Barataria Waterway to Blind Rigolets, La.

With a number of bridges, two locks, the Mississippi River and who knows what else, an early start on Sunday morning was needed. The Barataria is only 15 miles from the Harvey Lock and we had one bridge before that we needed to have open. We called the Harvey Lock from our anchorage to be sure there would be no unusual delays and got instructions on what to expect once we arrived. The Lockmaster was very friendly and professional. The anchor came up and we got underway just as a tug was heading into the waterway with us. At mile 2.8 before the lock we came to the Lapalco Blvd. Bascule Bridge.


We called on the radio several times and no answer. We blew our horn and no response. We called and called and still no response. Finally we called again to Harvey lock and explained our situation. The Lockmaster gave us the bridge cell phone number and we called the bridge tender. She answered the phone with an "Oh, I did not hear you. Oh, there you are. OK I will open the bridge." Just one of those irritating
moments. The approach to Harvey lock is congested to say the least. Tugs, barges and work boats of all sizes shapes and states or repair line the waterway. The area is strictly commercial for the waterway and we wondered how some of the larger tug and barges ever got through. As you approach the lock there is the Harvey Route Railroad Bascule Bridge, usually open, and Harvey State Road 18 Bridge which is right at the Lock entrance. The bridge opens when the Lockmaster sounds the horn for you to begin the approach to the lock. As you enter the lock eastbound you will probably tie up on the port side. The Lockmaster will drop a line down to you and you need to attach a long dock line to it. He will secure the line at the top and you will take up the slack as the water levels rise. This is done with one line amidships. We also had 3 fenders tied at strategic places along the hull. We came up 11 feet to meet the Mississippi River when the gates opened. It all went very smoothly.

Upon leaving the lock and entering the mighty Mississippi you are required to call Gretna Light Traffic Control and tell them who you are and where you are going. The trip down river is fast since the currents are extremely strong. These currents determine which lock you will use going eastbound or westbound. Going west you need to go down the river with the current to the Algiers Lock. Going east you also need to go down the river from the Harvey Lock to the Industrial Canal Lock which takes you through New Orleans and to the canal which connects to Lake Pontchartrain. Care is needed in turning into the Industrial Canal as the strong current wants to continue to sweep you down river. Our speed over the ground once on the river exceeded 11 MPH and we were running at a very low RPM on the engine. The currents and eddies on the river are incredible and the depth well exceed 100 feet in most places. There is the St. Claude Ave. Bascule Bridge at the entrance to the Industrial Lock and it works pretty much the same as Harvey.

 We waited for a tug and barge to come out heading westbound and we entered the lock. The procedure is similar except bow and stern lines were dropped to us and since the water level was to be lowered 11 feet, we let out line as it dropped. All easy, no hassles and again the Lockmaster was friendly and professional. As soon as you come out of the lock there is the North Claiborne Ave. lift bridge that needs to be called for an opening. The locks use VHF channel 14 but the bridges use VHF channel 13 as do all of the commercial traffic. We have been monitoring only channel 13 since we turned onto the GICWW at Galveston.

The rest of the trip was almost boring. The canal heading east is almost entirely marshland with some waterways of unknown depths here and there. Today was the most pleasure craft we have seen in a long time. Lots of small runabouts with fishing gear and even a few of those nasty jet skis. We hope they will be in season soon so we can bag a few. We again chose the path less taken and changed our minds about where we would anchor at the last minute. The anchorage behind Rabbit Island is full of wrecked abandoned equipment but this is where everyone anchors. Right next door is the Blind Rigolets waterway that has a railroad bridge over it very shortly after you enter. It is fairly deep at 17 to 24 feet and pretty wide. So we poked our nose in, checked the depths and decided this would be OK for tonight so the anchor is down. The rest of the evening will be prepping for the crossing of the Mississippi Sound and Mobile Bay. We will try and do the crossing in two day hops or three if the sailing is slow. And we will try to sail this leg instead of motoring and using the precious diesel.

Bayou Black to Barataria Waterway, Lafitte, La.

With only 27 miles to cover to Houma we still got an early start from Bayou Black. The weather was to be possibly stormy this afternoon so we wanted to get in and settled early. Another issue is the depth of the canal the marina is on. It shallows to less than 6 feet in a short distance once we enter so we need to tie up close to the waterway at the end of the bulkhead or very close to it. With a few days of bad weather coming our concern was that others would also be seeking shelter and the available space would not be there. We did take our time and arrived 4 hours later at around 11:00 AM and found only a couple of very large house boats and a couple of small sport fishing boats. But the trip to the municipal marina was not without a little excitement. Well, just a little, since almost the entire waterway between Houma and Black Bayou is covered with floating Hydrilla. So we spent most of the trip dodging floating islands of green vegetation and just trying to avoid running over the larger pieces. There were some areas where it was almost impossible to not run through the stuff. We did manage to arrive without incident and had our usual spot near the end of the face dock that makes up the marina.

The Municipal Marina is located in a small Canal sandwiched between twin high rise highway bridges with the marina on one side and the morgue, a bank and a hospital on the other. The marina consists of a long face dock and a very nice adjoining park. There is no office here and you need to call the dockmaster that lives across the street from the park next to a florist. Jessica took over as dockmaster for her parents, the Ellenders. They may come to the boat or ask you to come over to the house, I suppose it depends on how busy they are. The fee for dockage is only $20.00 per day and that includes water and 30 or 50 amp electric. There are no facilities such as showers or restrooms, just a very nice, peaceful, setting adjoining the waterway. There are trash cans and a pump out, however. It is an excellent spot to wait out weather heading west, or especially east before getting into the New Orleans area.

Jessica directed us to the new laundry mat three blocks down on the right on Park Ave., which is the same street the marina is on. There are also 2 convenience stores in gas stations on the other side of the road from the laundry. If one crosses the walkway bridge and under the West bound side of the bridge, then turns right, you will be on Main Street. The Coffee Zone internet café and well as other restaurants are located some 4 -5 blocks away. Jessica also provided us with the number of Tommy’s cab service who will come and take you shopping at Walmart for $7 one way. It is not within walking distance. The downtown area is pretty deserted with only a few shops and offices. There is a large government building and the hospital, but not much else. Everything is pretty much out of town and a cab is needed. Our stay here was for a couple of days as some serious weather passed through, especially over New Orleans. It is though a powerful supreme being is really pissed at that city. They had torrential rains and winds to 100 MPH estimated with some of the storms. Lots of damage and power outages. We saw some rain in Houma but not much else. The weather stayed north of us. We were joined by four other cruising boats, one power and three sail, while we were in Houma. We are keeping an eye on Fridays conflicting weather reports to decide if we will move on or wait till Saturday.

