Hurricane Karin at the end of last week.
here we are 'parked' at the Fuel Dock...just as we arrived on Sunday night. We didnt move until mid afternoon because of the high winds and fast water in the canal. Current + wind = trouble when trying to get into small spaces!!
Today the canal was almost calm and the sun was shining, the wind was cool and all things were good.
The Marina was busy most of yesterday and today taking boats out of the dry stack and off the hard and putting them back in the water. We heard that the US Coast Guard were charging individual boat owners $30,000 each, per day, if their boats remained in the water during the Hurricane warning. Yesterday we got up to a lovely sunrise, ate breakfast, watched the wind and made the decision to stay put until the wind went down some more.
Waz went up to the office and checked in and made arrangements for the marina folks to help us dock in our designated spot later in the afternoon.
I sat and wrote the blog until Waz dragged me out to do some food shopping.
We borrowed the marina vehicle...a Ford truck...and made our way over to Rouses supermarket.
We took our time looking through all the Aisles...new places have some fascinating food!:) and bought sushi from the in-house store there, for lunch. Bliss!:) We miss good sushi, and Im not in the habit of making it anymore. Maybe I should brush those skills off and do so?
There is certainly enough fresh seafood around to make that an excellent proposition...and we have a rice cooker! One might ask...Girl! What are you waiting for?:)
So, we put away the cold things, ate lunch, then put away the rest of the groceries. Some things cant wait at 1.30, and that would be lunch.
It is lovely to be able to eat up on the fly deck again. It is cool enough to do so now, which we truly appreciate. We did that at the beginning of our time in Houston, but as it got hotter, we stayed inside in the aircon.
We are also enjoying sitting out on the cockpit deck out back. the cool breeze comes through the curtains which are up for both privacy and to shelter from the sun.
About 2.30pm, we made ready to shift the boat to her dock/poles. The wind was still blowing around 20-25 knots and the canal was running swiftly. We had already watched some of the boats having a tricky time inserting themselves between the poles.
These photos are not of our boat, but I took these photos to show the process of backing through the poles to dock...
The wind is still up and the canal water was running fairly fast still. the boat has to go forward of the poles, then reverse high enough into the canal to come back onto the front down-wind pole and use that as a pivot point to get the stern around and onto the dock. You dont want to be resting on the down-wind dock, as the tide and wind will make you bang against the dock all the time and damage your boat, so pinning the boat in more or less the middle of the poles is imperative
she is now upstream of the poles and reversing
back end into the front pole, and she is being pushed manuall until the captain can get her tail around by going forward then backwards as required.
She is through the first poles, and pivoting around that front one
Now she is manoevering into the second poles and she is almost home
As good as home now. Secure the front poles, esp. the upwind one, this side, and then the stern lines. You still have to get off the boat onto the dock, so that starb'd stern side is usually almost tucked into the dock, but not touching. She is a step off.
This boat took about 5 goes to get her into position to make the backward thrust.
Waz got it on the 2nd pass for ours...and has received congratulations from the various other captains for his skil. I concurr!! I opted to stay dockside with a fender handy in case it was needed. He had two fellas from the marina helping with ropes on deck and I had another of our new neighbors helping me out dockside. These boat folks will do anything for you:) Thanks fellas! It was much appreciated. I was a bit of a nervous wreck after the day before, coming through the locks.
We are happy to be safe and sound on the dock, hooked up to water and electricity...which means I can take a nice long shower if I choose. Waz likes to make use of the facilities at the main office where he has more space for his shower.
Today, tuesday, we have learned more about our neighbors, watched the comings and goings as many of them prepare for the Madisonville, LA Boat Fest. We have been invited to come along and visit the show and to say hello to our neighbors when we get there.
The fellow who owns the glorious Viking sportfisher at the end of our dock, Alex, commissioned this lovely steam boat to be built and she is ready to depart tomorrow for Madisonville...all going well. We boaters always say that...because, truly...it really is 'if all goes well'! Lots of factors involved in this boating gig.
Her name is Mascot. We learned she is owned by Alex's Dad, Bill. He confirmed what every boat owner knows...BOAT spells...Bring On Another Thousand! They are a bottomless pit on the water that you pour money into...constantly:)We watched Alex and his crew, including his elderly father, put the boat into the water today. It had been out on the hard due to the Hurricane warning. She came steaming up the canal to dock later in the afternoon. She was crawling with technicians, and others and they continue to work late into the night to get her up and ready to move tomorrow. It has been exciting watching the progress. She also has a good whistle:)
As it got dark, we all went back to our respective boats and we came home to get dinner.
