Heading to Port Aransas - Sunday, March 29th, 2015 - Freeport to Matagorda

The Freeport Marina office opened at 8 AM so we settled our bill, picked up some ice and started getting ready for our trip to Matagorda.

Last Trade lock pictures provided by Ross and EJ Heard.

M/V Beachcomber coming up beside Last Trade for picture taking!

After traveling to Florida and back and having traveled this part of the Texas ICW many times, it saddens us to see that our ICW is not being maintained like other states.  We are very surprised that the tow operators are not complaining.  Texas has more tow traffic than any other state we have seen and our waterways should be maintained better.  So much of the area is silting in and if you do not travel it constantly and without the tow operators advice, major damage could be done to your boat. 

We seem to pass the same tow boats every time we take a trip.  This tow boat (Martin Navigator) will always be in our memory because several years ago she had a very incompetant captain that I do not think is an operator any more.  Every time we see this boat we laugh! and now the operator is knowledgeable, friendly and experienced!!!!!

As we entered the Matagorda Marina, Last Trade headed to the fuel dock before docking for the night.  M/V Beachcomber waited and fueled up after us.  Once we were all settled, the harbormaster informed us that we may be staying another night because the wind was supposed to be strong for our Matagorda Bay crossing tomorrow.  No problem!  We are not in a rush.....

The restaurant was open so we had a nice dinner before retiring for the evening.

On The Move Again - Heading to Port Aransas - Saturday, March 28th, 2015

Last Trade has not been out on the water since our Florida trip and we just had to get her out and do something!  The weather is starting to get nice and a trip downcoast to Port Aransas before the heat of summer sounded good! 

M/V Beachcomber and M/V Last Trade headed out around 8:30 - 9:00 AM for Freeport, our first stop on the trip south to Port A.  Leaving Kemah we had some wind and it was kind of "rolly" heading to the ship channel and part of the way down the ICW.  The closer we got to Galveston, the wave action and winds calmed down but the current coming in was really strong.  It slowed us down to about 5.5 knots and we usually do 7 or 8.  When we made the turn into Pelican Cut our speed went back to normal.

The aroma is always so nice passing the bird islands by Harborwalk.

Video below provided by Ross and EJ Heard

Crossing Chocolate Bay we noticed that the Texas portion of the ICW was not being maintained very well.  Several markers were off station or missing and shoalling is becoming a big time problem.  Tow boats were instructing us to pass on the two because of very shallow water on the one.

 

Bridge Harbor Marina

Safely docked at Freeport Marina.  After several unsuccessful attempts to get into the first slip they wanted us in (farther back in the marina with no wind protection). The strong winds just kept blowing us sideways.  We literally went out the fairway sideways.  They finally told us to try going to the first dock (G) and come straight in. The wind here was blocked by the drystack. This was a piece of cake!

Ross "walking" Howie!

After we were all settled in, EJ and I threw some food together and we had a nice dinner together on the upper deck of Last Trade.  Once dinner was over, it was time to lift Ross and EJ's dinghy for the trip tomorrow through the locks.

Lifting of the dinghy!