FROM LAKE CHARLES TO MORGAN CITY

We left Lake Charles a little late. The wind was blowing really hard and we were doubtful of whether or not we should go. The wind seemed to level off at around 18 knots and was slated to drop in the afternoon. So, knowing we would be running in the relatively protected waters of the GICWW with no lakes or bays to cross, we decided to make a go of it. So we picked up the anchor and split.
I mentioned it once before in connection with the bottom of Offetts Bayou, but I think it is worth mentioning again. The bottom composition everywhere we have anchored is the sickest looking and gooiest nasty mud I have ever seen anywhere. It has gotten to the point where we don’t even worry about the mess on the bow anymore, because there is simply nothing we can do about it. I have a washdown hose on the bow, but it seems that anything short of a firehose will not even move the mud off the chain. Every cruising guide I have looked at mentions nothing about the mud in this region. Fortunately, the Bruce seems to like it, but what a mess! When we get to New Orleans, we will have a couple days to regroup and clean up the mess. Until then, we will just deal with it.

The day we departed Lake Charles, our planned destination was a beautiful ox bow anchorage in the lower part of the Mermentau River. It was only a 56 nm run, but it took longer than anticipated. We got stuck following a slow moving barge or two through some narrow areas where barges were passing in the opposite direction preventing us from passing. Additionally, we got stuck waiting at the Calcasieu Locks.

Calcasieu River Lock (Entrance)

Going into the Calcasieu River Lock.  The lock is 1140 feet long.

Per the instructions, we called when we got close and requested lock through. The lock tender simply told us to stay out of the way and wait our turn; that he would call us and let us know when it would be open for us. On the AIS, we could see that there was at least one barge on the other side going into the lock and one behind it. So, we waited. After nearly an hour, the lock tender called us and asked us if we were ready. We pulled our anchor and proceeded in. Fortunately, we got in and got out fast as there were large barges pulling up behind us. The barges wait by simply running up on the mud bank. We can’t do that. They have
so much horse power that they can easily pull off, straighten out and move on forward.


When our little plastic ship goes into the lock, they don't even

bother having us tie off.  Rather, they tell us to go into the middle

of the lock and simply hold position.  Simply hold position? 

Alot easier said than done, let me tell you.


I have mentioned it before, but you really have to see them to understand just how big they are. In Texas, it was not unusual to see a large barge pushing a 6-pack. In Louisiana, we have seen a number of barges pushing 4 regulation loads strung out. Do the math – that’s a 90 foot barge, and 4-250 foot barges. Assuming my math is correct, that’s 1090 feet. Now, keep in mind they are also 40 feet wide. Yes, that’s 1090 by 40. You can’t imagine how these things must bend and move when being pushed from behind. Imagine trying to push a floating piece of spaghetti in a straight line.

Just after exiting the lock, you pass through a cable swing bridge.  You have to coordinate the bridge opening while you are in the lock, while you are holding position in the middle.  It's a lot to do.

This is part of the swing bridge.



This guy had a really bad day.


After we got through the Calcasieu Lock, everything was pretty much normal. We were late getting into the Mermentau River and dropped the hook just as it was getting dark. As a RULE we do not run at night. It is way to hazardous to do so unless you are intimately familiar with the waterways. There are just too many things that can go wrong so that adding complete and total darkness to the equation makes running at night …….. well, just “fagetaboutit.”

When we got into the river, we were treated to a spectacular sunset. The ox box where we anchored was surrounded by cypress trees with their knees exposed. It was really cool. The wind was from the north east, so we tucked in behind the island forming the ox bow and dropped anchor in 17 feet. Yes, 17 feet! That’s actually double digits for a change. We had a long day, so we turned in after dinner and a movie.

Sunset over the Mermentau River.

We left the Mermentau River as we came and headed further east.

You may not be able to see it real well, but all those black spots in the sky are birds.

That bird in the tree is an Eagle.

The next planned stop was Shell Morgan Landing in Intercoastal City (aka Albeville), Louisiana.