I had spent a good part of the morning and into the early afternoon baking honey whole wheat rolls,
Had a cooked breakfast this morning...thanks to our shop yesterday. Hash browns and scrambled eggs (done in the microwave). It kept us going until lunch time ...oh yes...thats right...I made cheese scones for lunch.
I gave some of the cookies away to our next door neighbors who are working on their 'work in progress' boat, and they asked what was for dinner! ha!:)
Tim (neighbor) is a very chatty guy who runs (with his partners) the longest running fishing TV show in LA(Louisiana) history...13 yrs! They bought this behemoth next door to do up...found her on a lake in TX somewhere as just a hull, and she is being done up since...for fishing and entertaining and duck shooting et al as they do, around here.
He says he is going to take us out on the town. We had just been discussing whether we will go this week or next week into town.
As part of our walk this avo, we went to the RV park next door and inquired after the shuttle bus that leaves from there and goes into the French Quarter. It has funny hours, but we will do it once, at least, just to say we have done it.
Our new contacts from the Loopers Assoc. are away from the area until thursday but they have said they will take us to the Madisonville boat Fest...cant wait!
So, new friends, new contacts and some potential for good times, good food and some interesting and friendly company. We love it!
Here it is , bedtime again and Waz has beaten me to it. We didnt have the aircon on last night for once, but I did put it on tonight. The boat is very warm inside tonight and I do not like warm to sleep.
Night night.
Now thursday!
Yesterday we spent the day doing nothing much. The past few days finally caught up with us and we needed down time. Not as young as we used to be! ha!
Took a few walks, including another one to the front gate and on the return we spied a 7 series BMW on the side of the driveway, and some movement under a large shed canopy...well, I should say it is a mostly destroyed (Hurricane) shed, but the roof is intact.
There we found an Equador born, Louisiana educated Lawyer who has many years of yacht racing behind him, restoring a wooden (Mahogony-planked, white oak interior) yacht - approx. 70feet long. The project has taken him 3 yrs to date, and he is still only at the beginning. She was another victim of Hurricane katrina, like most things around these parts, and he bought the shell to restore in his spare time.
On the way back we also met one of our liveaboard neighbors, Vegas who was out walking his two dogs..of slightly challenging descriptions:) and two cats...siblings, apparently, who all live on onboard with him and wife Trixie!Vegas is a boat captain for hire who drives Crew Boats for oil companies, delivers and retrieves yachts and any other vessel required from anywhere to anywhere. Interesting fellow with a mohawk hairdo! the dogs and cats where a trick and though friendly on the ground, they are mean little ankle biters when defending Mum and Dad's boat.
We spent an hour or so on the dock yesterday morning, helping the steamer get under way, fill up with fuel and Waz gave the boilermaker steering instructions for single screw (one engine) boats. He has little experience and was in a bit of a tizz! He was having trouble with the rudder which didnt help.
They finally took off and we assisted another couple of boats onto the fuel dock before deciding it was time for those who get paid to do so, to take over.
I finished another book, so we will need to find another Friends of the Library soon...as I have read 15 or so since leaving Tx....just a month ago...gosh! is it that long?
Waz is making his way through a Tom Clancy novel. We just heard that he died this past week...so young! just 10 yrs my senior!
There really isnt much we can do here...apart from laps around the marina and up the driveway. there is no sidewalk along the road, so that could prove deadly, and a seawall surrounds neighboring houses and streets. We are apparently on higher ground than they are.
The shopping locally is non-existent, which in some ways is a good thing...we can save much money staying here:)
We also dont feel too inclined to go into the middle of the city to see the sights. We are happy in our own little space for a bit longer, and have plenty to do, should we feel so inclined.
I got the sewing machine out again this morning. We both tore shorts while doing the locking thing, so those were first on the agenda, then finishing another rope chafe guard which was already cut out and needed sewing up.
We found the dinghy cover had torn in the process of ou 12 hr Sunday trip, so I am about to put a gusset into it at the stern so that the strain over the boat motor is much less. This will also allow us to pull it tighter over the port side, which is a bit lean right now.
Well, I had better drink my tea and get cracking on this cover.
More soon...our internet is a bit patchy, until they fix it, so if you dont hear from us for a few days, know we are safe.
Ciao for now..
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