We've started our cruise

April 4, 2012

Ready to leave. The bay was foggy but viability was good enough to start our cruise. We left the channel at marker 45 to take the short cut to the ICW and on to Matagorda.

Lisa's Notes

0800 to 1900

Saw our first gator today swimming across the ICW. Not very big but big enough. We got a little rain. The clouds all around up were heavy and black. Thought we would get hammered. Went thought the Colorado River Locks. I didn't realize how big the bridges are until I went under my first one here in Matagorda. Stopped at Matagorda for the night. Boy were we tired crazy and grouchy. Got ate up by sketters. Trixie is turning out to be a good sailing dog.

57 miles for the day.

April 5

Left Matagorda at 0745 headed for Freeport. Damn shrimpers. Nice day with lot of trees floating and ran aground. One minute we were in 12 foot of water and the next less than 3. Lots of barge traffic. Trixie would bark when land was real close. Went through Brazos Flood Gates. What a mess with all the floating trees. Was like a mine field. Had a tow try to pass up between the flood gates. I wouldn't give in.

Pulled into Bridge Harbor Marina at 1800 no one around looked like they were closed. We tied up in the same spot the Charlie and I were in back in December. I got a cold shower but David got a hot one.

47 miles today.

April 6

Left Freeport at 0730 heading for Stingaree.. Holiday weekend with lots of crazy boaters. Almost got rolled by a sport fisherman throwing a 6-8 foot wake. We turned into the wake and were burying the bow. A tow behind us made a comment on the radio about what they did to us. They never looked back. Boat name Sulda out of Kehma.

Going across the shipping lane we had to wait for 3 ships to pass. Got over to Bolivar and found a dredge taking up the entrance channel. Had to find a way around it. Made us run late to Stingaree. Ran out of daylight and had to tie up to a bulkhead full of skeeters. What a night. Even the net didn't seem to work.

April 6

Finished the last three miles to Stingaree Marina. When we pulled in the owner said “I know you”. Gave us a slip right in front of his bait store. Lots and lots of boats all day. We wanted to stay the day to let all the crazy's have fun and go home. Had supper in the restaurant upstairs. To spicy for us but good. Got the boat straight. Figured out what when and where. So now every thing works.