BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI to GULF SHORES, ALABAMA

In Biloxi:

Well, there is not much going on right now.  We left Gulfport on Tuesday morning on our continuing trek eastward and arrived in Biloxi, Mississippi later in the afternoon.  It was a fairly short run, but we wanted to see Biloxi.  It’s just such a cool name for a town.  Biloxi.  We followed the ship channel out of Gulfport to where it intersects with the GICW and then turned left.  After a while, we decided we could safely cut across and shoot for an inside channel into the Biloxi area.  We had 11-14 feet under the boat all the way until we got to the west entrance and then it got a bit shallower.  Actually, it was just fine.  We had 9’s the whole way in. 

As we entered the channel, we called the Point Cadet Harbormaster on the radio to let him know we were close and to get further instructions.  He gave us perfect instructions from his bird’s nest atop the harbor building and actually came down to the slip to meet us and to catch a line.  Originally he had us assigned to slip A3, but when I told him I did not feel too comfortable backing into that slip given that we are a single screw trawler with a lot of windage, he generously assigned us to an even better slip out near the end of the breakwater.

Richard is his name, and he is one of several Harbormasters at Point Cadet.  What a gentleman.  I enjoyed talking with him.  He was very nice to us and complemented us on how we were so well prepared to dock; lines and fenders ready for either side.  Anyways, Richard was a career Naval Officer. He spent more than 30 years on diesel submarines.  He was on one of those during WWII in the Pacific.  Eventually, he did get to play on the nuc’s (nuclear powered subs), but said that the only thing he really liked better about the nucs as opposed to the diesels is that he could take showers more often than once or twice in 30-40 days. 

After spending all that time on submarines, he was assigned to embassy duty.  For many years, he worked in embassy security in various countries in South America including Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Argentina and Brazil.  As a result, he is fluent in several languages.  We discovered this when we were in his office with a nice couple we met who are taking their sailboat (a 35 foot Coronado) from Lake Ponchetrain to Pensacola and back.  John is a marine electrician in Homer, Alaska.  Janette is a delightful young lady from Venezuela.  So, when we were in the office with them, Richard busted out the Spanish.  All of a sudden things started making sense.  We met this couple in Gulfport and I noticed her Spanish accent.  Later, when both boats left Gulfport together, she asked the name of our boat and she was actually able to pronounce it perfectly.  Interestingly, however, when you say the name, “Abreojos” to a Spanish speaking person, they usually respond by saying, “huh?”  This is because, the word “Abreojos” is not really a proper Spanish word, but more of an idiomatic expression with various meanings.  It’s also the name of a small fishing town on the Pacific coast of Baja, California.  Nevertheless, she got it.  Back to Richard.

While chatting on the dock after getting tied up, Richard introduced us to a gentleman who lives aboard his boat here in the harbor.  Jimmy’s boat is called “Simply Southern.”  Jimmy has done the Loop at least twice and has otherwise cruised up and down the rivers and the Gulf Coast and East Coast several times.  He was great to talk to although we did not have too much time to spend as he had an appointment to make.  He gave us his phone number and I will certainly be keeping that in a safe place.  We have met a few folks along the way who have provided us with a wealth of local information and good advice.  I think it would be foolhardy not to consult the locals while doing this trip.  There is just so much to know and learn.

Here in Biloxi, there is not too much going on unless you like ocean front casinos and big hotels.  We keep losing money in the casinos, so that will be about enough of that. 

Biloxi, we learned, actually has an interesting history.

The history of Biloxi, Mississippi, spans more than 300 years.  It is the place of the the first permanent settlement in French Louisiana.  In around 1720, the capital of French Louisiana was moved to Biloxi. But, in 1723, citing concerns over tides and hurricanes, then Governor Bienville moved the capital of French Louisiana from Biloxi to a new inland harbor town named La Nouvelle-Orléans (New Orleans).

Following Great Britain's victory in the Seven Years War in 1763, France ceded French Louisiana east of the Mississippi River (except for New Orleans), to Great Britain, as part of the Treaty of Paris. At that same time, Louisiana west of the Mississippi, including New Orleans, was ceded to Spain as part of the Treaty of Fontainebleau. So, first it was French, then from 1763 to 1779 it was British, and then Spain had it from about 1779 to 1798. Finally, Biloxi came under American rule as it was part of the Mississippi Territory. Mississippi became part of the union in 1817.

