group photo. I'm the guy with the pony tail in the upper left.
The promised SE at 10-15 kts turned into a SSW 15-25, making our passage to Matagorda a grueling motor sail with only occasional moments of true sailing Blew by You must have reveled in the favorable winds for going home. I thought of them many times during the day.
Groundings report: Someone got KETCHed trying to straighten out the ICW near the bend at MILE 420.
The dockings were ugly and will not be further described. Now we are
all pinned to the wall at Matagorda by 15 kts SSW winds.
| A Pot Luck Tex-Mex Dinner was held in the Clubhouse at Matagorda Marina.
We reviewed the days activities.
Bert announces, "You know Frank... Well, I was following him all day and I watched him... I think he doesn't like his boat... He spent all day fixing things... Mainsail up, jib down... then luff main, jib up... next harden main, luff jib... finally harden everything up and heel over... It was driving me crazy watching him." At this point everyone is laughing so hard that Bert can't finish his story. Ed Dresses for Tex-Mex (right) |
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Sue at the helm on VHF: "This sailing vessel LeGrand Jour Westbound in the ICW to the Eastbound tug. Which side do you want, Captain?"
Reply on VHF: "Can you tell me where you're at, Mam?"
Sue to Frank: "He wants to know where we are, Frank."
After a moment of fumbling, Frank points to a spot on the chart.
Sue at the helm on VHF repeats: "This sailing vessel LeGrand Jour Westbound in the ICW. We are at a place near 'Discontinued spoil', Captain."
No one knows what the towboat captain said next.
I'm glad we have the bikes along for some mobility. TV reception is non existent on the rabbit ears aboard Great Ketch so I find the local hardware store and get a connector and 25 feet of coaxial cable. I use the main halyard to hoist the antenna as far as the 25 feet will let it go and "Voi la, TV".
Its pretty much a lazy day.. everyone is napping (or something) as we await The Great Shrimp Boil.
Soon Dave and Kyrenda come from Kemah by car. They were to spend the night in Matagorda with us. They carried parts for Frank's antenna repair job and the little antenna that goes to the hand held.
After some short range VHF testing at the harbor Frank and Dave head out to buy Shrimp. They take along the Hand Held. The rest of us are left partying in the cockpit of Great Ketch. After a while testing resumes.
Frank on VHF 16: "Great Ketch, Great Ketch this is LeGrand Jour Away."
Ed on VHF 16: "This is Great Ketch How about 68."
Frank on VHF 68: "Great Ketch, Great Ketch this is LeGrand Jour 'Away."
Ed on VHF 68: "This is Great Ketch You are coming in pretty good for that distance."
Frank on VHF: "Hi, Ed, you are goomy em.... Shrimp... grubge,grubge... @#$#%%&.. gurg."
Ed on VHF 68: "Frank , you're breaking up."
Sue to Ed: "Let me tell him." taking the microphone.
Sue on VHF: "Honey, you have to get it up straight, or it won't work."
Silence on the other end.
Frank's Shrimp boil ritual requires special Cajun Incantations that have been handed down from generation to generation. I asked for a translation and was told he would have to kill me after telling. I did not press my luck but watched attentively as he circled the pot slowly sprinkling some orange power and later Ice Cubes into the boiling shrimp. The Ice promptly melted and Frank said "It's supposed to do that... It makes the shrimp sink to the bottom and soak up the flavors."
The Shrimp were delicious. We tested them for a half an hour while Frank brought the water back up to a boil and cooked the corn.
"Honey," she calls me that when she wants something done right now, "Let's put up the enclosures and keep the cockpit dry."
"Yup, right now," and I spring into action. I sorted through the enclosure panels and got the first one that goes on the starboard side. Just as I secured the first toggle the Canadian Front hit from the North. Quickly Great Ketch heeled over about 15 degrees. The boat surged forward on her dock lines and the stern dock line parted. By this time Dave Lampton was awake, dressed, and on deck. In a twinkling he became a fender between our bow pulpit and the stern of Summer Lovers.