And they call this a "marina."

They have a fuel dock there that has the cheapest fuel on the Gulf Coast. So, we couldn’t pass it up. They also had a nice bulkhead we could tie to for the night. We had planned to fuel and then leave for Bayou Petite Anse (Little Cove), but again, we were delayed all day by slow barges and having to go through the Leland Bowman Locks as well as a couple of swing bridges that were slow to open.

Entering Leland-Bowman Lock



Leaving Leland-Bowman Lock



By the time we got fuel, it was nearly 3:30 p.m. and although we had only another 14 miles to get to Bayou Petite Anse, another possible delay meant we would be going into the bayou at or near dark. So, we paid $20 bucks and spent the night on the bulkhead across from the fuel dock. We actually had 30 amp electrical, and we filled our water tanks.

This is where we were docked.  You can probably see how far the back of the boat is from the bulkhead.

Tying to this bulkhead was interesting insofar as the tide was not really low, but we heard someone complaining that they did not have any water in the area for over a week. Up here, tides are not as influential as the effect of the wind on the water levels. When it blows from the north, the bays tend to lose water. You see the effect on the waterways in the form of mud banks and exposed roots of trees lining the banks. Needless to say, the fact we just took on 100 gallons of water and a hundred gallons of fuel, we were as heavy as we get. As such, only the front end of the boat was close to the bulkhead while the ass-end was about 6 feet out. There was only about 3.5 feet of water against the wall and we were pushing mud getting up to the dock. So, we tied up the way we were and plugged in. It was fine. We got off the dock this morning just fine as well. It took a little planning and some patience, but we did it. The weather forecast foretold an easterly wind which was perfect to assist us off the dock. So when the wind started blowing, we fired up the engine and blew off the bulkhead back into deeper water so we could back out and get out.

It was a very short trip today. Our plan was to go to Bayou Petite Anse where we would anchor in the bayou far enough up to be out of the GICWW and then take the dinghy about 4 miles further up the Bayou to visit the factory where Tabasco Sauce is made. The trip from Shell Morgan Landing to BPA was only 15 miles. There are no charts for this bayou, and thus all we could bank on was the cruising guides. They all said there would be plenty of water. We doubted this seriously when we turned left into the bayou and found ourselves in 7 feet of water. However, 7 is good enough when you draw 4, so we kept moving very slowly and the water slowly got deeper until it was a consistent 14 feet as we wound our way about 1.5 miles into the bayou. We dropped two hooks to prevent us from swinging in the channel. We waited a while before we left to make sure we weren’t going anywhere. Then we hopped in the dinghy and ran another 4 miles up into the bayou. Wow is all I can say. The banks are lined with oak trees dripping with moss. The birds are incredible. It’s so peaceful. Back in the bayou the water is chocolate brown as it is brackish. So, we wound our way all the way back to the state highway and the intersection of Avery Island.














Avery Island is the landmass on which the McIlhenny Company started making Tabasco. The island originally belonged to a woman old man McIlhenny was seeing back in around 1840. Old Man McIlhenny was originally a Boston banker who changed paths and discovered a salt mine in Southern Louisiana. There is apparently a salt mine under this property that is as deep as Mt. Everest is tall. There is a dock on the south side of the property where barges come and go with salt. In any event, he and his girlfriend got a hold of some seeds for peppers and grew them. Then the old man started experimenting with a pepper sauce. In or about 1868, the peppers he grew were named Tabasco Peppers and his recipe was patented. Nothing has changed, although the company now makes a variety of different pepper flavors. The property only grows a little more than 50 acres of pepper plants today. They are used primarily as a seed bank. The seeds are then shipped to 4 or 5 countries in south and central America where the plants are grown and harvested. The process is the same in this factory as it is in factories where the plants are grown.

The peppers are harvested when they are a specific color measured by a colored stick the pickers use called, “Le Petite Baton Rouge.” Then the peppers are processed the same day they are picked. First, they salt them and then lightly mash them into a paste and pack the paste into formerly used Jack Daniels casks. Then, the top of the barrels are sealed with salt - the same salt mined from under the Avery Island property. Then, these casks are stored for 3 years before they are dumped into larger casks and mixed with vinegar and then stirred for several days.

