Minnesotans love to talk about the weather. Being born and raised a Minnesotan, it seems natural that I share that last evening involved an impressive thunderstorm followed by cool evening winds. Today held cloudy skies, off and on rain throughout the day, temps in the higher 70s (Yes!), and light winds (4-8 mph) from the southeast. We expected our Wednesday to entail leisurely exploration of the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach waters. The weather, however, changed our plans.
Mobile Bay is quite a shallow bay and much of it is less than 10 feet deep. It is also a very large body of water (31 miles long by 24 miles wide) that is exposed to the Gulf of Mexico. Our research says that winds 15 mph or higher make the bay a dangerous place for boats. It also mentions that one should never cross it with a wind that has a direction that includes an "N." Just as we needed a "weather window" to cross the Gulf, we need a window to get through Mobile Bay. Our online sources indicated the window would occur on Thursday, and we made ready to go when we discovered, in fact, conditions would be good on Mobile Bay
today.
Someone who has made us keenly aware of the importance of watching the weather is a guy named Ed. We've never met Ed. We don't know him and he doesn't know us. Yet Ed has been willing to walk (sail?) beside us through this inaugural journey with "Velsignet." Through an "America's Great Loop Cruising Association" online forum, Ed was one of several "loopers" who responded to our questions about taking an unfamiliar boat through unfamiliar routes from Fort Myers to Demopolis. Because Ed is also a "Northerner," he understands our need to get our boat out of potential hurricane danger. Ed has been checking in with us regularly and included in his emails are websites for wind, tides and currents info, site suggestions for anchoring, and words of advice and things for us to consider. He has been so very helpful to us. His attention to weather has taught us to be attune to it, which has given us greater confidence for venturing into the "unknown-to-us" waters. He is also an excellent role model for what it means to "pay it forward."
Our day went smoothly from Pensacola through Perdido Bay, through the channels around Orange Beach to a choppy Mobile Bay. Tonight we are docked at the Dog River Marina, 15 nautical miles from the city of Mobile. After fuel, a sewage pump-out, a water fill-up and a grocery run, we're ready for a good night's rest. Tomorrow--because the weather forecasted is for continued calm winds, we will continue up Mobile Bay to mile marker "0", which is the start of the winding and well-traveled Mobile/Tombigbee River.
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The closer we got to Dog River Marina (where we're staying tonight), the closer these clouds loomed over us.
The downpour arrived just as we pulled in to dock. |
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| An example of housing as we traveled the canal toward Bon Sacour Bay, which is the south eastern part of Mobile Bay. |
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| This area of Bon Secour Bay was calm enough for even the smallest boats to cruise! |
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| Mobile is a busy port city with lots of cargo entering and exiting it; this barge was carrying railroad cars! |
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If you're able to zoom in on this structure, good for you!
I don't know what it is or what it's for, but it was an oddity in the middle of Mobile Bay. |
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The captain of this ship hailed us to confirm we would pass in the channel "port to port."
(It was very exciting to us radio communication newbies!) |
Comment test. Can I get this to actually publish?
ReplyDeleteAll so familiar.
ReplyDeleteSuccess, I have accessed your comment section. I had to learn how to enter my name (no URL needed) and then prove I wasn't a robot! That took about 5 "tests" with pictures of cars, road and street signs. Once that was proven I was able to hit the "publish" and there is went. Good to know.
ReplyDeleteOh my....this is so much fun to read your Great Blog as each of them is posted. It is fun to go along on this adventure with you. By the way...you write beautifully Brenda. :-)
The crossings of the wide open waters must have been frightening at first thought. I'm sure it looked very "alone" with that vastness of blue water ahead of you. Did you feel all alone? Also alarming would have been the alarms that woke you that one night! I can imagine how quickly Mike jumped out of bed!!! You too. Kind of like your house smoke alarm going off during a deep sleep or a 2:00am phone call. It sounds like Mike is well versed in the workings of the boat and each problem doesn't phase him. He will just figure it out and fix it. (not that you had any other options at this point, on a boat, anchored in the water and alone). :-)
Ed sounds like a god-send. I imagine him behind his computer, morning coffee in hand, watching for questions from you with answers that he can give. Why do I think that some day you will meet this "Ed"? Because that is the kind of people you are, always reaching out to find out more. Ed is going on "The Velsignet" adventure with you. I hope he can read this blog too and find out about you both with what you publish.
A thunderstorm would be a sight and sound I would've loved to see and hear. I have always loved a good thunderstorm and this one in the ocean sounded spectacular.
As I read each post I always have questions. I think I will ask them here and maybe it would be a question that others would have too. So here we go.
1. When you dock into a marina to run your errands, do you find what you need right there? The marine store (sounds like a must at this point.), grocery store, restaurants etc. If not, do you take a cab, Uber to these places?
2. When you fuel up are you able to do this from the slip that you have parked in or do you have to make another stop at a gas pump, wait your turn and pull up as the previous boat leaves, just like a gas station on land.
3. Is a "hail" (to the captain of the ship) a wave of the hand or some other jester?
4. And our guess (mom, dad and I) is that the structure in the middle of the water is a ocean house. We aren't sure why anyone would venture out here with all of the weather issues and be able to relax but everyone has their own loves.
Be safe, have fun and see you soon.
Much Love,
cl