Sunday, 2/3/08 Day 1
We are GONE!!!
We finally pulled out of the slip today at 9:35am. The weather was a bit crummy in Galveston Bay (25 knot winds, 1-3 ft. seas), but going into the ICW the sun came out. In the Houston Ship Channel, we saw dolphins twice. Both times we sighted them, they were jumping in front of big cargo ships. We traveled from the marina to Steve's Landing (a restaurant on the ICW in Crystal Beach, TX). Dad set up the TV antenna and we are watching Super Bowl XLII crystal clear. Go Giants!
Monday, 2/4/08 Day 2
Today was a pretty average day on the ICW. We traveled from Steve's Landing (see entry for 2/3/08) to Taylor Bayou Outfall Canal, just west of Port Arthur. We saw tons of amazing wildlife and scenery. I saw close to 25 different species of birds. Here's the list:
Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Cattle Egrets, Black-Crowned Night Heron, Black Vultures, Turkey Vultures, Sharp-Shined Hawk, Red-Tailed Hawk, Black-Necked Stilts, American Avocets, Willets, Piping Plovers, Laughing Gulls, Bonaparte's Gulls, Ring-Billed Gulls, Herring Gulls, White Ibises, Royal Terns, Forster's Terns, American White Pelicans, Brown Pelicans, Double-Crested Cormorants, American Coots, Grackles, and Sparrows.
Mom saw a Roseate Spoonbill, a Belted Kingfisher, and some sort of eagle. My Aunt Sharon who works with birds thinks it could have been an immature bald eagle. Other wildlife I spotted includes a river otter, Texas Longhorn, goat, donkeys, cattle, and millions of minnows that looked like grass. You could tell they weren't grass because they were swimming under water.
One of my favorite bits of scenery was where the grass really was greener on the other side of the canal. On one side it as a bright green; on the other side it was an olive green. Another of my favorite pieces of scenery was where there was a 3ft. cliff with a miniature beach at the bottom. There was a bird sanctuary in Rollover Bay connecting to the ICW where we saw hundreds of white pelicans and cormorants. In a pasture on the shore, we saw some ranchers driving cattle.
Dad thought the engine wasn't running as fast as it should, so when we got to Taylor Bayou he dove on the propeller. He was freezing in a bathing suit and a t-shirt and didn't even get his head wet.
The weather was okay this morning and better this afternoon. The fog was so thick this morning that the tows were pushed up against the shore to get out of the way because it was dangerous that they couldn't see their bows which were several hundred feet in front of them. In the afternoon it got sunny, but was still cold. We sailed most of the day. Tonight is our first night on the anchor. I like being at anchor because the rocking helps me fall asleep.
Tuesday, 2/5/08 Day 3
Today we traveled in more than the ICW. To get to Orange, Texas (on the border of Louisiana) we had to go through Sabine Lake and the Sabine Neches Canal. Gong along that canal, I was able to confirm the sightings of 2 gull species. Looking through our bird books, I was pretty sure we say 4 species of gulls (see list in 2/4/08), but was unsure about 2 of them (Bonaparte's Gull & Herring Gull). Using our great binoculars, I was able to see immature Herring Gulls and some feeding/bathing Bonaparte's Gulls. It took half a day to get to Orange. To get to the marina, we had to go up Adams Bayou. Orange was hit by hurricane Rita and possible another. We saw trees pulled up by the roots. This was the same marina we stayed at last trip. I remember it. It's been almost completely abandoned. There are 5 sunken boats in the marina. The wind generator broke on us and we are staying in Orange tomorrow and maybe Thursday and Friday to get it fixed. There was a circular ridge where a telephone pole had fallen. It was great to play on the pole. We played Log Warz where we stood on the "log" and tried to smack and push the other person off. I won a ton. Then we played Defend the Wall, where the "wall" was the pole and the person on the "wall" (usually me) had to stop the "invaders" (usually Josh) from going over the "wall" into the "city" (the far semi-circle). Then we met Mike and Cheryl White. Cheryl is Dad's cousin. We went back to their house and had long, hot showers. We went to dinner and I had an awesome 8oz. burger. We came back to the boat and all are going to sleep. I'll join them when I'm finished. Wait, that's now.
Wednesday, 2/6/08 Day 4
Today we stayed in Orange, but didn't do much. We started school after a late breakfast and worked on that 'till just after lunch. Dad worked on the wind generator and we got it sent back to the factory to get it repaired. Bro and I played Log Warz and Defend the Log. We went to Mike and Cheryl's house for gumbo dinner and then went to Ash Wednesday service. The gumbo had chicken and shrimp in it and tasted very good.
Thursday, 2/7/08 Day 5
Today was a long day. We traveled for 12 hours, from 8:22 in the morning to 8:19 tonight. We got into the Mermentau River after dark. It was very hard, but the anchor is set well and we're settling down for a quiet evening.
About halfway to the Mermentau, we tried to stop at Bayou Choupique. It was so beautiful. We saw a bunch of White Pelicans, White Ibises, Black-Necked Stilts, Forster's Terns and gulls. We could not stay at Bayou Choupique because of the depth though. We went aground once and were told that in the morning, the only place to anchor would be a mud flat. The current/wind direction combination was wrong as well. I wrote a story about it. Click Here to read it.
It's late and we're all tired. Bro fell asleep in the cockpit coming up the Mermentau, even though he was complaining that he was so hungry. He's asleep in bed while the rest of us are eating dinner.
