Cruising on Miss Froggy

[CharlieJ]

David and Lisa Grim, better known here as GrimE have departed Port Lavaca on the long awaited and much delayed cruise on their Starwind 22.

David is a stage 4 cancer survivor and had planned this before he was diagnosed. He's the fellow who posted my positions (the INavx reports) while I was aboard Tehani.

This is Lisa's first excursion beyond the local bays, so excitement is pretty high aboard.

David has a simple blog he'll be updating as they have internet but I'll be adding to this as I hear from them...Please wish them well-been a long hard road for them to get to this point.

The blog address is-

http://starwind22.blogspot.com

Here's the beginning of my posts, and I'll date them as I post-

4/4/12-
They are in Matagorda, in the marina .

First day cruising went well. They missed most of the thunderstorms during the afternoon - the UN-FORCAST, weren't supposed to happen, thunderstorms.

Anyway, other than using more fuel than expected, they're having a good time. As for the using fuel- they probably have never run the boat as loaded down as they are- with an extended cruising load aboard I told him it would get better;

4/5/12-

Just spoke with GrimE ( Miss Froggy) They are in Freeport, Texas after a quite pleasant day of travel. Even got to sail about half the time, which is kinda rare in the Texas ICW...

Having a good time and hope to get past Galveston (West Bay can be nasty) tomorrow and behind the Bolivar Peninsula.

Important thing- having a good time

77 miles so far. Remember- this is the first time Lisa has been out of Matagorda/Espiritu Santos Bays All brand new for her.

[Captain Smollett]

Very Cool!  Thanks for posting for them, Charlie.

Please give them our best wishes when you speak to them, and of course...TAKE PLENTY OF PICTURES!  ;)

[Jim_ME]

David, Very best wishes for your good health, and to you and Lisa for an adventurous cruise.

My old friend worked in Houma for years, and is now working at Morgan City, and recently moved back to LaFayette, where his wife is originally from--so I will be reading with interest your reports from these areas.

Charlie, it is good to see you posting updates for David, now that your roles have switched and David is the one out cruising through the areas that you were, when he was sometimes posting updates on Tehani`s progress. Will also be reading the blog, so thanks for its address.

Fair winds,
-Jim

[jotruk]

Charlie please pass on that I wish him the very best and am looking farward to see and hearing about the trip

[Grime]

We have been taking our time. Well that's what cruising is all about. Right now we are at Peggy's on the Bayou marina. Its up Cow Bayou east of Port Arthur.

Matagorda Locks



Galveston Railroad lift bridge


Sunset at Stingaree Marina



Lisa and Trixie driving.

[Jim_ME]

David & Lisa, Good to see the photos of this area of Texas and Louisiana, and to have a good reason to look at the map of the area, and to follow your progress. It is interesting to see all the lakes, bayous, and canals there are in the area.
Fair winds,
-Jim

[Grime]

This is where we are tied up for last night. Good place to stop. Ten bucks a night. Restaurant, showers, wifi, and will take you to the store. Did I say great food.

[Captain Smollett]

David and Lisa,

This is so awesome.  I'm so glad to see you guys enjoying this trip so far.  Keep the pictures coming; they are great.

Here's to hoping the fresh air, sunshine and wonderful memories helps provide treatment so the chemicals have less to do.

[CharlieJ]

Just spoke with Lisa a few minutes ago (0800 4/14)

They were anchored at Bayou Lacassine, just off the Mermentau River in western La. Through the Calcasieu locks yesterday, and bound for Intercoastal City, just above Vermillion Bay, La, thence hopefully on to a tour of Avery Island, where Tabasco Sauce is made.

Had some winds last night, but doing ok,, and still having fun.

As an aside, here we have winds around 30, gusting close to 40 at the moment

[w00dy]

WOOP WOOP!

Port Lavaca, Represent!

Congrats David and Lisa!

[ntica]

wish you all the best on your crusing.

[JWalker]

Awsome!!!!

get us posted!  :D

[Grime]

We are at Shell Morgan in Intracoastal City, La. waiting on the weather to clear so we can head on east to Morgan City.

We meet up with friends from trailer sailor forum yesterday. Check my blog out for photos.

http://starwind22.blogspot.com

[Frank]

Thanks for the update. Keep the pics and notes coming. Glad you's are 'out there'.  Have fun!!

[jotruk]

This is great really enjoy reading on your trip so far. fair winds and following seas

[CharlieJ]

Spoke with David last night. They are in Morgan City, La, and plan to sail to Houma in the next day or so.

