s/v Kaleo

Sunday, December 05th, 2010 / Christie & Matt

Kaleo is tied to a marina dock in Moss Point, MS (near Pascagoula) with the cold North wind blustering about outside. Despite needing to wait out the weather once again, the engine seems to be up and running and we’re ready to keep sailing toward warmer waters as soon as the cold front passes.

Aboard s/v Blue Dolphin (Thanks for this & many more great photos, Dick)

Yesterday, after an early morning start on finishing up the sea water pump repair and changing the oil one more time (our 7th oil change in a month!), the engine roared to life and ran smoothly for about an hour under load (meaning the engine was running in gear but we were tied to the dock to keep us from moving), satisfying Matt’s repair test.

Weather and engine issues are driving us into marinas with slip fees slowly chewing into our cruising spending plan more than we’d like. Other cruisers reassured us that they too were forced to use marinas more in the gulf of Mexico because there is so much open water to transit (i.e. fewer protected winter anchorages).

In the afternoon, we met some fellow sailors on the dock and asked them about other possible places we might tie up or anchor in the area. After a quick discussion, one of them offered to drive us to a channel that would offer great protection from the coming winds. Dick, not only drove us there and helped us figure out the best way to tie up but also was kind enough to give a tour of the town. He also took us to his marina, showed us his unique and beautiful french-designed sailboat and many of the photos he has taken of his sailing and cruising experiences in the areas we are heading toward, giving us so much to look forward to.

We returned to the boat for a warming lunch and saw how the decorations for the evening’s Christmas by the River boat parade were coming along aboard s/v Blue Dolphin, owned by one of Dick’s friends. Matt triple checked his engine repair and started cleaning up the boat, when Dick stopped by to pass along an invite to join the crew for the parade. To which we quickly said YES, thank you.

The Christmas Crew aboard s/v Blue Dolphin

An hour later we were cruising the river with a stampede of boats each lit up like the Griswold’s house. We spent a little time getting to know everyone on board while waiting for the parade to start and in our matching blue shirts, began practicing “the routine” in prep for passing the judging booth. After wishing the Merriest of Christmas’ to the crowd and judges, we tied up at the city dock in perfect timing for the spectacular fireworks show exploding from the sky less than 100 yards away. Though Blue Dolphin didn’t win first place, she was the best looking boat on the water and her crew were a delight to spend the evening with.

With temperatures forecast in the low 30’s tonight, we’re going to stay tied up at the marina to take advantage of all the amenities (complimentary laundry, shore power to run our on board heater and probably pizza delivery ;o). We are coming to peace with the cost and enjoying the places that we’re getting to visit along the way.

Category: Boat Life, Cruising, Engine, Mississippi Tags: Boat Life, Cruising, Engine, Mississippi One Comment

Tough Day, Looking Forward to Tomorrow

Friday, December 03rd, 2010 / Christie & Matt

Thursday started with an eager 5:00 a.m. wake up to get back underway in hopes of making it to our next anchorage off Dauphin Island, AL. It didn’t take too long for us to know that the tide had left us in the night as we could see UP to the dock we were tied to in the harbor (while the night before, we were stepping down to it). We took advantage of the time by going back to sleep for a bit, enjoying a great brunch aboard, and getting in some housecleaning.

Once the tide released us from the harbor around noon, we made great progress under full sails on a beautifully sunny day. With only about four hours of daylight left, we decided to anchor off Horn Island inside the Mississippi Sound. A pristine island but very rolly anchorage made for a restless night. We’re still getting used to the whole waterbed effect.

Horn Island, MS

Around 9:00 p.m., we noticed the bilge pump was running more often than normal. Matt went to check it out and discovered a drip, drip, drip from the raw water pump. After tightening a loose screw the drip ceased and we assumed all was well. Since he already had the engine bay open, he decided to go ahead and check the oil then to save a little time on the next morning’s prep routine. It was then that he discovered that our engine crank case was FULL of water. And I mean full. Like a couple healthy gallons full. Ehem, that’s. not. good. at. all.

A quick taste test (eww) revealed that it was salt water which made it even harder to diagnose. We were baffled at how salt water could have gotten into the crank case. After reading the engine manual and a couple reference books (How To Be Your Own Diesel Mechanic, etc.), we narrowed the issue down to the raw water pump seal. We sent off a few “our situation” emails asking for advice and went to bed with plans to call our diesel mechanic (thanks Russell!) first thing the next morning.

Well, that leads us to today. Goooooood morning! The calls started at 6:30 a.m. For the next several hours Matt swapped calls and began taking apart the pump. We decided to play it safe and call for a tow to River City Harbor Marina rather than risk further issues by running a faulty engine. Also, while we had all the necessary parts and know-how onboard (thanks Matt!), we needed a tool that wasn’t (bearing press or vice). After calling the tow boat at 7:00 a.m., he finally showed up a little after noon from being trapped in his bayou with low tide. Within those five hours, it felt as if the weight of all the engine issues, running agrounds, and general lifestyle changes started to bear down on us (well, me more than Matt but when one crew is down, the whole boat gets down). This became our most trying and disheartening day yet.

After a looooong tow in, we docked safely and with equally long hot showers, we took some time to decompress. We are going to sleep tonight with intentions of resetting in the morning and pray that we have renewed enthusiasm for this adventure. And also for an easy solve and repair in the morning.

