Galveston to Biloxi, ICW or around?

[pnorman]

I need to take my 27' Hunter from Galveston to Biloxi. I cannot seem to find much info on the ICW route. Would I be better off turning it into an offshore passage? I am not real comfortable yet and it will be solo. Any advice would be appreciated.

[BobHorn]

We've done the trip twice on the ICW. Your main issue will be the locks into and out of the Mississippi. You will also need to find anchorages along the way since you do not want to do the ICW at night.


We have done the offshore trip twice, once from Clearwater to Galveston and another Mobile Bay to Galveston. Going offshore you will need to follow the fairways and that will put you about 100nm offshore with no way to bail if you have problems.


We do know a boat that did the trip by hugging the coast and anchoring every night at the mouth of a river, but at the end they turned up into the ICW to cross the Mississippi.


You can check out our trips on Escapades For Sale.


Where are you located? We used an old copy of the Barway guide, used by the tow boat captains, that is annotated with warnings and anchorages for the ICW. I might have an extra copy I could lend you.


Bob

[pnorman]

Thats just the kind of info I was looking for. 100nm is farther out than I care to be, solo. I live in Dallas but will leave from Galveston this fall to start the "great loop". So ICW it is. Thanks.

[BobHorn]

You'll have two major issues on the ICW, aside from the Mississippi locks. You'll need to find and anchorage every night, there are no marinas, at least when we did it last in 2005, and getting fuel. You'll be mostly motoring and back when we did it, there was only one fuel dock, Shell-Morgan, between Galveston and New Orleans. Same goes for water, although there are two municipal docks in Morgan City where you may be able to pick up water.
You will also have to plan carefully going up the East Coast, there are long stretches without facilities.


Bob

[apirate]

Noticed you live in Dallas. Where are you putting in at in Galveston? Are you currently on a lake?

We are currently in Dallas and will be moving our boat to Kemah next month. Putting in at Watergate marina and heading to the Bahamas after hurricane season.

[pnorman]

My boat is on a trailer. I will go down next week to find a marina and some riggers. Then rent a slip for the summer. Any suggestions?

[apirate]

Pnorman - how did this go for you?

[Mickeyrouse]

I have made this trip numerous time from 1988 till now. The offshore route, besides being longer, gets into the world’s most dense concentration of offshore structure from south of Vermillion Bay eastward, and at night, the lights actually work on many platforms.
The ICW route’s biggest hazard is boredom- 20 mile-stretches of arrow straight spoil bank. From our base in Pt. Arthur, we typically get to West End on Pontchartrain in 5 days, a sixth for Gulfport/Biloxi.
We have never had a problem with anchorages, with docking options in three or four locations.
We generally cover about 70 miles in daylight hours. We draw 4.5 ft.
Stops are: Shell Island-Sabine River, Adams Bayou (Orange), Choupique Bayou (Hackberry), Lake Charles (2 extra hrs. Each way) Mouth of Mermentau/ICW, Schooner Bayou, before Leland Bowman Locks, old fore bay of unused lock section at LeLand Bowman, Shell Morgan (dock) at Intracoastal City, inlet to Vermillion bay south of Bayou Tigre from Delcambre, Darryl Olandet’s docks in Port of West St. Mary, Wax Lake outfall canal, city docks at Morgan city, (no power, but convenient), city docks at Houma, behind the island and acroos from the cemetrary at Barataria.
From there it’s a half day depending on traffic to Seabrook, where there is a marina on the Industrial canal, and an easy day to Gulfport, which has a really nice narina. There are numerous places in addition that have been dredged for oil platform access as well, but silting has changed many of these over the years. Keep your VHF on- talk to every tug you can see, so they know you see them, that they see you, and you both know what the other is going to do.
We have gone offshore to Freshwater Bayou which would give overnight stops at Sabine Pass, Cameron, Grand Chenier, coming in to the ICW from the Gulf at aintrsvoastal City avoiding the eastwarc clutter.

[Mickeyrouse]

I should clarify that there is a Seabrook in New Orleans as well as Clear Lake. Previous post should read “...Gulf at Intracoastal City..” and I can’t type.

[Mickeyrouse]

Oh, and another thing- There is more tug-barge traffic from Houston to New Orleans than any other place on earth- USE THAT VHF WITHOUT FAIL. Make sure it’s accessible from the steering position. And if it’s hand-held, be sure you can keep it charged.

[Steve_C]

I have been going offshore from Port Arthur/Sabine Pass into the Texas and Louisiana Areas since I was old enough to remember. I ran a diving charter service on the weekends almost 40 years ago for a number of years. The number of rigs out there was a constant until last year or so.

I went out last August almost 50 miles on the Louisiana side and was astounded at how few rigs there were. The vast majority have been removed apparently due to new regulations that require removal if not in use.

If you haven't been out there lately you may be surprised at how its changed. In some ways its kind of sad as these are truly wonderful artificial reefs. This is a link to a video shot last May on my 90 year old Dad's last trip offshore. He is still with us, but just can't manage the trips anymore. It just shows how much life is around a rig!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXDLfWNLZIA

[Group9]

I've done that run from Kemah on the ICW once, and that is all I will ever do it. Next time, I'll go offshore.

[SailRedemption]

Originally Posted by Steve_C

I have been going offshore from Port Arthur/Sabine Pass into the Texas and Louisiana Areas since I was old enough to remember. I ran a diving charter service on the weekends almost 40 years ago for a number of years. The number of rigs out there was a constant until last year or so.



I went out last August almost 50 miles on the Louisiana side and was astounded at how few rigs there were. The vast majority have been removed apparently due to new regulations that require removal if not in use.



If you haven't been out there lately you may be surprised at how its changed. In some ways its kind of sad as these are truly wonderful artificial reefs. This is a link to a video shot last May on my 90 year old Dad's last trip offshore. He is still with us, but just can't manage the trips anymore. It just shows how much life is around a rig!

They are sinking a lot of those nearshore platforms for fish havens and reefs. Not all are getting scrapped. So fear none, the reefs are still strong.


http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/fishing...l-reef-program

[Mickeyrouse]

Yes, platforms have really decreased in number, but the relative intensity has only decreased a little around Trinity and Tiger Shoal which would have to go WAY down to make me feel really comfortable- it doesn’t take but a couple unlit platforms to make a night passage really scary.

[Mickeyrouse]

Originally Posted by pnorman

I need to take my 27' Hunter from Galveston to Biloxi. I cannot seem to find much info on the ICW route. Would I be better off turning it into an offshore passage? I am not real comfortable yet and it will be solo. Any advice would be appreciated.

If you’re serious about this, send me a PM and I’ll give more details.