Houma City Dock (S. Mile 58)

Date: Dec 3, 2019                                            

Time:     Arrived at 1300 

Location:  Houma

Weather:  50-60, nice    

Sea State:  ICW                

Destination: Tomorrow Lafitte

Engine Hours:    1253                                                      

Crew:    Art

Eagles are evasive.  Though distant pic achieved.

Comments:  We had no electricity this morning so I started the little Honda generator and turned on the electric heater.  Art woke up cold, during the night, asking for more blankets.  I had a 20 degree sleeping bag that seemed to work.  I’ve got to keep my Swobbie, chef, line tender, helmsman, etc., comfortable.  We were concerned with our dockage last night, though our lines looked like a spider web.  However, we survived the swift currents and low tides.  There is a requirement to call Local Traffic at Berwick; I suppose because it’s a busy intersection of the Achafalaya and the ICW.  I called them immediately after breakfast and was shocked to hear we would probably be required to take an alternate route, perhaps 20 extra miles, around the Bayou Boufe lock due to some repairs.  He gave directions but all of the bayous are French names and with his swift spoken Cajun accent we couldn’t understand.  He said he would contact me back on Channel 11 shortly to give me permission to pass under the train bridge and more directions.  We immediately started untangling the spider web and prepared to shove off.  We were scrambling, confused and quickly digested our breakfast.  He called back about 10 minutes later and said the lock work was delayed and we would be able to transit through the Bayou Boufe lock.  How lucky is that, once again.  Those prayers from home are being answered.  He gave some other directions, naming locations like the 20 grand and mile 92, and mentioned the dredge boat, etc.
  All we heard was to contact the lock on 14 when we reached them, which we did.  We were not locked in and able to travel straight through the lock after a few minutes of delay.  From there we saw nothing but beauty.  The stretch between Morgan City and Houma has to be Louisiana’s most beautiful area.  Bayou Cocodrie is part of the ICW which widens into a cypress and eagle filled Lake Cocodrie.  I don’t remember so many eagles when we came through here in 2012 on Pura Vida’s maiden voyage from New Orleans to Port Arthur.  The second beautiful and wide section was near Lake Hackberry with the same beauty.  We eventually made it to the Bayou Dularge Bascule Bridge in Houma but we were delayed for 30 minutes, for a regularly scheduled automobile traffic rush hour closure.  We pulled into the Houma City dock just before 1300 to find it extremely shallow, just like everywhere else.  This norther has done a number on south Louisiana.  However, we plowed in, seeing 4 ft 6 inches, but very soft.  We walked to a store, re-provisioned groceries then cooked.  Tomorrow, Lafitte anchorage.