Well, Friday morning just before sunrise the rain and thunderstorms began so another day at the dock was in order. That is not necessarily a bad thing since it might mean just a day of relaxing and watching some movies. The rains continued into the afternoon and finally cleared around 3:00 PM. The forecasts calls for clearing tonight and what looks like a good weather window for the next couple of days. We will see how that works out.

Saturday morning was fantastic. It was sunny with light winds and cool temperatures and looked like a perfect moving day. We had a brief wait for a few large tows to pass before we could back out into the canal but by 7:25 AM we were again under way. The day was pretty uneventful. We had a pontoon bridge about 8 miles up the waterway and a lift bridge a bit further on, but both opened on request and the rest of the day just cruised by. As we neared the Barataria Waterway we began to see signs of civilization again. Small fishing boats, air boats and even a very large pleasure yacht went buzzing past us. The barge traffic was also much lighter. At around 2:00 PM we turned off the GIWW onto the Barataria Waterway and headed a bit down river. The old Fleming fuel dock that we used to refuel going west has closed and been sold to an airboat rental company. Large airboats now take folks on tours and the noise is incredible. But that eliminates a good fuel stop and possible overnight stay. All of the guide books say there is another small marina with fuel in the same general vicinity. When we called them to ask their location, we were told they are 10 miles down river. That would be a 20 mile round trip for fuel so we decided to pass. We figure we have enough fuel to get across the Mississippi Sound and Mobile Bay to the next fuel stop if we motor all the way, heaven forbid. There is a marina in the Industrial Canal in New Orleans if we really needed to stop. After a couple of attempts to anchor along the waterway banks, we chose a spot about a mile south of the GIWW on the starboard side heading south. There are a few houses that we are anchored in front of and we are getting a pretty good WiFi signal from someplace. This will be home for the night then off to New Orleans and points east. Two locks and several bridges will make tomorrow a busy day.

Charenton Canal to Bayou Black

The currents on the next section of the waterway are some of the strongest we have encountered to date. We have a steady 4 to 4 ½ MPH current and of course it is against us, slowing our progress considerably. The swirls and eddies are very visible as we move along and it makes steering interesting. Our only tactic is to hug the side of the waterway as much as depth will allow to at least not be in the strongest flow. One particularly sphincter tightening spot is the Wax Lake Outlet. As you approach the intersection you can see the strong flow from the currents moving across your path. As we entered the intersection we were swept down stream at a pretty substantial pace. The boat was almost pointed straight upstream to make the crossing. Water depths at the center of the intersection are over 50 feet. This is not a crossing you want to make at the same time as any other vessel. We crossed crabbing hard to port at full throttle and as quickly as we were in the soup, we were out of it. Delightful weather again today - sunny, cool and light winds make this a great traveling day. A cold front later in the week may hold us up for a few days but for now we will just wait and see and keep moving east.

Once we left the waterway and headed up the Atchafalaya River we encountered even more current. Our best speed running almost full out was about 2.9 to 3 MPH over the ground but our knot meter showed over 9 MPH. We traveled up river with 2 large tugs and barges that did not do much better than we did although they probably could have. A few miles up river we turned off into the waterway again. Then the excitement really began. We needed to transit the Bayou Beouf Lock just 2 miles off the river.

When we arrived there was a tug transiting west bound so we had a short wait. Then it was our turn and we entered the lock and eased over to the starboard side to tie off. Just as we were about to tie off the boat began moving forward quite rapidly. The engine was in full reverse but we should no signs of slowing down and the gates at the other end of the lock were heading in our direction. At first we thought we had lost the prop or transmission, but that did not explain the acceleration. At almost the last minute we got a line wrapped around a timber on the side of the wall and the boat came to a screeching halt. As the water levels started dropping we did a little checking. The transmission shifted into forward and reverse and seemed OK, so what happened? We really, really hate mysteries, (unless they are by best selling authors). The gates opened after several minutes and we motored out of the lock with no problem. Upon later reflection we realized the lock master did not check to see if we were secured to the wall yet and we believe she opened the gates and let the water out of the lock too soon. The water rushing out carrying us forward so fast that being in reverse had no effect. We did scratch the new paint a bit but it could have been a whole lot worse.

Finally at about 3:00 PM we arrived at Bayou Black. This too is a busy waterway so staying out of the channel is important to safety. We ran a short distance up the bayou and anchored on the port side well out of the way. We dropped the anchor in about 12 feet of water, which is pretty good since the Bayou is 20+ feet deep almost to the tree line. But soon another annoyance was to sprout and we found that with the wind and current the bow of the boat was sitting in about 15 feet and the stern kept
swinging into the tree line and we would sit on the bottom at the stern with the bow in deep water. It would not have mattered except every time a boat went by, the rudder bumped on the bottom and we did not like that. We dropped a small Danforth anchor over to try and keep us out in the channel a bit more but the soft mud would not let it set well enough. So we hauled up anchor and moved to another spot down river a little closer to the waterway intersection. Everything seems to be working out better in this spot so we expect a quiet night and a short trip to Houma tomorrow.

Mermentau River to Charenton Navigational Canal

Our anchorage on the Mermentau was beautiful and during the afternoon we had many alligator, turtle and bird sightings. This is a pretty remote area and we could also hear hunters firing at their prey way off in the distance. But all good things must come to an end in more ways than one. With 50 some miles, a lock and a fuel stop we had a long hard road ahead so anchor up and under way early. This trip has gone far too well so it was time for something to go wrong, after all this is cruising. Poking my head in the engine compartment shortly after heading down river revealed a pretty good stream of water coming out of the stuffing box. We use a special Goretex packing so the drip should be almost nothing. So here I was hanging upside down in the engine compartment trying to adjust the stuffing box as we drifted down river. This was the one thing we did not tend to before leaving with our long to do list occupying most of our time. I have not repacked the gland since I don't know when, maybe in Guatemala. So I suspect it is way past needing redone and after not going anywhere for 2 years and then pushing hard for the last week it is not surprising. The stuffing box is one of those things that had driven us crazy over the years. At times we can barely stem the flow and other times such as our trip from Central America to Texas it gave us no problems at all. We will keep an eye on it today and make adjustments when and if needed and just see how it works out. We would like to be able to nurse
it along until Houma but we will see.

