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Old 10-10-2016, 14:54   #1
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Galveston Bay

Not sure where to post this so I thought the Liveaboard Forum might be a good place to start.

I'm considering relocating to Kemah Tx. Some of the local marinas allow liveaboards. I was reading an article about the potential effect of a cat 5 hurricane hitting the Galveston area and the article referred to the current state of the Bay- brown, oil stained water. A glance at Google Earth seems to confirm the statement.

Could anyone comment on the condition of Galveston Bay, and in addition, experiences, recommendations etc. for liveaboards there? With luck I'd have an IP45.

Thanks.
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Old 10-10-2016, 15:18   #2
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Re: Galveston Bay

i'm down the coast in rockport. i have considered galveston bay a few times. just have found the water too nasty. if i won't swim in it... i'm not fond of the idea of living there. not crazy about how populated the area is.some will like that, some not.
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Old 10-10-2016, 15:52   #3
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Re: Galveston Bay

That entire area is an extremely shallow area with a flat muddy bottom. Its also surrounded by an area of Marsh and Swampland. This is the estuary that gives birth to some of the best shrimping around. It ALSO gives the area a very brown and usually muddy water. The shallow, flat and muddy bottom extends further offshore to the continental shelf (from the Texas-Louisiana border) further than anywhere in the US

There can of course be effects from the oil industry but even without that its never going to be Caribbean clear. However, just offshore (over 100 miles) is the Flower Gardens Marine Sanctuary. This is the Northern-most coral reef in the Northern hemisphere. I once dove there with over 300 foot visibility under water.

Welcome to Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary

There are many reasons to like or dislike the area, but the muddy water is not a major one.

Just my opinion of course.
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Old 10-10-2016, 16:35   #4
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Re: Galveston Bay

It's not oil stained, it's shallow and muddy. As said above, the area is low lying and the culmination of several river systems emptying into the bay causes the mud.

I've been in the water there plenty of times, and while not my favorite swimming hole, it won't kill you.


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Old 10-10-2016, 17:22   #5
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Re: Galveston Bay

I lived aboard in 1998-2001 at Galveston Yacht Club when I was stationed there.
The water is muddy. Great fishing. Caught several flounder from my docked boat during flounder run. While there is no place I want to be during a Cat V, Galveston is a bad place to be during any hurricane. Anything over a Cat II and I was heading inland.
The area has a lot of boating/sailing, decent marinas and repair facilities, good sailing clubs. I personally would prefer to be further south but Galveston was OK by me.
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Old 10-10-2016, 18:16   #6
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Re: Galveston Bay

Been here for a while; it's a great place. The water is generally clean from a pollution standpoint. The brown color is from silt and tannins that drain into the bay.


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