We left the Seabrook Marina at 10 am and had to wait for several bridges to open.  We had a half hour wait at each one. One had electrical problems and the other was a railroad bridge with a long train on it  Then we had to go under another lift bridge which also had electrical problems.  We entered Industrial Locks right after the lift bridge.   The lockmaster (if that’s what they’re called) was very friendly and helpful.  He told us just what to do.  We had read information about locks in Chapman Piloting and Seamanship so we had an idea about what to do.  We needed fenders on one side and at the Industrial Locks, a worker threw down several lines for us to tie up to a cleat.  We went up about a foot and they let us out.  Next we went through St. Claude Ave Bascule Bridge and entered the Inner Harbor Industrial Canal.  This was the Mississippi River which we followed right through downtown New Orleans.  Then, we entered Harvey Locks, which is the “0” mile marker, and went down about three feet.  We went under a railroad bridge and another Bascule bridge on our way to the last bridge which needed to be lifted for us, Lapalco Blvd Bascule Bridge.  We got through that and re-entered the GIWW (Gulf Intracoastal Waterway).  With a sigh of relief, we were finally out of New Orleans, getting under the last one before there were no openings for two hours.  They do this during rush hour traffic.

All these bridges and Locks were interesting but sure slowed us down.  We had hoped to get to a free dock at Fleming Canal, but due to all the delays today, we opted for an anchorage along the GIWW.  We pulled as far off as we could.  The Skipper Bob Cruising the Gulf Coast Cruising Guide was a lifesaver going through all the bridges and locks today.  We knew the exact mile marker they were each at, the VHF channels we needed to use to call them, when some bridges were closed for rush hour traffic, etc.  However, this guide has not been updated in some parts since Hurricane Katrina.  The place we chose to anchor was listed as 12 feet, and it was close to six feet. 

Shortly after we anchored and turned on some things, something happened and we lost power to several outlets and most importantly the heat.  It’s very cold here - well, not be Minnesota standards, but still cold enough for heat.  Mark fixed it by turning all the systems off and restarting it all. 

For more pictures of today’s travels, click here.