Biloxi, MS

The winds shifted during the night - not as forecast - which made for some good old rock and roll and did it get cold!  What a way to start the day.  We were underway fairly early into the wind in 2 to 3 ft seas which gave the boat a good solid coat of salt spray.  However, the boat handle the conditions very well. Oh, the joys of a dry, warm pilot house.  After a few hours the seas subsided as did the wind.  The sun came out an warmed the day into the high.  We followed the ICW for a short distance and then decided to get in the shoreline while the winds were strong.  The change of scenery was amazing.  The southern Mississippi shore is lined with huge casinos. At one time gambling was restricted to casinos on boats in MS.  The hurricanes wiped out the gambling boats along the coast and the laws changed to allow casinos on land. As I look out from our boat tied off at a dock at the Point Cadet Marina in Biloxi I can see two of the big casinos that have bitten the bullet and are dark from top to bottom.  The marina we are in is behind the ISLE casino which is still active.

We arrived early enough in the day for Colby to play deckhand and wash the salt and mud from the boat. The mud was brought up by the anchor this morning.  We decided to take a break and go to a movie - TRUE GRIT - Ugh!   The temperature as been forecast to be in the low 30's tonight.  I hope the forecaster misses that one, too.

We plan on continuing east early in the morning.  This time NOAA and Wunderground.com agree that wherever we are tomorrow night we will remain for a few days. A serious cold front will be moving through the area accompanied by strong winds.  Oh, well.  Hopefully we will be in southern Alabama.

The boat has been performing very well.  We have been averaging 8 MPH (Statue miles are used in the ICW) and burning about 2 1/2 gallons of fuel per hour.  Slow and easy. That's life on a trawler.

Y'all stay vertical,

Capt John and First Mate Sue
and Colby, too