Category: U.S. Gulf

Warmer waters make for cooler cruising. Southern Boating publishes a U.S. Gulf Coast Regional Report each month to make your Gulf Coast cruising a success. Chock-full of information for everywhere from the panhandle of Florida to the tip of Texas—Southern Boating gives you the lowdown on all events, happenings, marinas, destinations, and more!

Crude oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico

A Shell subsea wellhead flow line—underwater oil well connecting to a pipe line that transports oil to the surface—about 90 miles off the coast of Louisiana released about 88,200 gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico on May 12th of this year. The spill created a 2- by 13-mile sheen that was initially detected by a Shell company helicopter. The U.S. Coast Guard and Shell quickly dispatched numerous vessels to contain the leak and clean up oil that could be skimmed from the water’s surface.
Shell reportedly located the source of the leak (flow line) via a remotely operated vehicle that was sent to the sea floor to investigate. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) says they intend to review the repair plans set by Shell, and the agency would also assess if subsea infrastructure technology improvements should be made in response to the incident. Environmental groups responded by stating that this is yet another example of why offshore drilling should be banned, and more than 1,200 activists marched in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, May 15th, in protest of the Obama administration’s offshore drilling plan. Shell has ceased drilling and production at the site until further examinations are complete.

Louisiana garners largest chunk of BP settlement

Coastal communities bordering the Gulf of Mexico including Louisiana’s entire 400-mile coastline were devastated from the effects of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Louisiana garnered the largest chunk of the funds generated by the legal settlement with BP. In April, Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) announced that it is set to receive at least $6.8 billion out of the estimated $20 billion for which BP is on the hook. When you combine that with sums received from previous legal settlements related to the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe, the state’s coffers stand to swell by $8.7 billion, however, BP will have 15 years to pay out the funds beginning in 2017 and continuing through 2031.
“The finalization of the settlement provides certainty regarding the timing and availability of funding needed to move forward with significant recovery efforts,” says Johnny Bradberry, the governor’s executive assistant for coastal activities. “We will continue working with the utmost sense of urgency and engaging with our federal partners and the public to get critical projects on the ground as quickly as possible.”
One of those projects is the Louisiana Marine Fisheries Enhancement, Research, and Science Center (“the Center”), a $22 million endeavor that stands to benefit recreational fishermen in the state. The Center will consist of two separate facilities, and according to the CPRA’s project description, the Center aims to focus on creating aquaculture-based techniques for marine fishery management, with the end goal being more effective long-term monitoring of popular sport fish and baitfish species.
Plans for the Center also call for the creation of living laboratories to provide educational activities for those in Louisiana concerned about marine sport fish species health. The Center’s primary facility, the Calcasieu Parish site, plans to house a pond complex, hatchery, visitor center, and staff office space. The Plaquemines Parish site plans to focus on research about popular baitfish species in Louisiana and other Gulf states, such as gulf killifish and Atlantic croaker.
Coastal restoration projects like the Center require manpower to help get them up and running, and the massive BP settlement offers a unique opportunity to recruit and train workers for new careers. Divers and ship captains may provide the potential to improve individual economic wellbeing while getting them involved in activities that ensure their communities remain viable and resilient for generations to come. Organizations like Oxfam America are working with local agencies from a range of industries in Louisiana to “create pathways for disadvantaged and unemployed workers to gain new skills and build new careers in this booming new restoration economy.” dwhprojecttracker.org

By Del Gillis, Southern Boating Magazine July 2016

Protect Our Reef grants help tackle threats to reefs.

Scientists and educators from a variety of institutions across the country gathered at Florida Keys Community College in Key West, Florida, on April 28th to present the latest research on protective measures against a multitude of threats facing Florida’s coral reefs ranging from pollution to disease and bleaching caused by ocean acidification.
The University of North Florida, University of Miami, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Smithsonian Marine Station, Jacksonville University, Florida Atlantic University, and Northeastern University were represented at the meeting, as were Key West’s nonprofit organization Reef Relief and Sarasota, Florida-based Mote Marine Laboratory. What do they all have in common? Each are recipients of Protect Our Reef grants funded by sales of the “Protect Our Reefs” specialty license plates in Florida—a program introduced in 2004 that has raised more than $4 million for the preservation and restoration of Florida’s coral reefs.
Each grant ranges from $10,000-$30,000 according to David Vaughan, the executive director of Mote Marine’s tropical research laboratory in Summerland Key, Florida. He adds that nearly a third of a million dollars is awarded annually as part of the Protect Our Reefs program administered by Mote Marine. Grant recipients are required to submit an eight-page proposal detailing the principle objectives of the project, including the past experience and methods of the staff as well as how they plan to carry out the research. The proposal also highlights deliverables, a timeline and a detailed budget.
Some of the most interesting material presented, Vaughan adds, concerns black band disease, an affliction that can devastate entire coral colonies within months. It’s a problem that has vexed scientists for a long time, but researchers are finally getting closer to its root cause. Max Teplitski of the Smithsonian Marine Station and Sara Williams of Northeastern University both presented new findings about black band disease that they were able to discover thanks to grants afforded by Protect Our Reef. “We now have a better understanding that [black band] disease is not caused by one single microbe, virus or fungi, but it is a combination of over a dozen organisms working together,” says Vaughan. “Two of the organisms have to be present in order [for coral] to get the disease, but if any one of them is present, without any of the others, the corals don’t get the disease. Also, a certain bacteria and a certain blue-green algae has to be present.”
Vaughan adds that increased media coverage of coral bleaching in major media outlets is helping raise awareness of how weather and climate events such as El Niño and ocean acidification affect the planet’s vital yet precious reef systems. Much remains to be done, says Vaughan, but adds that Protect Our Reefs is a big step in the right direction. “It’s a shame that things like devastating conditions in the Pacific and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is what it takes for people to understand how important coral reefs are to our oceans’ health,” he contends, referring to a mass-bleaching event discovered in March 2016 along some 600 miles of the Great Barrier Reef. “But people are understanding that bleaching is a condition that affects corals when the temperatures get too high. A decent amount of our Protect Our Reefs grants address bleaching, seeing that there are some genetic strains of corals that seem to tolerate those conditions better than others. So we’re able to better understand how we can hopefully live with [healthy] coral reef systems in the future, because it’s the habitat for all of our fish and the other beautiful things we like to view when we’re on and in the water.”

