Sailing Biloxi

[belybuster]

Can someone please tell me what kind of sailing I could do in Biloxi.  It just looks like a good destination to trailer my 23D to, because...
the small craft harbor looks like it would work for me, if the launch is deep enough and
the hard rock casino is next door, which allows dogs...and wife's who don't sail.
Thanks!

[belybuster]

Woops, my wife just informed me; I should of said "Wife who does not sail" not Wive's who don't sail because I'm not Mormon.  Not that there is anything wrong with being Mormon.  Well, enough hot water for today!

[AislinGirlII]

Plenty to do:
Sailing wise, I almost have to retrieve at high tide even with my tongue extender, but that's at Long Beach, not sure about Biloxi.
Several barrier islands only a couple hours sail offshore, or just cruise down the coast from town to town
There are some sunset charter cruises too.

Non sailing:
Lots of places to eat, Shaggy's is good dive bar grub, but most anywhere is....(Salute in Gulfport a bit more upscale food, but casual)
Biloxi Maritime Museum.
Lighthouse Tours (I think only in the morning hours tho)
Wife can go over to Gulfport Outlet Stores and buy lots of stuff like Coach bags (trust me I know this)
Ocean Springs next door has a great little downtown area
It's really a great area from all along from Ocean Springs,Biloxi,Gulfport,Long Beach, Pass Christian.

[brackish]

Lived there and sailed there the better part of my life, but all the boats I had when I lived there were larger, in water boats.  I have never launched my 23 there but looking for an excuse.  The sailing is great in the sound, barrier islands make nice destinations and fairly good anchorages.  Too much to do on land to even get started.  Great restaurants, and shopping.

[belybuster]

Thanks so much AislinGirlII and brackish!  Sounds like a great destination.  It will be a 10 hour drive for me because I'm at Lake Texoma near Dallas.  Launching at high tide sounds like a good idea.  Being from an inland lake I did not even think of that (duh).  Would be my first time in salt water, even though the 1990 Compac 23D III spent half her life on the coast.  If you have any more wisdom for me, I'd love to hear it, before I get my self in a fix down there.

[blighhigh]

It was years ago.  I remember sailing a Hobie cat off Biloxi.  For some reason the rudder came out of the pintels so I steeled my courage and prepared to drop in the water to fix it.  I must have been several miles off shore at the time.  To my surprise I was standing on the bottom with no problem fixing the rudder.  This always led me to suspect the area is rather shallow water.  Since that time I have done extensive sailing in Mobile and Periodo Bays without problems. Biloxi I continued to avoid.

[moonlight]

50-70 miles west we have a couple of very long and a couple other very steep ramps on Lake Pontchartrain; but then you'd spend a day or more getting the boat to the coast...

[belybuster]

Lake Pontchartrain sounds interesting.  How is the sailing there.

[moonlight]

Seasonally it can be superb.  A couple destinations, New Orleans, Mandeville, Madisonville, Manchac ...  all 4-8 hours apart due to bridges or mere distance.

Like the whole Gulf Coast, can get VERY rough in very short order with thunderstorms and the like.  The entire lake, 25nm N-S and 30+nm E-W is 15' deep.  If you sink, climb the mast, you'll be fine.  But waves in such shallow water get choppy very fast...

[belybuster]

Thanks a lot, "moonlight".  How do you all think the month of March would be to sail the coast down there?  Brakish, maybe we could meet up and do some sailing!

[AislinGirlII]

Re: Moonlight's note on Pontchartrain tstorms...I let myself get caught once and only once in a summer thunderstorm just outside Bayou Bonfouca....

PS whenever you do come down, avoid I10 from Lafayette thru Baton Rouge during rush hours if not altogether. Trust me..

[brackish]

Thanks a lot, "moonlight".  How do you all think the month of March would be to sail the coast down there?  Brakish, maybe we could meet up and do some sailing!

Actually pretty good.  March may have some spring storms but generally good weather.  Water is not warm enough to swim yet, at least for me, but it has not gotten miserable hot and buggy and winds tend to be steady.  Give me some advance notice and I may haul down there.  I usually go skiing some time in the last ten days of March.

[brackish]

It was years ago.  I remember sailing a Hobie cat off Biloxi.  For some reason the rudder came out of the pintels so I steeled my courage and prepared to drop in the water to fix it.  I must have been several miles off shore at the time.  To my surprise I was standing on the bottom with no problem fixing the rudder.  This always led me to suspect the area is rather shallow water.  Since that time I have done extensive sailing in Mobile and Periodo Bays without problems. Biloxi I continued to avoid.

That's what they make charts for.

Don't know where you were but I don't know of any stand up water two miles off Biloxi.  There are some shell beds and shoals near deer island and there is a new reef post Katrina on the south side of the island. lots of shoals close to the barrier islands as to be expected, they are not much more than big sand bars.  But the sound itself is reliably deep as in 15 feet plus or minus.

The last boat I kept down there drew 4' 11" and I had no problems navigating the sound. 

[belybuster]

OK, on my to-do list and my to-don't list.  Avoid I-10 and remind Brakish to meet us.  Thanks!

[brackish]

PS whenever you do come down, avoid I10 from Lafayette thru Baton Rouge during rush hours if not altogether. Trust me..

True dat, but crossing the Atchafalaya Basin at day break is stunning.  just got to get through Baton Rouge before folks get up.