12/4/2014 to 12/6/2014 - New Orleans

12/4/2014 - Thursday

We woke up to heavy fog!  It was thick until around 11:00 AM and then the sun started to peek out.  Thank goodness we were not planning on leaving because it was not a good day for traveling.  I put chicken in the slow cooker for our dinner and we went for a walk over to Pontchartrain Landing RV and Marina to talk to Nate (the manager) about the slip situation.  He apologized and said he will have a talk with the people in the front office.  He said that we could move into one of the slips but since we already paid at Seabrook we decided to stay here.  Teak did not like the walk too much because the road was rocky, the grass had "sticker burrs" and it hurt her paws.  I had to carry her off and on when she refused to move!  The rest of the day Josh watched TV and I read my book.....

Come on mom, it's time to go out!

Love the skeleton on the bow! We need this!!!!

12/5/2014 - Friday

We walked over to Pontchartrain Landing and took the 10:00 AM bus into downtown. Our last beignets and "people watching" in New Orleans for a while!  We walked all around the French Quarter until the 4:00 PM bus pick up.  Our feet hurt, but great exercise!  On our way to get beignets we got to watch some of the filming of NCIS New Orleans. Saw Scott Bakula! We just could not leave New Orleans without buying something so Josh bought a top hat for the TMCA Commodore's Ball and I bought a Mardi Gras wig.  Let's talk about the people watching!  Everywhere you look you would see people or bands playing some kind of music and all kinds of street performers doing something for money.  Some are good and some... WELL... what can I say!  It looks like more people are coming to New Orleans and trying to make a living on the streets.  On our bus trip home the bus driver took us through residential neighborhoods because the freeway was backed up.  He pointed out the bad areas and not-so-bad areas but he did say almost all of New Orleans is now pretty bad.  What really got to me was seeing new homes being built and they were already covered with graffiti.  It's really sad to see so much vandalism.  I do not understand why people have no respect for the property of others.

NCIS New Orleans being filmed

 Yum! Beignets!

Gators, not Reindeer!

Street performers

  

 

12/6/2014 Saturday

Fog again this morning, but dissipated by 8:00 AM and the sun came out looking like it was going to be a nice day.  I cleaned the inside of the boat and Josh filled the water tanks for our departure tomorrow.  When I took Teak out at 10 AM and Josh headed to the office to pay for another night, the temperature felt different.  It was like a blast of cold air and all of a sudden, the fog came rolling in again.  Within minutes we were totally fogged in!  I hope it's not like this tomorrow or we stay put!!!!!  The rest of the day was gloomy and Josh watched old movies on TV and I read a book.

Look what came in sometime yesterday!  They are brand new, one inflatable with four engines and one Whaler with two engines.  They are ready to catch some bad guys!!!!

12/3/2014 - Wednesday - Biloxi Mississippi to New Orleans

We headed out from Biloxi Point Cadet Marina at 6 AM (first light) with clear skies and a light breeze. The weather stations were calling for light winds and waves 1 to 2.  The problem was the wind was on our stern pushing us around which makes it not so pleasant.  We call it surfing the waves!  At one point we really started surfing and I though to myself, "five hours of this? Teak and I will both be sick".  Thank goodness it settled down some but not like yesterday.  It never became calm enough to walk around on the boat until noon when we got out of the sound.  Josh's arms got a workout in between using the auto pilot.  Our auto pilot really does not like large waves pushing us around on the stern, it just can't get it's act together so Josh has to take over.  I should be thankful, it could have been a lot worse!

Bye Bye Biloxi

Sunrise

On the Road Again!

Light chop

Looks like a shrimper sunk

Coming into New Orleans

Downtown New Orleans

We were trying to get to Seabrook Harbor Marina before 4 PM (closing) so we could fuel up before going to our slip.  It also would give us a preview as to what slip we were assigned and to prepare for docking.  Just our luck - a train was on the bridge!  After the train moved back and forth several times we were finally able to get through the bridge at 3:30 PM and made it to the fuel dock at 3:45 PM.

