Galveston Bay to east of Mississippi River

[dakno]

Thank you all for input. I bought all the giww charts, skipper bob, crusing guide, scoured active captain. I concluded that considering all the lift bridges, locks ,restricted openings (one bridge requires a 24 hr notice), cable ferries, few and far between sketchy anchorages ( many with room for one or two boats), traffic, debris, bugs, storms, you could only count on 6 hrs / day motoring. I am waiting for a great weather window, north or north west wind, moon would be nice. I am trying to figure how far south I need to go. You can safely exit the Galveston ship channel at N 29 20'. You have to get down to N 28 47' to clear the Ms river delta. It appears there are to manny hazards for a straight shot. What I am looking at now is to follow N 29 20' east till W 93 15', then steer 100 with a few jigs to avoid major clusters of rigs. Still in planning stage....

[dakno]

scottthardin and jpstevens

Sounds like you guys have done the same trip I am planning. I am in Seabrook now and want to go to Gulfport, Ms early October. How far south did you guys go before turning east? Did you have a straight line or have to zig zag for hazards?

Thanks

[EmeraldCoastSailor]

I essentially went offshore a dozen miles or so and made for a mark 3 miles off of the SW pass. Pretty much straight shot. Sorry can't recall the heading and exact elements.

[dakno]

scott,

The idea of an easy stop ( Port Eads ) sounds good for the Galveston to Mississippi run. However, if you read the active captain description of the south pass entrance, it sounds pretty hazardous. It is not recommended for any vessels drafting over 5'. What kind of depths did you experience ? The river is very low now but I assume there is a large tidal influence ? How well is the channel marked?

Thanks.

[belizesailor]

Have done this run both directions, both inside (ICW) and coastal. Both are very doable and have their own pros and cons of course. Biggest con to coastal route is the oil patch and related traffic. ICW route you can find some great food and music and options for stopping for the night (have done it single handed when that was handy).

[EmeraldCoastSailor]

The South Pass was a little nerving. I draw 5' and I know I got pretty close coming in. The tide was flooding as I entered that morning with a high tide expected around noon as I recall. It was close enough that got my diesel and ice and left within a couple of hours. On the way out I stayed a bit more on the eastern side of the pass and didn't have any anxiety as I always showed 7'. Maybe the half a foot or so of tide helped. The people at the marina seemed to indicate that not many sailboats stop by so perhaps there is a reason. The nav aids seemed adequate. Since I had calm weather there were no swells to deal with.

[RTB]

Originally Posted by dakno

I concluded that considering all the lift bridges, locks ,restricted openings (one bridge requires a 24 hr notice), cable ferries, few and far between sketchy anchorages ( many with room for one or two boats), traffic, debris, bugs, storms, you could only count on 6 hrs / day motoring.

We just did this trip for the third time. It took us 8 days to get from Galveston to Rabbit Island (east of New Orleans). It's not that difficult a trip actually. We did a couple of 60+ mile days, but usually run around 8 or 9 hours.

You do need to plan your trip pretty carefully, or end up running in the dark. The Ellender lift bridge only requires 4 hours notice, not 24.

If you do the GIWW and need help with anchorages, check our blog or just ask. Good luck, and happy planning.

Ralph