Back Across The Gulf

Nancy delegated the responsibility of writing the last blog to me, as she was flying home and had no interest in sailing across the Gulf.  She always says that she is the smart one.  I dropped her off at the Tampa airport on Friday February 21^st for her flight back to Corpus. 

I had made arrangements with two of my sailing friends from Indiana to help me take Kathryn across the Gulf to Corpus.   Buford had already arrived and was on his boat, which is currently located in Twin Dolphin Marina.  Lee was arriving Monday.

Lee Watson & Buford Eddy

 I also enlisted the help of a professional weather router who would help us with weather forecasts while on the trip.  We would communicate with him via Single Side Band Radio and Satellite phone. 

Our planned route across the Gulf would be just short of 800 nautical miles.  It should take about six days to complete barring any adverse weather or other problems.

I will tell everyone that crossing the Gulf on a 40 foot sailboat in the winter months, especially this winter, isn’t the easiest thing to do and not the best idea I have ever had.  The problem being cold fronts move in from the north and create rain storms and high winds on the Gulf.  Our weather router confirmed that leaving Tuesday would give us a good chance to cross the Gulf and only have to deal with one cold front that would cross our path late Wednesday. So, the decision was made to leave at noon on Tuesday, February 25. 

Our first day out was a combination of motoring and sailing.  The seas were calm and the weather was OK, but that was about to change as the cold front we were expecting was about to arrive.  We hit the squall line in the afternoon and encountered high winds up to 35 knots and heavy rains for about an hour. The winds continued from the north at around 20 knots for the next day and the seas were 5 to 7 feet.  We were expecting these conditions from this front, but that made them no less pleasant.   The constant movement of the boat makes doing any task very difficult.  Think about trying to fix a sandwich for lunch while the kitchen is being shaken like a martini.  Lee and I were both experiencing some sea sickness which didn’t make things easier.

The Winds are Increasing and the Gulf is Beginning to Get Rough

 On the 27^th, we were advised by our weather router that a strong cold front would be hitting Corpus Christi earlier than anticipated, with wind in excess of 40 knots.  We may have been able to make it to Corpus before the front, but decided not to take a chance and changed course to Grand Isle, LA.  We arrived there early on Saturday morning under clear skies with calm seas.

Lee on Watch Dressed for the Cold

We spend a day in Grand Isle drying out our clothes and equipment and having a great lunch.  On Sunday, we headed up the Barataria Waterway to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and on to Houma,LA.  Sunday was a very pleasant day and we all enjoyed the trip to Houma.

The Crew Relaxing on the way to Houma

Monday was a totally different story.  The cold front was coming through and skies were cloudy and the wind was cold.  We made it to Morgan City by late afternoon and tied up at the city dock.   Tuesday’s weather forecast was even worse with lots of wind, cold, and rain.  There was even a small chance of freezing rain.  Not my idea of boating weather.  The good news was that Wednesday the weather was supposed to clear and the next few days on the Gulf were going to be pretty good.  We decided to stay in Morgan City on Tuesday and then head back into the Gulf first thing on Wednesday and set a direct course for Corpus Christi.

By Wednesday afternoon, we were sailing in the Gulf headed for Corpus.  We had one mild front that came through with 20 knot winds that lasted for about 16 hours and made for a rough ride with 6 to 8 foot seat   By Thursday night, the seas had calmed and the skies had cleared.  Friday morning was a beautiful day as we arrived at Corpus Christi.  We made our way to the Yacht Club and arrived by mid afternoon. 

Friday was Great!

Passing Under the Kennedy Bridge



Back Home Again...  Nancy & Lee

Getting Kathryn Tied Up in Her Slip



Buford, Steve & Lee

It was certainly a wonderful feeling to be home.  Nancy and several friends were at the Club to greet us when we arrived.  I want to thank Buford and Lee for being such great crew members.  We made a number of memories on our crossing.  Some good ones and others that we may want to forget.    (Hanging over the side of the boat feeding the fish, is a moment I’d like to forget! )  

Some of the good memories are:

• being able  to sleep soundly in my berth at night knowing that Burford or Lee were at the helm keeping the boat on course. 
• the solitude watching the stars on the clear nights while standing my watch from midnight to  4:00 am.  
• being hit in the chest by a flying fish while on night watch, that woke me up for sure!
• having a hot cup of coffee early on a cool morning as the sun was coming up.

This is the end of this year’s blog, but Nancy and I are planning another trip for next year, but it will not begin until March or April.  We have had all the fun we can have on the Gulf in the winter months.  Spring sounds like a more pleasant time to head out next year. 

Kathryn's Track Across the Gulf, down to Key West, and Back to Texas