Anyone traveling from Galveston toward the MS gulf coast any time soon

Looking to make a trip to the Mississippi gulf coast some time in the end of this month. Any suggestions or advice would be great. I have a 36 ft trawler so it would be a slow roll about 10 mph. I will be traveling from Galveston tx though the ICW I think. This is my first trip so it should be a adventure to remember.

Made the trip in 2001 and again in 2005 in a sailboat. Check our web site at www.svescapades.net. Also check AC and Skipper Bob 'Cruising the Gulf Coast'. We will probably do it again in our current boat but not sure about the timing.

I have probably done it a couple of hundred times. Pretty straightforward on the ICW. Will you be anchoring, running, or docking at night? The anchorages are pretty slim and far between. Lake Arthur/Mermentau R. is a good one and you can get out of the way of passing tows. If windy and after Radiio contact try to give the tows with empty barges the windward side of the channel. Houma, La. has a great public dock and some of the best people and food in the world. Lock master's are usually very helpful (industrial lock in N.O. excluded). If you need to know anything specific let me know.
safe travels
dan

Mayflies should have already hatched out but take mosquito stuff.

ulysses said:

.....Lock master's are usually very helpful (industrial lock in N.O. excluded).
dan

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Isn't that the truth. If you have a female on board, let her work the radios going thru the Industrial Locks. The more you complain, the longer it will take. Worst for me was a two hour wait...and I saw a sailboat with a female working the radios just go right on thru while I was waiting. I have a friend who is not at all patient, and he waited 8 hours.

Time traveler
It's a great trip we made a few times. Shell Morgan is another good stop. Getting through Morgan City and crossing the Mississippi River will take some coordination with the local managing river authorities. Good luck !


1983 Present 42 Sundeck
Twin Lehman 135's

Thanks for the comments

I will be anchoring when I can't find a spot to pull into. Any good spots for both you can remember

Active Captain is a good resource for locating anchorages. I would recommend the oxbow on the Calcasieu R. about 1 mile above the intersection with the ICW. Lake Arthur and the Mermentau R. is excellent, Shell Morgan in Intercoastal City is a pull up and dock if available (good for re-provisioning), Houma, La. city dock. If you go the Harvey Canal Route near New Orleans I am informed that the casino will allow overnights on their dock. Getting through N.O. will be a long day. The Rigolets east of New Orleans and just prior to heading out into the sound is a decent spot also. Just remember that most all of the small canals and bayous are used by commercial and fishing vessels. Another interesting day could be spent at New Iberia, La. salt mines, and Tobasco Peppers. East of your location (Galv.) channel 13 is primary vhf channel, locks are on 14, and I believe in the river is 68 now.

All the advice above is good. The only thing I might add is to leave Houma to transit the locks over the weekend. The locks (and tows) know that there will be a bunch of pleasure boats coming through and are prepared for it and most importantly there are no bridge/lock curfews on a weekend or public holiday. Please use the Harvey lock, it is much smaller so most tows cannot use it. We came through a month or so ago and waited 30 minutes for the industrial lock and Harvey was open waiting for us. Seabrook marina, about 1 mile up from the industrial lock is real handy, especially if it has got dark on you as it right on the canal to the lake and is well lit. From there you can make Gulfport in one day.

We stayed at the city marina in Bay St. Louis in March. It's maybe a year old and very nice. Harbormaster is Chuck Fortin 228-467-4226, bslharbormaster@yahoo.com . You can walk to great restaurants and bars near the marina. Or rent a car, Enterprise in Gulfport came and picked us up at the marina and brought us to their office in Gulfport, car was $24/day, 228-865-0087. Or, rent a golf cart, $90/day, 228-671-9858. Was a great trip but got stormed in for 4 days and I got cabin fever, hence the rent car. Mississippi Sound was roaring at the time, First Mate said no way are we leaving in that mess.
Mike

First trip

Thanks for the info and comments. Much needed. I will be dropping the lines Thursday morning in Kemah and travel towards the mouth of Galveston and see if I can make it to Port Arthur.

