I’ve been chugging east the last couple of days. Today I stopped for the night here at Fort Walton Beach. Went ashore for a meal out and some groceries.
It’s very quiet around here. Their busy season is summer time, when people come for the beaches.
The cold broke a couple of days ago, and it’s now rainy for the next few days¹q. I’ve got 2-3 days of travel left on the GICW, then will be watching for decent weather to cut across the Big Bend area.
Need to get fuel tomorrow. I haven’t topped up since leaving Memphis. That’ll probably be a new record distance on a tank.
I’m out of the rivers and bayous and into the Gulf. Tonight I’m anchored here.
Yesterday I left Houma and headed east to the Boomtown Casino just south of the Harvey Lock. I anchored in the basin next door with the buffet in mind, but it’s no longer offered, so I stayed on the boat.
Today it was a smooth trip up through the Harvey Lock, down the river past downtown New Orleans, and down through the Industrial Lock and west out of Louisiana and into Mississippi.
Wind is NE about 15 knots and there is a wind chill warning with overnight lows below freezing. Comfy inside.
I arrived at the town dock last night after dark. I’m feeling pretty comfortable around the commercial traffic, and there’s not much else on or in the water.
Today is a lay day, and I may stay tomorrow as well. I need to lay in groceries. I’m not in any rush now.
I like the trip east on the GICW from here to the panhandle. It’ll be relaxed travel for the next while.
Lots of interesting boats and machines around here.
I’m anchored here in Bayou Sorrel. Last night I stayed just above Baton Rouge, and this morning I exited the Mississippi River through the Port Allen Lock.
I like it in the Bayou. When I came this way five years ago I got off a little farther north and came down the Achafalaya River. This is more canal and less river, but both run largely through uninhabited country.
The big news is the weather, but I’ve been comfortable through it. I don’t think it got above freezing today, and freezing rain last night left a coating of ice on deck that made going forward to retrieve the anchor this morning an adventure.
Next stop Morgan City. I should be there for lunch tomorrow.
I’m anchored here behind a dyke just south of Natchez, at mile 358. That’s 378 river miles in 4 days. Last night I stopped just above Vicksburg.
The last two days have been pleasant. Cool but mostly sunny and light north winds. It’s going to get cold for the next couple of days, but I’ve outrun the snow and real nasty stuff.
I’ve decided to go to Baton Rouge and take the Port Allen Canal to Morgan City. I should be at the lock on Tuesday. All good.
Only one picture in two days. There really isn’t much to see…
I woke up about an hour before dawn to a fairly violent thunderstorm and a tornado watch. But that was pretty much the end of it, and I got underway at first light.
The only real challenge today was in the afternoon when the wind boomed in from the west at 25 knots or so. There were a few stretches where we were going into the wind with a tail current, and the waves got up a bit. Normally I try to stay in areas where there is more current, but getting into lower current made a big difference reducing the chop. It was interesting watching the big tows blasting through the waves. I took a brief video.
I came up to town and dinghied ashore to get a couple of things I forgot in Memphis, and am anchored here for the night.
I arrived back in Memphis late last night. Had an early morning flight to Chicago and then got stuck at O’Hare because of weather. It’s that time of year.
The boat is ready to go, fueled up and provisioned. Tomorrow morning I head south on the river. Next time I tie up will probably be Morgan City.
The conditions look somewhat challenging. There is a big winter storm coming with strong winds and plummeting temperatures this weekend. So my plan is to try to get as far south as possible over the next couple of days. Tomorrow looks nice, then rainy and very windy Friday, then bitter cold into next week. And the river is forecast to rise about ten feet. Guess I’ll be on the crest most of the way down.
This is a great stopping spot. The marina is quiet and well sheltered, and rates for my 5 week stay were reasonable. Add in easy transport links and it’s a winner. I’ll be back. The manager John was very friendly and accommodating.
Now it’s basically non-stop travel to Florida. I still haven’t checked distances, but I’m expecting it to take about a month.
The next decision will be where I exit the Mississippi. The choices are as follows:
A) Old River or Port Allen, then through Morgan City and Houma to New Orleans
B) stay on the river to New Orleans.
The river gets deep at Baton Rouge and the stretch below is filled with ocean going ships and barges with no good places to stop. Part of me wants to do that section. We’ll see.
I’ve also toyed with the idea of staying on the river to the Gulf. I may consider that if the weather is nice.
But that decision can be put off. For now I’m just going to enjoy the river for a few days.
When I left Georgian Bay in September the only real plan I had was to escape winter on the great lakes. I’ve accomplished that.
My original vague plan was to stay on the rivers. Go up to the headwaters of the Alabama River, then down the MS to the Red River, then down through Houma and across to Mobile and north from there. Fun travel, though maybe not in the dead of winter. I wasn’t getting a lot of enthusiasm from potential visitors.
Around the same time that I was arranging insurance during my stay in Peoria my friend David suggested that we head for the Bahamas. And my insurance said no difference in premium. I didn’t need much convincing.
So, new plan.
I’m leaving Escapade here for a month or so. The City of New Orleans train runs overnight from here to Chicago, where I’ll retrieve my car and head home for the holidays.
On return I’ll continue down the MS, then on to FL where I’ll meet David and Laura in early Feb.
Mid-Feb to mid-March we’ll hit the Bahamas.
After that I head north, most likely up the east coast.
I’m excited. I’m not a sun seeker, but it’ll be fun to have company, and I know I’ll eat better and get some needed maintenance tasks done. I spent some time in the northern Bahamas in the 1980s. David was with me for part of that, and he and Laura subsequently cruised extensively in the area. They returned to shore with their three infant children. I know they’re looking forward to returning.
The pictures below were taken today in Mud Creek. The manager here owns Bombay Duck, a USN fiberglass tender built in the 1950s. Small version of Escapade. The cruise ship terminal is interesting, accommodating 50 ft of water level fluctuation. We’re about five feet above record low now, and about 45 feet below recent crests.
Boating Adventures 