The Blow by Blow from Texas to Florida

By Captain Scott Buckley

The Taylor Outfall Bayou Anchorage

We set sail from Texas and headed East.  Our first blog this year (UNTYING THE LINES) covers the trip from Kemah Texas to our first anchorage at Taylor Outfall bayou about 5 miles west of Port Author Texas.  That was a very trying day. 


23 January 2018 Taylor Outfall Bayou to Shell Island TX.  Trip distance about 20 nm.

The following day we decided to take it easy and only travel to Shell Island close to the Texas Louisiana border.  We left Taylor Outfall Bayou at 10AM and arrived at Shell Island at 14:10 and anchored in 15 feet of water.  Our Buddy boat SV Minnow (and crew John and Julie with dogs Mondo and Penny) ties along side.  It is becoming evident that SV Minnow is not able to maintain good cruising speed and SV Kooky Dance is having to travel very slowly.  SV Minnow is also displaying some engine overheating problems.

The Calcasieu River Ox Bow Anchorage

24 January 2018 Shell Island TX to Calcasieu River Ox bow anchorages.  Trip distance 30 nm.

We left Shell Island at 8:30AM.  On this portion of the trip it is required to pass the Ellender lift bridge.  According to Skipper Bob’s guide the bridge requires a 4 hour notice.  1st Mate Tamera call them at 9:30AM to give them their 4 hour notice.  We arrive at the bridge about 1PM (30 minutes early) and tried to call the bridge but could not get any response.  Tamera called and found out our time slot was set at 4PM.  The 4 hour notice was written down as the appointment time.  We ended up waiting 1.5 hrs. for the bridge operators to arrive.  Arrived at the Calcasieu River Ox Bow anchorage at 15:15.  We anchored in 15’ of water and our buddy boat SV Minnow tied up along side.  SV Minnow was still having problems with an overheating engine.

The Mermentau River Anchorage

25 January 2018 Calcasieu River Ox bow anchorage to the Mermentau River.  Trip distance 40 nm.

We got underway at 7:30AM with light winds and transited the Calcasieu locks at 8:51AM and Black Bayou pontoon bridge at 09:02.  We passed thru the Grand Lake pontoon bridge at 10:20.  Temperatures were kind of chilly and wind was on the nose.  Cold hands, cold feet, cold nose.  Our buddy boat was having engine overheating problems all day and at the end of the day 3 miles from the anchorage call on the radio to tell us their engine seriously overheated and they had to shut it down.  We turned around and threw them a tow line and towed them to the anchorage and had them tie up along side for the night.  Trouble shot the engine and found the coolant was low and that there was a leak.  Coolant under the floor boards and the bilge.  Told SV Minnow to plan on pulling the heat exchanger as I discovered it was not secured at our next stop as we were planning to stay a couple of days to wait out weather.

Shell Mrogan at Intercoastal City

26-27 January 2018 Mermentau River to Intercoastal City, LA.  Trip distance about 40 nm.

This was going to be a long day and we got an early start.  Due to SV Minnows engine problems we plan an intermediate anchorage at Bayou Petite Anse that was about half way.  If things looked good there we would continue on to Intercoatal City to a transit dock at the Shell Morgan fuel dock.  Heavy rains were expected and it may give us a chance to sort out some problems with SV Minnow’s engine.  We actually made to the Shell Morgan facility and Tony Morgan himself was there to help us tie up.  Julie began working on removing the heat exchanger and I pulled the end cap.  During this inspection they found a leak where the heat exchanger was rubbing on its bracket.  We had discovered this unfortunately after the hardware store had closed until Monday.  Tamera and I used to live in this area and reached out to some of our friends for a visit and to see if they could help fix SV Minnow’s leaky heat exchanger.  My old and best friend Henry Dubois came to the rescue and soldered the hole in the heat exchanger.  The heat exchanger was re-installed and secured this time with a big hose clamp.  We agreed to look for a pressure test kit in Morgan City (our next stop) to look for additional leaks in the system.
I really rained a lot on Saturday  and we were planning to leave the following day.  Tamera and I did some light provisioning and filled the water tank on SV Kooky Dance and took a couple of showers.

