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On the rode · 17-11-2017, 14:27

I am planning a trip from the West Coast of Florida to New Orleans and I do not yet have a chart for the entrance to Lake Ponchartrain where we will engage a slip in the New Orleans marina. I saw on my plotter that there appears to be two ways to enter, one through the Mississippi Gulf Outlet Channel, which isn't that desirable because it's full of commercial vessels and one further north of the entrance to the Mississippi Gulf Outlet Channel, but it showed a stretch, albeit a short one, of 6 ft. depth after the last bridge. I draw 6 ft. so that presents its own problems. Does anyone with experience entering Lake Ponchartrain from the Gulf have a recommendation about the preferable route?

Thanks.

sandy stone · 17-11-2017, 15:48

Come in through the Rigolets, a wide channel a few miles long with plenty of depth. You have to deal with the @#$% CSX railroad bridge at the east end on channel 13, but with patience you'll eventually get through. Very occasionally the bridge will even be open when you come up to it.
At the west end of the Rigolets, after you pass under the Hwy 90 fixed bridge, the water gets shallower again as you go along a channel marked only on the south side. Keep 50 - 100 yards north of the (green) markers for decent depth, until you get to the dogleg that leads to the I-10 fixed bridge. After that, you're fine on depth. There's a convenient marina just on the west side of I-10, at the north end of the bridge, with a nice restaurant and a small yacht club (to which I belong).
If you continue on towards New Orleans on the south shore, or Mandeville on the north, you'll have to pass through the Hwy 11 drawbridge and next to it the Norfolk Southern railroad bridge. The Hwy 11 bridge tenders are very cooperative, on channel 13. The railroad bridge is now remotely operated, and the best way to contact the operator is by cell phone 266-353-3918.
Make advance plans on where you are staying in New Orleans, since the biggest marina still hasn't been repaired since Katrina (!). There are alternatives, and you should probably sign up for Active Captain before your trip, if you haven't already. Good luck and have fun!

sailorboy1 · 17-11-2017, 16:05

What are those alternates for NO marinas?

zeehag · 18-11-2017, 05:52

csx rigolets was easy to open when using a female husky voice. worked like a charm each and every time.
went thru there in 2009-2010 many times, as we were docked in slidell. csx rigolets csx rigolets in a sexy female voice gets results. so you been waiting and using your guy voice and didnot bring a hot voiced lady with ye?? oopsy. sorry.
and donot forget to smile wave and thank the bridge guy., he gets bored there..has to mess with the boys in yotts...
so, instead of man handling the radio, try a lady touch.....
i enjoyed rigolets. yup. i am different but i had no problems getting bridge to open, even when he said there is a train coming. i asked how long would the train be, and i got thru so fast, even before train came. train was 30 min out.
it pays to talk and be nice to bridge guys. and let em hear the hot voiced lady talk. they love it.
CRAB POTS there are many and close to the channel as they can get. keep eyes open.

belizesailor · 18-11-2017, 08:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeehag

csx rigolets was easy to open when using a female husky voice. worked like a charm each and every time.
went thru there in 2009-2010 many times, as we were docked in slidell. csx rigolets csx rigolets in a sexy female voice gets results. so you been waiting and using your guy voice and didnot bring a hot voiced lady with ye?? oopsy. sorry.
and donot forget to smile wave and thank the bridge guy., he gets bored there..has to mess with the boys in yotts...
so, instead of man handling the radio, try a lady touch.....
i enjoyed rigolets. yup. i am different but i had no problems getting bridge to open, even when he said there is a train coming. i asked how long would the train be, and i got thru so fast, even before train came. train was 30 min out.
it pays to talk and be nice to bridge guys. and let em hear the hot voiced lady talk. they love it.
CRAB POTS there are many and close to the channel as they can get. keep eyes open.

Hmmm...maybe a few sound clips on cell phone of standard radio responses in a sexy female voice could be a useful thing. 😆

Capt Jeff · 18-11-2017, 08:56

There are several marinas in the greater New Orleans area. South shore Marina is further away from the downtown areas of town. New Orleans Marina is closer in. I recommend Orleans. Go to the entrance of the marina area at New Canal. You will see a lighthouse to port and the the Southern Yacht club to starboard. Motor ahead past several restaurants to port then turn to starboard. You will see the inside marina ahead to your port. Pier 1 has a pump out point. You could tie up there and walk to the marina office located ashore at the beginning of the pier. There are several open slips. You can find the phone number online. Hope this helps.

Group9 · 18-11-2017, 10:40

The Rigolets is easy, but the advice about CSX is spot on. Be prepared to wait.

jessehunt · 18-11-2017, 18:40

The Mississippi Gulf Outlet channel is no longer navigable. As part of the hurricane protection barrier, the outlet has been blocked by a rock dam. The Rigolets is well marked and deep. When entering the lake, the channel runs along the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, and once past the I-10, Hwy 11, and railroad bridges in the lake, it is deep water to New Orleans.

CapnCrunch · 23-10-2018, 13:01

Anybody have any thoughts about entering the ICW at the Rigolets then follow it west to Chef Menteur Pass. Only one RR & one Hwy bridge to get thru and there are a couple of small marinas there. You would then follow the shore of the lake west and north. I've been in Chef Pass twice and liked it but I've not entered or traversed the lake from there.

SailRedemption · 23-10-2018, 13:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by CapnCrunch

Anybody have any thoughts about entering the ICW at the Rigolets then follow it west to Chef Menteur Pass. Only one RR & one Hwy bridge to get thru and there are a couple of small marinas there. You would then follow the shore of the lake west and north. I've been in Chef Pass twice and liked it but I've not entered or traversed the lake from there.

I am from/living in the area and our boat is berthed in yhe lake. Are you trying to get into the lake? If so, taking the Rigolets would be your best, and fastest, route. If you take the ICW and then through the Chef Bridge and the train Bridge next to it, you then have to go northeast along the I-10 "Twin Span" bridge to pass under the hump. Then through the hwy 11 car/train bridges. Then you'll be in the lake with the ability to go to the industrial canal or West End New Orleans.

Where are you coming from and where are you wanting to go?

Twonie · 30-10-2018, 11:38

Hi SailRedemption,

We just bought our boat a Catalina 42, shallow draft 4f.10 and the boat is in Mobile bay, Alabama marina. We are planning to do a shakedown cruise in March 2019 from Mobile Bay to New Orleans and back and the time frame for this trip is one week. We would like to get some advise on how to get there and which marina fun to stay close to the town of New Orleans and your opinion about one week is enough time ? Thank you. Twonie

SailRedemption · 30-10-2018, 18:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twonie

Hi SailRedemption,

We just bought our boat a Catalina 42, shallow draft 4f.10 and the boat is in Mobile bay, Alabama marina. We are planning to do a shakedown cruise in March 2019 from Mobile Bay to New Orleans and back and the time frame for this trip is one week. We would like to get some advise on how to get there and which marina fun to stay close to the town of New Orleans and your opinion about one week is enough time ? Thank you. Twonie

Oh nice! Congrats on the boat! Yea I think it can definitely be done in a week. If your boat is ready to go on day 1 this makes it much better for time. It's roughly 90 miles from Mobile Bay entrance to the Rigolets entrance via Lake Borne. That's about a 15hr trip at 6kts, straight shot. So a two day trip to NOLA. Pontchartrain Landing is supposed to be nice with shuttles going into the city. There's other marinas a little bit closer to the city too located in or near West End, New Orleans. You could tour the city for at least 2-3 days and have a day or two to get back.

Should be a good trip. We're hoping to head to Mobile in December for a shakedown cruise.