Captain's Log
TMCA Spring Fling 2016 Pleasure Island Texas
The crew of S/V Imagine has maintained a vessel that is ready to sail. Even still being attached to a dock while we work and finish projects until she is ready to cast the lines off. We have done extensive sailing in Galveston Bay, completed a trip to nowhere into the gulf, but so far no passage in the gulf. There is an annual trip called Spring Fling from our area to Port Arthur Texas. We were able to log 110 miles offshore in the 2 trips. Yea I know, but it was a start with 2 different types of days. One had very confused seas, and the other was a laid back sail.
Pleasure Island history:
The U. S. Corps of Engineers created Pleasure Island from deposits dredged while constructing the Port Arthur Canal, completed in 1899, and the Sabine Neches Intracoastal Waterway, completed in 1908.
In 1913 a dance hall and roller coaster were constructed. In 1941 a private investor built the Pleasure Pier Ballroom, a midway, an Olympic-size swimming pool, and the largest roller coaster in the south. A fine 18-hole golf course was enjoyed for years. Pleasure Island was Port Arthur's playground for decades until the Pleasure Pier bridge, which opened in 1931 and was frequently hit by ships, was taken out of service in 1967, making it difficult to reach the island. Storms, fires, and erosion eventually destroyed all of the existing facilities.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge and the Sabine Causeway now connect Pleasure Island to Port Arthur and Louisiana. Residents and tourists alike are enjoying the development of Pleasure Island. It is the natural place to be for outdoor activity.
There are 2 ways to get there, one is east on the ICW from Galveston Tx, or Offshore. The offshore route tends to take a bit longer having to go out and in the Jetties on each end. Our journey started sailing from Kemah Texas to Laguna Harbor just inside the ICW. This is a housing development that allows recreational boaters to pull in for a night or 2 and tie up to nice bulkheads with free water and electricity. 
Laguna Harbor and Boats heading to Spring Fling
The weather report says we have SSE winds at 15-20 with seas of 3-4 feet. This is up just a bit from the previous report, and we all are confident of a fun passage. At 0500 we are up, reading the vessels for our trip at first light. We have about an hour of motoring to get back into the Houston east channel anchorage work our way through it then turn left out of the jetties. The wind fills strong, we have reefed our sails expecting this, the swells and seas build as we exit the jetties and a beautiful sunrise greeted us for our voyage east.
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| Point Bolivar Light is a historic lighthouse in Port Bolivar, Texas, that was built in 1872. It served for 61 years before being retired in 1933, when its function was replaced by a different light. |
Sunrise going out the Galveston Texas Jetties
I was excited to see what or Catalina 380 could do in this type of sailing conditions. She did GREAT! The winds were strong, but actually not as bad as expected. We were able to blow out our reefed main and go to a full headsail. We actually had things stowed quite well, the cushions on the settee went into the floor mainly because after the recent upgrade we had not put the velcro on the bottoms to prevent this. A good friend of our's Lady Jane Stone was my crew for this journey. Carol had to work and drive over later that week. Lady is the Rear Commodore of TMCA and is a dear friend of ours. Back to stowing things, like I said it all went well except for the 2 sewing machines. The small machine we use for regular sewing and embroidery work landed on our bed, the SAILRITE bounced off the bed triple somersault flips with a back twist and landed against the port side aft cabin door splitting it at the glue at the rail on the lock side. Fixable, but I never thought were the machines were at they would ever do that. Looks like some strapping is to be installed.
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| Not sure what this is, but we could see it for miles off shore. I looked like something from StarGate! |
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| Carol getting some helm time on the way back home. |
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| Large Shp Coming up The Sabine Pass |
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| The Sabine Pass Lighthouse, or Sabine Pass Light as it was referred to by the United States Coast Guard, is a historic lighthouse, as part of a gulf coast light station, on the Louisiana side of the Sabine River across from the community of Sabine Pass, Texas in Cameron Parish. It was first lit in 1857 and was deactivated by the Coast Guard in 1952. One of only three built in the United States of similar design, the light was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as "Sabine Pass Lighthouse" in 1981. It is now abandoned but has long continued to be the subject of preservation efforts. - Wikipedia |
Ken and Lady getting some Helm time!
Fun Times at Spring Fling!
We had a LT. Col. from the Army Air Cavalry give a very touching ceremony Sunday morning. He really made the meaning of this day hit you square in your heart. Regardless of your political views it is the Men and Women who have lost their life to give you the opportunity to live your life free. The opportunity to speak freely, even when it disrespects others and our country. There blood and loss gives us everything we enjoy. Every one of those who have given that does not want us to mourn for ever over there life being lost, but to live our life the way they did, free, fun, and enjoying what our friends and nation has to offer. So at some point during this holiday take some time to toast these heros, think and appreciate what they truly gave us. As we pulled out on Memorial day this is the Joy on my sailboat I get to enjoy, and I wonder how many of them would have loved to have this same joy. But like most heroes they never get to enjoy rewards they give us all.
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| Sunrise Leaving Port Arthur on Memorial day |
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