There are more tugs today so that is getting back to normal for this part of the waterway. It is hazy and overcast and the air temp is about 81 degrees with very little wind. There is a bit of rain in the forecast for tomorrow morning and we could sure use a little fresh water rinse, but just a little. Our hardtop over the cockpit is set up as a big water catcher so it also helps fill the tanks. The trip through the Leland Bowman Lock went quickly and smoothly. As we arrived at the lock a tug and barge also east bound was tying up in the lock and we were instructed to come in as soon as he was secured and pull up ahead of him and tie to the opposite wall. As the gates behind us were closing the gates ahead began to open. We estimate that the water level raised maybe 6 inches and little turbulence was encountered. As soon as the gates were fully opened we were instructed to head out before the tug to avoid his prop wash. We got out as quickly as possible and headed for Intracoastal City.

Our stop at the Shell Morgan fuel dock in Intracoastal City revealed that our stuffing box was still leaking quite a bit so we decided it needed repacking now since we still had a long way to go the next couple of days. After fueling up and topping off the water tank we moved to the other side of the dock and tied up for the night. Fuel is at $4.05 per gallon here and this is usually the best price anywhere on the waterway. Overnight tie up is a flat $20.00 and there is electric but only 20 Amp service.

 This is right on the waterway and not one of our quieter stops. There are tugs and barges, work boats of all sizes, shrimpers and supply boats, sometimes all operating at the same time. It is noisy, smelly and rolly but the price is right. This worked out fine for us and shortly after settling in the repairs began. Once the flange is removed and the old packing is pulled out there is a pretty good flow of water coming into the boat. But once the new packing was in place the flow stopped immediately. The whole process took a couple of hours only because I want to do a small modification to the flange bolts and the stuffing box is very difficult to get to. The job needs to be done hanging almost upside down off the back of the engine which was quite warm from running all day. It is finally done though and should not need repacking again for some time. We will need to do some minor adjustments in the morning as we run down the waterway. Did I mention the engine room was really hot and very uncomfortable to work on the stuffing box?

Ordinarily we would head down river another 15 miles to Avery Canal, after stopping at Intracoastal City, but we will try and find another alternate anchorage farther down the road. Sometimes we just have to find these places on our own and sometimes they are a bit out of the ordinary. Sunday morning was dark and overcast and we had a tough time getting weather info. We have had no WiFi connections available since we left Clear Lake and the local TV stations don't do news on Sunday mornings. To add to the problem the VHF weather broadcasts are not available here either. We were able to piece together enough info from the Weather Channel to know a front was coming through just as we got up this morning. It was a weak one and other than a few sprinkles and a wind shift to the north it was over without much notice. We were off the dock and under way at about 9 AM after a few adjustments to the stuffing box. After the clouds passed the weather turned beautiful. Clear crisp blue skies with light north winds, almost no humidity and plenty of water ahead.

Then problem number 2 showed its ugly head. We have been wondering if we have radio problems with the VHF because we call the tugs and they don't seem to answer. We thought maybe they had just gotten stuck up since our trip west. In the past they have always been friendly and professional and almost happy that we called to confirm what was going on and what our intentions were. But some times they did respond and we were able to communicate with the lock tenders with no problem. This afternoon I pulled out the hand held VHF and made contact when we did not with the main radio. In addition we could pick up weather broadcasts with the hand held but not the main radio. Using a spare length of coax with connectors on both ends I was able to isolate the section of coax that was the culprit. It took a bit of doing and another couple of hours but I was able to run a new section of cable from inside the base of the mast to a section that connects up in one of our hanging lockers. We were soon back in the communications business.

About the same time the VHF was working again we arrived at Franklin Bayou, our first consideration for the night. A shrimp boat coming out told use we should be able to anchor with no problem and the depths were 9 feet in the canal. We turned in and promptly ran aground in 5 ½ feet of water. Remember, we draw 6 feet so this was not going to work. So we tried a spot just out side of the channel right on the waterway. We sat with the anchor down for about 20 minutes contemplating whether this was a good idea. After the first tug and barge passed we decided it was too exposed and there is just too much heavy traffic here. Our second choice was back the other direction about 2 miles. The current had been running strong against us all day so turning around was a quick ride back to plan B. It was getting late,  OK 5 o'clock, not too late, but we wanted to get settled in since there are not many options here.

We arrived at the Charenton Navigational Canal and turned north off the waterway. Testing the waters, so to speak, we determined that the depths were pretty adequate almost right up to the tree line. We are currently anchored in 11 to 12 feet of water a mere 60 or so feet from the trees. This is a busy waterway also and that is why we needed to get as far out of the channel as possible. Aside from the usual inconsiderate work boat flying by and rocking us with his wake it is a nice spot. This will be our third different anchorage from the ones we used going west bound and in each case it has been as good as or better than the ones we used in the past. We do like the Avery Canal anchorage quite a bit and even considered going there anyway, but time dictates we keep moving so this will not be the pleasure part of this cruise.

Calcasieu River to Mermentau River

We had to say goodbye to our oil production friends this morning. We were pulling up anchor at about the same time the crew boats were heading out to take them to their sites. They have been friendly and curious through our short stay and only one grumpy driver had an issue with us anchoring in the Bayou. Fortunately it is not his Bayou so we ignored him and he ignored us. About 10 PM last night we saw a large tug go past us and since we were about as far back as a boat of any size can get we were a bit intrigued. It seems he had a large dilapidated sail boat of at least 45 feet on his hip and he brought it in and pushed it up to the trees at the bridge. He was none too gentle and we surmised he was glad to be rid of it. The crew tied it to the trees and they promptly left. But the vessel was at least floating when we left this morning.


We knew we had to give advance notice to the Ellender Bridge some 25 miles down the waterway, in order to get an opening. The bridge height is 50 feet and our mast height is 57 feet. We called at 6:30 AM to give them a heads up and told them we would call again 4 hours prior to arrival since that is their requirement. We were told, "no problem" and we headed out. This was to be a short run again since we planned to anchor in the Calcasieu River and it was only 30 miles up the waterway. This was another of our stops on the way west so we knew what to expect. But our last anchorage there was just a right turn out of the channel and anchoring behind a range marker. This time with the help of our Skipper Bob anchorage guide, we planned a stop in what was described as a lovely anchorage in an oxbow 3 miles up river. Once again lots and lots tug and barge traffic.