Now that ownership was settled, Biloxi began to grow, primarily as a summer resort.  Summer homes, hotels and rental cottages began springing up all around the landscape.  Interestingly, and especially given all the development in the area, in the early stages of the Civil War, Ship Island, just off the coast, was captured by Union forces.  Biloxi was thus captured as well. However, no major battles were fought in the area, and Biloxi did not suffer direct damage from the war.  Some say there was some local Union sentiment that may have had something to do with Biloxi’s being spared.  It was, afterall, a favorite summer resort destination of Northerners.

Where's Waldo?

After the Civil War, Biloxi again emerged as a vacation spot. Its popularity as a destination increased with railroad access. Then, during the 1880’s cannery’s were built and Biloxi grew again, and as different ethnic groups came to work in the seafood factories, Biloxi became more diverse.

During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces built Keesler Field, now Keesler Air Force Base, which became a major basic training site and site for aircraft maintenance. The Biloxi economy boomed as a result.

Biloxi's casino history dates back to a period in the 1940s, when open if technically illegal gambling took place in a casino within the Broadwater Beach Resort. The Mississippi Gulf Coast became known as the "Poor Man's Riviera", and was frequented by Southern families.

In the early 1960s, as the Gulf Coast again emerged as a prime alternative to Florida as a southern vacation destination, Biloxi hotels upgraded their amenities and hired chefs from around the world in an effort to provide some of the best seafood cuisine in the country.

Ultimately, gambling was legalized in Mississippi in the 1990s and Biloxi was again transformed. It became an important center for casinos, and the hotels and casino complexes brought millions of dollars in tourism revenue to the city. Biloxi and the surrounding Gulf Coast region was considered a leading gambling center in the Southern United States. By the early 21st century, Biloxi's economy was solidly based on seafood, tourism and gaming.

Unfortunately, on August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast with high winds, heavy rains and a 27-foot storm surge, causing massive damage to the area.  Commenting on the power of the storm and the damage, Mayor A.J. Holloway said, "This is our tsunami." Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour was quoted as saying the destruction of the Mississippi coastline by Hurricane Katrina looked like an American Hiroshima.  53 people were killed in Biloxi as a result of Katrina. Once again, Mississippi is trying to rebuild, but it is a slow process for sure.

This town really took a whoopin’ as a result of Hurricane Katrina and has yet to recover in many ways.  The town itself is quite quaint.  It is becoming more and more common now to see how towns on the Gulf Coast tend to be laid out.  First, they are typically a block or so inland from the Gulf.  Second, at least throughout Louisiana and parts of Texas and now Mississippi, identifying the town and distinguishing it from what many might see as a residential neighborhood is sometimes a challenge.  Many of the businesses are in structures that resemble single family homes.  They are spaced apart and interspersed with trees and sometimes fields.  Here, the trees were obviously once quite thick and lush.  Now, they appear to have been blown apart or broken in half (the top half completely missing).  Many businesses are closed.  The only enterprises that appear to be thriving somewhat are the casinos.  However, the parking lots are filled with cars from Texas, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana and states other than Mississippi.  Needless to say, the casinos employ many, many local folks. 

In that regard, once again, our “places” application on the Droid failed us.  Actually, it’s just that the information is old and business or buildings that were once there are………, well…….., gone.  It is stunning to witness the effects of a storm like Katrina.  We have seen the effects (now five years old) everywhere from south Texas to Mississippi.  From what I can tell, the folks around here would tell you that there has never been a hurricane quite like it; It was a direct hit; like a 750 mile wide piece of 60 grit sandpaper that simply changed the face of the landscape in a very short time. 

I have always wanted to eat in a Waffle House

People are interesting.  We have a home in California.  We live pretty close to the San Andreas Fault.  We live with earthquakes and the potential for seismic events that can cause heart wrenching damage and loss of life.  However, given modern building techniques and codes, the potential for an entire geographic area to be wiped off the map is virtually nil.  Yet we still live there.  There are folks who live where tornadoes are relatively frequent.  A giant drill bit descending from the sky at night is no joke and every year, folks are killed and communities destroyed.  Yet, folks still live there.  Everyone knows how dangerous severe cold weather can be, yet people still live in the Dakotas and even in Alaska.  What does this all mean?  The human spirit is an extraordinary phenomenon.  Humans, unlike virtually an other species on earth can adapt , and, through improvisation and trial and effort, can overcome virtually everything.  Now, you might wonder why folks keep going back to places where natural disasters are borderline predictable.  I guess it is just a question of faith.  Have faith that the next one won’t come for a while and if it does, we’ll just get through it again.  This is a beautiful spirit and reminds me of what Joshua Slocum once said about the weather, “No matter how bad it gets, it will always get better.”

