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.