Been without cell phone coverage for a few days, and no wifi. They had a nice tour of Avery Island ( where Tabasco is made).

Looks like they'll make their goal of NOLA by their wedding anniversary- 3 days out if they push a bit.

David will post some pics when he can.

[Plover]

Hey Charlie -- I sent you a pm about a "free" boat.

And thanks for this posting. It's good to have another cruiser to follow until we can get out there.  ;D

[CharlieJ]

Yep- sent you an email

[CharlieJ]

JUST talked to GrimE on Miss Froggy. They made NOLA!!!

Had a long day- called this morning from Barataria, now in a marina in Industrial Canal, EAST of the Mississippi.

Made it in time to spend their anniversary (Tuesday) in NOLA. Plan to hang there for at least a week, and "do the town"

David is hoping to get wifi and post some pics in the next few days.

[CharlieJ]

April 23 update-

Sorry but there are no photos. The marina/rv park will not let us upload them. If we can get to a McDonald's we'll upload them. Sorry

April 16 Skies look bad so we paid for another night. Mike in the huge catamaran pulled out. He had said they were going to have to go offshore because of his 73+ mast height. Not much to report today so far. At 1800 Lisa gave Trixie a shower and we headed back to the boat just as we got there the sky opened up and started raining and I mean raining. It rained until 0210 when the wind got to hollowing and our main halyard started banging. So out of the rack I came and headed to stop the banging. Got that quite and the winds died down. From 0230 until daylight the crew boats and tows were running like crazy. Never got back to sleep. Tired of the ruff dock.

April 17

Pulled out of Shell Morgan at 0804 headed for the Tabasco plant up Bayou Petie MM 146. We had tows coming from both directions really stacked up. They were worried about us and told me on the radio that it would be best if I got over on the north side of the ICW. I would have less wake to fight and they would feel better. So I crossed over to the north side. See the photos.

As we turn off the ICW there sits at anchor Mike and Carla. They want us to raft up for a visit. This was the first time I had rafted up. I was a nerves wreck as I'm putting Miss Froggy up next to a half million dollar catamaran. What a beautiful boat she is. We had a nice visit. After our visit we crawled our way up the bayou fighting a strong current. 2.8 to 3.3 is all we could make.

We finally arrived at the tobasco plant. Lisa had lunch and we both took our turns in the store. Didn't buy a single thing. For the first time in my life I had to pay for a pop in a machine with a credit card. The darn thing cost $2.00. I guess Tabasco is in financle distress. The prices in the store were outrages. I never could see paying someone to advertise their product.

I must say one thing here. THEIR DOCK SUCK BIG TIME WONT GO THERE AGAIN.

It really pretty as they keep everything mowed. See the photos.

After leaving we were doing 6.7 mph on the gps. We found a quite anchorage for the night.

378 miles from Port Lavaca.

April 18

After a very relaxing QUITE night we pulled anchor and headed for Possum Point Bayou. Cold, wind and current on our nose for most of the day until around 2 when the wind died. The current never did. At one point I had to turn around to let a tow pass. We were doing 6.7 mph instead of the 4 that we had been doing all day.

We went under a 7 3 foot bridge the will open to who know what height. Nice bridge Lisa saw her first ferry. About mid morning we pulled into Port of West St. Mary. This place was full of crab boats. No wonder there are so few crabs. We have seen thousand of crab traps all the way over.

Trixie got her morning walk. She still wont use her pads. No picture of this place. Just plain forgot as it was so hard to dock with the wind on my beam. No dock just some dirt and pylons.

Possum Point is the prettiest anchorage yet. The bull frogs greeted us with their singing Even had a owl hooting most of the night.

Finally got cell service after 4 days with out service. Made some call to family and friends to let them know we were OK and our location.

We got anchored at 5:17 after 44 miles only 15 more to Morgan City.

422 miles from home.

April 19

Woke this morning with a heavy dew and a light haze coming off the water. What a place to have that morning cup of coffee. I don't drink coffee.

We pulled anchor and headed to Morgan City. As we crossed Wax Lake Outlet there was a tow coming in the ICW so I made me a circle. One way we were doing 3 and the other 7.8 what a current. Not much happening until we got to Morgan City. Just after we turned in the Lower Atchafalaya River a tow moving on passed us. He had 5 loaded barges and was making one heck of a wake. I fought that wake for almost half a hour.. We got to the Morgan City dock and tied up just behind our new friends Mike and Carla in the Lagoon 440.