Marion called out above the sound of the storm, "What can I do to help?"
"Start the engine and back down off of Summer Lovers."
Dave Powell appeared on the scene, "Throw me a line."
Kyrenda quickly responded tossing the end of an unsecured line. Dave started hauling it to the nearest cleat.
"That's not tied," shouted Marion. Fortunately, it was long enough that there was still some on board and Dave Lampton wrapped it to the starboard wench.
Instead of pressed against the dock we were about three feet off at the bow and fifteen off at the stern. At least things were under control. The winds were up around 50 mph, the rain was blinding, the boat, broadside to the wind, was a rocking and a rolling. I was worried that we might part another line because each gust produced popping sounds in the line from the wench securing us to shore.
It was about 20 minutes until the high winds dropped. All four of us were soaked to the bone. The only losses suffered by Great Ketch were the parted Dock line and one panel of the foul weather enclosure which was stripped away in the high winds during the storm.
At lunch I announced a fishing tournament complete with a prize for anyone fishing my enclosure panel out of the harbor. I rigged a special lure and fished for an hour where it probably went down. No luck and No other participants in the tournament. The new Mercedes went unclaimed at days end.
It was Frank and Sue's wedding anniversary complete with Champagne and Hor's de Overs at the Matagorda Marina Main Ballroom. Dave Lampton provided Limousine service to the Seabreeze Restaurant. All partied until at least 9:00 before retiring.
Lots of Towboat traffic at the Colorado river locks slowed our departure but once through the locks we were able to set sail and move at a steady 5-6 knots. A cool North wind made a sweatshirt and long pants the most comfortable way to sail. It was the first break from 90 degree weather we had seen in four months.
We met another convention of towboats just as we were ready to enter Matagorda Bay. Two headed East, four at the mooring and another coming up hard behind us. One from the mooring, the M/V Susan B pulled out into our flotilla between boats three and four and escorted us across the Bay.
Once beyond Halfmoon Reef we all left the ICW to the North to avoid traffic and sail freely. The right word is "Glorious Sailing".
Sailboat Aground
An hour or so later we moved back into the ICW about a mile before the intersection with the Port Lavaca Ship Channel. Its notorious for shoaling on both the north and south sides of the ICW on the eastern side of the Lavaca Channel. Our escort, the M/V Susan B, called for all of the sailboats to move into the channel ahead of him.
Great Ketch already the lead boat and LeGrand Jour behind a few hundred yards, were not affected by this request. Summer Lovers and Leaf Picker needed to speed up a bit to get ahead. Day Star the trailing boat was too far back and chose not to pass the M/V Susan B. Up at the intersection a large slow moving freighter was about to create a collision situation for Great Ketch.
"Marion, come up here..." I said, "I need you to take the helm."
"What are we doing?" she said, as she took over.
"We are going too fast... I want to take down the Genoa and start the engine..."
"Well I never thought you would .... ", she said sarcastically.
"We are on a collision course with that ship," I interrupted. "Hold this course please."
Despite her fear of collision courses with large ships, she did exactly as I asked. Furling the full genoa took time, because I was not strong enough to haul it in without using the wench to assist. She held fast to her course. "Please hurry... Please."
Bringing down the Genoa did not cut speed enough to get us off the collision course. "Do a hard 360 turn to the right", I commanded, "That will keep us clear".
"You take the Helm, I can't stand this." I did, and Marion went below.
I was half into the turn when our tow boat friend warned, "Hey sailboats, stay away from that north side... you will go aground on them shoals... you will stick so bad, you gonna be there two weeks from now."
I made the turn as tight as I could, and did not stick. Marion came back topsides and we passed the freighter safely. We looked back to see how the rest of the fleet had fared. Leaf Picker was out of the channel on the south side, cross wise to the channel and not moving. Midst all the confusion of passing the tow in close quarters, Bert chose to get out of the way. He was unaware of the shoaling on the south side and went hard aground. The charts don't show 4 feet at the edge of the ICW.