We are GONE!!!
We finally pulled out of the slip today at 9:35am. The weather was a bit crummy in Galveston Bay (25 knot winds, 1-3 ft. seas), but going into the ICW the sun came out. In the Houston Ship Channel, we saw dolphins twice. Both times we sighted them, they were jumping in front of big cargo ships. We traveled from the marina to Steve's Landing (a restaurant on the ICW in Crystal Beach, TX). Dad set up the TV antenna and we are watching Super Bowl XLII crystal clear. Go Giants!
Monday, 2/4/08 Day 2
Today was a pretty average day on the ICW. We traveled from Steve's Landing (see entry for 2/3/08) to Taylor Bayou Outfall Canal, just west of Port Arthur. We saw tons of amazing wildlife and scenery. I saw close to 25 different species of birds. Here's the list:
Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Cattle Egrets, Black-Crowned Night Heron, Black Vultures, Turkey Vultures, Sharp-Shined Hawk, Red-Tailed Hawk, Black-Necked Stilts, American Avocets, Willets, Piping Plovers, Laughing Gulls, Bonaparte's Gulls, Ring-Billed Gulls, Herring Gulls, White Ibises, Royal Terns, Forster's Terns, American White Pelicans, Brown Pelicans, Double-Crested Cormorants, American Coots, Grackles, and Sparrows.
Mom saw a Roseate Spoonbill, a Belted Kingfisher, and some sort of eagle. My Aunt Sharon who works with birds thinks it could have been an immature bald eagle. Other wildlife I spotted includes a river otter, Texas Longhorn, goat, donkeys, cattle, and millions of minnows that looked like grass. You could tell they weren't grass because they were swimming under water.
One of my favorite bits of scenery was where the grass really was greener on the other side of the canal. On one side it as a bright green; on the other side it was an olive green. Another of my favorite pieces of scenery was where there was a 3ft. cliff with a miniature beach at the bottom. There was a bird sanctuary in Rollover Bay connecting to the ICW where we saw hundreds of white pelicans and cormorants. In a pasture on the shore, we saw some ranchers driving cattle.
Dad thought the engine wasn't running as fast as it should, so when we got to Taylor Bayou he dove on the propeller. He was freezing in a bathing suit and a t-shirt and didn't even get his head wet.
The weather was okay this morning and better this afternoon. The fog was so thick this morning that the tows were pushed up against the shore to get out of the way because it was dangerous that they couldn't see their bows which were several hundred feet in front of them. In the afternoon it got sunny, but was still cold. We sailed most of the day. Tonight is our first night on the anchor. I like being at anchor because the rocking helps me fall asleep.
Tuesday, 2/5/08 Day 3
Today we traveled in more than the ICW. To get to Orange, Texas (on the border of Louisiana) we had to go through Sabine Lake and the Sabine Neches Canal. Gong along that canal, I was able to confirm the sightings of 2 gull species. Looking through our bird books, I was pretty sure we say 4 species of gulls (see list in 2/4/08), but was unsure about 2 of them (Bonaparte's Gull & Herring Gull). Using our great binoculars, I was able to see immature Herring Gulls and some feeding/bathing Bonaparte's Gulls. It took half a day to get to Orange. To get to the marina, we had to go up Adams Bayou. Orange was hit by hurricane Rita and possible another. We saw trees pulled up by the roots. This was the same marina we stayed at last trip. I remember it. It's been almost completely abandoned. There are 5 sunken boats in the marina. The wind generator broke on us and we are staying in Orange tomorrow and maybe Thursday and Friday to get it fixed. There was a circular ridge where a telephone pole had fallen. It was great to play on the pole. We played Log Warz where we stood on the "log" and tried to smack and push the other person off. I won a ton. Then we played Defend the Wall, where the "wall" was the pole and the person on the "wall" (usually me) had to stop the "invaders" (usually Josh) from going over the "wall" into the "city" (the far semi-circle). Then we met Mike and Cheryl White. Cheryl is Dad's cousin. We went back to their house and had long, hot showers. We went to dinner and I had an awesome 8oz. burger. We came back to the boat and all are going to sleep. I'll join them when I'm finished. Wait, that's now.
Wednesday, 2/6/08 Day 4
Today we stayed in Orange, but didn't do much. We started school after a late breakfast and worked on that 'till just after lunch. Dad worked on the wind generator and we got it sent back to the factory to get it repaired. Bro and I played Log Warz and Defend the Log. We went to Mike and Cheryl's house for gumbo dinner and then went to Ash Wednesday service. The gumbo had chicken and shrimp in it and tasted very good.
Thursday, 2/7/08 Day 5
Today was a long day. We traveled for 12 hours, from 8:22 in the morning to 8:19 tonight. We got into the Mermentau River after dark. It was very hard, but the anchor is set well and we're settling down for a quiet evening.
About halfway to the Mermentau, we tried to stop at Bayou Choupique. It was so beautiful. We saw a bunch of White Pelicans, White Ibises, Black-Necked Stilts, Forster's Terns and gulls. We could not stay at Bayou Choupique because of the depth though. We went aground once and were told that in the morning, the only place to anchor would be a mud flat. The current/wind direction combination was wrong as well. I wrote a story about it. Click Here to read it.
It's late and we're all tired. Bro fell asleep in the cockpit coming up the Mermentau, even though he was complaining that he was so hungry. He's asleep in bed while the rest of us are eating dinner.