By Brian Hartz, Southern Boating Magazine July 2016

Loophole that lets anglers exceed snapper limits draws fire

Anglers in Texas are unleashing their creativity when it comes to getting around shortening seasons and shrinking quotas for red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico, but their actions are facing criticism.
The popular species has become a flashpoint in the debate over federal vs. regional management of fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico. In February, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council introduced the final draft of Amendment 39 to Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico, which would establish a regional management program for recreational red snapper fishing.
For now, though, the NOAA’s Fisheries Service sets the length of the federal recreational red snapper fishing season. Historically, the season began June 1st and continued until the quota was met. But 2014 saw one of the shortest federal seasons on record—just nine days. However, individual states can set their own season length for anglers fishing in state waters, and this is where things get interesting.
Texas, for example, pretty much ignores the federal season altogether. Recreational anglers in Texan waters, which extend nine miles out from the coastline, can fish for snapper year-round as long as they stay within their bag limit.
However, catch limits are routinely exceeded thanks to charter fishing companies operating what they call “catch share fishing experiences.” These companies, such as Galveston Sea Ventures in Galveston, Texas, have been allocated a set portion of the commercial red snapper fishery—a catch share—in the Gulf, but they do not operate as commercial fishermen. Instead, they ferry recreational anglers out to the fishing grounds and back, and when they return, their customers can buy as many fish as they’d like to take home. Call it what you will—a loophole or a gray area—it’s stirring passions on both sides.
According to Scott Hickman, owner of Circle H Outfitters and Charters in Galveston—another catch share fishing experience company—they sought out the legal requirements prior to launching their first trip and continue to strictly follow the rules as to what is mandated by both federal and Texas law enforcement. Hickman reiterates that his trips are not charters but commercial fishing trips during which people can enjoy the experience and only reel in fish if they want to.
The Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), however, says that the growing popularity of catch share fishing does not bode well for the future of the fishery, as companies with commercial permits will be able to relentlessly fish near-shore fishing grounds. CCA Conservation Director, Ted Venker, claims the line between recreational and commercial fishing is no longer distinct, and that no one is protecting the public.
In April, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council stated that the 2016 recreational red snapper season is likely to be another short one running for as little as eight days, while charter boats operating in federal waters should see a longer season, between 38 and 56 days. For more information, visit: Sustainable Fisheries

By Del Gillis, Southern Boating Magazine June 2016

Threat From Invasive Species Grows

The lion might be the greatly awed and admired king of the jungle, but the lionfish is quickly becoming the much-despised scourge of the Gulf of Mexico. The invasive species is on the rise.

The lionfish is an invasive species that are wreaking havoc in the eastern Gulf as well as along the U.S. Atlantic coast and throughout the Caribbean. With their beautiful stripes, jutted-out jaws and protruding spike-like fin rays, lionfish are exotic sights. You’ve surely seen them in saltwater aquariums and pet stores. That—and their native Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean waters—is where they belong, not the Gulf, where they have few natural predators to slow their explosive population growth and bring balance to the region’s biodiversity.

Lionfish eat juvenile members of sportfish species that help sustain the region’s economy and are popular with anglers in the Gulf. What’s more, the venomous spines found on lionfish are a threat to humans. A sting from one of their fin rays can be fatal to young children and elderly people. Though rare, adults can also be killed by a lionfish sting, whose other effects include nausea, vomiting, fever, dizziness, and even temporary paralysis.

In less than 10 years, the invasive species have firmly established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in North American waters. How they got here and rose to prominence so quickly is being investigated, but the National Ocean Service believes the species’ ascendancy can be attributed, at least in part, to people dumping unwanted lionfish out of their home aquariums and into the Gulf and the Atlantic Ocean.

The lionfish problem has become so rampant that it’s come to the attention of Republican Carlos Curbelo, a U.S. Representative of Florida’s 26th District. Working with fishermen in the Florida Keys, Curbelo has crafted a bill that, if enacted, will direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to award $1.5 million in competitive higher education grants for the purpose of studying and combating lionfish.