At one point we passed a tug pulling a HUGE oil drilling rig with another tug pushing from behind. We fell in astern of one tug that was traveling at just the speed we needed to make our arrival at the Ellender Bridge. At exactly 4 hours out we called the bridge and gave them our ETA. It seems it did not matter a whole lot since we still waited 15 to 20 minutes for the bridge to open. But if you don't call ahead there is a good chance that no one will be on the bridge to open it when you arrive. The turn off the waterway on to the Calcasieu River is less than a mile after the bridge and is a wide and deep commercial channel. There are lots of tank farms and refineries up river and a ship dry-dock on the port side as you turn in. The winds were the forecast (imagine that) 15+ from the SW which was just fine for this leg. The trip up the river was quick and easy and we found the anchorage in the oxbow just as described. There is a tank farm and fill up for the barges at the entrance but as you go farther in you are in low lying saw grass with a golf course off the stern, but the ever present refineries are all around the river. Next morning we were off early and back on the waterway heading east. We needed to time our departure to put us at the Calcasieu Locks after 8:00 AM since they are restricted prior to that. As we arrived, a tug and barge was locking through west bound but came through rather quickly. We locked through next and the gates were open on both ends so it was just a quick motor through. At the east side of the lock is a pontoon bridge which needed to open and usually coordinates with the lock. But I guess this has changed since the lock master instructed us to call the bridge on channel 13 to open. After a few calls and no response we called the locks on channel 14, they in turn called the bridge which finally opened for us.

We had one other pontoon bridge to transit some 7 or 8 miles down the waterway. This one opened as soon as we arrived, even though a tug had just passed through. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful and we saw much less commercial traffic than on previous days. We arrived at the Mermentau River at about 2:00 PM and traveled upstream about 1.8 miles to a beautiful anchorage in another oxbow. This one is populated by tall trees and very little signs of refineries. There is even a small park at the pass just before we turned into the anchorage. It should be a peaceful night and we will have to start at the crack of dawn tomorrow because we have about 58 miles and that includes a fuel stop in Intracoastal City and a lock to transit and they can hold us up.

Taylor Bayou to Adams Bayou

Tuesday was a short trip for us, only 25 miles. The anchorage at Taylor Bayou was peaceful and quiet as usual. This is and old outfall canal were built but never used by one of the oil companies. Winds were very light and it is so far out in the toolies that you don't encounter many other boats. We have been there on a weekend and the small fishing boats do come out during the day. But other than the large refinery off in the distance that lights up the entire sky at night, we are pretty much to
ourselves. We both slept like logs for a change. We were up early as usual and went through our morning routine. I know, how boring, but cruising is not always about sandy beaches and tropical sunsets. However, we did have occasion to see a pink ibis as we entered the waterway from Galveston Bay, a big gator a short while after High Island and last night were serenaded to bed by a multitude of frogs singing "Ricky, Ricky, Ricky!!"

We passed through Port Arthur, which is a seaport, so naturally we shared the waterway with a couple of ships. Plenty of room for passing and again lots of tug and barge traffic. But today the sun was shining and the breeze was light and it was pretty delightful. The 25 mile trip to Adams Bayou only took us about 4 and one half hours and that was because we took our time, running the engine at a lower RPM to conserve fuel. This is not always great for a diesel but it does not hurt once in a while. We had a favorable current so in just a little more than an idle we made 5 or 6 MPH. While under way each day we do an inspection of the bilge and engine compartment about every 3 hours if we are running under power. We are looking for any water, oil or fuel leaks, stuffing box drip, loose belts or anything out of the ordinary. On a few occasions this has headed off what might have been a more serious problem and allowed us to correct whatever it was.

Adams Bayou is a very nice easy to enter anchorage right off the waterway. There is a fuel or chemical loading station on the Bayou so you must come in beyond that to anchor. A short distance into the Bayou a small highway bridge blocks anything but small boats from going further. But it makes for some great exploration by dinghy. A well known but long since closed Marina and restaurant sits just before the bridge. It was in pretty bad shape the last time we were here and has gotten worse since then. Buildings are boarded up, windows broken and sunken boats are everywhere. As we came past another cruising sailboat was tied to one of the dilapidated docks, I suppose for free.


We decided anchoring was our preference. We are anchored near a small boat ramp so it can be a bit busy on weekends. There are many supply boats in and out here ferrying supplies and crew to the oil rigs as well as pipeline crews working in the Sabine Lake and along the waterway. At the end of the day we have had maybe 15 or 20 vessels ferrying the workman back to a parking area they have set up just beyond the bridge. This is indeed oil country and the rush for profits here is obvious. Wind forecasts for Wednesday are 15 to 20, yeah right, so we will stay put for the next day or so and catch up on minor boat chores and, most importantly, get a little much needed rest. We have been going all out for weeks and that includes right up until we untied the dock lines. If you are not seeing photos with these posts, that is because we are sending the posts over our Icom M710 HF radio via the Winlink email system and it does pretty much text only. When we have the next internet connection we will post some photos. We are really out reach of any WiFi signals even with our nifty new WiFi adapter and antenna.

On The Road Again Texas to South Carolina 5/05/08

Even after 16 years of cruising we still find we get the pre-departure anxieties just before and as we shove off after a long spell at the dock. You start to worry about the weather, and what if the boat breaks down and what if the anchor breaks loose in the middle of the night and what if the mast falls down and on and on. You finally have to force your self to stop thinking negative thoughts and concentrate on all of the positives you know you will encounter. You tell yourself that you have done this all before and you can handle anything that comes along.


We finally got off the dock on Sunday albeit a bit late. We usually try to get a very early start but this time we still had a little prep to do so we did not untie the dock lines till 10 AM. The folks we had come to know during our two year stay were on hand to shove us off and we receive a horn salute as we pulled out of the slip. A Cape Dory club race was scheduled that morning so we had lots of company. A short trip to the fuel dock and topping off the fuel tank and deck jugs was our final chore.
Fuel at 3 Amigos was $4.19 a gallon for diesel, ouch, and we knew this was just a preview of things to come. As we left Clear Lake and exited the entrance channel we had several farewells over the VHF radio. We were surprise that no one ask us what we were doing going in circles to do a calibration of the autopilot. Soon we were heading down Galveston Bay. As usual the ship and barge traffic were pretty heavy even for a Sunday. It was a bright sunny day so lots of folks were out on the water.

