Catching up

Since we are going to be here for a little while relaxing, I thought I would try to catch up on some of the details of our trip so far that I haven't had time to post.

The Memphis Yacht Club was absolutely wonderful to us. Nicer people you will not find on this earth. Thanks Chuck for everything.

The Greenville Yacht Club and the Gulfport Yacht Club are both part of the Somali pirate network.

When we told people we were going to go down the Mississippi river to the gulf, most everyone told me I was crazy. One even told me I was stupid if we tried it. Most people said the current was too strong, the water was muddy and polluted, the barge traffic was horrific, and there were no services, and that generally it would be a horrible trip. None of these people ever actually had made the trip. That is was just what they had heard or imagined. I found most of that to be totally untrue. First of all, as to the current, yes it was strong, and thank God it was. We could run 7 to 11 mph all day long. For my little sailboat with a 6 hp motor,  it was like having a 10 hp. There were days I wished for more current. As far as the water being dirty and polluted, I disagree. We traveled from Cairo to Baton Rouge and I saw four pieces of floating  trash, one Mountain Dew bottle, one oil bottle, and two pieces of plastic. I was shocked at just how unpolluted it was. Once past Baton Rouge, we saw maybe 5 or 6  things floating in the water. So in 860 miles we saw 10 pieces of trash, I think that is unbelievably good. The barge traffic was not bad at all. I learned to sail on the Ohio river. The barge traffic on the Ohio is worse than the Mississippi. Yes they are bigger on the Mississippi, but the river is bigger. It took a little while to learn how to talk to the barge captains, but once I did, most were very nice. If you talk to them with an attitude that it is thier river, and you are the visitor you will get along fine. I was warned about the large ocean going ships from Baton Rouge on down. They were even easier than barges. They produced almost no wake. They were so confined to the channel, that you did not have to wonder were they were going. The only thing that I was told that was correct, was the lack of services. There is not much. The gem of the Mississippi is the Memphis Yacht Club. The Greenville Yacht Club has fuel at a reasonable price (but that's all). The only fuel you will get from there on down you will have to dinghy from shore. If you use diesel, I have heard you can buy from the barge terminals, but don't know that for sure.

To sum it all up. We had a good trip. It was an adventure not a pleasure cruise, and that is exactly what I was looking for. Knowing what I know now, would I do it again? Absolutely! I do think that the time of year is an important consideration. October and November I believe are the best months.

I will try to do some more catching up tomorrow.
Mike

Us in Ocean Springs.

                                           Heaven on the Mississippi (Memphis Yacht Club)

                                             Riverview RV Park in Natchez (almost heaven)

                                             Morgan at anchor in Natchez.