Sailing Texas Reflections

Dear friends and family,

It is time to reflect on the Texas Nonmotorized Gulf Coast adventure sail.

I am out of Texas and on my way back to Port Townsend, boat in tow.

When I look back on the entire trip and plan I could easily say that it was a colossal failure, a giant miscalculation that I should have known better about and not attempted.

I had a plan to sail and row the entire Texas coast via the inside protected waters of the Intracoastal Waterway in winter. 

When doing my research for this adventure I did not find one example of anyone doing this entire trip this way: nonmotorized, and in winter. Now I know why.

Many of the charts of the protected waters do not show depth. I assumed (sort of correctly) that due to hurricanes every few years that the depths change, so would not show up on charts. While that is true, what I did not realize is that the depth changes from a few feet deep to just inches, not a sailable depth at all in many or most places outside the narrow channel of the waterway. 

And the waterway is only 150 feet wide of dredged channel, and leaves very little room for a small sailing boat to fit or even try to tack with barges that can fill more than half that width. Just outside the channel is where I thought I might sail, but I learned that just outside the channel in most places is only about a foot deep, so too low to sail and plenty easy to go aground. 

The prevailing winds during the winter are from the north. Thinking I could tack into this or row into these winds was my plan, but I found out about the room for tacking (see above) and the inability to row much distance against a solid wind, made this close to impossible for any long stretch.

So, many factors that I did not know ahead of time made the overall plan not impossible, but more challenging than I was willing to undertake for the duration of the coastal route.

So, a failure?

Actually not a failure. I found my limits in many ways and learned so much about planning, sailing a small boat and living simply in said boat.

So, I conclude that this was a success when I think about what I intend to get out of trying a “close to my limits” adventure. 

What worked?

THE BOAT

The boat performed really well and after a few hours I felt comfortable sailing it in different conditions. It is designed really well and I have a few changes to make for easier sailing, but really am happy with what I bought. Even rowing it is fun and not too hard, provided that there is enough water under the hull to let down a rudder or centerboard to keep it from rounding up into the wind when rowing. Of course I have the changes ready in my head and intend to apply them when in Port Townsend.

THE SKIPPER

This is probably the area that I was most concerned. Would I be able to manage this small boat for sailing and rowing and crawling around inside and out, including camping comfortably enough? Turned out that I could and enjoyed those parts immensely. I slept well almost every night (maybe less so the night of the coyote), but found ways to get comfortable with the potential discomfort.  It took a different kind of fitness to lift things at weird angles and  move the body at all different angles as well. Turns out that lots of work on core strength and flexibility pays off!

Was handy too to be able to muscle it off the mud when I would run aground.

THE SAILING

The sailing I did do was amazing. I never spent time on this coast and exploring it was exhilarating and challenging. Often I could look out and see only water in all directions. Could have been in the middle of an ocean except occasionally there would be someone standing up to their ankles with a fishing rod only a few hundred yards from me. Quite the surprise and reminder of the depth around me.

Figuring out the tides and shallows and the camping spots was fun and challenging. Quite unlike anywhere I have ever sailed before. 

TEXAS

I cannot summarize Texas without thanking all my “angels” who really helped me out. Chuck, Gerard, Roger, Michael, Gordo, and Mark. Much appreciated.

As I toured Texas I was reading the book given by Liz and recommended by Gerard called GULF, which gave the history of the entire Gulf coast from Florida to Texas. I got to experience what I was reading about including the fishing history, the wildlife, the effects of finding oil here and then the tourists. I laughed when I read about the “snowbirds” coming down here from northern states to sit in the hot sun and bake themselves. The next day I sat in light winds, exposed to the hot sun, and baked myself. Don’t laugh too fast, Charley.

Texas is losing ground very quickly to climate change. To the tune of four feet of coastline per year lost to the Gulf. Search it if you find that hard to believe. I did so I did. What if I waited ten years to do this trip, what would I find?

Very special to me were the dolphins who accompanied me most every day and right next to me, as in touchable next to me. It seemed they could read my mind and showed up anytime I was getting especially worried about something (which is probably why they had to show up so much). Very, very special.

I am already planning future sailing trips on Snark, but without all the driving, so closer to Washington and British Columbia. Next fall maybe.

Time to get organized, visit friends, and get my twice yearly doctor visits in Port Townsend before heading back to Hongvi in Alaska.

Stay tuned.

Sending love,

Charley