Did I tell you… We had no power last night – yes in an 80 degree night. We slept with everything open and enjoyed the breezes off the water, but it would have been nice to have the A/C going. The marina only took 50 amp and we did not have the proper adapter. UGH
Anyway, we both awoke filled with anticipation (or anxiety) about crossing the Houston shipping channel in Galveston Bay today. Two years ago crossing was miserable, high seas and winds and me wedged in the stairwell of the pilot house just trying not to be sick. Ugly day. Today’s crossing was nothing like that at all; it was marvelous – calm seas and winds. Approaching the channel we once again passed by bird island, I believe it stunk more this time than last. We’ve noticed since it’s the middle of summer and hotter than hell everything has a stronger smell than it did the last time we passed this way.
We held up slightly as we entered the shipping channel while two tankers crossed paths in front of us, one traveling north towards Houston and the other heading south and out to sea. We had no intentions of even trying to out run either of them. After entering the channel it was smooth motoring across the bay and out the other side back into the quiet ICW. We had decided to call it an early day in anticipation of being exhausted following the channel crossing and even though it was not, we pulled into our marina early anyway. We stopped at Stingaree in Crystal Beach Texas. There is evidence everywhere of hurricane Ike, lots of debris along the banks, few boats on the hard (where they shouldn’t be of course) and numerous uprooted trees – now just logs which are bird roosts. There don’t seem to be as many houses, restaurants, etc as there used to be – so much is lost.
Anyway, we both awoke filled with anticipation (or anxiety) about crossing the Houston shipping channel in Galveston Bay today. Two years ago crossing was miserable, high seas and winds and me wedged in the stairwell of the pilot house just trying not to be sick. Ugly day. Today’s crossing was nothing like that at all; it was marvelous – calm seas and winds. Approaching the channel we once again passed by bird island, I believe it stunk more this time than last. We’ve noticed since it’s the middle of summer and hotter than hell everything has a stronger smell than it did the last time we passed this way.
We held up slightly as we entered the shipping channel while two tankers crossed paths in front of us, one traveling north towards Houston and the other heading south and out to sea. We had no intentions of even trying to out run either of them. After entering the channel it was smooth motoring across the bay and out the other side back into the quiet ICW. We had decided to call it an early day in anticipation of being exhausted following the channel crossing and even though it was not, we pulled into our marina early anyway. We stopped at Stingaree in Crystal Beach Texas. There is evidence everywhere of hurricane Ike, lots of debris along the banks, few boats on the hard (where they shouldn’t be of course) and numerous uprooted trees – now just logs which are bird roosts. There don’t seem to be as many houses, restaurants, etc as there used to be – so much is lost.
Someone once wrote it’s best to go out to lunch rather that dinner, it’s less expensive – so we did and it was great. We each had a nice shrimp salad at the restaurant, returned to the boat and took a nap (how decadent and lovely in air conditioning). When it cooled off (haha) around 7pm we decided to try our bikes out and took a 5 mile (round-trip) ride to the one and only grocery store in the area for some small reprovisioning.
We are pretty much on the edge of ICW so we can watch barges pass by all night, if want to. Since the slip here is so shallow we’ll likely back out tomorrow and continue our trek east. We hope to anchor out tomorrow night.
We are pretty much on the edge of ICW so we can watch barges pass by all night, if want to. Since the slip here is so shallow we’ll likely back out tomorrow and continue our trek east. We hope to anchor out tomorrow night.
3 comments:
What fun! All the cool stuff you get to see on along the trip... reminds me of our road trips way back when. (Great pool at that marina)
So, what happened to the "we are here" map?
Love you!
Well, finally heard from you.. was getting ready to call the Coast Guard and say one of your old folk is missing LOL LOL Love your writings, make it a boo.....xxoo
Make it a BOOK is what I meant and some spook cut off the K ...
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