Today we arrived in New Orleans, after over 1100 miles on the water with the “Storm Rider Tour.”  We gave up the homemade coffee this morning, knowing that across the parking lot in the Hard Rock Hotel was a Starbucks. 7:00 AM we called Bill Capo, veteran WWL-TV reporter, who would meet us to board the Storm Rider for a short run to Long Beach and cover our story for airing later.  WWL has been a commanding voice for wetlands restoration and protection for Louisiana and Capo was no stranger to the story.  As he and his cameraman  came aboard, we headed out from the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor in choppy waters for the ride, images of the harbor still trying to return from the ravages of Katrina fresh in our mind.  Bill was a sailor and had immediate appreciation for this old Grand Banks trawler.  Underway, the interview was immediately christened with a large wave spray that ruined any thought of a “close up.”  We hoped to see the familiar Dolphins that were constant companions.  While we rocked and rolled, Bill did interview with me and Juan about what our experiences were like spreading the message of coastal restoration along the Gulf Coast.  When completed, we headed toward the Long Beach Marina to drop the crew off for a return to New Orleans but not before spotting a row of yellow bouys and what appeared to be submerged pipeline.  We decided to call for information and learned that the markers were for dredgers laying cable, which was enough to make us veer away from the area altogether and alter course.  The decision proved to be fortunate, as before we hit the end of the short run, dolphins began their gleeful leaps at boat’s port side to the delight of the camera.  Mission accomplished and now I would call in to a live radio program featuring LaFourche Parish President, Charlotte Randolph, who wanted to talk about the upcoming Storm Warning events for her area. Charlotte is yet another coastal crusader who keeps the heat turned up on coastal issues.  Patiently waiting for our return was Biloxi WLOX-TV, whose appointment the evening before was re-scheduled due to our late Biloxi arrival.  Anne Milling, founder of Women of the Storm, would be next up on the line to tend to last minute details for the New Orleans riverfront concert that Women of the Storm will help to host.  And now the final run into Louisiana would bring up past Cat Island, into the Rigolets, Louisiana’s welcome corridor dotted by Shrimpers and sports fishermen eager to land some fresh seafood.  The area is also the gateway to Lake Ponchatrain, once imperiled by growing pollution, now making a comeback because of citizen concern and action to save the Lake.  With New Orleans on the horizon, we were soon to reunite with staff members who have been working away to raise awareness about coastal erosion and planning the coming weekend’s events.  Tonight we will settle in at Orleans Marina, struggling to come back after Katrina, so that boaters like us can enjoy one of America’s great cities and treasures.  Happy Sails!

With Memorial Day behind us, it was time to set off for long run from Orange Beach, Alabama, to Biloxi, Mississippi.  Everything was ready for the seven hour cruise except two hardheaded batteries that decided to be buried in “Sweet Home Alabama.”  It would take more than two dead heads to halt the Storm Rider tour as we could begin to smell our destination from the waters turning muddy from Mississippi River mud.  Fortunately, one call found a mechanic who came armed with two new sources of boat life.  The irony of the day was that Frank the mechanic upon walking into the engine room exclaimed, I’ve worked on this boat before in Miami - go figure - the happy reunion with our old engine began.  Three hours later we were up and running but five hours late, which meant, cruising into Mississippi much later than the sun would manage to shine.  Close to our departure location at the Wharf was LuLu’s, said to be Jimmy Buffet’s sister’s restaurant and marina.  Happy smiles, waves and thumbs up for the wetlands as we passed by with a toot of the horn.  Dauphin Island would lead us out of Alabama into the Mississippi Sound and the continuation of an endless chain of barrier islands, many showing ragged wear from the onslaught of recent hurricanes. We soon would leave the Alabama gulf shores and spot the ship yards of Pascagoula, Mississippi.  It was evident we were officially in America’s Energy Coast as we spotted an oil and gas rig next to a shrimp boat trawling. Recently, the America’s WETLAND Foundation branded the four state region of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama as America’s Energy Coast (AEC). The events of the coming weekend would find the new initiative holding hearings on June 1st, first day of hurricane season, in Lake Charles, Louisiana, with  ”Sustaining the Unique Coastal Culture of America’s Energy Coast” the topic of a hearing that will inform the work of the AEC.  Beacons of resilience to fatal storms, the new casino’s of the Mississippi Riviera were now on the horizon at sunset, the Hard Rock Hotel being the marker with a facade of changing colors that would end our day. Happy Sails!

Check out the latest video from WWLTV.