About 4:30 a crewboat from the other side of the river takes off and creates a wake 4 to 6 feet high and just rolling this way. I saw it coming and Lisa said my eyes were a big a dinner plates. Man did she hammer out boat into the dock. A guy fishing that is a boat captain told me to call the CG and make a report. I first called them on the radio then on a landline. This whole area is a NO WAKE ZONE. The CG said they would check the cameras to see if they can identify the crewboat. Mike loaned me two of his big fenders to help me out. I had my 4 out already.

John and Stephanie came by with the mail we have been waiting for. They took us to dinner at Rita Mae's. We'll have to stop there again. Then they took us the get grocerys, gas and WalMart. I purchased 3 larger fenders as it seems the docks in La are nothing to compare to the docks in Texas. We had another great visit and really appreciate all that John and Stephanie have done for us.

It will be hard press for me to return to the Morgan City Pleasure Boat Dock. No restrooms but they do have elec and water. You get to pay $20.00 to use your own head and get the poop beat out of your boat. On the way in I saw a park with restrooms and some docks. We'll go there and its free.

We'll leave early in the morning for Houma. Don't really want to spend $25.00 for a night. We'll see.

436 miles

April 20

We headed out at 800 for Houma. Got to the lock and asked permission for lockage. They put us in with a 4 pack. Took about 30 to get though the lock. After the lock, it seemed like forever, we just keep going through a industrial area.

After we got out of there we got into some real pertty cypress country. Saw our first bald eagle on this trip. Remember we were in Montana for 20 years so we have seen plenty of bald eagles.

For the first time in day we had the current with us. For awhile we were doing 6.7 Most of the time 5.8 We got into Houma and the dock at 1515

The city dock is at a real pretty park just inches off the ICW.

476 miles

April 21

We were going to head out at 0800 this morning. Well we got everything ready, even the motor running and it started to rain. I put on my slicker and sat there. I told Lisa that if it stopped by ten we would leave. At 9:55 the rain stopped. Fired up the motor and cast off only to get about 2 miles before it started again. We keep going trying to make it to the Flemming store anchorage. With Larose in site I remember that someone said there was a free dock there. Tired of the rain I decided to find the free dock. Well there aint one. We did find a place to tie up. The owners of the empty lot showed up about 20 minutes after we got there. Nice folks and would let us stay there to wait out the weather. We'll continue on tomorrow.

Lisa fixed a meal without burning it. She hates my cheap cookware and butane. Other than that she is a great cook.

We hit the big 500 right here were we sit.

500 miles with 40 to go to New Orleans.

April 22

Another windy day, blowing on our nose again. We cast off the little spot we were tied up to to finish our run to New Orleans.. Underway at 704. There was no way to for see the adventure we would encounter.

At 828 we had a tow try to run us aground. The wind was on our beam so I had moved over to the north bank of the ICW to ease the fight pointing into the wind to make head way. Well he felt that was his side of the ditch even tho I was in less than 4 feet of water. Delta Teal is the boat name.

Our plan was to stop at the Fleming store to let Trixie take here pottie break and get ice. It turns out that there is no Fleming store any longer. We did find a nice park for her to do business. Very shallow so we just nosed in.

Once in the Harvey canal there is a place call Boom Town casino. I wanted to call Harvey locks to better understand what to do so we pulled into a large open area. No sooner than we pull in people were all over the decks tell up to get the heck out of there it was PRIVATE PROPERTY. Well there wasn't any signs. I had a few choice words for them.

We made is though the locks and into the Mississippi. Now the real adventure begins. As we near the twin bridges here come the CG telling us to stay 500 yards from the ships. We ended up going down the river in a 5 to 6 foot chop with CG escort. They put our lives in danger by making me stay in the chop. Time after time we would bury the bow. I had to tell one of them to back off as they were creating a hazard. After we go past the ships they turned and ran off.

Industrial canal wasn't to bad. Some of the bridges would not answer the radio unless you pronounced the bridge name correctly. Really piss me off. Some friends had to wait 2 hours for the Hwy 90 to lift. Made them get in here after dark.

Well we are in New Orleans and tomorrow is our anniversary.

We did 48 miles today for a total of 548 mile since we left the docks in Port Lavaca, TX.

April 23.

On this day 29 years ago at 4:00 PM Lisa and I got married. Its been an adventure. I do thank my maker for bring her into my life.

We'll be here for one week. Sorry no photos for now. The marina/rv park will only let you email and brows the web. If I can get to a McDonald?s I'll post photo.