Summer Lovers went back, floated a towline over to Leaf Picker and attempted to pull her off. Bumping bottom herself, and in danger of grounding too, Summer Lovers gave up and called the Boat/US tow operator for Leaf Picker.
We were all relieved when we heard over the VHF that Leaf Picker was free. We rejoiced when she came into port.
We did a lot of rehashing over dinner at Clark's... Leaf Picker exhausted from a tough day, was not in attendance. We had heard that the tow operator wanted an outrageous $850 for less than a two hour job, transit time included. All were ready to launch a barrage of letters to Boat/US for chartering such a pirate. The next morning Bert reported they had come to terms at a more reasonable fee. The lesson: Before you take the line from a tow, establish the price of the tow with the operator. And if you plan to do much long distance cruising buy towing insurance. Sooner or later you will need it.
In at Rockport we headed to the local H.E.B. to replenish supplies and prepare for the Feast de Filet Mignon. We set up shop on the Transient dock for the dining location. All brought a dish to share and a grill able that was turned over to the Commodore for preparation on Great Ketch's gas grill. Five out of six filet's were sent back to the chef for additional cooking. He obviously has a different view of Medium Rare than the geezer clientele.
"I am motorless in accordance with the Harvest Moon Racing Rules",
I proclaim. "If they are going as slow as I am, they will never make Port
Aransas this weekend."
| "I'm going below to play bridge against the Baron," said Marion. (The
Baron is a computer program on our laptop.)
After a while Marion returns and takes the helm. We are in the Lydia
Anne Channel and we are being escorted by a family of porpoises. They are
frolicking around the boat. "Get the camera". And I do.
Lydia Annne Lighthouse(right)
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Did you ever try to take a picture of a porpoise?
They do not co-operate. One minute they are ten yards off the bow, next
they have passed under the boat and are puffing air off your port side.
Two Porpoises Come a Charging (left) |
| They like to get in close and move along with you. Then they are gone.
Its all a game... and they call all the shots. Big Guy Alongside (right) |
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Corpus Christi
In Port we tied up on the L Street Wharf. It's a great location. We
were immediately met by Dean and Nancy Whitsett. They own Pegasus,
a 47 foot Morgan Heritage. I met Dean on the Morgan list. They are
rolling out the red carpet for our group, courtesy of Bay Yacht Club.
| Day Star setting sail in
Corpus Christi Channel ( right) |
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There is just too much to describe about Corpus Christi. It's terrific for sights and shopping. Tops on the list has to be the Museum and the Columbus Ships. Most had told me I would be surprised about how small they were. I was really impressed at how large they were. The Santa Maria is almost 100 feet long and the two caravelles Nina and Pinta were 75 footer's. There is nothing dainty about them.
Our stay in Corpus Christi became like a moveable feast ... The first night we went to dinner at Mama Mia Italian Restaraunt. "Magnifico !!" On Mesquite Street below the Cathedral. Don't miss dining there when you are in Corpus Christi. City Diner has great food and is a trip back into the 50's... The Water Street Seafood Company is another great place for supper. Our last supper was a Pork Roast Feast cooked on the grill at the Bay Yacht Club. Dean and Nancy Whitsett hosted the party in their lovely clubhouse.
It's actually a floating clubhouse, built on a barge and very conveniently located on the end of Dock B in the Corpus Christi Marina. What Commodore would not love to have such a great set up? I must confess that I began having delusions of a Grand TMCA meeting barge... we could probably get the old Algiers ferry boat under the Kemah Bridge for a reasonable price... Sue LeGrand made me think these thoughts.
Rockport Again
We were delayed leaving Corpus Christi until 1100 due to morning fog. The trip to Rockport started with a sail across the Bay then ended up on the nose until we got past the Lydia Anne Channel. Tonite over steaks there was a lot of talk about hurrying home in time for the weekend party at Portofino.