Kaleo under tow

At the end of the day we have a tremendous amount to be grateful for, not the least of which are great people who offered to come tow us (thanks Gene), talked us through engine issues (thanks Rusty, Mike and Steve) and offered encouragement to keep our spirits up (thanks Linda, Mom, Jeph and Janay). Good night.

N 30° 24.8 / W 88° 32.0

Category: Cruising, Engine, Mississippi Tags: Cruising, Engine, Mississippi 6 Comments

Family Fun & Exploring Ocean Springs

Wednesday, December 01st, 2010 / Christie & Matt

The past week has been FILLED with everything from giving thanks with family and feasting on all our favorite holiday dishes to exploring and enjoying almost every nook and corner of Ocean Springs, MS.

Here are some highlights:

Made a rental car road trip back to Texas to spend Thanksgiving with family

Louisiana marsh from the road

Thanksgiving dinner at Nana’s

Decided to spend a few extra days there to help Christie’s mom and Nana put up Christmas decorations, run some errands, and just relax with loved ones

Mom and I putting out the Christmas lights

With our rental loaded down with fresh foods, Thanksgiving leftovers! and other provisions, we returned to Ocean Springs with a cold front right on our tail
While waiting for the weather to pass, our marina neighbor, and new friend Gene, was generous enough to play tour guide and took us exploring all over Ocean Springs, Biloxi, and D’Iberville
We were introduced to the BEST shrimp and crab po-boys along the Gulf Coast at Ole Biloxi Schooner (a local fav and now ours!)
Picked up Gene’s favorite baguettes at Le Bakery (with the air smelling so amazing that you could taste the french bread and pastries)
Took a tour of Back Bay and learned all about the damage and reconstruction since Hurricane Katrina
Received three Mississippi seafood recipe books as an early Christmas present from Gene (thanks!)
Stopped by the Walter Anderson Museum of Art (fascinating character, incredible depictions of nature)
Had Gene over for dinner and reviewed the next leg of our route through Florida on the charts he’s lending us (thanks for all the advice and tips!)

We love this beach

Meandered all over town, stopping along the way to enjoy a good old fashioned buttered pecan milkshake at Lovelace Drugstore on Washington Street (Ocean Spring’s “Main Street”), picked up pecans that had fallen from neighborhood trees (we must have at least 3 lbs onboard), and played at the beach.
Discovered that the first restaurant we dined at in the marina, Harbor Landing, had closed. We heard they were selling to the city for office space but we are hoping someone reopens it for others to enjoy. It was a gem along our route.

Some pretty tasty milkshakes and malts are made here

Ultimately, we learned that connecting with friendly folks like Gene are what makes the difference between just being tourists in a new place and truly becoming part of the community for a little while. We have so enjoyed this charming town and are grateful to have spent some extended time here. Tomorrow, we untie from our slip and get back underway toward our next anchorage at Daulphin Island, AL.

Category: Boat Life, Cruising, Family, Friends, Mississippi Tags: Boat Life, Cruising, Family, Friends, Mississippi 2 Comments

Giving Thanks

Friday, November 26th, 2010 / Christie & Matt

In all aspects of our life, we are blessed beyond measure and are deeply humbled by the life the Lord has created for us.

Specifically, we’re thankful for:

Our salvation and for each new day that God allows us to become better Christians
A sound marriage that’s growing even stronger by the day
The time we’ve been given on this adventure to learn more about each other and experience the world around us
For starting a new Thanksgiving tradition of reading Psalm 107 to anchor us in true appreciation
Our AMAZING family who are so much fun to be around, have taught us kindness, love and generosity, and who lift us up daily to reach our dreams
Our close friends that we consider family
Modern technology that helps us stay connected with our loved ones
Our careers that have helped provide for this dream and for Mvelopes for helping us manage those finances
The challenges and trials that force us to become more God and self-reliant
Psalm 91 and the peace it provides (Thanks, Marli)
The inner diesel mechanic in all of our friends
Fellow cruisers out there – past, present, and future – that we are learning from and being inspired by
For all of you, for joining us as virtual crew along this journey and for your uplifting encouragement and well wishes. Wishing you many blessings today and always.

Category: Cruising, Family, Friends, Inspiration Tags: Cruising, Family, Friends, Inspiration 4 Comments

Adoring Ocean Springs, MS

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010 / Christie & Matt

We’re spending a few days in Ocean Springs to get ahead on a couple boat projects, wait out some weather blowing through, and to take a roadtrip back to Texas to spend Thanksgiving with our family. While here, we’ve had the chance to explore the town and absolutely love its character and charm in the quaint small town atmosphere, white sandy beaches and genuinely gracious and kind neighbors.

In between traversing about town, we’ve:

Replaced a few port (window) screens and seals
Polished all the crazed ports (scuffed and oxidized windows that needed some love to become clear again)
Started revarnishing the coaming tops
Got a personal visit from our diesel mechanic, who happened to be passing through town, to inspect the engine and put our minds at ease (completely a God thing!)
Did a little maintenance on the head plumbing (completely a Matt thing!)
Took advantage of our beautiful surroundings to get in some evening jogs and walks
Spent some time with a fascinating group of a few gentlemen who gather each evening on the harbor docks to talk about all things boating. They have a wealth of knowledge to share and we appreciated them making us feel at home in their group and for keeping an eye on Kaleo while we’re away.
Been the recipients of a ton of blessings by people willing to go out of their way to help and encourage us along our journey.

