Port Arthur Tx to Gulfport Ms

[Zeke69]

Changed our plans to move our Islander 28 from Port Arthur to Mandeville La. We are looking at Gulfport Ms. Since we had already spent 2 months getting her fitted out for the trip, it seems a shame to give in and put her on a truck. Our original plans to go half out and half ICW got derailed by massive flooding over spring break. Now with the change of destination and being later in the season I'm thinking the outside route might be a better way to go.
Anyone make that trip to Gulfport on the outside? I'm trying to avoid hugging the coast and dodging the oil rigs.
Any advice appreciated. Figuring out how far off I'd need to run to avoid the bulk of them now.

[Taichungman]

Might be late but put it on a truck. It's not that far and on the outside you got nothing to see and much to lose. Many unmanned, un-lit ,unmarked things sticking up out there. You might be able to see a giant lit up rig but what about that HUGE metal mooring ball (maybe 6' out of the water) with no lights or horns, bells and whistles. Maybe you got radar and that will help some. I went through there back in the 80's by the seat of my pants; it wasn't much fun. Anyway, that's just my 2bits; have fun.

[sartorst]

The entire continental shelf is infested with drilling rigs, moorings, work boats, crew and fishing boats ! You have to go through them to get out of them and would make for a large circle, Constant vigilance is needed. Nothing like sailing past a 4ft x10ft pipe at night with no lights to get your adrenaline going to help keep you awake the rest of the night

[stevec195]

I have a friend that does this singlehanded, BUT- he drops down to 29N to transit the upper gulf. Take a look at all the notice to Mariners advisory on "production rig unlighted" or "production platform partially submerged" and it would be difficult to even plot them all.


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[Zeke69]

Thanks for the advice. The overwhelming message was avoid the passage if possible and that's just what I did. Arrived by truck in the yard in Biloxi yesterday. That was harrowing enough for me.