SAYING GOOD BYE TO MANDEVILLE

We purchased our “new” used boat in December, 2009. In late January 2010 we loaded up our old Ford Windstar to the ceiling with boat stuff and started for Mandeville, LA. Three months of cleaning, and fixing we were ready to take off.

Our destination was generally undecided, but we knew we wanted to explore areas we had never visited. Perhaps the Chesapeake Bay would be a worthy cruising goal.

The marina in Mandeville wanted us out by May 1. We had already extended two months with no contract. The weather was becoming unsettled towards that date so we decided to leave a little early, Wednesday instead of Friday.

Monday, Billie, the canvas guy finally finished the last few stitches on the new dodger.

Tuesday, Russell, the engine guy finished putting the final touches on the new oil pressure gauge at 7:30 PM. He was missing a part, but he told us how to “jury rig” the system so it would work until we could get the new part.

It looked like we might actually leave the dock before the foul weather front moved in.

Wednesday, at 6 AM we were peacefully motoring down Cistine Bayou toward Lake Pontchatrain watching the sun rising in the east. We actually made it! We could not believe it. Once on the lake and two miles off shore we turned southwest as we wanted to avoid the shoal at Goose Point. Three hours later we were just north of the Highway 11 Bridge and we called on Channel 13 to it have it opened. We were now entering new territory.

On to the narrow channel adjacent to the Middle Ground where many boats have grounded in recent years. Finally we were into the Rigolets where Lake Pontchatrain empties into the Gulf of Mexico. We were facing a strong incoming current and our speed reduced to 3.8 knots.

Our last obstacle before we reached the Mississippi Sound and the Gulf of Mexico was the Rigolets CSX railroad bridge. We called the bridge tender and with a little coaxing he finally opened it and we were in the Gulf of Mexico.

The one thing that surprised us was the flatness of the Mississippi Delta. We could see for miles. There were no trees, just reeds and endless winding waterway.

We were now on the Intercoastal Waterway. We negotiated Joe’s Pass, Grand Island Channel, and the Marianne Channel. Huge barges were going east and west and as you approached each you hailed them on Channel 16 and let them know if you wanted to pass with “one whistle”, or “two whistles”. It was nerve wracking seeing these behemoth barges coming towards you at 10 knots. Finally at Cat Island Shoal we were able to head directly to Gulfport, Mississippi.

Sailing was great! We were on a broad reach, or beam reach, the sun out, and the wind a constant 15 knots. I was on the deck scrubbing the sails and lines as Claudia and the autopilot moved us from buoy to buoy.

We tied up at 7:15 PM and by 8 PM we were having a “Special Pasta Dinner” at the Gulfport Yacht Club. We had gone about 70 nautical miles in about 12 hours Our first passage. Our shake down sail. All had gone well.

NEW (TEMPORARY) HOME

New Orleans, Louisiana -Mandeville-to be exact! Never did we imagine we'd ever live in the "south". But never say never. The location conjures up imagines of warmth, sweet smells and maybe a little jazz. On the contrary cold, rainy with "snow" flurries have been the order of the day. The bayou during the winter has a rather dismal and dead look. But celebration does abound. With our arrival the New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl setting off historic party time along with the Mardi Gras excitement. We've been fortunate to share in all the fun times. Go "Who Dat Nation!!"

We decided to get a little furnished apartment while"Bon Temps" is taken apart and getting a few repairs. It's a great opportunity to clean her up good and also come back to a warm place to sleep at night. They say this is really unusual weather and spring is around the corner. We're ready to turn that corner. Meanwhile we're exploring the area and finding friendly people and learning all about the devastation that Katrina and broken levees caused. The city is slowing rebuilding and their spirit is strong. Mandeville is on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, 22 miles from New Orleans. It is a country-feel community compared to the hustling big city of New Orleans. People would come here to escape the heat and epidemics of the city. It still maintains a feel of small community, bed and breakfasts, antique shops and nice little restaurants. The shoreline is swamp and marshland. According to legend , pirates such as Jean Lafitte, buried treasure taken from the Spanish merchant ships along the Gulf of Mexico, here along our shores. Today swamp boat tours abound but rather than gold they find the treasures of nature: alligators, egrets, herons, turtles, and nutria. It's still an exciting place to hide.

Cruising along the Gulf of Mexico will be an adventure for us. We understand the waters are not brown as Lake Pontchartrain is where we are docked in the Bayou Castine at Prieto Marina. The lake is 40 miles east to west and gets no deeper than 12 feet. Wow! We plan to stay here until it warms and repairs are finished on Bon Temps then head south out the Rigolets and discover the Gulf coast of the United States and on to the Bahamas and ??? Let the adventure begin!

NEW BEGINNINGS

S/V FIDDLERSGREEN has sadly been sold. A few months after we returned from our 8 months in Mexico a person from the east coast purchased her and she was immediately on a truck for Annapolis, Maryland. She was on the market with mixed feelings. The engine was the original and was tired. The varnish took a great deal of work. We really found this out in the tropics.

Claudia would not let me look at another boat until we sold the one we had. Once it was on it's way east we started looking. We wanted a boat with a little more room, a newer engine, and little if no wood. From our wonderful experience in the Caribbean we started to look at Beneteaus. We decided we liked the Beneteau 361. It was made between the years 2000-2004. We started looking. We looked on the west coast, mid west and east coast.

After two months we found one in Mandeville, LA. We flew out to see her, made an offer, had a survey of the boat and engine and a sea trial. We did some negotiating after all that and the deal finally closed on December 31, 2009.

We ended up being without a boat for about two months. We are now taking care of some business here at home and are going to fill up the car with boating things and February 1, 2010, Monday, take a driving trip to Louisiana. The boat will need some work so we need to find a place to stay in the area while we fix it up. Once it is fixed up we will take off and explore the Gulf of Mexico.

We really have not decided exactly what we will do. We may go to the Caribbean, or up the east coast, or the Bahamas, or the Inter Costal Waterway, or ship her back to San Diego????