Introduced in March and co-sponsored by U.S. Representatives Curt Clawson, R-Fla., and Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., the bill is named the Finding Innovative Lionfish Elimination Technologies (FILET) Act of 2016. Should it become law, the FILET Act will use funds from NOAA’s existing budget to help researchers develop lionfish mitigation technologies, including traps and countermeasures.

Lionfish have been in Clawson’s sight for nearly a year. He introduced his own federal legislation in July 2015 that would add lionfish to a list of “injurious species that are prohibited from being imported or shipped,” according to the bill’s title. Curbelo, who is supporting the bill as a co-sponsor, cites a bevy of reasons for going after lionfish, including their prodigious ability to reproduce: a single female lionfish is capable of laying millions of eggs each year.

Moreover, an adult lionfish can consume large quantities of sportfish—as many as 40 in a single day. These impressive pests also feed on marine herbivores that help protect coral reefs by removing excess algae.

The lionfish problem has become so bad that organizations like the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF), based in Key Largo, Florida, are sponsoring organized lionfish hunts in which divers can take home cash prizes based on the number of lionfish they bag (and yes, lionfish can be cooked and eaten).

Even if you’re not an angler or diver, you can still help fight the lionfish scourge. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has created an online form for the public to submit lionfish sightings as well as a lionfish tracking app for smartphones to support the cause. For more information, visit their website at: myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/lionfish/report.

By Brian Hartz, Southern Boating Magazine June 2016

Group fights back against barge terminal.

A group of recreational boaters and anglers in South Texas are up in arms over the Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to approve a barge terminal in the Lydia Ann Channel near Port Aransas, about 200 miles southwest of Houston. The channel, part of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, is popular with fishing enthusiasts because of its abundance of red drum; it’s also home to eight endangered fish species and five endangered sea turtle species. However, the channel is an important thoroughfare for commercial shipping traffic in and out of the nearby Port of Corpus Christi, and therein lies the rub.

The barge terminal features 82 mooring stations in the Lydia Ann Channel along the southwest shore of San Jose Island. The moorings, according to an article in the Port Aransas South Jetty, are spaced “100 feet apart in waters no less than 12 feet deep.” Moorings, the Corps explains, reduce the need for push boats operating in the channel, which, in turn, helps reduce air pollution and protects the shoreline.

According to the Lydia Ann Channel Fleet (LAC Fleet), which operates the barge terminal, “Prior to the establishment of LAC Fleet, barges were pushed up along the banks of San Jose Island by push boats that were then forced to keep their engines running continuously so that the barges would not drift. This wasted thousands of gallons of fuel, damaged the sea grasses and eroded the shoreline.”

A nonprofit group, Friends of Lydia Ann Channel (FLAC), has a different take on the situation. FLAC is adamantly opposed to the terminal and the way it was approved by the Corps, claiming the Corps failed to conduct public hearings and environmental reviews prior to OKing the project. Subsequently, FLAC filed a lawsuit late last year claiming the Corps violated the federal Endangered Species Act and other national laws that protect wildlife, the environment and areas of historic significance. FLAC, mindful of the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010, fears that it’s only a matter of time before a barge carrying a hazardous load—tar, asphalt, anhydrous ammonia, or something worse—has an accident and dumps its cargo. The results, the group says, would be catastrophic to both wildlife and humans. A spill would pose a significant health and safety threat if a barge carrying toxic or explosive materials were to founder in the channel, FLAC claims. “FLAC seeks redress for the near total abdication by the (Corps) of its responsibilities under federal law to protect from destruction the environmental, recreational, historical and archaeological treasures located in and near the Lydia Ann Channel,” the group stated in a news release.

Port Aransas, which dubs itself the “Fishing Capital of Texas,” relies heavily on tourism as an economic driver. In addition to red drum, flounder, kingfish, marlin, sailfish, black drum, trout, and tuna abound in its waters. The city plays host to more than 20 fishing tournaments per year, including the popular and long-running Deep Sea Roundup; dolphin-watching tours are also big business in Port Aransas.

 

— By Del Gillis, Southern Boating Magazine May 2016

Critters take center stage

Learn all about otters at a recently opened exhibit, Otters & Their Water, at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota, Florida. The exhibit features three orphaned North American river otters—Huck, Pippi, and Jane—that have been under the careful supervision of Mote staff after arriving at the facility in December 2015.

The exhibit is an opportunity for visitors to learn about the importance of watershed habitats—prime real estate for river otters. Watersheds perform the vital geographical and ecological function of draining water toward oceans, lakes, rivers, and estuaries.

Otters love scooting from land to water and back. With that in mind, Mote Marine staff created a two-level land and water habitat area filled with fun and stimulating features. The habitat also includes a den where the otters can sleep. “The exhibit has a slide that leads into a pool of water,” says Mote biologist Amanda Foltz, who cares for them. “They are like little kids going up and down the slide. It really is fun to watch.”

Staff members are on hand daily to describe how the otters were rescued, rehabilitated and trained, and demonstrate their intelligence—for example, they’ve been taught to present parts of their bodies for medical checks and walk into a special crate to be weighed.

