Day Three, Making Progress West -- Friday, August 26, 2016

The start to the day is almost a repeat of yesterday.  As I begin to bring our gear topside, I see we have left the dock and are underway!  I look forward to a pleasant cruise today.  Cap'n Herb has checked the WX and sees a window for us to go today, or else it may be one-two-three weeks because tropical systems are building and may or may not come our way.  He tells me he sees a 'little corridor' of good WX in between storms.  He says we may get wet, so I bring our raincoats topside just in case.  Under sunny skies we cast off at 7:15A.  

I spend a little time enjoying the sunrise and getting photos.   Uh oh!  As we near the casinos the port throttle develops a problem.  Starboard throttle gets up and goes, but the port does not. To make this trip, we need both throttles.   So Denny says, "Let's spin around and head back to Fluffy."  

So we limp back to Bow Tie Marina to see what we can do.  

Denny checks the port engine and finds a throttle linkage had come loose.  He puts it back together and comes out smiling.  All good, and now we continue our trip.  Someone is heard to say, "We will get past the refinery today -- our third try!"     And we do!  I take a photo of the Port of Lake Charles now 'in my rear view mirror!'

Water Tower is Named Port of Lake Charles

The port is very busy in this industrial area.  On the barge below, coal piles are seen where they are offloaded from barges and used to make electricity.

This suction dredge is possibly going to a house construction site we passed earlier.

 

St. June, a Louisiana shrimp boat, will bring her catch to a processing plant in  Lake Charles.  Where did our sunny sky go?  It's beginning to look a bit overcast,  but it is a pleasant temperature, and On Your Mark streaming through the channel creates a nice breeze.

As we continue in the Calcasieu Ship Channel toward Texas, we come to the intersection to the ICW and turn west.    Skies are rapidly changing to more cloudy and darker, and I wonder if we will continue to be in 'that little corridor' between the rain storms.  Soon we can see Texas!!  In the Sabine River we go south, leaving Louisiana to our port side on the east and Texas to our starboard on the west.  There is not much scenery here, but vegetation is so green.

The Weather Channel shows a storm heading for Port Arthur, which is still ahead of us. But not ahead for long.    I think we have escaped the storm.  

Oh, excitement!  Real excitement!  I see the mural on a building in Port Arthur, and immediately think of Seattle and the Seattle Seahawks!  Go Hawks!!!   I learn that Arthur, the Seahawk, is the mascot of Lamar State College of Port Arthur.

The port of Port Arthur shows me lots of interesting ships, and I wish I could stop and take a tour.  Maybe another day.  Below is the Federal Cedar.

And the British Cormorant ....

Continuing our cruise, we find safe harbor at Point Bolivar in a housing subdivision being developed.

Find On Your Mark after 11 hours of cruising....

Lagoon Cove at Port Bolivar near Galveston

Willie of Willie's Tug, 
   and of Walldog, Willie and Jake
   Friday, August 26, 2016