TT, if you are coming up the ICW, when you reach the Neches river, if you turn right and go downriver approx 1 mile, the Neches Port Authority Marina will be on your right. Small, but well protected and has fuel. www.sabinepassportauthority.com
Port Arthur can be a little tricky and unless you have local knowledge (1000 foot cut) you will have to double back to get to the ICW the following morning. From there, may I suggest the oxbow at Lake Charles (about a mile off the ICW) as your next stop as from there to Shell Morgan at Intracoastal City is a long day with 2 locks and nowhere to stop in between. Have a great trip!

Long trip from Kemah to Port Arthur. Might consider Taylor Bayou for the first stop. The oxbow on the Calcasieu River is a good anchorage. What speed are you looking to make?

Bob, are you perhaps thinks of Lake Arthur? I believe Port Arthur is before Taylor Bayou.

Now that's sounds like some good notes to take down

Port Arthur is five miles east of Taylor Bayou. The direction of Timetraveler's journey. So it is 45 minutes before Port Arthur. Total of about 80 miles or so on first day. No locks. Lake Arthur and the Mermentau River are east of Calcasieu Locks.

dan

Bob and Ulysses, I stand corrected, thank you.

Too many "Arthur's". If I remember correctly the entrance to the Mermentau and Lake Arthur is around MM 203 which puts that about 80 miles from Taylor Bayou with the Calcasieu Lock on that leg.

Safe travels
dan

I plan on taking good notes on the way. My boat only goes about 10 MPH. Which will be plenty for me. I down loaded the active captain gps map on a iPad and it is pretty good, does not show all the names of the rivers. I will have my garmin hooked op in Tuesday. Thanks for all the info, I am looking forward to this something I have been wanting to do for a while.

On another note: If Leland Bowman Locks (MM 163 or so) is backed up you can go around it on a pretty scenic combination of Schooner and Freshwater Bayous. Good depth and pleasant "real bayou" type scenery and wildlife. 10 MPH is more than ample speed, watch your wake....those cajuns all have guns and are not afraid to use them.

dan

I'll be coming the other way heading from Nola to Rockport Texas soon, so post up your notes if you can.

I think I will be single handing after Houma. Damn, just looked it up. It's like 402 miles on the ICW from Houma to Rockport. ?

6 days at 70 miles per day at 7 knots? Can I average 70 miles and 7 knots on this stretch?

Are there any good inlets to get outside and cut the corner to Galveston after Houma? (if the weather is calm of course).

We've gone in and out at the Calcasieu River, Sabine River is another one.

At Intracoastal City you can hang to port at Freshwater Bayou...about 17mi to gulf...plenty of draft but one lock about a mile from the coast. Freshwater lock is an easy one and on an outgoing tide they usually have it open. You will have about a 125mi run to the Galveston channel. If you go out of Calcasieu Ship channel you are about 75mi away.

Rardoin: If he "hang to port" at Intercoastal City he will be heading up the Vermillion River towards the Poagie Dock. The smell will drive him back to the ICW. He is traveling East on his first trip that way from Galveston/Kema, Tx. Don't get him turned around.

ulysses said:

Rardoin: If he "hang to port" at Intercoastal City he will be heading up the Vermillion River towards the Poagie Dock. The smell will drive him back to the ICW. He is traveling East on his first trip that way from Galveston/Kema, Tx. Don't get him turned around.

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Roger that Ulysses....I should have clarified that I was responding to "the Dude". As you know...the DUDE abides!

Ditto on the Poagie docks...as a kid I hated the run from the Cameron ferry landing down past the Zapata Poagie dock on a west wind. I could taste it in my throat for another hour it seemed.

Yes, we used to load out oil products a few miles up from that dock. The smell does have a way of staying with you awhile.

I had a very memorable night up the Vermillion R., wish I could talk about it but the statue of limitations may not have expired yet.

The Dude appreciates the info.

Cardude01: there are plenty of places to get outside between Houma and Rockport. If you are single-handing it though and traveling at night the numerous rigs make it difficult to take a nap.

ulysses said:

I had a very memorable night up the Vermillion R., wish I could talk about it but the statue of limitations may not have expired yet.

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The tattoo to tooth ratio on the women along the Vermilion between ICY and Abbeville is not very favorable. They can, however, clean fish, open oysters and likely have their own boat!