Pensacola was the jumping off point for a short cruise to Orange Beach, Alabama on a cloudy Memorial Day.  We had fought a stalled weather front all weekend and the best thing I can say about that is the salty coating was washed away on an hourly basis.  The Sarasota radio station called for an update of the Tour and our good friend from New Orleans WWL Radio-AM870, Garland Robinette, had us on as his Memorial Day story.  Garland is a wetlands warrior who has been sounding the alarm for years about the pending tragedy facing Louisiana and the nation due to coastal erosion.  Our talk centered on a primary question, “Why don’t we see more projects building ground after all of these years sending out warning flares.  My view is that the numerous projects in the cue for restoring the coast are in various stages of progress, many having not been funded yet by Congress after authorization.  And then there is the primary issue that is really the elephant in the room.  There must be a comprehensive solution to divert the Mississippi River, so that the nutrients and sediments that give life to the wetlands can return after being walled off with levees along the Mississippi since 1927.  It is not an issue that the nation can avoid for much longer, as the heavy build up of nitrates from run off along the upper Mississippi is flowing right past the place that desperately needs them, a place that is experiencing the greatest land loss on the planet in coastal Louisiana. The result is that America’s WETLAND is dying, a massive dead or hypoxia zone in the Gulf of Mexico is growing and threatening marine life and as the Mississippi Delta dies, the health of the River is not far removed from the consequences. This is a dirty and sticky national issue that leaders and citizens from the State of Louisiana have tried to elevate to a national priority.  A week from Memorial Day is the first day of the Atlantic Hurricane season and with or without a storm ravaging the Gulf Coast, the future of America’s WETLAND hangs in the balance and the problem cries out for a national solution so that this generation’s legacy will be stewardship of our valuable natural resources.

Monday’s weather was a bit more welcoming, as we set out in a light chop to move back into the Intracoastal Waterway heading West.  As we leave Florida, more military bases dot the route and the barrier islands keep the Gulf waves at bay, so the holiday recreational boaters could enjoy calmer waters inside.  It is hard to imagine that this stretch of waterway was recently  a low populated zone, as the high rises now dot the islandscape of these once sleepy fishing communities.  Tonight was a stop at one of the newest developments called The Wharf, complete with ferris wheel, floating pools, full marina, shops and eateries.  The place rises from the shore of the ICWW and the festive atmosphere seems to be a magnet for kids.  The day ended with the hoots and howls from the happy families wrapping up their holiday weekend.  Happy Sails!

With a great trip without a storm, the day finally arrived where we used all of the technology to dodge lightning.  From Destin to Pensacola was a nice run and the gathering storm clouds upon an early departure from Harborwalk Marina signaled that the chase of ominous clouds was underway.  This was a three cabin day, meaning we would move from the boat’s flybridge down to the helm several times to avoid quick moving storms clocked at 15 knts.  By the way, our boat moves at 10 knts, so the chase was not really a fair one.  During this passage, we entered Santa Rosa Island area and the beautiful white dunes formed an eerie sillouete against the line of thunder storms in the distant. Occasionally, we came upon other pleasure boaters and a regatta of sailors clogged up the narrow channel often enough to have the boat too close to bottom for comfort.  Entering the last bridge into Pensacola Beach after nearly four hours, rain pounded our craft and we used electronics to guide our way.  We arrived at Palafox Pier Marina in the historic heart of downtown Pensacola, which we learned was founded in the 1550’s, a few hundred years before the nation was founded. The old city area is quaint, if unpopulated on a Sunday.  As with most stops, we found an art fair looking for customers who failed to materialize under the threatening skies. We picked up a souvenir from a local artist to add to our “tour” collection of T-shirts and memorabilia from our ports of call.  Today we would fast from any fried food, finding the Oyster House for lunch and a quick salad topped with local Grouper before hanging out at the boat and giving away Pierre the Pelican and Eddy the Eagle action figures to the kids anxious to hear about Louisiana’s vanishing coast.  The boat was cleaned up and readied for another week and it was off to the work world before returning for the Memorial Day festivities here along the Gulf Coast.  Happy Sails!

