Voyage Challenges & Heroic Repairs

At last, we slipped the lines, left NOLA behind, and pointed Hazel toward the Gulf of America. This time it was the real departure.

The day began with an ominous mood. Winds were blowing at twenty‑five knots, the swells were large, and the wave chop was relentless. Sailing was impossible because the wind was coming straight at Hazel’s nose, which happened to be the exact direction we needed to go. In the shallow waters of the Mississippi Delta, there is no room to tack back and forth. Step outside the marked channel and you are in trouble.

As you will see in the photos, we passed through five bridges. We experienced the full variety of bridge engineering, including lifting bridges, twisting bridges, and classic drawbridges. By evening we finally reached the Gulf and anchored behind a small island. It is our last quiet night at anchor where both of us can sleep at the same time.

The journey itself was anything but quiet. It lasted ten hours and began with the Hydrovane rudder rattling violently in the swells. It interfered with our main rudder and made the helm sluggish. We had no choice but to stop the boat. That was when Peter, fearless and determined, went overboard to pull the pin that held the Hydrovane rudder in place.

I wish I had been wearing a GoPro. Waves rolled over him again and again, sometimes swallowing him completely before he surfaced. The north wind had stirred up cold water from the depths, and he was shaking uncontrollably, but he got the job done. Thanks to him, we dropped the Hydrovane rudder and hauled it aboard. It will stay there until we see how well the Raymarine autopilot performs under sail.

After that ordeal, we continued for many hours in search of a safe anchorage among the scattered islands of the northern Gulf. Out the windows now, we can see offshore oil platforms silhouetted against a spectacular sunset.

Then the boat decided to add one more challenge. The waste system failed when a hose carrying the worst possible substance came loose in the pounding swells. The smell was indescribable. Once again, Peter stepped up. It is the most revolting job on the boat, but he tackled it without hesitation. We found the problem, double‑clamped every fitting, tightened every hose, and for now the system appears to be working. Time will tell. Either way, Peter has officially earned his new title: Plumber Pete.

This may be our last update for a while, depending on how Starlink behaves once we leave North America. If all goes well, our timing should put us in Panama on January twenty‑third.

Captain Paul and Plumber Pete signing off.