Leaving the Dock & Kemah

Leaving the Dock / Kemah
Thursday 3/25/2010 is a beautiful clear brisk day as we pull away from our house and dock at 10:20 AM heading to the fuel dock. After topping off with 90+ gallons of diesel we sail under the Kemah Bridge & past restaurant row for the last time at 11 AM. Put the sails up at marker 5 but since the wind is right behind us the main comes down soon and we are under way with the full jib out making 6-7 knots with the tides help. Dolphin escort out the Galveston jetties, & at 2:45 PM we are outside the jetties wind & tide still behind us. We are bundled up with the 65⁰ temperature; a lot of ships (33) anchored waiting to go into port. An hour later we pass into GREEN water, now wing on wing, still doing 6-7 knots, we have altered course a little to go via the shipping fairways instead of through the oil rig mines. 6:30 PM Carnival cruise ship Ecstasy passes us. 9 PM rolled up the main that is now blanketing the jib, doing 7-8 knots w/ just the jib. Early morning hours reefed the jib and put out a reefed main, flying along with following seas. Friday 3/26 morning is overcast with the sun trying to burn through; we leave the fairways heading towards next waypoint. Wind is now over the forward beam & we are in beautiful blue/green water 260+ feet deep. By noon the wind and the tide have both slowed down so we turn the engine on and are now motor sailing. By 2 the sun is finally warmed us up some but we are in for another cold night. By 5 pm the wind has shifted to on the nose so sails are rolled up and we are motoring through the night. Saturday 3/27 2 AM the winds picked up so sails are up & motor is off the silence is welcomed. Morning brings a beautiful sunshine day & we are flying towards the mouth of the Mississippi in calmer seas, depth reader does not go that high 600+ feet I am told. The winds die down for a short time during the late afternoon then pick back up later in the day. During the night winds are up to 25 knots & we are double reefed in both sails beating into 2 foot waves BUT still moving along at 8-9 + knots, a bounce ride but the boat & crew handle it all well. Early morning hours winds & waves finally calm down. Sunday morning we are approaching the Pensacola channel, 500 miles & three days later we have arrived at the first stop of our journey. We find a great little cove to anchor in, right inside the channel off the ICW surrounded by white sand barrier reefs. We have a nice relaxing lunch, shower & relax in afternoon with dolphins playing around the boat. An occasional Air Force jet & the Blue Angels flying overhead make for a great contrast to our peaceful surroundings. It has been a great first passage. Tomorrow we will go to a marina in town & check out Pensacola J