Any Galveston Bay Sailors Here?

[Irwin325]

It's final I have moved to the Houston area and am planning on sailing to Galveston for the new years eve. I have never sailed to Galveston and have only sailed as far as Redfish Island a few times. I've done plenty of sailing around the inner parts of the bay and Clear Lake for the last year and half while living in west texas and coming down about once a month for long weekends.

I'm currious if anyone else is going to be in the Galveston Island area during N. Y. Eve.

I'm sailing a 33' Center Cockpit sloop with 4.5' draft and would also like any pointers on getting down there which looks fairly straight forward to me as I just need to be weary around the shipping channel and the surrounding shoals and spoils of the shipping channel on the way there. There is a site I look to there which says something about avoiding the "villages" on the other side of Redfish that I will give berth(what is that, I'm guessing its a buch of oil wells and rigs?). Once near Galveston it looks like I will need to take a little more care to not go aground on the inside of the island. I've talked to Payco Marina and am going to call some of the other marinas near UTMC to see about a two night NYeve trainsient slip. I would anchor if it wasnt for the dog a 45lb heeler and no dinghy yet(which will soon come and am going to have a canvas sling made that will lift him to and from).

Long winded but whats a sailor to do.

P.S. Somewhat copied from another site thread I started.

[RTB]

I'd like to make the trip myself, but can't this time. Have you checked with the TMCA? They may have a group going, you might check. Here are a few links. Hope this is helpful.

Destinations | TMCA Texas Mariners Cruising Association

Moody Gardens on Offats Bayou | TMCA Texas Mariners Cruising Association

Harbor House and Pelican Island Anchorage | TMCA Texas Mariners Cruising Association

[Sailmonkey]

Take a look at the harbour house marina on the strand. Best spot to be for new years eve. Also really easy to get to as you just go down the ship channel, turn right at seawolf park, turn left at the harbour house and you're there.

[Irwin325]

Checked on Harbour House online and it looks like a great place to stay but at $5/ft on NYeve weekend I think I can slum it you know. Moody Gardens Marina is closed until further notice is what I've been told. I guess they were not in a hurry to rebuild it after the hurricane.

Thanks for the replys. Can any of you give a round abouts time it should take to get there from Clear Lake if wind is/is'nt on the nose. I was figuring around 8 hrs with the wind out of the south and 2-3 less with if its not on the nose.

[bstreep]

Try Harborwalk Marina. It's across the ICW from Offats Bayou - kind of under the bridge. We have several friends with boats there.

Yeah, for what Harborwalk wants for a hole in the water, you can have a nice bed and room service IN the hotel.

[tsampsel]

Welcome to the bay! The Galveston Yacht Basin is in the UTMB area and probably your best bet for reasonable transient slips. Although they probably jack up the rates for New Years.

From Clear Lake head approx. 90 degree bearing from the outer markers. You should hit marker 59 when you get to the channel. That's north of Redfish. I recommend hugging the channel until you are well south of Redfish. You can then head easterly into Trinity Bay. If the wind's out of the north just hold your course along the channel. Whatever you do, don't head westerly south of Redfish until you get past the Texas City dike. Be especially vigilant south of the dike for ship traffic. There's the Houston ship channel, the Texas City channel and the Intercoastal that all cross in the same area.

It's probably about 4 hrs. downwind from your slip in a fair breeze.

Enjoy!

[Irwin325]

Thanks Tsampsel, I reserved a slip at Galveston Yacht Basin yesterday. Yeah at 5bucks/ft at Harbour House I can afford a couple cab rides to the strand for NYeve party'in. The weather has me thinking that I may get lucky with a North wind down there and I will just deal with it on the way back but no biggie anyhow.

[Ocean Girl]

Hey Irwin325.
I have a free pram row boat that has a impact fracture on the bottom. Thats fancy talk for needs work in order to float. The free boat is ply with glass overlay about 9 feet long. PM me if ya want to look at it.

Erika