Speaking of the weather, today is a cold and windy day.  The north wind is blowing…..AGAIN…. and causing the temperatures to drop into the 30’s at night, with the highs around 50 during the day.  There is a window of opportunity for us to boogie tomorrow.  I think this time, we are going to skip the upper part of Mobile Bay and run across the bottom of it to a place called Lulu’s, or the harbor right next to it.  Lulus is a restaurant/nightclub owned and operated by  Lucy Buffet.  You can probably guess who her brother is.  We will then be in Alabama.  It is my understanding that on the other side of Mobile Bay, the water starts getting “pretty” – clear and blue.  The muddy bottoms of the Texas and Louisiana coasts will be a thing of the past.  While this will be a nice change of pace, I really get tired of listening to folks complain about how “industrial” the GICW can be.  Hey, different strokes for different folks, right?  For me, personally, there are few things more beautiful and interesting than where the steel meets the saltwater.  I am amazed by it.  The tugs and barges, the container ships, the tankers, crew boats, and refineries are all fascinating to me.  They represents the lifeblood of this country.  I think we should take a good look at what we call "the heartland."

So, tomorrow, we have a 67nm pull.  The weather forecast looks pretty good.  However, it’s going to get real ugly Saturday, Sunday and Monday.  From there, who knows where we will end up. 

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We pulled out of Biloxi at around 0730.  The conditions were nice.  It was very cold, but the sun was out and the wind was not more than 10-15 knots out of the east.  Just as we were leaving the dock, we saw another trawler go by with an AGLCA burgee.  The vessel is called "Debrief" and is owned by John and Sue Connelly.  They are from Connecticut and purchased Debrief in Texas near Port Aransas.  They are bringing her home, al beit, slowly via the ICW.  Right now their son, Colby, is travelling with them, but must leave to return to college in Virginia. Somtimes it would be really nice to have a strapping young lad on the boat. (Wait a minute.  That sounded kinda funny.)  Debrief is a North Pacific 42.  This is their first trawler having been sailors for more than 30 years.  So, we sort of buddy boated the 67 miles across Biloxi Bay, the rest of Mississippi Sound, Mobile Bay, Bon Secur Bay, and back into the "ditch" until we both docked at Homeport Marina in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Our crossing was pretty routine.  For the first 2/3 of the passage, we had pretty consistent 10-15 knot wind from the east - say, "on the nose" - with 2-3 foot wind waves.  It was exactly the same as when we left Rabbit Island to go to Gulfport.  It was a little jerky, but no big deal.  In fact, it was fun.  This was the first time we had to use our windshield wipers since leaving California.  There are few things more exhilarating than when your bow pushes smashing into an on coming wave and the wind sends the spray flying across the boat.  It just looks so cool!

Mobile Bay was completely not herself.  She is known for being very shallow and quite rough at times.  Well, she laid down for us like a fed and happy dog.  In fact, it got glassy for the last 6 miles.  We were glad of it, though, as it was a long day.

Nowhere on this last passage were the depths as advertised on the charts.  Where the charts said it was supposed to be 14 feet, we saw 12's.  Where the charts said 10's we saw 8's.  At first I thought that this was the effect of the north wind that has been blowing for the last 2 days.  They say a north wind will blow water out of the bays.  But, the charts state the depts at MLLW (Mean Low Low Water).  Also, we have been seeing some rather extreme tides given the moon phase we have been in.  This stayed the same even after the low tide and during the shift.  It was so consistent, that I am now wondering if my depth sounder is misjudging.  I guess, I'll have to jump in the water with a depth guage and see.  For now, as long as it is consistently wrong, then we can count on it.

Anyways, we have now crossed into Alabama.  What she has in store for us, I cannot say.  But, we are at Homeport Marina which shares a parking lot with a place called "Lulu's".  This is a waterfront bar and grill place owned and operated by Lucy Buffet, Jimmy Buffet's sister.  Although they are closed today for Christmas, they will open on Sunday and there is tropical island style music on tap.  I am so looking forward to sitting outside (hopefully the weather will cooperate) with a cheeseburger, a cold beer, and good island style music.  You'll simply have to pry me out of there.  I'm sure I'll have more to say about this in my next blog update.

In the meantime, Brenda and I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas.  May all of your lives be as blessed as ours and filled with riches and happiness.

Be well and love always and often.

Larry & Brenda

PS - if you are interested in knowing where we are, please check either the tracker I post on FB from when we move and when we stop, or click on the link near the top of the blog called "Where we are".