Genset overheated and shut down. The three of us at the end of the dock are sharing a 20 amp circuit so no AC tonight.
And Then There were Three
Comes the dawn, and as we prepare to depart, our fearless leaders announce that they will be staying in Rockport to tour the museum and shop the galleries and stores. So it was that we left Le Grand Jour and Leaf Picker behind. The other three boats (Great Ketch, Day Star and Summer Lovers) headed for Port O'Conner wind on the nose and motoring at 5.5 kts.
Half way across Aransas Bay we hear departing comments over the VHF
of M/V Bayhouse leaving Key Allegro Marina. Jeanne and Reggie Hurr
are Lakewood Yacht Club Members. We met them over Labor day at Offats Bayou
and Jeanne submitted a recipe published elsewhere on this web site. Sooner
or later they would show up behind us and need to pass.
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Pelicans of San Antonio Bay
Roost #39 (left) Flight (below) |
| Reggie and Jeanne tried to sneak by as we left San Antonio Bay.
"Bayhouse, Bayhouse, this is Great Ketch." I announced on Channel 16. "This is Bayhouse," answered Reggie. "Lets go to 68." "68"
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On 68 I announce, "Bayhouse this is Great Ketch, you will not be allowed to pass without serving your Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms To Die For." (That's SSMTDF)
Next voice is Jeanne, "Please let us pass, your stuffed mushrooms will be waiting when you arrive at St. Christopher's Haven."
Shortly after we arrived, Reggie showed up and invited all three boats to come over to the Bayhouse for the SSMTDF. They had shopped greater Port O'Conner, on foot mind you, and bought all of the available mushrooms. They had also found The Spot, a pool parlor and restaurant where we would dine that evening.
The Wall at Caney Creek
We three are getting restless and decide to get home early. The new plan calls for a stop at Caney Creek. It's a long days sail from Port O'Conner. And another long day sail will get you to Offats Bayou. Caney Creek is about half way between Matagorda and Freeport, two ports you can skip if you want to make the trip a day shorter.
There is a 500 foot wall along the ICW about a mile West of the Caney swing bridge. It was obviously built with tow boats in mind. Barge sized bollards are spaced every 50 feet along the wall and the wall is heavy timber with no protruding bolts. The Gulf is about 100 yards away across a parking area, road and some low dunes.
We rested comfortably overnight, all except Cynthia that is.
"I couldn't sleep at all," she said, "I was afraid you all would leave first. Then Dave would go ashore to release the lines... I would be on the boat... the boat free, from the shore, would drift away... Dave would be stuck on shore and I would be alone on the boat. That dream kept coming back all night long, so I didn't sleep."
The morning wind had shifted to SSE at about 10 - 15 kts. Most of the way it was possible to sail, but we kept enough motor available to make a steady 5.5 kts. It's about 50 miles from Caney to Offats.
Brazos River Crossing
We all had to circle several times in the Brazos river, as we watched the tow ahead of us maneuver his triple barge load to line up with the locks. Forward a bit.. then back down turning... forward some more.. then back down turning. We held back as he went through the locks, his engines revved up the water in the locks. It looked like a washing machine on dirty water rinse cycle.
Grounding report: After successfully passing through the Brazos River lock one of our group was polite enough to move to one side in deference to an oncoming Westbound tow. This STAR performance got the boat firmly stuck in the muck. The area once was part of a bypass channel around the lock during its construction.
"There is shallow water right there where you are stuck," announced the lock tender attempting to be helpful.
Our STAR did not comment on the timeliness of the advice.
The other two boats returned to proffer assistance and circled about. Summer Lovers set up a tow line and Great Ketch requested the passing tow M/V Spirit to give a blast of prop wash to the stranded sailboat. The combination worked well and our STAR was free.