This is Brenda with the world's largest bottle of Tabasco Sauce.

The factory bottles more than 750,000 bottles of Tabasco Sauce per day. Overall, it was a terrific side trip. On the way back, we were joking about how travel brochures probably describe Avery Island as “easily accessible” off a main highway in the Great State of Louisiana. Then there was us, anchored in the first mile of a bayou and then traveling 4 more miles (each way) in a rubber boat further up the bayou to enjoy a 20 minute tour and a walk around the grounds. The funny part of it was the look we got from the lady at the guard gate. We ran the dinghy all the way back to where there is a bridge that blocks the bayou. We tied up to the bridge and then climbed up the muddy bank, walked up to the gate and said, “Is this the Tabasco Factory?” And, “Can we park our dinghy there?” She looked at me like I was crazy, but she finally understood what I was trying to tell her and she let us in. It was a fun day.










When we got back from Avery Island, the boat was where we left her. However, shortly thereafter, there was a tidal shift and Abreojos swung 180 degrees. Now you might think this is nothing. But, when she swung, she swung in spite of her stern anchor. This was the most amazing thing I think I have ever experienced from an anchoring point of view. I had nearly 200 feet of stern line attached to 50 feet of chain and a 35 lb Danforth anchor out there off the stern and when the current in the bayou shifted, so did the boat. It was as though the stern anchor was not even there. I thought it was well dug in. I guess Danforths can keep you guessing in the mud. Obviously, the Bruce on the bow held just fine.

In the morning, we pulled the hooks and raised the dinghy and headed further east where we will moor for a night or two at Morgan City, Louisiana. We need to run a couple loads of laundry, clean the mud off the boat, and otherwise return our little ship to her typical state of organization. We have kind of let things go over the past several days and it’s time to clean up before our run to New Orleans. So, we’ll spend two nights here. Last night we went out to dinner at JoJo’s. I had Cajun Red Fish with shrimp and a crab cake. The bread was so good. We had a great time and turned in early. I’m sure we’ll have more to say about Morgan City. The people here are very friendly. And, yes, there’s a hardware store across the street that opens at 0700.

I was just thinking…….While there are many wonderful things about what we are doing - beautiful sunsets, mirror lakes and bayous, sunny days, warm weather, great scenery, etc. , it all comes at a price. There are also many difficulties the Gulf Coast cruising guides don’t tell you about including, but not limited to: very shallow water, dirty water, intense commercial ship traffic, 80 degree days followed by 30 degree nights, mosquitoes like you have never seen in California, gators, rusty steel docks and bulkheads, dirt roads, long distances to grocery markets, long distances between fuel stops, and zero help from anyone along the way (there ain‘t no vessel assist out here. - If you need a tow, you call BoatUS’s 800 number and they will dispatch someone, but it could take a day or two). Nevertheless, I think it is overcoming these difficulties and living is extremely rewarding. This trip is not for everyone. You really have to rely on your own self. I guaranty that, whatever cruising skills you thought you had will be woefully inadequate at first. (There are cruisers down here in much newer and much faster yachts that can make it from nice marina to nice marina each day. They don’t anchor out.) We have learned so much about all the things we don’t know. Most people like normalcy in their lives. It’s nice to know what you will be doing from one day to the next without having to worry about sinking your house and losing everything, and getting to where you are going to sleep before it gets dark.
Let me just conclude by saying that, in spite of all the difficulties we face on a daily basis, I, for one, and I am sure I speak for Brenda as well, would not change a thing. And, if I had to start over again, I would. Truly, the essence of what this is all about is reflected in a question and answer session Brenda and I have each and every day when I ask her, “Did you ever imagine you would be doing this?“ And she responds, “I didn’t even know this place existed.” That’s what really makes it so amazing.

When in doubt, just follow "Superman"