Prep for Horn Island Trip

Spent the day frantically preparing for a two-day trip to Horn Island, starting tomorrow.  Horn Island is the largest of the  barrier islands forming the Mississippi Sound and is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore.  I have never been there, but hear the island is home to a tremendous array of wildlife.  The trip will be about 20 miles out to our planned anchorage and the marine weather forecast predicts favorable winds.

More Work

Replaced some rotten wood on the sink countertop and put a coat of finish on it.  Should be able to install it tomorrow.  Built a Jib bag to put around a hanked-on Jib sail.  This will allow me to store one jib on the forestay, but still protect it from ultraviolet damage.  Re-stitched a Bimini top for Scott Corey, a fellow sailor I met in Bernard Bayou as we were getting ready for the hurricanes.  The material was in good shape, but the thread was breaking, so it was a simple matter to re-stitch it. 

Sewing Day

Spent the entire day sewing.  First was a set of lee cloths for both salon berths.  Then three bags that fit inside a plastic milk crate, which will keep small items from falling out.   Next I sewed a red and white "diver down" flag and a blue and white "Alpha" code flag that is also an international diver down signal.  Finally, started on three tote bags, but finished only one and decided to quit for the night.

Sunset at Keesler AFB Marina

After a long day of work, the sunset over the marina was a pretty sight.  The two hurricanes this summer took out the electricity in the marina, so when the sun goes down it is time to quit working.

New Mainsail Cover

Finished sewing a new mainsail cover today and mounted it.  Am quite happy with the way it turned out.    

Sailboat Racing

Spent Saturday and Sunday racing on a 19' Flying Scot at the Pontchartrain Yacht Club for the Back to School Regatta.  Joey Stokes, Amanda Schrantz, and myself represented Long Beach Yacht Club and placed 5th out of 8 boats.  During the third race on Saturday, we capsized the boat and  had to be towed back to the harbor.  Lake Pontchartrain is so shallow that the mast stuck in the mud and it bent pulling it back out.  Some frantic boat repairs fixed everything well enough to sail again on Sunday.

Beach Report -- After Hurricane Ike

Following Hurricane Ike the beaches around Gulfport, Mississippi, are still closed and look to be closed for awhile.  I am afraid they will return them to postcard-perfect before allowing humans on them.  They looked fantastic before the hurricanes, with miles of light-colored sand, easy highway access, and sheltered water due to the barrier islands.  Even so, rarely do they draw a crowd and then only tourists, as the locals typically shun them.   Whereas in California, people from all over crowd onto marginal beaches seeking the beach high-culture.  Am I missing something?

Moving Boats Home

Finally moved my boat back to the marina at Keesler Air Force Base.  The seven lines tied to trees and the two anchors required a couple of hours to undo.  Jim Boernge and his friend Al readied Jim's boat "Short Circuit", while Millie Newman and myself readied my boat "Pequod."  Then both boats headed back the six miles to Keesler AFB.  With a 12 knot South wind, I was able to sail the last half of the trip.  It was interesting to see the boats along the way that did not make it through the two hurricanes.  Quite a few boats were merely anchored in the Back Bay of Biloxi and several of them broke loose, ending up stranded on the shore.  At Keesler AFB, the hurricanes tore loose the aluminum walkways to the floating docks.  A couple of guys could fix the damage in a day, but the government is only now letting contracts.  Bet you that I sail away long before they re-attach the loose walkways, or restore the electricity and fresh water.

Hurricane Ike

Hurricane Ike is due South of us this evening.  Lots of rain, tropical storm force wind gusts, and a storm surge of about 5 feet.  Definitely not as bad as the people around Galveston will get tomorrow evening, but I am still glad it is going somewhere else.

Waiting for Hurricane Ike

Will Hurricane Ike hit us? Most people are just leaving boats in their hurricane hole, waiting. Many people discuss leaving the Gulf Coast altogether. At the end of the day, hurricane season puts a real damper on peoples' lives. The uncertainty seems to be worse than the actual storm.

Sailing Report

Went sailing today on Scott Corey's boat Cool Running, a 36-foot Columbia. Scott and I left Point Cadet Marina in Biloxi, MS, in the mid afternoon and sailed South towards Ship Island. We turned around out by the Intercoastal Waterway and made it back by dusk. Winds were SSE at 15-20 knots and it was a nice sail.

Hurricane Gustav

Hurricane Gustav has passed.  Went with Jim Boernge into Bernard Bayou and tied up our boats a few days early.  Then I swam out to the boat the night before it hit and waited for its arrival Monday morning. Once things settled down again, I swam ashore and walked home.  My boat was fine and it was a good learning experience. Effort invested in hurricane preparation definitely pays off.