Offats Bayou
The rest of the sail to Offats was uneventful. Great Ketch checked
out the new docks at Moody Gardens; they were covered with seagulls and
their byproduct. The electric power was not on. I had hoped to give
glowing reports of a fine new place to dock and go dining at Moody
Gardens.
Instead we went to the Landings Marina nearby and walked to dinner at Yamoto Japanese Restaurant. It was still a wonderful evening.
At 2 AM the rains came, soaked the cockpit cushions, and got the speaker
on the cockpit VHF radio wet.
The next morning as we prepared to leave, I noticed that the speaker
was almost inaudible.
Day Star was the first to leave and had about a half hour head
start. Great Ketch was second, followed
about fifteen minutes later by Summer Lovers. Winds were SE
at 15 - 20 kts. We all had sails up and were moving along at 6 - 7 kts.
Chaos at Pelican Cut
During the passage from Galveston Causeway to Pelican Cut we were following the Eastbound Tow Lampasas. Day Star our lead boat passed on the One whistle side and, about twenty minutes later, Great Ketch was ready to overtake the Lampasas. She was a long tow with two barges strung out ahead. We are less than a mile from the cut.. To complicate things there is a Westbound tow on the other side of the cut about to enter... and there is a tow tied up on the moorings in the cut.
Suddenly the wind pipes up to around 20 and Great Ketch is gaining quickly on the Lampasas. I need to contact the tow and request passage but the cockpit radio is not useable.
"Marion, take the helm ... I'm going below to call the tow.."
"We don't have an engine on," she answers as she takes the wheel, "I'm starting it up."
She has trouble with the gear shift. "I can't get it started," she shouts, but shortly manages to get it started.
I'm up from below just as she gets the engine going. "You got it?" I ask.
"No, damn it, you take it," she says.
I do, and by then we are less than 30 yards from the tow, and closing fast. "Go below... call him ... ask to pass on the One."
I slam it into reverse and steer to the starboard side, up into the wind. "I've got to slow the boat down and gain control." I tell myself.
Great Ketch as usual is slow to respond. In less than a minute of panic, we are alongside the Lampasas and overtaking. I grab the cockpit mike and say, "Lampasas, Lampasas, I'm the sailboat on your starboard side... I need to pass, captain."
"You need to pick it up, and get a moving, cause I can't change my course," he says.
"Yes sir, I'm pouring it on," I answered.
For the next several minutes Great Ketch sloooowly works on by the tow with the two strung out barges. It seems like an eternity. I'm clear ahead of him just a minute before entering Pelican Cut. I had no business passing him without the engine on, and without radio contact made well in advance.
Gallop up the Channel
In the channel the wind is right on the stern. Summer Lovers does a wing-on-wing, main to port and jib on a whisker pole. Great Ketch, too lazy to bother with the main, does an imitation wing-on-wing, mizzen to starboard, jib to port.
Summer Lovers marches right past. I could see Dave smiling even 30 yards away. He waved.
Day Star, far out ahead, calls, "Summer Lovers, Summer Lovers, That sure is a lovely wing-on-wing. How do you hold it so well?"
Dave replies, "Thanks, Day Star , my whisker pole let's me sail the jib by the lee."
I think, "No compliments for an imitation wing-on-wing with a floppy jib."
Without my pole the jib is misbehaving half the time. After a while I douse the mizzen, and the full jib does the job. We are going fast enough to get us home by 2:00.
After passing out of the Houston Ship Channel, I call to Marion, "Honey, come up and sail your boat."
"Are we across the channel?" she asks from below.
"We just left the channel, heading for Seabrook." This leg is where the boat usually goes its fastest.
She came up and sat beside me at the helm. The boat was moving about 6.5 on jib alone. "Ready to take your boat?"
She took the helm.. we shared a cold beer.. and Great Ketch got us home before the squall line hit.
Yes, it was a wonderful two week cruise.
Nihil Obstat : Marion Herndon
Imprimatur : Ed Herndon
Wait!! There's more about those other two Boats in
the 
Addendum
.