Now you will probably get tired of reading in these posts as we go along, some of my rants about the weather service, but we have been doing this for a long time and have some pretty strong opinions. Now I know forecasting weather is not an exact science but with billions of dollars worth of computers and satellites and degrees in meteorology you would think that once in a while they would get it right. We delayed leaving for a day or two because the winds have been quite strong from the direction
we needed to go and Galveston Bay is no fun in those conditions. For a couple of days all of the forecasts called for NE winds 10 to 15 on Sunday going east at 10 to 15 Sunday afternoon. A perfect run down the bay and no motoring while using that expensive diesel. As we left Clear Lake it was indeed NE but very light, maybe 5 to 8. Very shortly as we entered and headed down the ship channel it turned to the SE, the exact direction we needed to go, and as the day progressed built to 15 to 20, yes, right on the nose. Typical NWS forecasting or lack there of, and we should know better after all these years. For some reason they just can not get marine forecasts right. We have observed this over a 16 year period so this is not just based on this forecast. With the millions and millions this agency spends and the equipment at their disposal you would think they could get it right once in a while. Our forecast for today, Monday, was SE 10 to 15 for the area we are in. I can tell you we indeed have
had 10 to 15 then 15 to 25 with gusts to 30 except out of the NE. Oh, by the way, that is the direction we are heading, but at least we are in the protection of the Gulf ICWW. Now the forecast for today, Monday, is for a 20% chance of rain and mostly north of the Houston area and we are about 70 miles south. Temps are suppose to be 78 to 80 degrees and mostly cloudy. It has been pouring rain to the point that we have had zero visibility at times and there appears little sign it will quit today and
the temps are in the 60s. I am still not sure why they don't call it weather guessing instead of forecasting. So much for the weather rant.

We arrived at our planned anchorage behind Baffle Point off the Bolivar Peninsula around 3:30 PM Sunday afternoon. The winds were still pretty much SE so we had fairly good protection even though we could not get close to shore with our 6 foot draft. But all in all it was a pretty good spot. This is a fair weather anchorage only since the entire bay is exposed from the north and a north wind would not be fun. We spent a peaceful night although the first night at anchor we are still getting used to
new sounds not heard at the dock and a few times during the night we were visited by some strange swells from unknown sources that really rocked us from side to side. Fortunately it was not often and did not last long. The wind stayed out of the SE all night and was down to about 5 knots by morning.
We were up at the crack of dawn Monday because we had a long 55 miles to our next anchorage. We have a regular routine each morning while under way. First the engine gets a thorough check, oil, transmission fluid, water and a good look over for leaks and any other issues. All of this info is recorded in our log book. Next we check the levels of the fuel and water tanks, the battery status, bilge and bilge pumps and engine hours from the previous day, recording all information good or bad. Next is breakfast and the most important thing, coffee. We check that all electronics and radios are working and get things on deck ready including any sails we plan to use during the day. This is done daily without exception and we use a check list to make certain nothing is over looked. So by 7:40 AM we had the anchor up and were under way. Did I mention I LOVE, LOVE our new electric windlass. After 15 years of cranking that anchor and chain up with a manual windlass this was a real treat. I even had to make note of this in the log book. At 08:00 AM sharp we entered the Gulf ICWW for our looonnnnggg trip on the Gulf coast. Once again we found the waterway busy with tugs and barges.


So it pretty much rained and blew all day. We put down the side curtains for the cockpit which makes a complete enclosure and stayed dry at least. Tug and barge traffic was pretty heavy but with the new AIS receiver running on our chartplotter we were easily able to keep track of everyone. Having the plotter at the helm was a real treat after running our navigation program from the computer at the nav station. By 6:20 in the afternoon our anchor was down in Taylor Bayou just west of Port Arthur Texas. The weather has settled down a bit but we can't be sure how long it will hold. The anchorage is very protected and secure but very remote. We have had dinner and settled in for the night and just kicking back and watching TV. Tomorrow will be another early start to get to our next anchorage before some heavy winds that are forecast, HA HA.

Preparations Are Coming Along 4/14/08

We are making pretty good progress and that is important since we are down to days for our departure. The weather has really cooperated and the painting is about half finished and a good part of the teak is done also. The painting is always difficult while the boat s in the water and we are working off of a floating platform. I keep promising myself that I will only do this next time on the hard. If this last ten years like the first coat I may not have to worry about it.




We have tested several forms of receiving WiFi while cruising and have had limited success. Doing a bit of research and getting feedback from other cruisers virtually all over the world we have come up with a very good system without spending a fortune. Many have reported good success with the Engenius 362 EXT usb WiFi Long Range unit with an 8db outdoor omni-directional antenna. We chose the Engenius antenna to help match the system but there are others that would probably work as well. The wireless unit is not weather proof so using some other folks ideas we mounted the unit and attached the antenna to a plastic electrical box, sealed it with silicone and made hangers to haul it up high enough to get a good signal. The results here at the marina have been wonderful. With the laptop itself we could pick up maybe three signals, and with other devices we have tried we picked up maybe four or five, but with our new set up we have picked up a dozen signals and some from across the lake which is quite a distance. We are very encouraged and looking forward to putting it to the test along our way.

We participated in a marine swap meet a week ago and lightened the boats waterline a bit selling off items we no longer need. We have a practice of going through the boat once a year and if it is not a spare part, or a piece of safety equipment and we have not touched it in a year it has to go. The balance of the items we did not sell at the swap meet were taken to the local marine consignment store.

This weekend we did the final fitting of the small panels for our cockpit side curtains and checked the fit of all of the panels. Susan is very happy with her "Florida Room". We can not explain how happy we are with this arrangement when offshore or anytime the weather gets bad. It is as though we have another cabin. So that is our current update. The vehicles will soon be on there way to Central Florida where they will await us at our next long term port of call, where ever that might be.



One other item we had been wanting to do for a while and just finished is to remove the TV, DVD recorder and satellite receiver from the 110 volt outlets and put them on their own power supply. We accomplished this by installing a Go Power 300 watt inverter that supplies power to a strip that all of these are plugged in to. The inverter is connected to a circuit breaker on one of our 12 volt panels. Now we can run the "entertainment center" while at anchor from this smaller inverter and don't have to fire up the main inverter and activate the entire boat. With the LCD TV, DVD recorder and Sat receiver we are only drawing 8 amps through the small inverter and since it is a pure sine wave inverter, the electronics are just happy running this way. we will post again probably just before departure and will continue our posts as we move along our route. We can do this via email through our SSB and Winlink system but can't post photos until we get internet connection. With the new system we should not have a problem. Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned.

Long Distance Scam Alert

It appears that the 809 area code scam has become active again. It now may include area codes 284 and 876.

A lot of folks here are cruising the Caribbean for the first time and may not know about this scam. Also they may have their families scammed into returning “emergency calls” or they may not see their phone bills for several months because of mail delays.

