Cruising the Texas Coast

[andres22]

I am fairly new to cruising, and want to plan a few weekend trips in the Galveston Bay/ Texas coast area to boost up my sailing confidence and hopefully achieve my goal of sailing to Florida in the summer. I am currently docked in the Clear Lake area and sail a catalina 25. I have spent the night at Redfish Island already, but want a little more extended trip.

I was thinking about heading towards Galveston Island and either stay at the marina on the strand (or anchor nearby), or go under the causeway bridge and anchor in front of Moody Gardens. Then I would head back to Kemah the next day.
Does anyone have any information on these trips: what I should avoid, and the routes I should take to get there?

After this trip I was planning on making a trip on the gulf from Kemah to Freeport, TX or to Copus Christi. I was thinking the best way would be to leave the clear lake area in the morning so I could be in the gulf by late afternoon and sail through the night so I could get to my destination by daytime the following day.
Does anyone have any info on this trip? (I know the harvest moon regatta has its regatta to Port Aransas every year, but they require a 28ft boat to participate).

I appreciate any information.