Morgan City Public Dock

28-29 January 2018 Intercoastal City, LA to Morgan City, LA.  Trip distance about 55 nm.

Morgan City

As this was a long day we pushed off a 6AM.  There were light winds and some fog.  We arrived at the Morgan City public dock at about 5:30 that night.  While tying up we met a nice guy named Tom McNutley from Lafayette, LA and was visiting his mother in Morgan City.  Tom had a perfectly restored 40 year old Morgan 38 up on the north shore of lake Pontchartrain.  Tom agreed to give us a ride to the auto parts store that night to see if we could locate a radiator pressure test kit (we did).   We tested the coolant system and found no leaks.  We also found that the raw water intake strainer was clogged with mud and debris.  I had thought of asking them to check the strainer but felt it might be insulting to ask such a basic question.  We ran the engine under load at the dock and found no over heating or steam issues in the exhaust.  It looked like SV Minnow’s engine problems may be mostly behind them.
On SV Kooky Dance we discovered two leaking port lights during the heavy rains in Intercoastal City.  I re-bedded those two port lights while the weather was good and dry.  We also took care of the laundry and did some additional provisioning.  We took SV Minnow along with us and let them use our 4 wheel cart.  Special note;  VTS (Berwick Traffic control) called me on the radio after I passed thru the railroad bridge and pointed out that next time I should check in with VTS before moving around the river.  The cruising guides state that recreational vessels do not need to check in with VTS but they really do need you to check in for your safety.

30 January 2018  Morgan City, LA to Houma, LA.  Trip distance about 40 nm.

The barge we tied to east of Houma at Week Marine 

We pushed off a 7AM and hour plan was to tie up at the Houma public marina that night.  Well plans don’t always work out.  When we got to Houma and went into the Marina we ran aground.  A big power boat and pontoon boat had the only deep water tie-up occupied and they did not need them.  We got off and proceeded down the ICW to the east looking for and alternative.  The pickings were slim.  We passed an crane barge at Weeks Marine that look possible and Tamera got on the phone to talk to someone about getting permission to tie-up for the night.  We after numerous phone calls with some begging included and promises to not board their equipment we got to tie up for the night. 









31 January 2018  Houma, LA to Lake Salvador, LA.  Trip distance about 37 nm.

We made good time and anchored in Lake Salvador at about 1PM with SV Minnow tied along side.  It is an anchorage I have never liked as we have strong currents with opposing wind that caused the anchor to hang backward under the boat.  The next day we would be transiting the Mississippi lock onto and off of the Mississippi river.

New Orleans from the Mississippi River

1-3 February 2018  Lake Salvador, LA to Rabbit Island, LA near The Rigolets.  Trip distance about 37 nm.

The short dock tie up at the industrial locks at New Orleans

We made good time and Tamera was able to get us permission to transit the Harvey locks on our own instead of the possible delays at the Algiers locks.  We transited the Harvey locks with SV Minnow at about 10:30AM.  We arrived at the industrial Locks and were instructed to tie off at the short pier at noon.  We waited there for 7.5 hrs. to lock thru.  There were numerous occasions to lock us thru much earlier but we were required to wait until  dark. 

When we finally got to transit the industrial locks after the 7.5 hour wait.

This meant getting to our planned destination (Rabbit Island another 24 miles to the east) was going to be a late arrival and this would be the first time SV Monnow’s crew attempted anchoring.  A front was expected that night with 25 to 30 knots winds and I would not allow SV Minnow to tie along side  in those conditions.  I had told John to practice anchoring back when were in Calcasieu and Mermentau Rivers but the suggestion was ignored.