N 30° 24.15 / W 88° 49.45

Category: Boat Life, Cruising, Mississippi Tags: Boat Life, Cruising, Mississippi 2 Comments

We’re in Mississippi

Sunday, November 21st, 2010 / Christie & Matt

We’ve spent the past few days motoring from New Orleans to Rabbit Island, Rabbit Island to Cat Island (no, didn’t see or hear either creature out there), Cat Island to our current tie up in Ocean Springs, MS. Three relatively easy days with great weather, other than a little fog before leaving Rabbit Island.

New Orleans to Rabbit Island

Secluded Rabbit Island anchorage

Rabbit Island to Cat Island

We were greeted this morning with a thick fog that reduced visibility to about 100 feet. That was a no-go for the first couple hours so we took advantage of the time to leisurely enjoy some breakfast and reading. By about 10:00 a.m., the fog lifted and we were on our way to our anchorage for the night at Cat Island. We were treated to some wide open waters of the Mississippi Sound and our first sights of sandy beaches (versus mud banks). A great change of scenery from the narrow channels we’ve been navigating thus far. Once at Cat Island, Christie dropped the hook and we enjoyed a beautiful sunset and moonrise in near absolute silence of the glassy Mississippi Sound.

Morning fog at Rabbit Island

Cat Island to Ocean Springs, MS

We pulled the hook up early and headed for Ocean Springs, motoring along with dolphins joining us for much of the way. The jib sail was unfurled for the last couple of miles into the harbor and Kaleo was running at 7 knots with the sail full. Dolphins again playing all around the boat. We cautiously navigated into the harbor as the depth meter told us of ground just inches below the keel. After pulling into the best looking slip we could find, the boat yard manager said we were welcome to stay the night for free as the office wasn’t open until tomorrow. Bonus! Our growling bellies told us it was time for lunch and conveniently enough, the marina had a highly recommended restaurant right above our slip. While dining on meals that lived up to their reputation, we met Norm and Jan, two other full-time cruisers and swapped sailor stories, advice and laughs. The evening wrapped up with an invigorating 6 mile jog/walk along the beach and over the Biloxi Bay Bridge with some local musicians playing bongos next to a large bonfire on the beach.

Taking a break on the Biloxi Bay Bridge

Category: anchoring, Cruising, Louisiana, Mississippi, Sailing Tags: Anchoring, Cruising, Louisiana, Mississippi, Sailing One Comment

Navigating New Orleans

Thursday, November 18th, 2010 / Christie & Matt

The day started early as we untied from our dock in Lafitte and made our way back through the Barataria Waterway to rejoin the ICW on our way to New Orleans. We were met with a morning storm passing in the distance along a spectacular sunrise.

As we neared the Port of New Orleans, we could hear and feel a consistent thundering overhead that soon revealed themselves as circling fighter jets. Must have been some training exercise or important activity in the area because we also saw gunships (heavily armed helicopters).

Passing storm and rising sun along the Barataria Waterway

Before getting into the Mississippi River and the city of New Orleans, a series of nautical obstacles must be overcome to be granted access.

First up, the Harvey Lock.

Last night we had thoroughly read up on all the steps and protocol and were feeling confident as we approached. While we were hoping to be the only vessel in the lock (or at least one of a couple), we found ourselves being instructed to jam in alongside a barge and three tugs, on our port side. Our port side?! We were prepared to tie up on our starboard side as all the guidebooks instructed.

After hurriedly switching the bumpers to the other side, Matt slowly maneuvered Kaleo inside the lock and close to the wall where we attached a line to a built-in cleat. After specific instructions to watch for prop wash from the tugs (which could push Kaleo quickly into the wall), we were given our exit order and before we knew it, the water had risen the two feet needed to meet with the river.

The doors on the other end of the locks opened and there it was, the mighty Mississippi River!

Inside the Harvey Lock

Once exiting the Harvey Lock, we had the sight of New Orleans’ skyline in our view. We’ve gone under many bridges so far, but going under the Crescent City Connection was impressive with a clearance of 170 feet.

We passed under the bridge and cruised alongside The Riverwalk, downtown New Orleans, Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, the river boats along the bank, and the French Quarter.

Approaching the Crescent City Connection

Soon we were at the entrance to the Industrial Lock.

We tried hailing the lockmaster several times with no response as we inched closer to the lock entrance. When we heard a number of other tugs hailing the lock without reply from the lockmaster, we knew we were going nowhere fast.

After a few phone calls and two hours later, radio chatter with the lockmaster in attendance commenced. Hearing barge after barge check in, with the latest being at position 19, we were finally answered and granted a position for entering the locks. Luckily, it was position number three and after waiting for one barge to lock across to our side, we entered the Industrial Lock along with one other tug (much roomier than the Harvey Lock).

A couple lines were tossed down from a lock attendant and we secured one to the bow, one to the stern as we snuggled up to the port-side wall. It was then that we learned that the past two hours of radio silence had been caused by an impromptu union meeting of the operators.

