All good
things must come to an end (: New
Orleans was a wonderful marina and city to visit, but the weather and the winds
were calling our names. If we can get to
Florida by mid-December, we must keep moving.
We headed down the Industrial Channel and backtracked a couple of miles
to get into the Inter Coastal Waterway (ICW).
The bridge “gods” were with us and everything opened magically as we
passed underneath! A 25 mile “run” up
the ICW to Rabbit Island was our goal for the day. It turned out to be a sunny, cool day for a
ride and we arrived early at the anchorage and threw out the anchor. For you non-sailors, an anchorage such as
this is usually rather secluded and off the main waterway for safety
reason. So, it was Steve, Nancy and the
boat….in the distance was a railroad bridge, but that was it! We did “rig up” our TV using our batteries,
but you basically make your own entertainment.
I got my “Martha Stewart” apron on and made beer batter bread and a
pasta dinner. The beer bread package was
a going away gift from some dear Yacht club members who were sailors. Bev told us that a nice hot loaf of bread on
a chilly night really hit the spot AND it did!
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| We had a great time in the French Quarters, but it's time to go |
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| Ready to leave Pontchartrain Landing |
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| Can you see them? There are three bridges we need to pass under, two have to be raised. |
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| Dinner at Rabbit Island |
We woke up
to howling winds from down in our cabin!!!!
Decisions, decisions, decisions!
Do we make our planned trip to Biloxi, turn back and go into New Orleans
again, OR stay put at Rabbit Island???????
Well, we decided to give it a whirl and head for Biloxi. We entered the Gulf a few miles from our
anchorage. This part of the Gulf is
north and is referred to as Mississippi Sound.
There are barrier islands that protect the coastline along LA., MS, and
AL. I am the girl who has trouble with
rough seas and seasickness, so I stayed above board as much as possible for our
eight hour trip. We had seas of three to
five foot waves….according to Steve not too bad after his past experiences in
the Gulf! The good news is, we made it
and are tied up in a lovely marina right on the beach in Biloxi.
For those of
you who do not remember the Katrina ordeal, Biloxi, MS was, also, hard hit by
Katrina. The main industry here is tourism
and gambling. Kessler Air Force base is
in Biloxi, too. The marinas, casinos and
everything along the beaches were wiped out.
The dockmaster who helped us tie up, said they are on their last phase
of reconstruction with a fuel dock/bait shop here in the marina. So, everything is new and inviting
(especially their showers…just like a hotel). We wandered over to the Hard Rock
Casino last night for a bite to eat…our boat is right in its shadow. Along the coast/beach are many other high
rise casinos, too. One problem, Steve
and Nancy aren’t big gamblers, but, who knows?????? Today is “cleaning day” on
the boat and then on to exploring our surroundings. Stay tuned, I’m sure we will find an
adventure or some interesting folks here in Mississippi. In fact, last night our neighboring boat
owners invited us for Thanksgiving dinner if the winds and weather don’t
improve by that time. Gotta love
boaters…they’re the best!
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| Hard Rock Casino next to our Marina |
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| Newly Rebuilt Marina Office and Showers |
