We take a walk through the casino early in the morning to clarify a confusion over our moorage cost. Armed with the confirmation number and names of persons I spoke with, we easily get the situation straightened out, and now can enjoy our stroll back to the boat. We note that at 6:00 in the morning, the dining rooms are empty and lively music flows out of every shop and gambling room. When I hear Jimmy Buffet sing "Woman to Blame," I remember the Tervis tumbler with that design Herb gave me for Christmas one year. I claim that notoriety. Back down the ramp we see On Your Mark asleep.
At the entrance to the marina we see the mileage signs and one in particular gets our attention.
Find Willie's destination....
With 1,141 miles to go, we cast off around 7A and get a photo of the Golden Nugget next door. A nice casino, but the management does not allow boats to stay at their dock overnight. Their loss. Oh, well, I guess they heard we are called transient.
Happy to have made it to Lake Charles on the fuel we have, our first stop will be the fuel dock one and a half miles down Contraband Bayou, just south of Lake Charles. Herb describes the review on Active Captain as warning about the cypress knees and alligators. It is a winding little waterway, quite scenic. But wait! You want to go through where? That little opening? We make it.
Oh, how cute. A white heron, also known as a great egret sits on a cypress knee, watching to grab a frog for breakfast. They also eat fish, reptiles and insects and I hope mosquitoes are included.
Just around the corner to the left is the fuel dock and we hope there is space for us to tie up and wait until 9A when they open. So much for the early start toward Morgan City or Industrial City. It also looks like a Coast Guard convention, and we learn this is the Lake Charles CG station.
Lucky us! There is no one at the diesel pump and we can tie up there to be first in line. Herb backs in to position for fueling on the port side, where the tank opening is.
As he slowly eases back, two Coast Guard officers walk over to offer their assistance in tying us up. Absolutely! A nice visit ensues, and we learn it is shift change and they are here to inspect boats. I expect a boarding, but all they do is accept Joe's invitation to take a look at the inside of On Your Mark.
If it is Louisiana, there are alligators.
Like good mariners, we gather all the information we can about the local conditions and weather, and it is not what we want to hear. There are thunderstorms farther east that appear to continue to move westward and are building. "Do we go, or do we stay?" "Never leave a safe harbor on a bad day." We are invited to tie up in the marina adjacent to the fuel dock for the evening for safe harbor.
Stats: mileage 1.5, gallons taken on 450, dollars spent $879.
I would think that pays for the moorage.
Dark Sky app and the audible thunder says we are in for a frog strangler. It rains buckets and On Your Mark gets her second wash down of the day. Photos through the windshield tell the story.
The rain slacks up, the skies lighten, and we wonder if the storm is dissipating. No, not really; it is just better here. My cousins in Louisiana are warning of flooding on land and one of them says, "Baton Rouge is closed." We see lots of reports and predictions of coastal flooding.
With no more rain in sight, we begin to think of provisions. Shopping is about 1.3 miles from the dock, so we make a list and think we can walk there and back with a few items. We sure do need the Fitbit steps. The fuel dock attendant suggests we old folks call a taxi, and calls one for us. As you would expect, the shopping list grows from necessary items to items we simply would like to have on board.
With the cab waiting at the Neighborhood Walmart, we four split up to fill our bags. Pearl and I quickly grab things off the shelves, and an observer would think we had won the 'all you can put in your shopping cart in 30 minutes' contest.
Pearl prepares make your own tacos for dinner. Oh, so delicious! Shown below is her plate, but I add lots more cheese sauce. Dessert is creme brulee topped with fresh blueberries. Now I know why I accepted the invitation to come along on this cruise.
Find On Your Mark at the Bow Tie Marina awaiting better WX conditions....
and of Walldog, Willie and Jake
Friday, August 12, 2016
Yep hear that area was getting hammered. Where is you final destination on this trip? Mid 70's here and dry as a bone. No wind and sunny conditions. Stay away from those mosquitoes! Cindy
ReplyDeleteA friend in Port Isabel TX (where our 'stick' house is) said she was praying for a cyclone to bring rain to the dry area. They are suffering the heat! Pearl wants to go to the Bahamas. We have revised that to say, "Going east." We'll see how far we get. Good to hear from you.
DeleteI see "refreshments" to the left and right. Looks like a good pairing.
ReplyDeleteAlan, you are so funny! Too observant! I totally forgot to take a photo of our grocery bags and the cab, so I later staged that! Herb said you know you are not supposed to have any bananas on a boat (superstition). It was a good pairing! Thanks for the comment.
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