The water in the locks dropped a foot and a half around us, the other side of the doors slowly opened and we were on our way. To a bit of anxiety as we could see a lift bridge (not lifted) less than 100 feet away. Again, the bridge operator was MIA as we requested an opening. Finally, after idling to lessen our distance her voice crackled through the VHF to ask where we were and when we needed it opened. Here and now.

This is really starting to feel like an unforgiving game of frogger out here.

Next up, the Florida Avenue Railroad Lift Bridge. Because of our delay at the previous bridge, this bridge operator let us know we had better get up here as he was lowering this bridge because a train had been waiting to cross for the past five hours. We throttled up to max speed to get through as quickly as possible. Just as we crossed under, the bridge started lowering and moments later we heard the operator announce that it had gotten stuck at 34 feet (pretty much in the middle). We were pretty grateful to have not been stuck between those past two lift bridges for the entire afternoon.

Inside the Industrial Lock

Because we have both already spent time in New Orleans, we had hoped to just pass through to an anchorage further down the ICW for the night. With the delays of the morning, exhaustion from the obstacles, and not enough daylight to reach the anchorage, we decided to stay at a marina close-by at SeaBrook Harbor Marine.

After tying up, we spend the rest of the evening stretching our legs with a great walk around the area, washing down and organizing the boat, checking in on finances via Mvelopes, making dinner and some pretty heavenly pumpkin spice bread with Cranraisins and walnuts.

Tomorrow, it’s off to Rabbit Island with plans to get to Biloxi, MS by Monday or Tuesday for a roadtrip to spend Thanksgiving with family!

N 30° 01.47/ W 90° 01.93

Category: Boat Life, Cruising, Louisiana, Resources Tags: Boat Life, Cruising, Louisiana, Resources 2 Comments

Barataria Waterway

Wednesday, November 17th, 2010 / Christie & Matt

We woke up in Houma this morning to lower tide levels than expected and needed to wench Kaleo out of the mud a bit to get on our way to Lake Salvador to anchor for the night. For the next 37 miles, we motored along for a relatively easy cruising day. Believe it or not, we haven’t tired of the bayou’s beauty as each new day brings a varying landscape of trees, water hyacinth, and wildlife (eagles today!).

Bayou La Fouroche (“La Foosh”)

Lake Salvador turned out to be potentially too shallow to anchor and more exposed than we were comfortable with, so we ventured through the Barataria Waterway (very pretty) to C&M Bayou Fuel & Dock. Although this added another 16 miles to our trip, we decided to chase the daylight for a more secure place to tie up. The sunset alone was more than enough treasure left along the legendary waterway from the infamous pirate, Jean Lafitte. We wrapped up the evening by cooking jambalaya and watching a movie.

Sunset along Barataria Waterway

N 29° 39.37/W 90° 06.55

Category: Cruising, Louisiana Tags: Cruising, Louisiana Leave a Comment

Morgan City and Houma, LA

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010 / Christie & Matt

Hanging out in Morgan City for the day

We took advantage of the rainy day today by catching up on a little rest, finishing some engine work and ran (walked) errands while docked in Morgan City. Here’s how we spent it:

Slept in till 8:00 a.m.!
Made a mega Migas breakfast
Visited with our new friend, Hank the shrimper (incredibly nice guy who went out of his way to help us)
Took a sloshy tour around Morgan City to hunt down some Wi-Fi, starting at the library but was a no-go with stationary computers that were too slow and no Wi-Fi. A local library goer turned Morgan City tour guide offered to walk us about two miles to the nearest McDonald’s to try theirs. After meandering the miles in the rain, James, though his friends call him Jimmy, was ready to camp it out with us at Micky D’s (and aboard Kaleo had we let him) so we bought our new friend, Jimmy, a soda and tried to get going on catching up on all things digital. Wha wahhhhh. Faulty internet at Ronald’s house. We gave in and pulled out our Hilton Honors card and walked next door to relax in the less greasy aromas of the Hampton Inn lobby to quietly tap into Wi-Fi (all that work travel is starting to pay off).
Worked out the kinks in our onboard internet service and are back up and running. Whew!
Got a call from our former marina neighbor, Steve, who happened to be passing through Morgan City for work. He stopped by the boat to visit, sign the guest book and let us know about a little treasure of a Cuban restaurant just a few blocks away. We planned to go there for dinner but the restaurant didn’t answer their phone to confirm they were open and it was dropping buckets at dinner time. We opted to stay dry and made dinner at home while watching a LifeChurch.tv service.
Received a call from the mechanic we had been working with remotely at about 8 p.m. (surprising as it was after work hours). He was responding to a message left earlier in the day about working the kinks out of our oil pressure issue. Matt stayed up a few hours completing his suggestion, talking with one of his dad’s friends and ended up with a list for the parts store in the morning.

A visit from our former marina neighbor, Steve of s/v Ebb Tide

Tuesday morning came, still cold but without the rain, and Matt began his trek to the parts store. The only one within walking distance didn’t have what he needed and after talking with Hank, it was decided that his wife would drive Matt to the store across town. A short while later Matt was back with the parts, the engine was put back together and the high oil pressure we experienced coming into Morgan City was resolved. Whoo hoooo!