Rabbit Island Anchorage

We had the anchor down at Rabbit Island at about 1AM in calm conditions.  By 4AM the winds were howling at 35 knots.  Anchors held and we sat tight for the next day.  The temperature was very cold and with no heat available it was the coldest temps we had endured thus far. The wind had clocked from N to NE to E then South and then SW.  The anchor is pretty narrow and I was up every hour at night to check the anchor and our water depth.  At 5AM we had 1 foot under our keel and I was pretty sure the stern of the boat was in the mud.  I told Tamera we were going to have to move.  I went topside to remove the snubber from the anchor and requires raising about 25 feet of chain.  Once the snubber was removed I  checked the depth again and found 3.5 feet under the keel.  The move up removing the snubber was enough to get water back under the boat so we waited until 7AM to leave and did not have to re-anchor.   Our next stop would be Gulf Port Marina to visit some more friends. 

The Gulf Port Municipal Marina entrance

4-5 February 2018  Rabbit Island, LA to Gulf Port Mississippi.  Trip distance about 40 nm.

Pier 5 Gulf Port

1st Mate on the Gulf Port Beach

Gulf Port tie up.

We left Rabbit Island at 7AM frozen to the bone but the sun was out and it promised to warm up throughout the day.  At first we were making excellent speed at 7.5 knots with a favorable tidal current and wind.  That was to last for a few hours.  We arrived at the Gulf Port Municipal Marina.  We were assigned slips on pier 5. We got to visit with Steve and Pam Rice.  They were part (actually the main part) of the crew from Galveston when we had our previous boat (lost in hurricane Ike) SV Jolie Bateaux.  They took us shopping, dinner and socializing.  It was so wonderful to see them.  The water was pretty low due to a northern front.     The plan to move on from Gulf Port was an involved plan as it required crossing the Mississippi Sound and Mobile Bay.  It will also time our arrival in the Wolf Bay anchorage and arrival in Pensacola, FL.  The weather was not ideal and waiting for a better window could take weeks. 

Fog on Mississippi Sound

6-7 February 2018  Gulf Port Mississippi to Bayou La Batre Anchorage.  Trip distance about 40 nm. 
This would be our second day on the Mississippi Sound in our effort to get across the Sound without getting our butts kicked.  We planned to leave Gulf Port early however when we awoke the fog had set in very thick.  I delayed the departure until 6:30AM for some daylight to appear.  The entire trip was with thick fog.  I used the radar to keep track of the buddy boat.  It was difficult to stay awake.  The weather was predicted to change in the evening with wind filling in from the west and building from the north to 25 to 30 knots.  Just before getting to the anchorage at Bayou La Batre the rains came and the winds shifted and the fog cleared.  We headed into the anchorage and anchored in 20 knots of NNW winds.   SV Minnow also anchored down.  It was a bouncy night.   We  would leave the next morning.



8 February 2018  Bayou La Batre, MS Anchorage to Wolf Bay, AL.  Trip distance about 40 nm.

The wind had shifted slightly east over the night so the anchorage had calmed down a bit.  We left the anchorage with a following wind and good sailing.  This part of the trip up to and through the Dauphin Island Causeway bridge was the most difficult.  Winds were 20 to 25 knots on the nose.  Progress was slow and SV Minnow called with their concerns about continuing on.  Both Tamera and I talked them through it as this was not actually bad conditions.   Afternoon the winds decreased to 15 to 20 later in the day and progress got better.  By the time we got anchored down in Wolf Bay the winds were down to 10 knots.  SV Minnow anchored down for their third time.  

9-10 February 2018  Wolf Bay, AL to Pensacola, Fl.  Trip distance about 25 nm.

Because it was a short trip we did not get underway until 8AM.  We got into Palafox Pier Marina at about 1PM.  The winds started picking up from the east and SV Minnow called to voice their concerns about the chop size in Pensacola Bay.  they were thinking of bailing and staying at one of the marinas along the route instead of braving the 1 to 2 foot chop in the bay.  I told them the winds should abate by the time we get to the bay and that they should hang in there for a little while longer until we get to Palafox Pier.  The winds abated and they hung in there.  Once we got there and tied up we showered and cleaned things up.  I also took time to update the blog with this post.
The plan is to leave here on Sunday and travel to Port St. Joe and grab a transit slip for Monday and Tuesday night and leave for Mexico Wednesday.  Bud Campbell will crew with us down to Mexico.  It should take 4 to 5 days to get there.