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Culotta Sails Again

Cruising the inside passage is one great experience whether it is on a cruise ship or pleasure boat-even by ferry.

We seized the opportunity to join friends, Captains Jim and Sarah Pearson, note the plural, on their charter sailboat. Yes, a sailboat, not a trawler. A 44 ft. Beneteau TONIC with three staterooms with ensuite heads. Not to mention a brand new big diesel fired heater. But we had fun! Lots of it. I have always held the belief that one could tell how much fun sailors are having by how bundled up and scrunched down they are in the open cockpit in cold weather. By this gauge, we were having a great time. True, we were pushing the season in British Columbia, but only by a couple of weeks. We saw very few yachts during the 6 day cruise and most all were in Desolation Sound. The lack of pleasure craft was not strange to me due to the fact that in the part of La. in which we live is not a “hotbed of yachting”. Actually the lack of other boats was a blessing as we had almost all of
the cruising area to ourselves. The “we” I refer to is not “The Wife” who is usually my faithful companion on most excursions, she had to remain in La. due to work schedule, (she’s almost over it now). Anyway my companion for this trip is my older brother, the Father (sorry I couldn’t resist). Actually I’m referring to my brother Salvador, the priest, who is now retired and divides his time by skiing in Angel Fire, New Mexico and his cabin near Beaumont, Texas.

We are 29 days out of Patterson, (Calumet to the initiated). What with all the condos that are pandemic, as I said before, Calumet is looking better every day. For instance, we are in Everglades City and it is in the middle of nowhere. Condo creep has not taken hold---yet. A MOBIL home in a mobile home park, not acreage, $239,000.

Do not allow the title of the following article to deter you from reading it.
What it is not, is a day to day chronology of a cruise. With full fear of offending, I have never understood why so many cruise dialogs will have, "We left at 0800.", So what? Anyway, I do, of course, relate certain aspects of our little 1,000 + miles escapade, but I have made a conscious effort to avoid "detailed chronology". Anyone headed to "Trawler Fest" in Clear Lake, Texas (Houston) or traversing the Texas coast should find helpful hints.

Corpus Christi Cruising

The Wife, Pat, and I decided that we needed a nice, long, leisurely boat trip after the angst of building the house and dock. Several other factors entered into this trip equation. I had installed gas refrigeration, I already had a gas freezer, and more importantly, this would be The Wife’s first extended trip as we anticipated being gone 3 weeks or more.

Grand Isle, La., Garden Spot of the State
(For those who know, this is with tongue planted firmly in cheek)

Hello all Chubbies

Since the Alabama River trip we have not really been anywhere on the boat so when the opportunity to head down to Grand Isle, a Louisiana barrier island about 135 miles from Patterson presented itself, we seized the opportunity. We have been there a number of times but not on Mardi Gras! Friends, do not confuse this with New Orleans but we are still talking a good time. All homemade floats that are, shall we say quaint. More about that later.