While getting fuel, we noticed that Pontchartrain Landing had several slips open.  We are not sure what is going on.  Before Thanksgiving when we were going to start heading back, they told us that they had no slips available so we decided to drive home and try again after the holiday.  We called them again when we got back to the boat and was told they did have a slip, so off we went!  When we called to confirm our arrival date we were told they did not have any open slips and they did not know who told us they had.  Very disappointing!  We could always rely on this place to stop when traveling through this area. 

Safely tucked away in our slip at Seabrook Harbor Marina.  It took us several tries to get in this slip because there is a strong current running through this part of the Industrial Canal.  Josh had to get the feel of how the boat was going to handle with the current and on our fourth try, VOILA!  We didn't even bump the poles and I lasso'ed our midships line to the dock cleat and with help from the thrusters we docked.  Hope we can get out with no problems!

We will stay at Seabrook Harbor Marina until Sunday when we will leave to do the locks and make it to Houma.

12/2/2014 - Tuesday - The Wharf Marina to Biloxi Mississippi

We headed out at 6:30 AM and the wind was light.  As we entered Mobile Bay we had a very light chop. As we got closer to the ship channel, the wind was blowing out of the north from Mobile and we started bouncing around quite a bit.  Teak and I were both thinking that this was not going to be good!  If this is how it's going to be all the way to Biloxi, we would both be sick!!!!  We bounced all the way to the Dauphin Island bridge but once we went through the bridge it was like night and day -  smooth as glass!  Thank goodness, because it was potty time for all of us.    

It continued being smooth until there was a break in the barrier islands and they did not protect us from the gulf so we started getting big swells coming at our port (left) side.  Teak could not eat lunch and at one point she almost started dusting the upper deck!  I had to hang on to her because we were really rocking!  All was good once we were once again protected by the islands and it stayed that way all the way to Biloxi.

Tomorrow it's on to New Orleans to the Seabrook Harbor Marina.  Pontchartrain Landing told us yesterday that they had a slip for us but when we called today they said "I do not know who you talked to, but we have nothing".  Thank goodness we called because this is not the first time someone said they could take us and then said they were full.  We called Seabrook and they were very nice and we have a slip starting tomorrow.  They did ask us how we were coming in because the Seabrook RR bridge is broken and will be closed until December 21st.  This may be the reason Pontchartrain Landing is full!  

Bye Bye Alabama

Dolphins playing all over

NOAA Research Vessel passing us

This was the calm! It's what we like!!!!!

   

Sunset at Biloxi Point Cadet Marina

11/23/2014 to 12/1/2014 - The Wharf Marina

Monday 11/24/2014. The marina office told us earlier in the day that a big boat (150 foot) named Freedom was coming in this afternoon.  They had to install large cleats on the long outside dock across from Jerry and Susan's boat for this boat to tie up to. 

We picked up our rent car around 2:00 and as we were heading back to the marina we saw the boat while going over the bridge by LuLu's.  We made it back to the marina before the boat arrived and watched them come in.

Tuesday, 11/25/2014. Road Trippin' Back to Clear Lake with Josh, Al, Lexie, Teak and me!

Thursday, 11/27/2014 Thanksgiving with our family.  Great job Michael and Traci!

Monday, 12/1/2014. The rent car had to be back by 2:00 PM so we had the morning to do whatever.  Yesterday we did our grocery shopping, so today we decided to make a final run to Joe Patti's.   Why not? we had several hours and this would be the last time for awhile!

Tomorrow we plan to head out for Biloxi.  Let's hope the winds and seas stay low and we have a nice trip.  Jerry and Susan stopped by our boat and gave us a nice Bon Voyage gift.  They will not be traveling back with us because they've decided to stay at The Wharf for awhile.  We'll miss having them with us and hope to do more cruising with them when they get back to Texas.