Here’s what I just received, I think the countries are actually the DR and Jamaica:


SNOPES SAYS IT'S TRUE: http://www.snopes.com/fraud/telephone/809.asp AT&T ALSO SAYS IT'S TRUE http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=6045 IMPORTANT INFO ABOUT AREA CODE
We actually received a call last week from the 809 area code. The woman said 'Hey, this is Karen. Sorry I missed you--get back to us quickly. I have something important to tell you.' Then she repeated a phone number beginning with 809 We didn't respond. Then this week, we received the following e-mail: Do Not DIAL AREA CODE 809, 284, AND 876 THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION PROVIDED TO US BY AT&T. DON'T EVER DIAL AREA CODE 809This one is being distributed all over the US . This is pretty scary, especially given the way they try to get you to call. Be sure you read this and pass it on. They get you to call by telling you that it is information about a family member who has been ill or to tell you someone h as been arrested, died, or to let you know you have won a wonderful prize, etc. In each case, you are told to call the 809 number right away. Since there are so many new area codes these days, people unknowingly return these calls. If you call from the U.S. , you will apparently be charged $2425 per-minute.Or, you'll get a long recorded message. The point is, they will try to keep you on the phone as long as possible to increase the charges. Unfortunately, when you get your phone bill, you'll often be charged more than $24,100.00.WHY IT WORKS:The 809 area code is located in the British Virgin Islands (The Bahamas). The charges afterwards can become a real nightmare. That's because you did actually make the call. If you complain, both your local phone company and your long distance carrier will not want to get involved and will most likely tell you that they are simply providing the billing for the foreign company. You'll end up dealing with a foreign company that argues they have done nothing wrong. Please forward this entire message to your friends, family and colleagues to help them become aware of this scam.

Preparations Are Coming Along 3/30/08

Things are moving along quite well considering the
weather has not totally co-operating. The AIS from
Milltech Marine is installed and connected to the new
Standard Horizon chartplotter and the installation
went surprisingly well. We can pick up targets 20
miles away. The new side curtains for the cockpit are
up and look great. The painting has begun but the wind
has been blowing 15 to 20 almost every day. And today
it has been raining so this part will be a bit slow.
Susan is making pretty good progress with the teak
also. She is stripping the old finish off and redoing
everything with 3 coats of Cetol Natural Teak and
three coats of the clear gloss. It really looks great
and we have been very pleased with how the Cetol holds
up over the years. The new natural finish gives the
teak a much more natural look than the older style.




Upon unpacking the last parts for the masthead sensor
for the wind instruments we found a problem with the
anemometer cups. Simrad was great and sent out a
replacement part immediately with no questions ask. As
soon as the wind is down a bit I will be up the mast
to finish that part of the installation. We have also
been testing all of the electronics and doing some
tweaking on the SSB ground plane. So far all is well
and each time we tweak the SSB we seem to get out
better and receive better so we must be doing
something right.
We are counting down and plan to move the car and van
to our relatives in south Florida for storage in about
a week. That means departure should be in about two
weeks. We have learned a long time ago to be flexible
so we will wait and see just how that timetable works out.

Clearing Into Mexico

Clearing in and out of every port in Mexico and the high costs involved in what became known as the “paperwork cha cha” was the biggest complaint from any cruiser that traveled there either on the Pacific or Caribbean side. At each port where a Port Captain was present, it was necessary to visit Health, Customs, Immigrations and Port Captain and pay the appropriate fees to each office. There was a clearing out procedure that must be followed at each port. Then the whole was process was repeated over again including the fees at the next port. In addition, there were many forms to provide and fill out for some of those officials. At some point, the Port Captains in many areas refused to do individual check ins and required all pleasure craft to go through a ships agent to both clear in and out. Fees to these agents varied from as little as $40.00 to as much as $200.00 and the agents sometimes did most of the clearance work and sometimes did nothing more than take your money. Many cruisers refused to travel to Mexico as a result of this and the businesses that benefited from visits by pleasure craft soon began to realize the frustrations of all of this. Tere Grossman, who is the owner of Marina San Carlos in the Sea of Cortez and the head of the Mexico Marina owners Association, began a campaign a few years ago to change these procedures and streamline the entire process as well as reduce the costs involved in multiple check ins.

As with any changes in Latin America, the process was long, slow and complicated. But Tere’s group persisted and in the early months of 2005, President Vicente Fox signed the new regulations in to law. Simply stated, the new regulation, Reglamento 69, eliminates the need for a pleasure craft to check in and out of every port. The vessel checks in as it arrives at the first port of entry and checks out at the last port of entry when preparing to leave Mexican water. The only requirement for intermediate ports is to call the Port Captain on the VHF and let him know you are there and passing through. Also, the law makes it illegal for Port Captains to require a pleasure craft to hire an agent to clear in and out. The law was to go in to affect as soon as it was signed by the President. The Director of Port Captains in Mexico City called ALL Port Captains throughout the country to a meeting in the city to explain the new regulations, exactly what they meant and how they were to be implemented. This procedure is not common when such new regulations are passed in Mexico but it shows the governments’ resolve to improve the situation to generate more interest in travel by boat to Mexico. After the meeting, the changes were implemented immediately….in the Pacific. But the Caribbean side was a different situation. Our experiences seemed to be typical of what happened to many boaters entering and clearing in to Isla Mujeres and Puerto Morelos.

We arrived in Isla Mujeres in early May of 2005. We had heard of the changes in procedures but did not know the specifics at that time. On our first day, when we tried to check in, we were told that an agent was required. We mentioned the new regulations and were told that yes the new law had passed but it would be a couple of more months before it was implemented. Not knowing better, we hired an agent and paid his fee. Later we moved on down the western Caribbean to spend several months in the Rio Dulce waiting out the record hurricane season. Our original plan was to continue south to Panama, transit the canal, and head up the Pacific coast of Central America. Our long but pleasant delay in Guatemala forced us to change plans and head back to the United States by the same route which we had come south. This brought us back to Isla Mujeres. While in Guatemala we researched the new regulations for Mexico and had corresponded with Tere Grossman several times. We also had received a well known magazine detailing the changes and how well they were working throughout the Pacific side of Mexico. On top of that, we spoke to cruisers on the SSB/HAM radio who indicated that things were going quite smoothly on the West Coast. We expected to be pleasantly surprised at how easy the new procedures would be. We also had received word through the Northwestern Caribbean Net that perhaps the changes were not yet in place in Isla Mujeres and Puerto Morelos, even though it had now been several months since they had been signed in to law.