We were back on course to our next destination of Houma (pronounced Home-uh), Louisiana. It turned out to be a gorgeous day with 10-15 knots of wind from a direction our sails could use. We rolled out the jib sail and clocked 6.5 – 7 knots for most of the day. Morgan City to Houma is the most scenic section on the Louisiana GIWW. Majestic cypress trees line the banks, their knee-like roots protruding from the water surface to breathe, and the Spanish moss romantically hangs from tree branches.

Cypress trees dripping with Spanish moss along Wallace Bayou, east of Morgan City, LA

Enjoying the gorgeous day. In my flippie-floppies.

Matt assembling our new shower bench that he and his dad made

We arrived to a wonderfully quaint dock just off the ICW in Houma, tied up and walked to the laundromat (sailors have to wash clothes too).

Docked at the Houma Downtown Marina

After laundry was put away, we set out for a date night on the town. Some local joggers led us to discover Café Milano in historic downtown Houma. To say the least, we had a FEAST. (Started with lobster & shrimp bisque and jumbo lump crabmeat in a creamy herb dressing atop fresh avocado garnished with cherry tomatoes and sherry balsamic reduction. Next up were Stuffed Filet, Filet filled with shrimp & crabmeat mornay stuffing, topped with sautéed mushrooms, served with oven-roasted potatoes & sautéed vegetables. Matt had the Pork Chop Belanger – All natural pan-seared Bone-in Pork Loin Chops finished with blackberry demiglace served with a pork confit and sweet potato mousse (BEST EVER), accompanied by sautéed vegetables. Ah, and the bottle of Ausi Pinot Noir and Chocolate Terrine, Frozen chocolate mousse glazed with chocolate ganache, with raspberry, chocolate, white chocolate and passion fruit sauces for dessert). Wow! We might have gone a little overboard (pun intended).

Part of this adventure for us is about new experiences. And at the dinner table, we each committed to a specific promise that would expand our perspectives. We’ve coined them, “Café Milano’s promises” and are holding each other to them as we continue forward. We’ll reveal them as they’re kept. As you can see, we had plenty of time to pontificate through the dinner courses.

We enjoyed (and needed) the brisk walk back to our floating home, took showers (loving the hot water heater!) and fell asleep with a full and restful day behind us. It’s back on the waterway tomorrow to Lake Salvador for the night and then on to New Orleans and beyond.

N 29° 34.88/ W 90° 43.03

Category: Boat Life, Cruising, Inspiration, LifeChurch.tv, Louisiana, Sailing Tags: Boat Life, Cruising, Inspiration, LifeChurch.tv, Louisiana, Sailing 3 Comments

Week 1 Wrap-Up

Sunday, November 14th, 2010 / Christie & Matt

It’s been an eventful first week of cruising. As we start to adapt to this new lifestyle, here are some highlights from the past 7 days.

235 miles traveled
3.5 nights spent on the hook (anchored)
3.5 nights docked (the .5’s represent our first night where we were half anchored, half tied to a dock at Stingaree’s)
6 fixed bridges and 1 lift bridge passed under and 2 pontoon bridges passed across
2 locks crossed
An insane amount of mosquitos killed during their ambush at our marshy anchorage in Taylor’s Bayou (buggy!)
4 times stuck in the soft mud of the ICW
2 times towed off of the soft mud of the ICW
1 gator crossing
2 engine issues (jammed oil pressure relief valve, broken pre-heat solenoid ground)
Enough notes and voices of encouragement to keep our spirits up as challenges were overcome
7 spectacular sunsets
7 days we’re grateful for this dream coming to life

Category: Boat Life, Cruising, Inspiration Tags: Boat Life, Cruising, Inspiration 2 Comments

Our Longest Run Yet

Sunday, November 14th, 2010 / Christie & Matt

The usual early morning wake up came, but surprisingly it hasn’t been hard to wake up at all. Maybe because we go to bed at 8:00 most nights or maybe because each day has such purpose – to get to the next spot with as much daylight left as possible. Matt went to start the motor and rhun rhun rhun, nothing. Rhun, run, run, nothing. It wanted to start but wouldn’t. After a brief moment of despair, Matt got out Nigel Calder’s Boat Owners Mechanical and Electrical Handbook to see what the issue might be. Though oil pressure was the most likely culprit, the book said to check that the engine was getting enough heat to start firing. A quick inspection revealed that the preheat solenoid had broken loose from the engine (meaning, it wouldn’t preheat the engine and couldn’t start). Understandably, Mr. Beeker (affectionate name for our Westerbeke engine) was a bit too cold to get up and going right away this morning. A simple replacement of a bolt and the tightening of another and Mr. Beeker growled to life.

Bundled up against the cold

It was pretty chilly as we got underway (the coldest morning yet at about 50 degrees) and as Matt said, “This morning puts the icy in ICW.”