In school, at sea

Mote Marine also helps at-risk youth in the Tampa Bay region via a “floating classroom” partnership with the AMIkids Boat Program. AMIkids is a Tampa-based nonprofit that helps transform the lives and futures of young juvenile offenders.

The floating classroom is Orlando’s Rose, a 65-foot vessel donated in 2014 by Bill and Carol Barrows that launches near the Gandy Bridge spanning Tampa Bay. She carries AMIkids participants on half-day excursions focusing on biodiversity and watershed education. During their time at sea, program participants gather and identify marine organisms and learn how the specimens interact with their environment. They even get to drive the boat after passing a BoatU.S. safety curriculum, a swimming test and other prerequisites.

“We work with kids that have been part of the court system or those we are trying to keep from going into the court system. These are kids that might not have ever been on a boat before,” said Jordan Carroll, AMIkids boatyard development assistant. “It’s all about promoting them to be better members of society. Maybe they’ll want to be captains or dive instructors; maybe they’ll figure out a career path.”

Mote staff members help the boat program participants perform research tasks such as taking salinity content measurements and studying marine organism specimens under microscopes. The goal, Carroll says, is to encourage the kids to be stewards of the environment and spark in them an interest in waterways and boating safety. “The biggest thing is getting the kids out on the water, and through that, they could form a life passion.”

— By Brian Hartz, Southern Boating Magazine May 2016

 

Salty Grounds – South Padre Island

South Padre Island and Port Isabel—where the fish and seafood are plenty and seasoning is most likely unnecessary

Perhaps the large territory comes to be associated with the arid deserts of the southwest, yet the Lone Star State also boasts a nearly 400-mile-long coastline on the Gulf of Mexico dotted with white sand beaches, littoral towns and a wealth of charming anchorages. Halfway down her coast, south of Corpus Christi and far from any interstate highways lies the mouth of the Laguna Madre, among the most remote and forgotten cruising grounds on the Gulf Coast.

Shielded by South Padre Island and stretching all the way south to Mexico, this narrow lagoon not only runs along the Gulf but is also a rarity: It is one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world, even saltier than our seas and oceans. With its shallow depth, few inlets to the Gulf of Mexico and lack of fresh water coming from the plains of South Texas, this unique ecosystem buffered on both sides by sand dunes has remained in a pristine state, her shores barely touched by developers. Cruisers who have discovered the Laguna Madre’s unique beauty lament South Padre Island’s reputation as a college spring break destination, yet the 34-mile-long island and the artsy town of Port Isabel at its furthest point south open their arms wide to cruisers throughout the year.

First discovered and mapped by Cabeza de Vaca and his Spanish conquistadors in 1528, South Padre Island was an encampment for an unusual tribe of Native Americans known as the Karankawas. They were said to wear rattlesnake rattles in their braided hair, cover themselves in alligator grease and were portrayed as skilled bow hunters. Myths about the tribe abound. The Spaniards believed them to be cannibals, yet their diet mainly consisted of seafood and oysters. They may also have been among the earliest people to fly fish. The Karankawas were eventually chased off South Padre Island by a group of European settlers who roped a cannon onto a donkey and trudged it across the sand dunes. While the loud cannon failed to frighten the tribe, Spanish missionaries reported that it was the “magical” donkey and its jumps from the cannon’s recoil that scared the native tribe forever into the depths of what would become Texas.

Today, billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX Corporation is building a new launch facility (for things other than donkeys) immediately south of Padre Island and Port Isabel. With the Tesla fortune seemingly pouring into the area, local government officials are already in the planning phases to upgrade coastal parks and other launch-viewing sites. Dockside restaurants such as Pier 19 in Port Isabel are perfectly located to provide unobstructed viewing areas for launches paired with delicious, locally caught seafood—do not miss out on the (rocket) Blackened Baja Tacos. This far south, expect a heavy Mexican influence on traditional Gulf cooking.

Plying the Gulf of Mexico and the Laguna Madre, locals—South Padre Island and Port Isabel count no more than 5,000 permanent residents—fish the waters for their prey offshore of the nearby and massive King Ranch. Expect bridge delays as horsemen lead massive herds of cattle to their next grazing lands. Charter boats head deep into the Gulf of Mexico to hunt for tuna, amberjack, kings, and other big-game fish, while inshore guides take you to hit the speckled trout and big reds along the coast.

In downtown Port Isabel the waterfront is the center of the action with the Tarpon, Port Isabel and Pelican Point marinas all within walking distance. Rustic seafood restaurants such as Will and Jacks Burger Shack & Beer Garden, Joe’s Oyster Bar and Dirty Al’s are filled with down-to-earth and artsy locals. Take time to chat with them as this quiet and low-key beach town is filled with stories and hospitality.

If your cruising itinerary includes an arrival here in October, the weather cools off and the town’s Day of the Dead festival on Halloween weekend explodes on Maxan Street; the township is in its full quirky splendor. Or, join the adventurers in June and arrive for the start of the Great Texas 300 when Hobie Cat sailors race the entire Laguna Madre up to Galveston in what is billed as the longest distance small-boat catamaran race in the world.