We do not recommend that vessels bypass proper procedures when entering foreign ports since doing so can be problematic and even costly. But we decided to do just that upon our arrival in Isla Mujeres. The requirements upon arrival are to call the Port Captain to announce you are there and to begin the check in procedure. But only days before, a vessel reported that the Port Captain was still requiring the use of an agent, in violation of the new law. So instead of calling the Captain on the radio, we instead went ashore to the health inspector’s office to begin the process. The health inspector chastised us for not calling the Port Captain first but processed our paperwork anyway. Next we went to Immigrations, our passports were stamped and we walked to the next block to pay the immigration fees at the bank. The last stop was the Port Captains office. We walked in, stood at the counter and asked that we be checked into the port. The gentleman behind the counter informed us that we must hire an agent to do this. We were ready for this and since Susan speaks Spanish fairly well, the communications issue was not a problem. Always with a smiling and friendly demeanor, we told the official that we were aware of the new regulations and even quoted the regulation number. In addition we had the magazine with us quoting the changes and their implementation in other ports. Susan also told the official she did not know what an agent could do for us since the majority of the clearing in procedure was already complete. Since the official was not the Port Captain he was a little dumbfounded and said the Port Captain was off the island and would not be back until the next day. He said it would be fine for us to move around and enjoy ourselves and would we come back the next morning to see the Captain and also bring a copy of the magazine article with us? He stated that they were not aware of the new regulations. We responded that we were surprised at that since all Port Captains were called to Mexico City to have the new regulations explained. He did not have anything to say to us but asked that we return the next morning.

We knew there was an Internet Café a block down the street so that became our first stop. We had brought Tere Grossman’s email address with us and immediately emailed her and gave her an update of what had transpired. We had corresponded with her previously to let her know we were on our way to Isla. Now it was time for a little relaxation and some shopping. Isla is one of our favorite stops and we love the atmosphere. The many shops and restaurants and the colorful streets are truly what you expect when coming to Mexico. We always wish we could spend more time here. Later in the day, we checked back at the Internet Café and found to our surprise that an email from Tere had come back very shortly after we had sent ours to her. She had contacted Ing. Leonardo Lazo, the director of Port Captains and he in turn called the Port Captains office in Isla Mujeres. They were reminded of the new law and instructed to clear in pleasure vessels without requiring an agent. We did feel a bit uncomfortable since we did not know how the Port Captain would react to us going over his head. We told them we were freelance writers for different boating publications and were writing an article on the changes regarding clearing in and out of Mexico. I believe that helped in getting them to co-operate.

The next morning, we arrived at the Port Captains office just as they opened with the copy of the magazine article they had asked for. It was apparent the phone call of the previous day had been received and understood. The reception was cordial but it was obvious it was not sincere. To our surprise, the Port Captain informed us he was doing this only for us and would not do it for others. We let it go and finished clearing in. Once we finished, we again emailed Tere Grossman and informed here of how things went and of the Port Captain’s comment. Surprisingly, the next boats that came in were told they could use and agent if they liked but it was not required. We wondered why that might be and hoped we had made a difference through our efforts and that now things would change for those that came after us. Well, that didn’t happen quite as we had hoped. Very soon the Port Captain took a new tack. He stopped accepting payment for the check in and required the boaters to take a ferry to the mainland and pay the fee at a bank in Cancun. This is a hassle, very time consuming and more expensive since you must pay for the ferry to the mainland and the return. The ploy was obvious since whenever someone objected they were told that they could hire an agent and avoid the hassle. And many did just that, but not all. As soon as we learned of this new approach by the Port Captain we notified Tere Grossman, even though by that time we were back in the US. She assured us that the information would be passed on and gave us the email address of another government official that would be interested and would help correct this new situation. We emailed Captain Raymundo Mata Contreras, Deputy Director of the Mexican Merchant Marine and here is the email we received back from him.

Here is a copy and paste of an email we received from Leonardo Lazom of the Mexican government and what they are doing to correct this problem. Boaters checking in and still finding a hassle should immediately email Capt. Contreras directly with their problems. They are very concerned about the financial impact on the economy with this kind of problem. The email address is at the end of the message. Chuck and Susan, S/V Sea Trek

Asunto: Atten: Leonardo Lazom, problems in Isla Mujeres

Copy to: Teresa Grossman-Asociación de Marinas Turísticas.

With reference to the message sent to Mr. Leonardo Lazo Margain regarding your concerns with the Maritime Services at Isla Mujeres; where you express your concern about the collusion between the Port Captain and the agents; that they are making it so difficult for the boaters that they will use the agents rather than go through the hassles the Port Captain has imposed.

For the Government of Mexico, the Secretary of Transport and Communications through the General Coordination on Ports and Merchant Marine our compromise as the Maritime Administration is primarily to observe national legislation, and the International Maritime Conventions related with the guarantee of the Safety of Life At Sea, Safety of Navigation and all related activities with Ports and Waterways in our jurisdiction; this is realized through a national policy for the development of the maritime and Port System, and also in every port under the supervision and authority of the Harbour Master.

The Maritime Administration complying with IMO Conventions, specially the FAL Convention to facilitate traffic bettwen ports worlwide. We need to recognize that during the past; the Navigation Law was restricting the traffic for boaters because it was a requirement to dispatch all boat at every port during their presence at mexican waters, nowadays with the reform made to the law is only required at the first arrival port of call to the country and at the departure to international voyage.

We started a complete program to update documentation, rules and obligations for the keyplayers in the industry and eveybody needs to observe regualtions stated in the Navigation Law and Port Law.

Since, the new changes in the law we have dealing since that with differents matters regarding the boaters, and in order to promote competitiveness in the Maritime and Port Industry it´s necessary to promote a new culture to meet the customer´s needs ensuring the continuos growth of the Port operations at the Mexican Ports.

Some of the requirements were requested to the Minister of Finance who is the federal Agenct that receive all fees related with the use of federal and public services and obviously those related with maritime industry.

During last week was approved to have a bank terminal at the island in order to attend the necesities and very soon boat and customers will be informed; so all process can be completed RIGHT THERE without going out of the island.

Let me inform you that is not compulsoty to use a shipping agent for the tramitance; but that´s the only decisión of the boat owners and the Harbor Master is impeded to promote the use of agents; otherwise they will be subjected to penalization as per stated in the Responsability Law for the Public Service.

As part of the objectives of this Administration and as a Part of the Government Agenda we are combating authoritarianism and corruption.

Let me say additionally that this is part of the changes of the Country México. We foreseen ahead and promisory future for the Maritime and Port Industry, and we know that Governments needs to give the Industry a certain with the Law and with a Public National Policy in all Maritime Issues.

With that in mind we request you to inform to all boaters; that concerns regarding with these maritime incidents must be attended directly by the Harbor Master or through my office.

On behalf of the General Coordinator on Ports and Merchant Marine Eng.Cesar Patricio Reyes Roel, receive our best regards.

Capt. Raymundo Mata Contreras, Deputy Director Merchant Marine.

