My adventure

[Kevin Kaldenbach]

This is a letter I wrote to my family describing the first legs of my Mississippi to Texas trip. I am posting it here to allow you guys to set me straight if it appears that I am confused about what all I described. I am new to sailing.

I left Pass Christian Mississippi on Wednesday and sailed for three days before giving in and finding somewhere to tie the boat. I will start again this Friday after taking few days to touch base with work and getting parts for the boat. I will have some help this time.

The first day was ok except for the biting flies. I lost my wind in the afternoon and had to motor for several hours. I thought it was going to be a long haul at that rate. I don’t know what my GPS measures speed in but I saw 5, Knots?(?) while sailing at one point. The boat has a Theoretical hull speed of around 6+ so I figured 5 was good. I did not get much sleep the first night because I was not comfortable anchored in the middle of no where and the boat tossed and turned all night. Bobbing at anchor is one complaint I have heard about the Cape Dory but it is also related to it sea worthiness.

Around 3:30 am I had enough of the bobbing and since there was wind I figured I had better make use of it. I kept a log of my progress on my chart and was doing good. When I ran out of my first chart I grabbed my second one to only find out I needed a third chart the linked these two together. I spent the rest of the day sailing by GPS and did not care for the lack of a paper chart. At one time I ran aground because I had my GPS zoomed out too far and it did not show a shallow spot. After about 45 minutes I was able to make it off of the sandbar. Thank you God! Sandbars were no longer to be a problem for the next two days as the depth quickly found itself in the 100 ft up to 200 ft range. Along with the deeper water came deeper troughs in the waves and after spending the day zipping along in rough seas and dodging oil rigs all I wanted was an place out of the wind to anchor for the night. I needed sleep.

I saw land and I fought a head wind to get there and after several attempts to tack to my anchorage I doused the sails and figured I would motor in. Wrong! The pulley on the raw water pump came loosed and I could not run the diesel. This also meant that my battery life was limited and that was a problem. I was still in between charts, I would needed the GPS, VHF, and lights for anchoring.

I spent the second night bobbing at anchor. But, I closed my eyes around 8 and did not open them until 5 am. I woke up starving because the day before was spent fighting winds and dodging oil rigs, I could not go down below to make a PBJ sandwich. When I did anchor I was too tired to eat.

After fighting the anchor and almost loosing the fight I got it up and was underway. Sailing was good so my spirits were up and I was a sailor once more. Soon I was beating into the wind in rough seas but making 8 plus knots(?) Exceeding the hull speed. I did not think that could be done. More oil rigs and on this day I sailed thru a bunch (13) of Tankers at anchor. Them things are massive.

My course was set for Grand Isle LA. It was the only place on my Computers map program that looked like it may be civilized and with in a days sail. My GPS had me set to sail at around 280 degrees but mother nature said I was not going there. The wind was blowing from that direction and I would have to tack to get there. Every time I attempted to change my course and tack to on the other side of the wind I failed. I damn near found myself on a course going back where I came from. I discovered that someone added a clevis to the sheave that adjusted my main sail and it would not allow me to pull the sail tight enough to flatten it out allowing me to sail closer to the wind. As I sailed that day I hoped the wind would change direction but I watched my path slowly leave my intended course. It was not until I reached sight of land, late in the day was I able to steer closer to the inlet at Grand Isle. Close but not close enough. When it got dark I decided enough was enough. I was in 25 ft of water so I set out most of my anchor line on one of my two anchors. I knew it was going to be an other night of bobbing. Boy did I bob. Around 4 am the bobbing was more than I could take. I was tossing and turning being rolled this way than that and I was starting to hurt. I promised myself not to leave the cabin until sun light as I felt it was unsafe to be on deck in them seas at night.

When daylight came I again found myself fighting the anchor. This time the boat was bobbing harder then ever and waves were crashing over the bow, drenching me as I tugged at the anchor and it tugged even harder at me. That was it! The anchor was not worth it so I whipped out my Marlin Spiked knife and cut the line.

I wore a home made safety harness that was tethered to the boat the whole trip. You see a few months ago while day dreaming of my future sailing adventures I had a horrible vision of slipping off the boat and watching it sail away. Yikes. I also had a rope ladder attached to the stern along with 50 ft of floating line, just in case.

