A cool start to the morning. Really. In the 60s. Refreshing! Joan asked if I'd like to have lunch on the boat, maybe toss out the anchor and just kick back... "Sounds great!"
The weather weasels were calling it: clear, high in the low 80s, light wind 5 to 8 mph out of the north. Close. On all of it except the wind - it was blowing around 15 when we went out. With the wind out of the north, it would mean a lumpy ride to our favorite anchorage and not much protection once there. We changed the plan a bit, with lunch aboard while sight-seeing.
Today, the sight-seeing included birds, dolphins, and an in-coming ship.
Out the canal...
Plenty of crewboats shuttling back and forth...
This sportfisher came by us twice, kicking a huge wake both times...
I mentioned the stronger than predicted wind - I wasn't trying for it, but still managed to pull off the Gomer look with the brim of the hat standing up...
Shazaam!
The GPS says we are on land...
Nope. We are in shallow water about 30 yards away from the shore. Out of the channel, but in the water. Notice the water temp: 77.7º - pretty typical for this time of year.
Checking out the Roseate Spoonbills on shore...
Keeping an eye out for dolphins. The first sighting...
This group was moving east at a pretty good clip - our preference was for heading west to stay out of the lumpy water. Lunch time...
It didn't take long to find a couple more groups of dolphins...
During all this, I was maneuvering the boat every which way to allow the best view of the action. The GPS track...
More dolphins as we headed back towards the Port Isabel Channel...
Plenty of pelicans diving into the water...
Just before turning into the channel, we could see a ship coming in through the jetties...
We decided to hang out where the Brownsville Ship Channel and the Port Isabel Channel meet to watch the ship pass...
The cargo on there? Propellers for those huge windmill electric generators...
And, some more bow surfing...
After the ship passed, the pelicans were all over - I'm guessing plenty of "pelican chow" stirred up thanks to the ship...
We did a bit more sight-seeing before heading for home. Little Izzy said, "I didn't think you were ever coming back!"
My buddy Mike was wanting to put his boat back in, but knew he would have to cross the dredge pipelines several times to get to his dock; I volunteered to ride along... with my boat-pole in hand. He had to turn off the motor and raise it while we went over - while I pushed down on the pipe. It worked - his boat is back at his dock and on the lift. I can appreciate his anxious desire to get back out on the water. While the dredge is in his canal, on the other side of the small bridge from him, he will have to deal with the pipe, but not the actual dredge (ain't no getting around that easily); they are done dredging in his part of the canal.
2 comments:
What a Prick to Throw a Wake on you like that..
Typical for here; the crewboats generally make a slow pass, I don't recall a sportfisher ever slowing down. It's a ship channel so there's frequently bigger traffic - you just keep an eye on what is passing. I don't think they are intentional looking to wake, just indifference. Glad I wasn't on a kayak. ;-)
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