Av. Nuevo León No. 210 7th Floor.

Col Hipodromo Condesa. Deleg. Cuauhtemoc.

México, D.F. 06100

Phones + 52 55 5265 3222 and + 52 55 5265 3235

Email: rmata@sct.gob.mx

Website www.sct.gob.mx

So this is where things stand today. Any problems can be addressed directly to Captain Contreras and he will be more than happy to assist any and all vessels still being hassled in the Caribbean. So just what are the proper clearance procedures?

You need to first contact the Port Captain on Channel 16 and let him know you have arrived. They will first send the Health Department to your boat to make sure you and your crew are healthy. They may also want to inspect your fresh food stuffs. After you have cleared Sanitario, which is free, they will stamp all your papers and you are free to go to shore to Immigration. Immigration will have you fill out the visitor form and charge you 214 pesos per passport (about $21 per). This can be paid at the bank a few doors away. From there, you take the rest of your paperwork to the Capitania and they will complete it and charge you approximately 263 pesos for a 40 foot boat of 13 gross tons. The fee is based on the gross tonnage, anchoring fee and services of the Port Captain so will be a little more or less depending on the size of your boat. If you have not cleared into Mexico before, you will need to apply for the temporary importation (Importada) of your vessel into Mexico, which is good for 10 years. We had already done this when we came down in the Spring through the agent at Marina Paraiso. It is unclear who is doing this now and you may have to go to Cancun and do this paperwork yourself. The government is also trying to set up a web site so this can be done over the internet.

Now to the paperwork. You will need 5 copies of your crew list to present to Sanitario. He will stamp each one of them and keep one for himself. You will also need 5 copies of your zarpe or clearance from your last port. (US citizens coming from home won’t have this.) You only need to present your passport to immigration. When you get to the port captain, you will need the 4 remaining copies of your crew list and zarpe, a copy of your passports, documentation, boat insurance and Importada (if you already have it). They input some info into their computer, had us fill out a form, pay the fee and we were done.

This last vestige of the old guard will eventually change but only if the boaters continue to gently apply pressure on those that resist the change. How you approach this goes a long way in how it is eventually resolved. We always use the cordial, friendly approach no matter how absurd the situation becomes. We believe that approach has made a big difference in how we are perceived and received. Tere Grossman can be contacted at grossman@marinasancarlos.com and is glad to hear from boaters. She has worked hard to bring about these changes and is dedicated to bringing about compliance throughout all Mexican Ports. Since we had our experiences the Port Captain in Isla has gotten creative and still tries to put up roadblocks so cruisers will give up and hire an agent. Be persistent but polite and insist the process be done according to Mexican Law. You will eventually prevail but contact Tere Grossman if problems continue.

Getting Ready...........Again

Once again we are preparing Sea Trek for our next cruise. Our plans at this point are a bit muddy but considerations are to visit friends along the eastern seaboard from Florida to South Carolina between April and November. Then when the hurricane season comes to a close, head back over to the Bahamas. It has been eight years since our last visit to the island chain so we look forward to seeing what changes have transpired since then. We always say our plans are written in the sand at low tide. During the next month and a half we will be doing some upgrades and maintenance that we have neglected since we have been here in Houston.

A few years ago we did some experimenting with a non skid paint for the decks. Over the years the finish has gotten pretty shabby and we have tried painting with a couple of different products. The best look was with AwlGrip and a flattening agent added to eliminate that shiny finish and loose all "non-skid" affects. It looked good but was still very slippery when wet. We came across a product called DuraBac that touted itself as a true non skid and reported it was used by commercial fisherman and the military as well as industry. The application process was fairly easy, the color selection was good and after we applied it to the deck the performance was very good even when the decks were awash. We chose the color Cream since it matched the original non skid color but sadly found after only a few months it started turning grey in splotches all over. Our first contact with the manufacturer found they did not include an additive that was supposed to be mixed in so they sent us a replacement. But the same thing happened after the second attempt. Further contact with the manufacturer was not of much help since they insisted we must have done something wrong or used the wrong cleaners. So at our expense we redid the decks again and guess what? The same results, so we decided that we really liked the non skid properties and we researched other like products and found one with good positive feedback called Tuff Coat. Concerned that we might have problems with it also turning gray we ordered new gray paint then we did a test section and left it for a few months. The finished stayed the same color and was easy to clean. The DuraBac was always difficult to clean from the very start. Again the non-skid properties are great. So now Sea Trek has a great looking new coat of gray non-skid.

We have also done some work on the interior. New blinds on our large ports, a new storage cabinet over the galley counter where the old TV/VHS combo used to live and new foam for some of the cushions. A new stereo system tied to the new HD LCD TV and DVD player/recorder improves the entertainment upgrades. I have added a new four stage battery charger and left our trusty 30 amp original charger in place but unplugged. If one fails we only need to unplug that one and plug in the other for a back up.




Several years ago we replaced the large fixed ports on the cabin sides with Lexan, surfaced mounted and with bronze outer frames. Over the years the Lexan has degraded and clouded over to the point that one could not see through them very well. Those were clear Lexan but we decided to replace them with a darker smoked finish. The bronze frames were always green so we decided to get them chromed. We found a shop in Houston that did a great job. The final finished look was outstanding and we have received many complements since we completed the project.

For many years we have run all of our navigation programs from the computer at the nav station. As a certified marine electronics technician I decided it was probably time to put a plotter at the helm. We went with the Standard Horizon CP300 since we did not need an integrated system and the Standard Horizon is very user friendly. In addition it uses the C-Map cartridges which I prefer and the cost is 1/3 or better than most of the other systems on the market. From personal experience and the first hand experience of others that use the Standard Horizon we have received nothing but positive feedback. Our 16 year old Signet Wind Instruments have been occasionally acting erratic so we decided now would be a good time to replace them. We installed a Simrad Wind machine to match our Simrad speed/depth/temp combo. Tweaking much of the rest of the equipment and electronics are on the todo list. We also replaced the aging side curtains for the cockpit.

Other items yet to be done include having the anchor and chain re galvanized since there is a place close by to get that done. Some of the paint on the hull is showing it's age since we last did the job 10 years ago so we will do some touching up. The teak is getting stripped and redone after eight years of just maintenance coats and several other small cosmetic projects. We like the boat to be looking good and feeling good when we leave for these cruises and it has paid off in the past. We have been able to enjoy the trip and the boat with only minor issues to deal with along the way. So we will post our progress for those interested and for those not so interested we hope you enjoy the other many articles we have posted here. We will continue to post as we move along our route and report back when internet access allows.