But the best reason to cruise south to the border is to experience the true untouched beauty of South Texas’ waters. The Laguna Madre is, indeed, a still-undiscovered boating natural wonder in America with her salty waters, near constant winds and predatory birds soaring from the plains. With sand-covered barrier islands protecting bays, fertile estuaries rumored to have sheltered the infamous pirate Jean Lafitte, and empty beaches stretching for miles along the Gulf of Mexico, the Texas coast should not be forgotten. These cruising and fishing grounds are just waiting for adventurous boaters and anglers to come and discover them. The fresh oysters and blackened redfish freshly landed are also waiting for your plate at the many restaurants and beachside eateries of this rustic island town. Then just dig your feet in the white sand, sip an adult beverage and watch the fiery sunset that customarily plays out across the deserts of Texas—but this time with surf rolling at your toes.

CRUISER RESOURCES

—Dockage—

Pelican Point Marina and RV Park
40 Tarpon Avenue • (956) 943-6464
Port Isabel City Dock
800 Pompano Street
(956) 943-2682

Tarpon RV Park & Marina
226 Basin Street • (956) 943-2040
tarponrvpark.com

—Eateries—

Dirty Al’s
201 S Garcia Street • (956) 943-3344 • dirtyalspi.com

Joe’s Oyster Bar
207 E Maxan Street • (956) 943-4501

Pier 19
1 Padre Boulevard • (956) 761-7437 • pier19.us

Will and Jacks Burger Shack & Beer Garden
413 E Maxan Street • (956) 640-7440

Gourmet food scraps

The Cajuns of South Louisiana are known for their interest in spicy food and exotic flavors, but fishermen all along the northern Gulf Coast have their secret culinary delicacies as well. Most anglers who have grilled a monster blackfish appreciate the fish’s sweet and delicate cheek meat, but only the truly old school fully uses the bounty of these waters and can turn a fish carcass into blackfish jelly. Generations on the coast have long kept this culinary knowledge secret, yet it was fading into “culinary backwaters” until a revival of interest saved these savory treats from vanishing. These are some of my favorites.

Perhaps shrimp throats, aka “spiders,” are among the more common and likely the easiest to go mainstream. On the larger, jumbo to colossal-sized white shrimp, there is a bit of sweet meat that is nearly always wasted. Easily freed by placing an index finger into the head along the bottom and pushing down, this tasty nugget when washed, spiced, breaded, and fried is an amazing twist on shrimp meat with a unique texture and becomes a perfect and delicious finger food.

Mullets are one of the rare species of fish to have a gizzard, similar to a bird. Mullets are bottom feeders and it is best to only use the gizzard from mullets caught near the islands offshore where bottoms are sandy and not full of mud. The mullet gizzard is a small little nodule about the size of a fingernail and located after the throat. It must be sliced open and thoroughly washed before being simply spiced, battered and fried, just like the shrimp “spiders”—a tasty treat.

Red snapper are highly prized along the entire Gulf Coast, but from the piers of Galveston, Texas, to Orange Beach, Alabama, the snapper throats are simply tossed out. Yet these throats on the larger snappers are filled with delicate meat between the pectoral fins and are almost always scraped off the fish stations into the water for crabs or pelicans. I knew of a group of cruisers from Pascagoula, Mississippi, that would often do the voyage to Destin, Florida, along the ICW and arrive as the Destin charter boats were docking and the fish was being cleaned. Florida’s charter captains always found it a bit curious that these Mississippi natives would walk up and ask for these discarded portions of the large snappers. That was until they tasted the snapper throats scaled, spiced, breaded, and fried.

There is obviously a theme here regarding the frying of these tiny leftover morsels of meat, but with reason: They’re delicious and have a sweetness to them not found in the other meatier portions of fish or shrimp that is accentuated by the spicy batters of the Gulf Coast. Ask anyone who’s tried the little thumb-sized scallop of meat above and behind a redfish’s eyes.

Go for it and try one of these Gulf Coast’s unique delicacies. A nice comeback sauce and saltines will certainly help for that first sampling.

By Troy Gilbert, Southern Boating Magazine April 2016

 

Fostering seamanship with Sea Scouts

It’s never too early to start discussing summer camp options with the kids. Luckily, on the Gulf Coast a great camp option offers boating adventures to kids that make their parents green with envy. The Sea Scouts, a maritime version of the Boy Scouts, have a major facility on the Gulf Coast in Galveston, Texas. Known as Sea bases, these scouting programs are major hands-on educational boating programs for the next generations.

Originally conceived as a camp and high-adventure facility for the Sea Scouts, the Sea Base Galveston on Offatts Bayou has fresh programs and a new facility that was completed in early 2015 with an endowment reported to approach $100 million. The scope of the original project broadened to include a Community Youth Sailing Center and a maritime education facility for merchant mariner students and others. Financed almost entirely by a donation from a private donor who is very active in the Sea Scouting programs, the 60,000-square-foot facility includes lodging, offices, classrooms, and a cafeteria. The structure is adjacent to floating docks and piers and can host 200-300 scouts on a weekly basis.

Home to a fleet of Sonar and FJ sailboats and an 82′ Coast Guard cutter converted to a functioning on-the-water classroom, the Sea base also holds a variety of vessels ranging from kayaks to schooners with the goals of emphasizing sailing instruction, seamanship, navigation, and high adventure. The program draws more than 20,000 scouts a year from throughout the country.

