Polar Bear Cruise Jan 25 - 26

Ed Herndon, Remedy

10:00 The Only  response to our call came from Cruise Captain, Philip Kropf.  He declines to participate due to weather.

We are the only Pleasure Boat on the Bay.  Winds are NE 20, Temperature is 42 F, Rain is in the forecast.

Our Destination is Double Bayou: Range 18 nm,  Bearing 62.  This will be a cold beat all the way... True Polar Bear conditions. We are motor sailing with the Main and low RPMs. We weave back and forth across the direct route for two hours in Trinity bay. The Oyster boats are working the reefs between HSC Marker 68 and  Double Bayou Marker 2.   They were joined by a large number of Shrimp boats rigged up to dredge oysters. They were everywhere,  I counted 48 boats around us. It is easy to avoid collision because they circle around in a small area.

On our way up the bayou we encountered S/V Halcyon Austin TX anchored in the middle of the bayou all buttoned up. The hatch opened briefly as we passed then quickly the head disappeared below. Wind chill 37F.

At the prairie anchorage we nosed into the bank and tied off three ways to the trees.  It immediately started to rain, so Marion and I settled in with the genset heating up the boat. It's a great time to read the instruction manuals and the sailing magazines we carry along.

On our Sunday return we found that we were not alone. A 40 ft ketch Manana and a 30 ft sloop Seahorse were tied up at the forest anchorage. Further down at Marker 17 TMCA boats Finale and Friendship were tied up to the docks. It was still early and not a soul was stirring.
 
The return sail was again on Main and low RPMs. The wind was 15 to 22 Kts still from the the NE.  We were running with the wind 160 Starboard. most of the way.  The Autopilot does a fine job of  steering the boat to the next waypoint. But you do need to take it off automatic and steer around the Oil field Platforms.  I was doing that when I caused a gibe with full main sweeping from port to starboard. This was accompanied by a resounding crash as the mainsheet stopped the boom. This was followed by a stern shout from the admiral below who was doing galley work after breakfast.

Visibility was dreadful as we came to the channel. Marion called the VTS to get a reading on the traffic at Marker 67/68. It was reassuring to find that the Ship and the three tows would be clear by time of our arrival. We doused the main and simply motored across the channel and the rest of the way home.

Not even Blaine Goeckler would have enjoyed this cruise.  Fortunately we were dry, if not very warm, in our enclosed cockpit