Next up, as R2-D2 (our auto-pilot) was guiding us along, it started veering too closely to the starboard shore and before Matt could react – thump – the boat stopped. Yep, stuck in the mud. Again. Now, an all too familar occurance, we went through the usual drills of trying to motor ourselves off, but no luck. With mulitlpe barges and tugs coming down the waterway, we got on the VHF to alert them that we were grounded with hopes to avoid any further problems. After several minutes of radio chatter, two tugs agreed to help us out! One, Miss Kim, blocked traffic while the other, Saftey Spirit, dropped its barges in the middle of the canal to float along briefly and came to hook up to the bow of Kaleo. The deckhand tossed a line the thickness of a coffee can for us to connect our, in comparison, very puny line to. Moments later, without the slighest engine rev from the tug, we were flung to freedom into the middle of the ICW and back on course.

A swift pull out of the mud

We can’t thank these two tugs enough. Their generosity and kindness made all the difference in our day. It’s folks like the captain and crew of those two tugs who make even the challenging parts of cruising more enjoyable.

With water back under the keel, Kaleo was gliding along again when we happened upon our first (moving) alligator sighting. It was hanging out in the middle of the channel then quickly swam toward shore as we drew closer. This was pretty exciting as we’ve been waiting to spot one on the move the whole trip.

Because of our delayed start, getting stuck and the 64 miles to cover, night fell on the bayou before we arrived at our destination. A first for our trip. We turned on the navigation lights, radar, and chatted with the tugs closest by. The tug Big Bay agreed to let us follow her into Morgan City if we needed to. But by God’s timing, we were passing through an area that has a vessel traffic control service (like air traffic control) that not only we checked into, but they were able to tell us the location and direction of every vessel on the water en-route to our destination. About another hour and we were safely tied up to the Morgan City Pleasure Docks, bought some fresh shrimp from a shrimper tied up next to us and enjoyed a dinner of Christie’s Étouffée.

N 29° 43.59/ W 91° 12.93

Category: Cruising, Engine, Resources Tags: Cruising, Engine, Resources Leave a Comment

Back On Course

Saturday, November 13th, 2010 / Christie & Matt

Welcome to Duck Hunting Season in the bayou! This morning we awoke in our now semi-familiar anchorage to the echoing sounds of nearby crackling and popping. Turns out, it was opening day of duck hunting season and after getting underway, we felt like we were smack in the middle of a game of Nintendo’s Duck Hunt. Watching the sails for any shotgun shell holes, made our way along our route to Shell Morgan Fuel Depot, about 40 miles away.

In exhaustion from the engine issues of yesterday and being on guard with sonar ears for over 10 hours to detect the slightest change in the buzzing hum of our motor, we reached Shell Morgan uneventfully and gratefully. We topped off our diesel at the fuel docks and then pulled over to a seawall that would be our tie-up for the night. Though the spot is a refueling operation and quite industrial, we had running water to wash the boat down and a local fuel boat skipper gave us a gallon of degreaser to help clean up the oily foot and hand prints all over the boat from yesterday’s repairs. We cleaned the boat and then walked to a surprisingly well-stocked grocery store for eggs, bread, chocolate milk and a pizza treat for the night. Though the spot was very rolly, because it’s right on the ICW with tugs passing all night, it was a safe place to tie up and a good stop on the route. Tomorrow, our destination is Morgan City, about 60 miles away, our longest planned run yet.

N 29° 46.92/ W 92° 09.54

Category: Cruising Tags: Cruising Leave a Comment

Oil Oil Everywhere

Friday, November 12th, 2010 / Christie & Matt

This morning we awoke to a diversion from the start of our daily routine. Matt started the motor and almost instantly alarms shrieked with protest. Upon shutting down the engine, and opening the engine bay, we discovered that our diesel had barfed oil everywhere. The source was from where the oil filter meets the engine housing. This wasn’t a good sign but Matt thought perhaps it had too much oil (from topping it off that morning), so he changed filter to ensure there was the correct amount of oil and tried starting it again. Within seconds, the oily mess to be cleaned doubled. An engine losing oil is never a good sign and we quickly thought through our options: find a tow to a marina that was 12 miles North (unlikely in such a remote location), sail the 12 miles North (risky in a windy, narrow channel with barges and little wind), or stick with our safe anchorage and figure out the problem (though it might be challenging to get a mechanic out to the boat). We started making calls to mechanics back in Kemah looking for a referral, to immediate family as there was extended family in the area and to our new cruising friends, the Sittons. After about an hour of playing phone chase from one referral to another, Matt was able to speak with a mechanic who knew our engine. From the described symptoms, he suggested checking the oil pressure relief valve, which is the same conclusion Matt had come to after reading a technical manual on board.

Captain, aka diesel mechanic

The soonest a mechanic could be out was Monday, so with nothing to lose but time, Matt began to take apart the motor to get at the potential problem valve. After a few hours of work, a dinghy ride to a nearby boat launch ramp and store for some tools (that didn’t end up fitting), he discovered the relief valve was indeed stuck. In fact, jammed like a semi having gone under too low of a bridge. Another hour or so of tapping, tinkering and talking with the mechanic and Rusty Sitton, he freed the stuck valve! Feeling good, we called about getting a new part, upon which we learned that it would be at least four weeks to get from the factory. We were in a pretty anchorage but not close enough to the tropics, so Matt took some sandpaper (once long ago borrowed from our boat neighbors on s/v Ebb Tide) and sanded the part and housing smooth again so they wouldn’t jam. The engine was put back together just before dark and, other than some borrowed gasket sealant from a boat that came into the anchorage, we clawed closer to fixing the problem with supplies onboard. Another filter change, oil fill and with great trepidation, we tried starting the motor. Chug, Chug, Chug, vroom. No alarms. No oil barfs. Just a running motor! After running for about 20 minutes we were back in business.