Quite similar to the Sea Base in Galveston, a Sea Scouts’ facility in Islamorada in the Florida Keys also offers high adventure maritime camps with everything from snorkeling and scuba diving to sailing expeditions to exploring a deserted island owned by the organization—all in sunny South Florida.

With many different programs, the Out Island Adventure in the Keys is one of the most irresistible. Sea Scouts are taken to the rustic and undeveloped Big Munson Island for a week of snorkeling and kayaking on coral reefs, all while camping on the beaches. Described as a Survivor for kids but fully supervised, the program urges scouts to carry their own gear and provisions before being led on mini-expeditions to fish the reefs and forage on the island.

Both of the programs in Galveston and the Keys are designed to foster a sense of self-reliance on the water and build lasting memories for these future boaters in a safe and supervised environment. It’s one thing to hear adventure stories from your child as they return from tennis or space camp, but imagine their smiles and tales of courage from living on an island, sailing through a formidable squall line or reeling in dinner that was enjoyed by a campfire. Adventure and freedom is what draws boaters to the water, and the Sea Scouts are an incredible way to ignite or cultivate that passion in your children.

 

By Troy Gilbert, Southern Boating Magazine March 2016

The gift of giving

As boaters, we love our waterways in Texas and Louisiana—they’re our stomping grounds. Whether our boats take us to a favorite fishing spot for those big reds or that secluded little beach for an afternoon with family and friends, our lives would never be the same without access to and the freedom found on the water. We may not realize it, but boaters are natural environmentalists. No one wants to anchor off that prized beach and find it covered in trash or discover that a secret fishing hole is devoid of fish. Luckily, boaters are becoming increasingly aware of the many issues that affect the health of their waters, and there are multitudes of ways for them to give back.

Perhaps the easiest method is to simply enroll as a member or “friend” of a nonprofit organization that seeks to restore and preserve favorite waterways and cruising grounds. These organizations’ dedicated teams of volunteers conduct water quality samples, plant marsh grasses, and fishermen assist in conducting fish surveys.

If giant nonprofits receive the most charitable donations, they may also tend to have the highest cost overhead and expenses to cover before your money is brought into direct action. However, throughout the Gulf Coast there are small organizations made up of volunteers—many might be your neighbors or friends at the marina—for whom $50 or $100 would go a long way to help preserve a favorite boating or fishing ground. Here are a few of our trusted organizations, but a simple Google search will help you find a nonprofit group dedicated to your favorite bay, lake or estuary. So log on and make that donation. Better yet, deliver some much-needed cash as you sign up for a few volunteer hours and have another excuse to get out on the water.

Coastal Conservation Association-Texas: Dedicated to the restoration of the once highly productive marine fisheries along the Texas Gulf Coast as well as her barrier islands, the CCA-Texas is a devoted division of the larger Coastal Conservation Association, which has been highly successful in their attempts at preserving and growing recreational and commercial fisheries. ccatexas.org

Gulf Restoration Network (Gulf Wide): Covering the health and preservation of the entire Gulf of Mexico, this organization and their efforts came into real prominence immediately following the BP oil spill off the Louisiana coast in 2010. While it’s a medium-sized organization, this group and their army of volunteers are very active throughout the Gulf Coast from the planting of marsh grasses to the restoration of barrier islands and the preservation of fishing grounds. healthygulf.org

Lower Laguna Madre Foundation: Dedicated to preserving the Laguna Madre that stretches nearly the entire southern Gulf Coast of Texas, the organization is a major advocate for preserving the recreational use, habitats and smart economic development along this incredible natural resource. lowerlagunamadrefoundation.com

By Harlen Leslie, Southern Boating Magazine March 2016

Historic navigational landmarks

Even with the advent of GPS, boaters familiar with their home waters still use landmarks to guide them to their homeports and those new to an area find them to be crucial. Throughout the Gulf Coast, the region is sprinkled with historic lighthouses many of which are still functioning, and some of these lights have guided sailors home to safety for more than two centuries and have the history to prove it. While there are far too many to mention here, the following list is a good start for your explorations.

Alabama

Mobile Bay—In the shallows of Mobile Bay, the Middle Bay Light has stood since 1885 and marks the dogleg in the primary shipping channel. Placed on the National Historic Registry in 1975, this lighthouse has withstood many a hurricane and still serves as a navigational tool.

Florida

Cape San Blas—Originally constructed in 1848, the Cape San Blas Lighthouse marked the elbow in the cape extruding into the Gulf of Mexico that forms St. Joseph’s Bay on the Florida Panhandle. In 2014, the lighthouse was decommissioned and moved to a bayside park in the town of Port St. Joe and now includes a museum.

Seahorse Key—On a pristine and undeveloped section of Florida’s west coast lies a chain of keys near the entrance to the Suwannee River. In 1854, the first lighthouse was built on the Cedar Keys, and today the lighthouse is home to the University of Florida’s Seahorse Key Marine Laboratory.

Pensacola—Located on Santa Rosa Island near Fort Barrancas, the Pensacola Lighthouse went operational in 1824 and is still visible when entering the Pensacola Lighthouse. Today, it houses a lighthouse museum and is located on the grounds of the Naval Air Station.