After all of the rough seas I saw, I found it the roughest was going into the harbor, The channel was a narrow channel registering around 100 feet deep. The seas were hitting me on my stern and shoving me into troughs and spitting me out on the other side. Still I was not scared just frazzled. Once I passed thru the channel I was on glass. I was sailing what I had heard called Jib and Jigger. I was using my Jib and Mizzen sails and not my main. This de-powered the boat and made a easy cruise into the channel all the way to the peer at the marina I was headed to.

Woops! I remembered that a few days before Ike hit Galveston. What I totally forgot was Louisiana was hit by Gustav a couple weeks earlier. The Island was under Marshall law and was a police state. No power and in shambles it was being patrolled by the National Guard, LA State police, Local police and a security firm. Everywhere the law went they did so with their blue lights on. It was not an environment I was use to. Most of the inhabitants on the island were utility workers from places like New York who were out like flies putting things back together. There was a curfew of 8 pm and if you were caught outside you were taken to jail. I told the security people who where based out of the marina how I was broken down and that Kerry was driving from Texas to get me. She would not be getting to the island until after dark. He said she should tell the guards that she was coming to get me and if they gave her a hard time he would drive to her and get her. Kerry Was stopped at one checkpoint and they let her thru. At the second checkpoint they were waiting for her and escorted her to the marina. She said the whole time she was traveling thru lower Louisiana she was scared. The place looked like a war zone with houses and debris blown all over the place. But she made it.

The trip was a little more than I bargained for and next week ,we start out again we will have about 400 mile to look forward to.

[Carl Thunberg]

That's quite a story, and it's one you won't soon forget. A lot of the problems you faced are common to single-handed sailors. You didn't mention an autohelm, but if you plan on doing a lot of single-handed sailing, you will need one, if only to make a quick dash down below to grab something to eat. Fatique, dehydration, and lack of food can seriously impair your judgment. Get that raw water pump fixed before heading out again. A lot of the fatique problems could have been averted if you had been able to run the engine when wind and seas were on the nose. Also, you might have been able to break out the anchor by motoring ahead instead of needing to cut it free. That anchor can be your lifeline. I hope you had a spare. Enjoy the rest of your trip! Hopefully, the next leg will be more relaxing. Honest, sailing is FUN.

[Kevin Kaldenbach]

Thanks for the reply and the advice. Nope no auto helm on the boat. Parts for the raw water pump are on the way then we plan to head out again Friday to finish the voyage. I have a spare anchor and plan to buy a back up. The worst part is there is a windlass on the boat but the bowsprit is not set up with a roller. We just bought the boat and look forward to getting it to Texas where I can start tinkering with her

[Ocean Girl]

Great story!
The Texas coast can be a hostile place. You have the gulf stream going one way and a southeasterly (usually) coming from the other way, and its shallow (fifty miles offshore and you can still be in 80 ft of water). It's been about 4 years since I crossed the gulf and I've crossed it at least 8 times. The hardest part of all those trips was when I was close to land. the oil rigs, the supply boats , the survey vessels lit up like christmas trees that tow a 3 mile long cable with a strobe light at the end (running in figure eight pattens no less!). The Gulf also has the washing machine effect-which is waves coming from every point so there is no good tack, you just hang on and do your best until it subsides. I don't ususally coastal cruise the gulf, I just head straight offshore to deep waters which is to me the easy way, after a couple of days the rigs fade away and you settle into a nice routine with nice open sea. By running the coast you are getting the worst of offshore sailing so if you can handle this, you can handle cruising. You are in my opinion, running the gauntlet and doing a great job by the sound of it.

I've run the ICW three or four times and that normally would be a good alternative, BUT the hurricanes have dumped tons of debris, and the bridges are most likely damaged. You still may find some large debris offshore so keep a good lookout.

What is your route? If you guys need anything I'm in clearlake and my parents are in Palacios (near Matagorgda/Port O'Conner)we'd be happy to help.

Well, Happy sailing and thanks for sharing your adventure.