After the boat and grease camouflaged captain were cleaned up, we reflected on the laborious day. Though engine problems are never good, it was a great boost in confidence that we were able to get back up and running, in a remote anchorage, and be able to continue on our journey. Though we may have done the work ourselves, but it wouldn’t have been possible without all the help we received. Thank you to our family for being ready on a dime to drive parts out, their constant encouragement and loving support to keep our spirits up. Our deepest gratitude to Rusty and Linda Sitton, who talked us through solving the problem in the middle of the work day, hooked us up with a great mechanic, offered continued support and even lined up a tow boat should we have needed it. And thanks to Eddie at Oleander Marine and Russel at Colemar services, who both offered valuable advice and guidance in repairing the problem. Most of all, to the Lord, we are eternally appreciative for answering our prayers and keeping us moving along on the journey. The adventure has truly begun.

N 29° 58.71/ W 98° 42.04

Category: anchoring, Cruising, Engine Tags: Anchoring, Cruising, Engine 4 Comments

Crossing Our First Lock

Thursday, November 11th, 2010 / Christie & Matt

We’re writing this post from a beautiful oxbow anchorage on the Mermentau River, just off the ICW. Despite the lack of sailing today, it was actually a great day with gorgeous weather and light traffic. It felt like we had the entire waterway to ourselves. We went through our first lock (Calcasieu) and a few pontoon bridges, that you have to call ahead of time to open up for you and listen for the all clear whistle (one long, one short). We’ve been using the auto pilot, now named R2-D2 for its funny beeps and blips, and just keeping an eye out for alligators (still no luck). In between bridges and passing tugs, we read, played Uno and enjoyed each other’s company.

Calcasieu Lock

So far, the pattern seems to be motor sail by day, anchor at night, get up early and repeat to gain the most miles we can under the daylight we’re given. We’ll keep it up till we get to past New Orleans and into Mississippi Sound.

Enjoying a peaceful anchorage

N 29° 58.71/ W 98° 42.04

Category: anchoring, Cruising Tags: Anchoring, Cruising Leave a Comment

Cool Lift Bridge & Great Marina

Wednesday, November 10th, 2010 / Christie & Matt

Cloudy skies and a foggy morning welcomed our start to day 3 and the scenery was mostly industrial docks and ports. We’re getting more comfortable with all the barges and the lingo (like a “two whistle” means passing our starboard side if we’re over-taking). We were able to motor sail part of the day which is always a pleasure. Kaleo feels more comfortable when she’s heeling a bit and the rigging is humming with the breeze. The Ellender Lift Bridge was our first ICW navigational challenge as it’s only 50′ tall and our mast is 49′. The bridge requires 4-hour notice so we had to plot our route and make a best guest on our arrival time. Kaleo arrived 15 minutes ahead of schedule and the bridge opened up right away for us. Other highlights of the day was passing a barge with a Navy Patrol boat onboard, logging over 60 miles and Christie pouring through the pages of Maiden Voyage (one of her favorite sailing stories yet!).

Ellender Lift Bridge

That evening we made it to a great little marina, called Bow Tie Marina & Valet, just past the new L’auberge du lac Casino on Lake Charles. Doug, the owner, was kind enough to stay late for our arrival, and gave us a great deal on diesel and a night’s stay. Bow Tie is a clean and quant marina, with all the amenities a cruiser needs. It felt especially secure as the Coast Guard keeps over 10 of their patrol boats there and they make nightly runs in and out.

Sunrise on the marina as we motor away

N 30° 12.50/ W 93° 14.97

Category: Cruising Tags: Cruising Leave a Comment

Sun Rises Again On Day 2

Tuesday, November 09th, 2010 / Christie & Matt

Day 2 was a long run down Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, GIWW, and after seeing mostly brown water, low grass and flat lands, we can see why it got the nickname “the ditch.” But it’s teeming with wildlife, especially herons and other beautiful birds so we had company along the way.

Matt piloting Kaleo in a long straight line

The cruising guides rumor of alligators and we’re really hoping to see one, but no luck yet. Taylor Outfall Bayou, our anchorage for the night, came along quickly enough and setting the anchor went well. The rest of the evening was spent soaking up a spectacular sunset from our secluded little anchorage, cooking a butternut squash, carrot and celery cinnamon butter stir fry. We wrapped up the day with a fierce mosquito battle and despite our initial wounds, we’re thankful for our new bug screens to keep us protected from the swarming marsh.

N 29° 49.87/ W 93° 53.49

Sunset at Taylor Outfall Bayou

Category: anchoring, Cruising Tags: Anchoring, Cruising 2 Comments

First Full Day Of Cruising

Monday, November 08th, 2010 / Christie & Matt

What began as an early and calm morning turned out to be quite eventful. We cast off from our marina docks at about 6:00 a.m. with one of our slip neighbors generously snapping photos and wishing us Bon Voyage.