Louisiana

New Canal—Nearly destroyed during Hurricane Katrina in 2015, the New Canal Lighthouse was originally constructed in 1839 and guided barges and schooners from Lake Pontchartrain into one of the shipping canals leading to downtown New Orleans. The lighthouse was fully restored after the hurricane, is operational and home to the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation.

Tchefuncte River Lighthouse—Erected in 1837 at the entrance of the large Tchefuncte River into Lake Pontchartrain, the lighthouse has been guiding boaters to the quaint resort town of Madisonville for their popular Wooden Boat Festival on the lake’s north shore.

Mississippi

Round Island—The lighthouse was constructed in 1833 to guide mariners into the port of Pascagoula from the Mississippi Sound. Hurricane Katrina destroyed it as it was undergoing restoration, and the salvaged remains were shipped by barge and relocated in Pascagoula from the barrier island. The lighthouse was relighted in 2015.

 

By Troy Gilbert – Southern Boating Magazine, February 2016

Mark your 2016 cruising calendar with these regattas for a year’s worth of fun.

With boating season warming up on the Texas Gulf Coast, thoughts are turning to cruising destinations with white sandy beaches or to docking up at waterfront seafood restaurants with friends and family. While everyone has their favorite port of call, often overlooked as cruising destinations are the sailing regattas held throughout the waterways of Texas. Whether you own a sailboat or have always been a powerboater, these events offer an unmatched boating experience as an on-the-water spectator to the action or as a participant convoying to a raft-up. Afterward, the marinas and yacht clubs fill up for the legendary post-event parties with live music, food and sailors from throughout the Gulf Coast. Here is a sampling of regattas and cruising events along the Texas and southwestern Louisiana coasts that should be on your radar for 2016, and all have facilities to accommodate transient cruisers looking to attend the party.

From cruising events at your local yacht club to major regattas where anchoring in the spectators’ area provides great views of the action, there are ample opportunities to get out on the water with friends and family and make new Texas boating memories this year.

J/70 North American Championship 

Seabrook, Texas; May 19-22: An entire flotilla of these little speedsters will descend on the Lakewood Yacht Club for four days of events and on-the-water excitement. Drop an anchor to watch some of the top sailors in North America showcase their prowess and then enjoy the endless hospitality of one of the finest clubs on the Texas coast. j70nac.com

Race to the Border

Galveston to South Padre Island, Texas; May 28th to June 2nd: The 8th running of this biennial regatta hosted by the Galveston Bay Cruising Association and the Laguna Madre Yacht Club offers the perfect opportunity for cruisers and powerboaters to participate in a distance event along the Texas coast. Running for 240 miles, the event has specific classes tailored for cruisers and even has a “Jalapeño” class, which is geared for floating parties. Regatta participants overrun the town of Port Isabel and the nearby beaches. racetotheborder.com

GT300 and the Ruff Rider

Laguna Madre, Texas; June 15-18 and Labor Day weekend: Texas is known for big things and so it is with sailing. These two major distance races for beach cats are legendary the world over. Sailing the Laguna Madre, the two-person teams on Hobie-style catamarans trek nearly the entire coast of Texas with beach parties along the way. greattexas300.com; ruffrider.net

Harvest Moon Regatta

Galveston to Port Aransas, Texas; October 13-15: One of the largest cruising and sailing events on the entire Gulf Coast, nearly 200 yachts participate in this regatta to Port Aransas hosted by the Lakewood Yacht Club. Many large powerboats make the cruise alongside the regatta, but it is recommended to reserve slip space early. harvestmoonregatta.com

 

By Harlen Leslie, Southern Boating Magazine January 2016

Catch an air show from the comfort of your own boat.

Deep in the heart of winter on the Gulf Coast, boaters already begin to plan their upcoming on-the-water adventures. New destinations are plotted on charts; that wooden boat festival that was missed last year due to work is scribbled onto the calendar, and family friendly boating events are searched out on the Internet. Here’s one boaters must included on their cruising calendars: an air show from the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels.

The legendary, precision flying squadron’s home is smack in the middle of the Florida panhandle at the U.S. Naval Air Station in Pensacola. The Blue Angels have been thrilling hordes of people for more than 50 years with their razor-thin precision and spectacular aerial stunts. Throughout the year an estimated 11 million people view the incredible aerial dynamics of these pilots as they fly in close formation and perform amazing feats of sky gymnastics in their F/A-18 fighter jets, which can reach speeds of 1,400 mph!

Eleven million people can be quite a crowd, but luckily, many of the air shows that the Blue Angels visit are accessible to boaters in many parts of the country. What better way to entertain than to run your boat just off shore on the Gulf of Mexico, a bay or lake and drop anchor for the best seats in town. Raft up with your boat-owning friends and make it an annual event. Pack a lunch or fire up that stern grill, marvel at the aeronautics and feel the power of the Blue Angels as these extreme aircrafts spring through the air. Many of the venues, especially in beach towns such as Pensacola and Key West, have the fighter jets screaming just along the shorelines and possibly directly over your vessel. It’s quite the memorable experience. Air shows held throughout the country in 2016 can be found on their website blueangels.navy.mil. Search for the event nearest you and discover whether the pilots will be flying directly over or within viewing distance of your favorite waterway. The energy and thrill of watching these fighter pilots from the comfort of your own boat is truly a one-of-a-kind experience and should absolutely be scheduled into your boating plans for this New Year.