Erika

I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.
-Jack London

[Kevin Kaldenbach]

I think I experienced the washing machine effect. Especially at the ends of peninsulas. I would love to sail straight across from Grand Isle LA to Matagorda bay but my wife said if she’s going to help me out this time she wants to see land. We will just keep chugging along.

My wife will have to head back to DFW on Tuesday Is there any place in the Galveston Bay area for her to get a rental car or for a friend to meet her. Or is it like Grand Isle and under martial law?

In your opinion how far should I be able to sail in a day?

Thanks Kevin

[Ocean Girl]

I'm at work and just checked my messages. I don't know of any car rentals in galveston (everything is gone) but if she can wait til wednesday I could probably pick her up and take her to a rental agency in kemah or houston. I also have a fireman friend that is helping out down in galveston so he might be able to help too. I'll pm you my phone number and feel free to pm me yours.
As far as wanting to see land all the time I really would suggest getting out further it would be much safer. I'm sure someone else can also chime in about this. but I understand about being new to something and wanting to take it slow but land is an enemy when your sailing.
The further away from land the safer you are.
I'll pm you when I get off work (I'm a nurse and work late so it'll be around 11 or 12 tonight).

[Ocean Girl]

Kevin,
I sent you a pm hopefully it worked, I'm still getting used to navigating this site,

Grand Isle, is that near bayou Lafouche (spell??)? After Mississippi delta? A shot straight across to Matagorda would be the best way.
How far offshore are you anchoring each night?
Galveston is under a "Look and leave" policy and only residents can get in, they must be gone by night fall. I don't know how I could get in to get your wife But we might be able to work that out with my fireman friend Scott who has been helping out down in Galveston.
I was thinking about your route and I am going to get you in touch with a friend that just did a Matagorda to Galveston run about a month ago.
One thing I can't stress enough is to hit the Matagorda entrance at slack tide. It can be a very dangerous entrance when the tide is running.
Hope some of this helps.
Erika

[Kevin Kaldenbach]

Unless we knew for certain that we could get to Matagorda by Tuesday am, we need to stay close to the coast so my wife can get off of the boat. She has to be at work in DFW Wednesday. I was anchoring in 20-30 ft of water. I think Grand Isle is in Lafourche Parrish. Thanks for the input

[Ocean Girl]

Well, Galveston will be interesting to say the least for a land fall. I sent you my phone number, so if Kerry needs a way out call me and if I can't get there I can probably arrange it with the EMS/fireman down there. But I'm not 100% (they all have lost everything) so you guys are heading into a very sad place with little supplies and tired people.
Sorry can't be more helpful.
Erika

[Ocean Girl]

I talked to scott (fireman friend) and he said for your to call the coast guard about making port anywhere near galveston. From what he understands there is a restriction on all vessels not to come in or go out. They (CG) may be a good source on a further south landfall to drop kerry off. If Kerry can wait til late tuesday night I can go get her when I get off from work (9ish) and take her to Bush or hobby for a late night rental car pickup.
Hope your having fun.
Erika

[Kevin Kaldenbach]

It is Tuesday morning and Kerry and I are in Morgan City LA, tied up to their city dock. Kerry is waiting on Enterprise Rental Car to pick her up. She has to go back home to go to work tomorrow. We got to the boat on Friday and spent it and the morning on Saturday working on the raw water pump and a few other things like adding an anchor roller to allow me to used the windlass. We managed to get them fixed but not without a snap ring from the water pump go shooting off into the water and having to go diving to get the roller that fell overboard.

Where the seas were a little heavy when I came to port, they were none existent when Kerry and I sailed out. No waves meant no wind. We motored and motor sailed until evening. Our plan was to sail thru the night but not all of the oils wells were lit up, and there are a lot of them, so we got as close to shore as we could and threw anchor. The next morning we decided it would be in our best interest to get to the intercostal because we needed to be able to find a city by Tuesday so Kerry could get off of the boat.

We motored up the Houma Nav. Channel and made it to Houma by Mid Night where we caught the ICW. We figured there would be plenty of places to dock once we got to the ICW but we were wrong. There were plenty of Barges and more Barges. We wound up anchoring on the edge of the channel where It went thru a marsh. Except for a few Jon Boats we only saw one pleasure boat. I plan to motor the ICW for a few days if not the rest of the trip.

