Out of the Bayou . . . Recap 1

Even if you’re not a regular reader of this blog or you lack a photographic memory, you just know from the photo below that Legs III has completed its journey.  Bravo Seth and crew. 

So let’s go back to the land of liftboats and have another look, since I’ve got “binders full of” boat photos I’ve not yet posted . . .

like L/B Lafayette above and Grand Isle below, boats likely now back at work.

So let’s hit the ditches . . .

 

Keep in mind that if I were to do this trip again–and I’d LOVE to–I might see all different boats, not Capt Doug Wright of Memphis, 

Clair S. Smith of Houma, 

or streamlined barge Kirby 28161. 

I might not see Born Again or 

Salvation, although

I saw Salvation of Nola on a previous trip.  

Good Shepherd I may have seen before too, or maybe it’s just a familiar name.

 

These lodges–sometimes single and other times in groups– on islands accessible only by boat and

really blue herons  . . . intrigue me, and as the other French speakers of North America say . .  . Je me souviens…  I’ll add  je reviendrai.

Names like Cullen Landolt and

Mike Mitchell . . . make me wonder who the namesakes are or were. 

Note anything unusual to sixth boro eyes on the stern of Matthew James?

I don’t believe I’ve ever seen folks working under a parasol up here, but there I saw it quite frequently, and the heat tells me it’s a health and safety issue.

All the photos in this post were taken in the first half day of the trip, the only portion we did on the GICW, but  . . . a lot of boats work what seemed like uninhabited land on the water’s edge, like Jeff Montgomery, 

Bill Tullier,

Squaw, 

Mr Leon, 

Intra Responder, 

and to end this part of the recap . . .

Zoie, which I’m not sure how to pronounce like . . . rhymes with Zoey or Joie….

All photos, WVD, who has more recaps with new photos to come.

Out of the Bayou 3

The bell hung silent as one prolonged blast signaled departure, and today’s post, a slow one, covers just the two first hours heading out of port of Iberia into the NISDC, as explained here a few weeks ago.  Also check part 1 and part 2 of this title. 

That morning a local toothy critter gave us the send off.

Behold the many fingers of the Port of Iberia, as witnessed by the screen. We had been the red X. 

Traffic was quite heavy, with Full Steam and others shuttling aggregate barges past us.

Note the many legs we left behind in the yard where many were built and more are serviced.

More legs are visible as we head south on the NISDC. 

Our heading south meant this photo of these miles and miles of pipes is backlit.  Feel the heat and humidity in the air.

The number of OSVs in the port astonished me. 

When did Abigail Claire last crew up and depart, or

ditto Seacor Washington?  There were other OSVs up various waterway fingers as well.

Around the very first bend, we came upon a dredging operation.

Small tug named Mudd Tug 7 was tending

Magnolia‘s dredge called Grand Terre.

A ways farther, a memorial along the west side of NISDC caught my attention, and of course I had to look it up.  I’ve seen these along roads, but this is a first along a waterway for me.

Then the canal was straight as “land cuts” in any canal, like portions of the Erie Canal.

Dead ahead is the intersection of NISDC and the Gulf ICW.  A right turn here leads to Texas and a left to points east as far as Florida, my destination. 

Ambre Lynn Settoon tends the dredge and crew boat Mr Isaac assists with crew change and supplies.

All photos, WVD, during the first 10 or so miles of a thousand-mile journey, and not yet two hours have elapsed. 

Other posts will cover more more territory, but you have to admit that the first few steps of a hike sometimes feel the best.

Specialized 15

Research vessel Robert E. Hayes gets up on all three sometimes.  Technically, it’s called a liftboat.  I saw Hayes up on all three spuds last year on the Passaic just downstream from Newark.   Thanks to YouTube, you can see it too.

I took these shots last summer in the KVK.

Another liftboat Russell W. Peterson came ashore in a storm on Bethany Beach in Delaware.  See Peterson wallow in the surf here.

To see a much larger liftboat, check out Resolution on shipoftheday blog.  It’s a  spudded vessel designed and built specifically to install coastal wind turbines.

Photos, WVD.