Now go back to dreaming of warmer weather and untying those dock lines—spring is right around the corner.

 

By Troy Gilbert, Southern Boating Magazine January 2016

Motherships Expeditions

Dean Gladney has been running his 65-foot custom charter boat Beachwater II south into the Mississippi Sound from Biloxi for 35 years. She belongs to a group of eight similar vessels, dubbed the Chandeleur boats (aka motherships) that make the unique run to Louisiana’s Chandeleur Islands and the Breton National Wildlife Refuge for what Gladney describes as a “paradise of fishing.”

The Chandeleur boats are unique in that they act as mobile headquarters with six or more 14-foot skiffs loaded on board and are able to tow their charter’s personal boats for long three-day tours of nonstop fishing and camaraderie for up to 12 people. The spacious Beachwater II has the feel of a rustic fishing camp, and Gladney’s three-man crew cleans the days’ hauls of redfish, speckled trout and flounder, and cooks massive amounts of some of the finest Gulf Coast meals imaginable. They take care of everything—all you have to do is catch the fish.

“The Chandeleurs really are a paradise even though they have been ravaged by hurricanes over the last 30 years and are a quarter of their size now,” says Gladney, who at 22 years old started working as a deckhand for his father in 1979. His institutional fishing knowledge of the area is unrivaled. “There are so many coves, little bayous, points, and grassy habitats out there that are magnets for these fish, and when they turn on, boy, do they turn on,” Gladney says. “In the late summer we get my charters out on the Gulfside beaches for surf fishing.”

Ideal for large groups of friends or families, the motherships are a sensational way to spend a long weekend. The sunsets are spectacular on the large stern deck or on the bow for stargazing, socializing or hanging down below for poker games late into the night in the rarely visited and out-of-cellphone coverage Chandeleur Islands. In the spring, thousands of pelicans and other sea birds come to the island chain for nesting, but if the shoreline beach combing is ideal their real goal is fishing.

It’s a unique experience running the little skiffs out from the mothership up into the marsh shallows with an ice chest and then drifting along the shore until you find that one perfect spot where the fish start biting. Since you’re never far from the floating base, it’s truly a relaxed fishing expedition without the worry of returning to the boat launch to get home in time for supper.

This is the last month of the season that started in April. It’s best to book early—Beachwater II and the other Chandeleur boats fill up quickly with many repeat customers extending their trips by staying at the casinos adjacent to the marinas. “It’s really just been a good life out here on the water and helping so many people see and explore these islands with me,” says Gladney reflecting on his years aboard Beachwater II.

By Harlen Leslie, Southern Boating, November 2015

The Last Lightship

There has been a run of deadly accidents and weather events during regattas on all of the United States’ coasts and on the Great Lakes in the last few years, including Alabama’s tragic Dauphin Island Race this April 25th in which five sailors drowned. While these events tend to draw more coverage nationally, they are but larger scale examples of the daily occurrence of boating incidents documented by the U.S. Coast Guard. On the Gulf Coast the weather can be explosive as powerful squall lines erupt along cool fronts, and while these deadly “adventure” stories are interesting reads, they also serve as tools to remind all boaters of the potential hazards on the water.

In 1983, a squall line exploded over a fleet of racing sailboats and their experiences became another cautionary tale. Out of the 38 boats that started the 180nm New Orleans Lightship Race off the Mississippi coast with heavily overcast and threatening skies, only 6 would finish. Conditions worsened quickly throughout the race as the cold front approached from the north, and several boats had serious issues in the first few miles and didn’t make it past the mark at Ship Island Pass let alone into the open waters of the Gulf.

These were still the days of Gulf Coast sailing legends like Tommy Dreyfus and Buddy Friedrichs and where LORAN and dead reckoning were king. But even on many of these heavy displacement boats with winds reported from nearby offshore oil rigs approaching sustained 40 knots with gusts as high as 65 and seas over 15 feet, it was too much.

Topper Thompson was on board Slot Machine, a Lindenberg 30. He explains their grim experience and eventual forced removal from the regatta. “On top of the 12-foot seas, occasional monsters would come through and break on top. One wave broke and flipped us stern over bow. In the same motion, the rudder was broken off. The boat came up, rig intact, but no steerage. A sea anchor was deployed, but it did not bring the bow into the wind, said Thompson. “Slot Machine had no control and was broadside to the breaking waves. The crew got below deck, wedged themselves into place with sails, and tried to stow all potential projectiles. A Mayday was put out and the Coast Guard was contacted. In the middle of communication with the Coast Guard, the boat rolled again and this time the mast hit the bottom and communication with the Coast Guard ceased.”

Thompson and his crew eventually beached on Petit Bois Island and all were rescued, but not every boat was as fortunate with many sunk or dismasted. A 19-year-old Tulane student, Nelson Roltsch, was lost off a J/29 due to a rogue wave. He was never recovered.

The love of all forms and methods of boating is a very real passion, but so is the necessity of proper safety. Be safe out there, folks.

By Troy Gilbert, Southern Boating, November 2015

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