Cruising cats: March 25, 2006
 

Sorry if I already posted this longer version of the alligator day. I kind
of lost track of where I was. This is posted using Outlook Express, so,
let's see how it works.







Saturday, March 25, 2006



The wind let up enough for us to pull out of Galveston for a smooth, but
cold ride across Galveston Bay and the rest of the day until we dropped
anchor nine hours and 68 miles later at Taylor Outfall Canal, just west of
Port Arthur, on the Texas side of the border with Louisiana.



We experienced a lot of barge traffic along the way, especially at the
Bolivar Sort, where Jim, up on the fly bridge, carefully threaded Genesis
through a gathering of barges and tows sorting and exchanges barges. I was
in the cabin with the cats, and I was startled to look up and see barges
moving on both sides of us. This maneuver involved continual monitoring of
radio communications among the commercial traffic as well as between Genesis
and the tow captains.



The barges we saw that day carried a variety of products, primarily
petrochemicals with dire warnings posted on the containers. We also saw a
load of rock headed for Corpus Christi, our starting point.



We saw the tow that had sheltered us from the wind and waves as we followed
it that miserable windy day across Chocolate Bay. We would encounter some of
the same tows day after day as we continued on our journey.



Brushy banks with grazing cattle flanked our waterway this day. We saw the
gnarly face of our first alligator surface and then submerge into the
greenish brown water.



It was a long day, and we were happy to turn up into Taylor Outfall Canal
and spend a peaceful night on the hook, enduring the hospitality of a swarm
of mosquitoes who were eager to have us drop by for dinner.



Annie, crew for Rosie & Cinder