Saturday morning was time to depart Panama City and move out from the Grand Lagoon into St. Andrews Bay into West Bay into West Bay Creek - what is commonly referred to as Florida’s Grand Canyon.  We are thankful that we took the inside route as advised by a few boaters, as the scenery and ride were delightful.  After a few bridges (we’ll have the Florida Bridges Photo Album coming out in Christmas!), it was all about nature, with our daily dolphin guides leading us we entered the pine and sand bluffs of the canyon.  They are not tall canyons, but beautifully formed edges with large roots from pines falling into the water making the scene somewhat surreal. We passed a few other recreational boaters but not one commercial vessel, as we were told that the slow economy had all but shut down the marine trade during weekends.  By time we reached Choctawhatchee Bay (say that three times) we were eyeing the last bridges before our destination of DESTIN.  Let me say that there was no signs of an economic downturn here.  In fact, since our start of the trip, we have not seen so many franticly maneuvered pleasure craft, some with skippers seemingly still in diapers. The hot spot during our arrival was a sandbar located just inside the HWY 98 bridge.  Now, something about this bridge. As a youngster, we would wait for hours on our trip with Pops and Lil (my folks) and five kids in tow for the bridge that would signal the entry into the “beautiful waters,” as Lil called them.  So, as we approached the area, I signaled to my engineer, Juan, that he was soon to see the beauty of DESTIN.  Sure enough, right before the bridge the murky waters of the Bay were met by the crystal clear aqua waters of the Gulf, with a very clear line of demarkation.  In the 50’s and 60’s, there was but a mere motel in DESTIN, but now you can see the Cajun influence all around the bridge area.  A super development called “HARBORWALK” has opened within the year and the New Orleans’ extensions are obvious, no less than a Pat O’Brien’s, Commander’s Palace, and, yes, a Camellia Grill on premises.  We had lunch at a joint called “Harry T’s” named after a circus high wire man, who did something great during a bygone war in Turkey and bought land here in the early 1900’s (local lore that is hard to figure).  The menu was sport’s bar huge but, once again, we headed straight for the fried grub, with oyster and shrimp poboys.  This followed a long string of fried food outings during this trip, leaving us in a fried food coma for much the rest of the day, vowing to stay away from the grease for a while.  The place was jumping and we made our way up and down HARBORWALK, handing out information on Louisiana’s vanishing coast and making sure the kids had Captain Eddy and Pierre the Pelican action heros to remind them of the importance of America’s WETLAND.  The canal near the area remained one of the busiest see and be seen parades of boats we have encountered, sometimes with five or six boats passing at a time, meandering all over the place.  Our marina was at HARBORWALK, so the views were many late into the evening when the harbor became alive with dancers to the live bands canceling each other out from the vast decks of the eateries.  Our neighbors in this marina were a large fleet of sports fishing charter boats, who brought happy fishermen home with proud catches and the fish stories to match.  Late night rains closed the evening with a more cloudy forecast for the Sunday voyage.  Happy Sails!

From Tarpon Springs to Panama City Beach is like night and day.  Because of difficult air schedules, it was a car from New Orleans’ planning meetings for the Storm Warning events to the boat docked at Bay Point Marina in St. Andrews Bay off the Grand Lagoon.  We would soon be re-tracking the car route with the boat.  Panama City TV 13 began the day coming out to the boat and filing a story about hurricane protection and the America’s WETLAND call for coastal sustainability. Since the area is safe harbor for big ships in big storms because of the Bay’s depth, hurricane news is big here. This beach was very popular for vacations when I was a kid, but it was hardly recognizable after so many years upon returning.  This stretch from Destin to Panama City Beach is fondly referred to as the Cajun Riviera, owing this distinction to the thousands who venture across I-10 to Hwy 98 from Louisiana in search of fun and sun.  Downtown Panama City was never a place one visited, but that was the stop for dinner last night at the Shrimpboat Restaurant which has been reincarnated after being closed for many years as a symbol of the historic St. Andrews district.  The fish here is FRESH, being taken daily from the Gulf and grilled over pecan planks.  My advice to anyone visiting Panama City is to take the short drive and enjoy this delicacy.  After the long Gulf crossing, the boat was screaming for attention.  Oil, fan belts, and hose clamps were the new maintenance items to get ready for the weekend’s run to Destin and ultimately Pensacola, where the tour will rest again during the week.  With the winds picking up, it will be the inside route that will run past Eglin Air Force Base, one of many military bases that dot this coast of Florida, including the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, better known as home to the Blue Angels ace flying team and pride of the Navy.  Hmm. Let me see, the Air Force is here but the NAVY has the ace flyers.  We’ll try to figure that out by time we get back up on tomorrow’s blog and that might be harder than understanding why beaches in Florida’s panhandle would be attacked by Cajuns!  Happy Sails!

Never mind St. Petersburg was named by a land developer influenced by Russia’s St. Petersburg, some would say early developer interests in “I’ve got some land to sell you in Florida” would stick.  But it is more the Spanish influence that grabs you than the land grabbers here.  From numerous Spanish restaurants and tapas bars to Spanish architecture to the Dali Museum, this would have more appropriately been called “Little Catalonia.” And, speaking of Dali, the museum is worth the time, well presented, strong collection with solid descriptions telling Dali’s rather unique life story. The city boasts of 360 days of sunshine a year, which leaves little time for gloom.  It is a strategic tourism locale, sitting between Tampa Bay and the Gulf and our boat “mechanical” this weekend gave us exploring time. The municipal marina opens into the bay and the scene has changed from sports fishing rigs in South Florida port to sailing masts clanging in the breeze.  The old town shows signs of rebirth from removal of historic “green” benches to move past a retiring image to one of high rise condos at water’s edge.  We did stumble upon one of the more beautiful water sculptures I’ve ever seen; water calculated to run down and across pebbles creating a magical cascading effect.

05.10.09
We’ll take the Intracoastal Waterway inside route North tomorrow to Tarpon Springs, known as America’s sponge capitol with a decidedly Greek influence from those settlers who mine the sponges as they have for ages in Greece.  So it will be Spanakopita and Dolmades or studded grape leaves for our arrival dinner. Happy Sails!