Portal Pilot - Double Bayou

We arrived at the outer channel marker (2) around 1300 in 30kt NW winds after an uneventful but somewhat damp sail from Clear Lake. The original plan had been to pay a photo visit up the Bayou and return to Clear Lake the same day. In the event after listening to the drama of a Mayday call to a head injury after an accidental gybe unfold and one of our crew members reaching the green round the gills stage we decided to hole up in the Bayou and enjoy the sail back on Sunday with a friendlier forecast.

Having never visited Double Bayou we had collected local information from our pier from the "old hands" and armed with our course carefully plotted on the chart plotter and Campbell's Cruising Guide to Texas in hand we began our journey under motor into Double Bayou. Local advice and Campbell's warn that the channel is not wide and we were at great pains to ensure we stayed lined up on the red channel markers so we kept close to and left of the red markers but trying to stay within 25ft. This was a little nerve racking as we were on the windward side of the marker posts and the wind was in the 30kt range.

When we got to marker 11 it was nice to see the channel markers now in their familiar pairs so aiming through the center we ploughed on towards 13 and 14 and finally 15 and 16 where by now we could see Oak Island to the left. Campbell's told us to look for the water tower which we spotted easily and edged past the sandbank to our port side and headed straight for the water tower.

As we entered the harbor there was what appeared to be an old ferry ramp on the port side just before a boat shed with some boats stored in lifts. The next landmark we saw that was Hammerhead's Bar and Grill, we think undergoing renovations work, the trestle tables in the picture look new.

Immediately after Hammerhead's is Marker 17 which also seemed to sell beer and food. What terrific channel markers they have around here.

We resisted the temptations of marker 17 and set off past a row of shrimpers moored stern to and then there was the boat ramp off to port, just as the pilot predicted.

The pilot says the Bayou splits just after the boat ramp and right on cue there in front of us was the East and West Fork

We took the East fork, to the right

A review of the West fork as we went by revealed a partially sunken shrimpers and a yard of some sorts although it was too far away to describe detail.

With a little trepidation we set off up the Bayou and we were very cautious having never been in there before, on our own and concerned that if we went aground, well you know....

Exploring the Bayou was very river navigation, staying on the outside of the curves and watching the speed and depth sounder like a hawk; in fact I had a crewmember dedicated to that task. The problem we had is that the pilot runs out of detail although the little had drawn map shows you can go what appears to be quite some distance up the Bayou.

We gently edged up the Bayou looking for sign of where boats had nosed into the bank but perhaps caution was too strong at this point so we decided to drop the hook, have some soup and consider our options. Coming up through the companionway hatch a little later I saw a boat motor gently past us and the crew had a very bemused look on their faces at this boat anchored in the fairway!

We watched as they motored on about 400 yds, turned sharp right and drove up the bank, jumped ashore and made off to a tree.

So, anything you can do.......

It turned out that our bowsprit was useful as a means of getting ashore.

It was hard to imagine when we had the boat settled down that this could be a mosquito infested nightmare. The other boats set up camp for some of the crew and the evening settled into a beer and then dinner.

The wind was from the North and this affects the tide levels around the bay and the Bayou was no exception so be aware and adjust your mooring lines as necessary.

We moored with two lines to windward and one on the leeward side for the tide as the forecast indicated the wind would remain in the North overnight.

Sunday morning was beautiful.........

But the water was low so we joined a procession of knowledgeable captains and followed then out into the bay and home for tea!