Kaleo motoring out of the marina

From there, we:

Navigated an unexpected crane crossing at the entrance to Clear Lake (yep, before we were even fully out of the marina). They quickly moved the crane arm to let us by, so no biggie.
Needed to make a quick stop into Seabrook Shipyards for Matt to walk the half-mile to have our propane tanks refilled. (We missed their closing time by about 30 mins on Sat.). Well, they were out of propane but had empathy for our plight so the guy working there drove Matt to a nearby competitor to get them filled. On the ride back, they got to chatting and Matt learned that our new friend had just been released from spending 9 years in prison. He was a nice guy, trying to get his life back together, and we graciously thanked him for his favor and prayed for his renewed path.
Had a beautiful motor sail to Galveston averaging 7 knots (and a record time for us in 3 hours)
Got stuck in the mud as we were entering the ICW. An embarrassing Tow Boat US visit but it was good to have learned our depth sounder about 2 feet off from being accurate. Insurance paid off for us again with this one.
Made our way along the ICW for a bit, only to find our intended destination to be a dilapidated structure that was formally Steve’s Landing (cross that off your must-see list).
Our back up anchorage was Stingaree’s Marina and Restaurant. Well, our chart plotter wanted us to believe it was about 2 miles closer than it actually was and sent us down a misguided channel to get bogged in the mud AGAIN. A serious chat with the Big Guy upstairs, and Matt at the helm, returned us into the ICW to continue on by calling Stingaree’s for their exact location. (A good lesson to never trust one source of navigation equipment.)
Ah, within sight but just out of reach to their finger pier (think your pinky finger pier for size), we were just about to breathe a sigh of relief when… you guessed it. Stuck. That makes three strikes on our first day. So, we tied up to the piling with a long line, dropped the stern anchor and were out of the ICW for the night. Another sailboat, who hadn’t made it to the anchorage before dark, frantically searching for a place to tie up for the night, almost became stuck in the mud with us but we were able to relay the shallow depths to them before they turned in.

Welcome to the ICW jungle.

After enjoying breakfast migas for dinner, we headed to bed early with anticipation for the next day’s 40 mile run (that’s long for a slow moving sailboat).

N 29° 28.07/W 94° 38.71

Category: Cruising, Inspiration Tags: Cruising, Inspiration Leave a Comment

It’s Go Time!

Sunday, November 07th, 2010 / Christie & Matt

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of activity, all in effort for tomorrow morning. The must-do preparations have been crossed off the list (either completed or deemed not truly a must-do) and we’ve enjoyed some treasured time with family and friends.

Kaleo staged for departure

Tomorrow morning, we set sail on the dream we’ve been pursuing for the past few years. We’re going into it with a lot of excitement, a little trepidation, and genuine wonder. But above all, we are thankful. First, to the Lord for a dream becoming a reality, to our families for all of their help and for lifting us up to reach this dream, to our friends for their encouragement and to our marina neighbors, who have become friends, for their advice, tool swaps, and making the marina feel like home.

To help us remember what has been a blur and to share with you what’s been going on since we left Dallas, here are a few highlights:

Our friend, Maurice, joined Matt aboard for a week to finish re-wiring the boat, mark the anchor chain, rig the reef lines, make a fender board, etc.
Survived some cuts, bangs and bruises as we worked in every nook and cranny of Kaleo
Installed a hot water heater (Kaleo now has almost all the luxuries of a modern home, just on a much smaller scale)
Finished loading and organizing provisions aboard
Spent a rainy night discovering a leaky gasket in the v-berth hatch (poor Matt awoke to water slowly drip, drip, dripping on his forehead)
Sold Christie’s car and tucked Matt’s truck in storage along with the rest of our land life belongings
Made about a million and one trips to West Marine, Home Depot, Target, Walmart, and a host of other stores for final stock-ups
With the help of Christie’s dad, installed the chart plotter, loaded the safety locker (holds the liferaft, life jackets, safety harnesses, and EPRIB) and built a shelf for the dinghy gas can
Got to celebrate Christie’s birthday with her family (thanks for treating us to a celebratory dinner at her favorite local Mexican restaurant, Mas Amigos! and for having us as house guests for awhile)
Continued the birthday celebration with a visit from our friend, Crystal, for a dinghy ride to have dinner at Opus Bistro near our marina
Enjoyed a little send-off with our marina neighbors and received some great books, a set of Pardey cruising how-t0 DVD’s and lots of helpful advice
Received a visit from some fellow cruisers, The Sittons, who have their boat in a marina close to ours and have recently cruised the Bahamas. They generously shared their experiences with us and gave us a special super absorbent towel for drying off quickly and a conch shell they brought back from the Bahamas for us to return when we harvest our own.
Started adjusting our plans to the shorter days of Daylight Savings Time (sunrises at 6:30, sunsets at 5:30!)

Today Kaleo got a much needed bath, we painted the registration numbers on Squeak (our new dinghy), ran a few final errands (thanks Mike for letting us borrow your truck!), secured the dinghy on deck and are now off to get some much-needed rest. We feel a bit like kids on Christmas Eve with anticipation for what tomorrow will bring.

As we get underway, we want to point out a feature that’s now on the blog, our live track map. Click the GLOBE ICON in the upper left-hand corner of the site and you will see a map featuring the last position report from our SPOT tracker. It’s a new feature, so please contact us if you experience any technical trouble.