[Kevin Kaldenbach]

I was planning on telling you about the wonderful time I had motoring the Intracostal Waterway in Louisiana. About the wild life, scenery, and how I was so into the beauty of it all that I even found myself singing. But perhaps we should thumb thru and see how it all ended. On Friday October 3rd 2008 I was hit by an 800 foot barge. My boat is totaled and it was the only time in my life I thought I was going to die.

After 6 days of motoring I was in sight of Texas. I had been traveling a straight 20 mile stretch of the ICWW. There was a rock Jetty on the north bank and I was on that side of the canal. I saw a barge turn into the canal from the south and I thought it was headed my way. No problem, I had passed many barges for the past week. They for the most part were professionals and if they had a concern about me they would radio me.

It soon became apparent that this barge was aimed towards the north bank so I figured I was wrong earlier and he had not finished the turn. No problem, he will be turning soon. So I continued to watch my depth sounder keeping to the north side waiting for him to finish his turn. Being that it was a rock Jetty I knew if I bottomed out there it would not be like the times I did earlier in the canal. It would not be mud. As the distance started to close I idled down my motor to give him time to finish his turn. Soon after the horror hit me he was not going to turn and was on a collision course towards me. I leapt to the radio and screamed for his attention, threw the throttle wide open and steered hard for the rocks.

I was not going to make it. I watched helplessly as this towering behemoth struck my boat and shoved me towards the jetty. I remember saying out loud that I was dieing. Seconds later I was on the jetty, no longer in the boat and watching this monster glance up onto the jetty and then settle down into the canal.

I was alive but one look into the cabin and it was clear to me the boat was lost. The bulkheads were torn loose from the hull and what part of the boat that was in the water was submerged. My adventure was over. But I was alive.

A deck hand on the barge was quite professional, asking if I was ok but A white haired old man had nothing better to do than to tell me how I had just won the lottery. I told him I did not want to win the lottery, all I wanted was to be treated right and I explained how I was almost killed but he thought it was more important to advise me on how to screw the company he worked for.

I sat on the jetty collecting my thoughts for a couple of hours as we waited on the coast guard. I did not feel it would be right to be on the tug as I was concerned about liability. I could not see how I was at fault but also knew the crew of the tug had a lot of time to get their stories straight.

After explaining everything to the Coast Guard, they told me I did everything as I should have. The next day the tug company paid me what I felt was fair and I feel they have so far treated me right. I know a lot of you would be shocked about how little I wanted as all I wanted was what I felt I had invested. It was a life experience that I would not wish on anyone but I am not mad that it happened to me, rather very thankful to be alive and even more thankful that my wife was not with me. My instincts got me from the boat and onto the jetty without a scratch but I could not be guaranteed that hers would have done the same.

The tug owner told me that the barge experienced a suction with bank. Maybe some of you are experienced with what this is and can explain it to me. If some sort of suction took place, could I have been correct early on and the tug did make the curve but the suction drew him over? Or did the suction prevent him from making the corner to begin with? I do feel if this suction phenomenon took place then they would have had plenty of time to warn me that they were out of control.

Lastly I was told that if this barge had a sloping bow on it I surly would have been pushed under and killed. That is very sobering.
I hope that everyone involved learns from this as I think I have. I will pester future vessels that have any chance of posing a threat to me in order to create communications with them.

[Carl Thunberg]

When things go bad on the water, they go bad very quickly. I'm sorry you had very little opportunity to enjoy all that is good in cruising during the short time you owned the boat.

[D Rush]

What a harrowing story!
We are all thankful that you were not physically injured.
I'm sure it will be awhile to recover emotionally and mentally from this "adventure".
I'm not sure I could be as calm as you seem to be.

[Ocean Girl]

Sorry to hear about your boat, thank God you were not hurt!
Do you mind if I ask the name of the Towboat that struck you?
I'm glad to hear the company took responsibility for the Captains big error.
If there is anything you need please don't hesistate to ask.
Erika